October 22, 2026
Since September 1, the open-air Siesta Islander has had a new stop at Avenida Milano and Ocean Boulevard, at the north end of Siesta Key Village. The loop Breeze presented to county commissioners in August would take the trolley north to Avenida Madera, through the back-street part of the Village, and out to Avenida Milano before it heads south toward Siesta Beach and Turtle Beach.
That extra half mile is the newest change to how people get around the island this season. It also comes after a quieter change in April that matters more. The trolley no longer leaves Siesta Key at all. Nearly every major date between now and mid-December sits on or near the trolley's route. The North Bridge is the part of the trip that needs planning.
According to Sarasota County's Breeze Transit page for Route 77, Breeze has been testing an adjusted route since September 1 that adds a stop at Avenida Milano and Ocean Boulevard. The trolley still connects Siesta Key Village, Siesta Beach, South Village, and Turtle Beach Park & Campground. It runs every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is free. The county's route map estimates a trolley about every 30 minutes but notes that traffic affects the actual timing.
The pilot is not new as an idea. When Breeze Transit Director Jane Grogg presented it to county commissioners on Aug. 26, she said talks about extending the trolley had started in 2022 with the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and Village merchants. Those talks came back after the trolley's mainland service ended this spring. Siesta Sand reported that Commissioner Mark Smith welcomed the trial. "This is something that the businesses on the north end of the village have been looking for for some time," he said.
According to the same report, the pilot can run for up to 12 months while the county studies traffic, rider convenience, and possible physical improvements at the north end of the Village. Because the added distance is short, Breeze is not adding trolleys or operating costs. Grogg also told commissioners about the challenges on the back street, including narrow roads, on-street parking, cars edging into the travel lane, and obstructions in the right-of-way. Keeping the trolley on Ocean Boulevard is still an option. Breeze's own notice names only the added Milano stop, and the path through the north Village is a trial that could still change.
The Milano loop exists partly because of a cut made earlier in the year. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported in March that commissioners voted to end the Route 77 extension that ran the free trolley to downtown Sarasota. Its last day was set for April 24. After that, the remaining trolley ran only between Turtle Beach and Siesta Key Village.
Budget pressure drove the cut. The paper reported that commissioners were looking for $5 million in savings. Dropping Route 76 and the Route 77 extension was expected to save $360,000 that fiscal year, and the county cited a projected $37.8 million general-fund operating deficit by 2029.
This fall, then, the trolley is purely an island service. It works well for getting from a condo near Turtle Beach to the Village, or from the Village to the Crystal Classic sand. Anyone heading to or from the mainland now needs another way across a bridge. One of the island's two bridges is under construction.
The MyMPO traffic update for the week of Oct. 11 lists overnight lane closures on the Sarasota Bay drawbridge on Siesta Drive, known as the North Bridge, through the end of October. The closures run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. while crews work on the concrete deck, apply an epoxy overlay, and repair the piling protection. Crews close one lane at a time and alternate sides. No weekend work is scheduled.
The same update suggests drivers use the South Bridge at Stickney Point or allow extra time. Flaggers will guide traffic, and work zone escorts will take pedestrians and cyclists across. Residents closest to the bridge should expect noise and lights from the equipment. Daytime work under the span continues Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and pedestrians and cyclists can still get through. Completion is still expected in late 2026.
The Stickney Point bridge has its own, smaller project. FDOT is installing pedestrian and bicycle detection systems and other equipment on several movable bridges in Sarasota County, including Stickney Point and the Siesta Drive span. During construction, drivers should expect occasional sidewalk and lane closures, with overnight lane closures possible from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
On a weeknight in late October, a trip back to the mainland after dinner in the Village may run into lane closures at either bridge. The trolley avoids that, but only for trips that stay on the island. Schedules can shift with weather and work plans, so the weekly MyMPO update is the one to check before a late drive.
Here is what is on the calendar from the week this post publishes through mid-December, with each event's location relative to the trolley.
| Date | Event | Where | On the Route 77 line? |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of October | Siesta Key Scarecrow Stroll, second year | Scarecrows displayed at island businesses, with online voting | Many participants are along the Village and Ocean Boulevard |
| Oct. 23–25 | 12th annual Turtle Beach Campground Family Fall Fest | Turtle Beach Campground | Yes, at the southern end of the route |
| Oct. 31, 4–6 p.m. | Siesta Key Safe Treats, free business trick-or-treat | Participating island businesses; no registration needed | Depends on the business |
| Nov. 13–16 | 16th annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic | Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road | Yes |
| Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving | Island-wide | Trolley runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 28 | Holiday Parade and Santa visit | Santa at 5223 Avenida Navarra, 3–5 p.m.; parade starts 5:30 p.m. at Avenida del Mare and Beach Road and heads into the Village | Yes, the Village end of the route |
| Dec. 12, 8–9 a.m. | 50th annual Sandy Claws Beach Run, chip-timed 5K and one-mile fun run | Siesta Beach | Yes |
Siesta Sand's October roundup says campsites for Fall Fest weekend are limited and directs anyone hoping to stay overnight to the campground office. The Fall Fest starts Friday, Oct. 23. The Safe Treats date comes from the Siesta Key Chamber's event listing, which sets it for Saturday, Oct. 31.
Halloween falls during the last week of overnight North Bridge closures. Families coming from the mainland for Safe Treats will finish by 6 p.m., well before the 9 p.m. closures begin.
Siesta Sand lists the festival hours as 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. The Chamber's event listing describes 20 artists, a ticketed sculpting area, Saturday evening viewing of the sculptures under colored lights until 9 p.m., and a free Vendor Village outside the ticketed area, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The trolley runs until 10 p.m., so it covers the late Saturday viewing with an hour to spare. The beach access is the same 948 Beach Road stop the trolley already serves. Someone staying near Turtle Beach or South Village can see the lit sculptures Saturday night and ride back without parking at the beach. The Crystal Classic falls after the North Bridge's announced overnight closure window ends. Bridge work under the span continues through late 2026, though, so the weekly MyMPO update is still worth checking for mainland trips.
The Holiday Parade works the same way two weeks later. The parade moves from Avenida del Mare and Beach Road into the Village, which is the part of the route the Milano pilot extended.
Some routines don't change with the season. The Siesta Key Chamber's Drum Circle page describes a weekly Sunday gathering at Siesta Beach that starts an hour before sunset. In November, after the clocks change, it starts in the late afternoon. The Siesta Key Farmers Market sets up in the Village every Sunday. Published hours differ between sources, either 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., so check with the market before going. Both are on the trolley route, one at each end of the Village-to-beach run, and the trolley can connect a Sunday morning at the market with a Sunday evening at the drum circle.
On the south side of the island, Silver City at 6539 Midnight Pass Road is in its 21st year in Crescent Beach. According to Siesta Sand, its half-price Friday sidewalk sale returned on Oct. 9. For other ideas closer to home, the Siesta Key summer guide covers the Village kitchens that opened earlier this year. The Siesta Key neighborhood page has a broader look at the island.
If you have family or guests coming to Siesta Key for Crystal Classic weekend or the Holiday Parade, or you are a seasonal owner deciding when to come down, I'm glad to help you work out the timing, from which bridge to plan around to which Village stop is closest to where you're staying. Judy Limekiller has worked with Siesta Key owners since 2000. Let's Connect.
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Judy Limekiller
A real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, serving Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties since earning her broker's license in 2000. She's consistently ranked in the top 5% of the Realtor® Association of Sarasota and Manatee, with standing in the Coldwell Banker International President's Circle since 2016. Before real estate, Judy worked at Forbes Magazine and trained as a pastry chef, a background that shaped her keen eye for detail and "client comes first" approach to every transaction.
Whether she is guiding a buyer through the purchase of their first home or helping out-of-town clients sell their family condo, Judy brings exceptional customer service to every transaction.