Siesta Key's Trolley Lost Its Downtown Run in a Year Its Ridership Kept Climbing

In March, Sarasota County leaders announced the end of the part of the free 77 Siesta Islander route that ran north of Siesta Key Village, over the North Bridge, through Siesta Crossing and into downtown Sarasota. The county was working to close a projected $37.8 million budget shortfall by 2029, and the cut segment averaged about 140 riders a week. "There just wasn't anyone on it, to any real extent," Commissioner Mark Smith told WWSB, adding that he didn't know many Siesta Key residents who would take the trolley downtown and back.

The cut took effect April 24, and the Islander has been an island-only route since. Over the same fiscal year, the trolley carried riders at a far faster pace than it did the year before.

An island loop that people ride

Breeze Transit Director Jane Grogg gave the Siesta Key Beautification Task Force the county's figures in September. The Siesta Islander carried 219,510 passengers in fiscal 2025. In the first 10 months of fiscal 2026 it carried 362,596, according to Siesta Sand's report on the meeting.

Per month, that works out to about 36,000 riders in fiscal 2026, compared with about 18,000 in fiscal 2025. The monthly pace roughly doubled. Spread over a week, the fiscal 2026 average comes to more than 8,000 riders, while the downtown segment the county removed carried about 140.

Some of the gap comes from the hurricanes. On Oct. 14, 2024, WWSB reported that Breeze trolleys, including the Siesta Islander, were suspended while Siesta Key was closed to the public after Hurricane Milton. Siesta Beach was also closed until further notice. The fiscal 2025 total covers that recovery period. The county's figures cover the whole fiscal year and don't separate the months before and after the April cut. Even so, the trolley lost its downtown run in a year when its overall ridership was climbing.

Day to day, the Islander runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, usually every 25 to 30 minutes. It connects Siesta Key Village, Siesta Beach, South Village and Turtle Beach Park & Campground, and everyone rides free. You can track it live in the Breeze Rider app or on the county's Route 77 page.

The county lists modified trolley hours on several holidays coming up this season:

• Thanksgiving Day: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Christmas Eve: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• New Year's Eve: 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• New Year's Day: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The extra half mile at the north end of the Village

Once the route stayed on the island, the county started adjusting it. Since Sept. 1, Breeze has been testing an adjusted route that adds a stop at Avenida Milano and Ocean Boulevard.

Siesta Sand reported that the talks about this extension began in 2022 with the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and Village merchants, then came back up after the downtown connection ended in April. The roughly half-mile loop takes the trolley north to Avenida Madera, through the back streets of the Village and out to Avenida Milano before it turns south again. The route is only slightly longer, so Breeze isn't adding trolleys or operating costs. The test can run up to 12 months while the county studies traffic, rider convenience and possible physical improvements at the north end of the Village.

Grogg told commissioners what makes that loop hard. The streets are narrow, cars park on the street and cars drift into the travel lane, and some of the right of way is blocked. The county could instead keep the trolley on Ocean Boulevard. She described the choice as a trade-off between dropping riders close to Village businesses and the traffic conflicts that come with stopping in an already busy area. Smith supported the test and said the county might eventually drop the Canal Road part of the route, where the trolley doesn't currently serve any stops.

"This is something that the businesses on the north end of the village have been looking for for some time," Smith said, according to Siesta Sand.

More riders means more stops in traffic

The ridership growth has a cost in traffic. Each boarding along Midnight Pass Road or Beach Road holds up the cars behind the trolley. At its Sept. 25 meeting, the Siesta Key Beautification Task Force voted unanimously to recommend testing designated trolley pullouts, which would let the trolley leave the travel lane while passengers get on and off. Member Mason Tush made the motion. It calls for pullouts at busy stops on the current route along Midnight Pass Road or Beach Road, between Stickney Point Road and Siesta Beach. It also recommends that the county work with private property owners on design and construction.

Task force Vice Chair Natalie Gutwein said members want to test two locations before going further. No sites have been chosen yet. County officials said any pullout would first need an engineering review covering roadway conditions, pedestrian safety, drainage and available right of way. For now the pullouts are a recommendation, and the trolley still stops in the travel lane this season.

Getting off the island takes a different ride

The Islander now stays on the Key, so trips to the mainland need another option. Breeze Route 33, the seasonal route between Cattlemen Station, Pinecraft and Siesta Key, resumes in December 2026, according to the county's Breeze routes page. The standard Breeze fare is $1.50 per boarding.

The most recent posted Route 33 timetable, part of the schedules effective April 25, 2026, gives a sense of the service. It runs weekdays and Saturdays, about once an hour. Stops include Siesta Beach, Siesta Key Mall, Bahia Vista Street at South Conrad Avenue and Hines Avenue, and Cattlemen Station, with a stop in Siesta Key Village on westbound trips. On that schedule, the first westbound bus leaves Cattlemen Station at 9 a.m. and the last at 6 p.m. Eastbound buses leave Siesta Beach from 9:48 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. Times may change once the new season's schedule is posted.

If you're driving off the island, the North Bridge is still a work zone. The Florida Department of Transportation is rehabilitating the Siesta Drive drawbridge, which includes concrete maintenance, repairs to the mechanical and electrical systems, and steel coating replacement. The Sarasota/Manatee MPO's weekly traffic update for the week of Nov. 1 says crews work under the span Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are not scheduled on weekends. While the systems are tested, waits for the bridge to open and close can run longer than usual. The MPO suggests using the Stickney Point Bridge or leaving extra time. Pedestrians and cyclists still have access. Completion is expected in late 2026.

The work also limits boat traffic through Nov. 30. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the bridge opens only one leaf at a time. Overnight openings are capped at four a night. A full opening during the day or in the evening requires four hours' notice. If your boat needs the full span to get through, plan the trip ahead of time.

The Stickney Point Bridge has its own work. FDOT is installing Intelligent Transportation Systems on several movable bridges in Sarasota County, including both Siesta Key bridges. The project adds pedestrian and bicycle detection and connects the equipment to the bridge tender buildings. Expect lane and sidewalk closures from time to time, with overnight lane closures possible between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Free rides for the trips the trolley doesn't cover

The trolley only stops at set stops on a fixed loop. Tip-based private shuttles cover trips that start or end somewhere else.

The Frog Hop offers free door-to-door rides anywhere on Siesta Key, which it describes as an eight-mile island. Local hotels, restaurants and attractions sponsor the service, and tips are welcome but not required. You don't need an app or a sign-up form. Call 844-376-4467 or text 301-257-1930. It also offers airport trips as a separate service.

Siesta Free Ride handles rides to the beach, Village stops, grocery runs, dinners and sunset pickups around the island. Rides are free and tips are appreciated. Call or text 941-600-8380.

If you still plan to drive to the beach, Siesta Beach has more than 950 free parking spaces, according to Sarasota County Parks. The county lists the Sun Deck as open 10 a.m. to sunset, the Sand Pavilion 8 a.m. to sunset and beach rentals 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here's how the options line up for common trips this season:

Through Thanksgiving week, the Islander will be the steadiest free ride on the Key, with holiday hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Route 33 resumes in December, and the county's test of the Avenida Milano stop continues into next year.

At Sarasota Neighborhood Experts, we track the details of Siesta Key life, from the trolley's newest stop to the bridge schedules that shape a trip to the mainland. If you're weighing which part of the Key fits how you like to get around, let's connect and look at it together.