Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) provides public transportation for Sarasota County

Sarasota County, Florida

Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and is operated by the county. SCAT maintains 24 fixed-line bus routes plus a dial-a-ride paratransit

Paratransit

Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....

 service (SCAT Plus). Bus service is offered throughout Sarasota County from 5am until midnight 7 days a week. There is no service on most major holidays, with the Longboat Trolley being the only exception. However, trolley service does not run on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

Fixed Route

• Single ride 1.25$
• Discounted Single ride 60¢ (Must have a SCAT Gold or Medicare card)

Express Route

• Single ride one way $2.50
• Discounted Single ride one way $1.25 (Must have a SCAT Gold or Medicare card)

Unlimited Ride Passes

• 30-Day Passport $40
• 7-Day Passport $15
• Discounted 30-Day Passport $20 (Must have a SCAT Gold or Medicare card)
• Discounted 7-Day Passport $7.50 (Must have a SCAT Gold or Medicare card)
• Day Pass $3
• R-Card $60 (Regional 30 day card for use in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties)
• Discounted R-Card $30 (Must have SCAT Gold, Manatee Mobility or Medicare card)

Express Ride Pass

• 30-Day Passport $85
• Discounted 30-day Passport $42.50 (Must have a SCAT Gold or Medicare card)

Transfers

SCAT transfers now available between Route 16 and Route 26 in both directions effective Nov. 1st 2009

SCAT will offer MCAT transfers ONLY on Route 99 for those boarding at or north of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Transfer fare is subject to the MCAT fare schedule.

SCAT Bus Routes

SCAT operates 24 different local bus routes, servicing as far south as Venice, North Port and Englewood. Additionally, SCAT operates two joint routes with Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT); the Longboat Trolley, and local bus route 99 (Sarasota/Bradenton Connector).

In April, 2011, SCAT introduced its first express route between North Port & Downtown Sarasota http://www.scgov.net/NewsStories/documents/ExpressAD.pdf.

• 1-Fruitville
• 1A-Fruitville Road via McIntosh
• 2-Coconut Avenue/Airport
• 3-Pinecraft
• 4-Lido
• 5-Osprey-Swift
• 6-Beneva
• 7-Newtown NE Plaza
• 8-Newtown 301
• 9-North Port
• 11-Siesta Key
• 12-North Lockwood
• 13-Venice
• 14-Bee Ridge
• 15-Airport-Cattlemen ( Hourly Service Now Monday-Saturday )
• 16-Englewood-Venice
• 17-Trail
• 18-Longboat
• 20-Toledo Blade
• 21-Englewood Loop
• 26-Venice Connector
• 29-Glenallen ( Price Blvd./Sumter )
• 40-Webber Limited
• 99-Palmetto-Sarasota Connector (Together with MCAT
  Manatee County Area Transit
  Manatee County Area Transit provides public transportation for Manatee County, Florida and is operated by the county. MCAT maintains 13 fixed-line bus routes plus a dial-a-ride paratransit service . Bus service is offered throughout Manatee County from 530am until 7pm 6 days a week...
  
  )
• 100x-North Port/Downtown Sarasota Express via I-75

Late-Night and Sunday Service

Due to growing ridership demand, SCAT introduced late-night and Sunday service on select routes in 2007. Of the 11 routes selected for this service modification, two (6 & 12) run as standalone routes, while the rest are "combined" routes. Route 9S was added in November 2009

• 2/15-Cocoanut - SRQ Airport - University Parkway
• 14/11-Siesta Key -Lake Sarasota- ( New Hourly Service as of Nov. 1st 2009 )
• 17/13-U.S. 41 to Jacaranda Southgate, Sarasota Pavilion, Sarasota Square, Venice Train Depot- ( New Hourly Service as of Nov. 1st. 2009 )

• 8/5/17-Tallevast - Sarasota Memorial Hospital
• 12-North Lockwood Ridge University Parkway to Wal-Mart
• 6-Beneva Westfield Sarasota Square Mall
• 9S-North Port via US 41

Fleet

SCAT maintains a fleet of Gillig

Gillig

Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:...

buses, including ten hybrid BRT busses that the agency purchased in 2006. SCAT also has a contigency fleet of Orion I and Orion V buses.
Not pictured

• 35 Foot Orion V
• 30 Foot Gillig Low Floor BRT Hybrid
• 40 Foot Gillig Low Floor BRT Coach (used for express routes)

Future plans

SCAT is currently laying out the future of Sarasota County public transit with the following projects.

Bus Rapid Transit

SCAT began planning out bus rapid transit (BRT) service along US 41 from Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport to downtown Sarasota, with possible links south of the area. The project is currently in the early planning stages, with no funding allocated at the moment. However, the agency is seeking federal financial assistance for the project.