Opening of New Beneva Road Connector to Advance the Florida Gulf Coast Trail
Trust for Public Land, Friends of the Legacy Trail, Sarasota County, and local partners recently celebrated the opening of the new Beneva Road Connector — a half-mile multiuse trail that will link the Legacy Trail at Beneva Road to Fruitville Road. This new connector marks an exciting milestone in the development of the 420-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which will ultimately unite seven counties from Tampa to Naples.
The Beneva Road Connector, as part of other connection projects underway, will provide residents and visitors with new opportunities to walk, bike, and roll safely through four public parks, connecting neighborhoods to nature, recreation, and community destinations. A connected trail system will strengthen local economies, promote healthy lifestyles, and improve transportation alternatives throughout Sarasota County.
It will also allow users to safely travel north to Fruitville Road and connect to the City of Sarasota’s Circus trail and the Bobby Jones golf course / conservation area, and then to the County’s 17th St., Park, and then on to Nathan Benderson Park.
“This project represents a significant investment in community health, economic development, and sustainable transportation,” said Charles Hines, Program Director for the Florida Gulf Coast Trail for Trust for Public Land. “Funded and designed through a collaboration between the Friends of the Legacy Trail, the Maria Haber Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Sarasota County, the Beneva Road Connector exemplifies how partnerships can create meaningful infrastructure that connects people to nature and to one another.”
“Friends of the Legacy Trail is proud to be part of this successful public-private partnership. We are deeply grateful to our generous donors, volunteers, and community partners whose support is helping extend the trail and strengthen connections throughout Sarasota County,” shared Friends of the Legacy Trail President Rita Miotti.
“The Gulf Coast Community Foundation is proud to have partnered with Trust of Public Land, the Friends of the Legacy Trail and Sarasota County to expand the Florida Gulf Coast Trial in Sarasota County and to provide a needed safe mobility alternative to many communities that rely on walking and cycling as their primary means of transportation,” said Jon Thaxton, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
In 2022, Trust for Public Land began leading efforts to create the Florida Gulf Coast Trail in Southwest Florida. While many sections of the trail already exist, several gaps remain. Partnering with local public and private partners, TPL is working to close the gaps and make the 420-mile trail a reality.
TPL has become the most prolific trail organization in the country and has helped communities in 46 states plan and build more than 3,100 miles of rural, suburban, and urban trails to enable safe walking and cycling routes to everyday destinations.
Learn more about the Florida Gulf Coast Trail and the work Trust for Public Land is doing to connect communities in Southwest Florida here.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
