A trolley service and bike sharing program are planned for the Mall at University Town Center, scheduled to open in October.

According to the Bradenton Herald, Benderson Development Co. wants to shuttle people from shopping center to shopping center along University Parkway.

Benderson plans to create four main trolley routes using private buses that could pick up shoppers from Lakewood Ranch, the Fresh Market and as far away as Fruitville Road in Sarasota, the Herald said.

The planned routes include these stops:

  • UTC : Serving the Mall at UTC, Nathan Benderson Park and SuperTarget
  • Cooper Creek: Two routes, clockwise and counter-clockwise, linking Shoppes at Cooper Creek, offices, Benderson headquarters and hotels with the Mall at UTC.
  • Lakewood Ranch: Connecting to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center with UTC
  • Meadows: Connecting Meadows residential area to UTC
  • Fruitville: Connecting Osprey Commerce Center, Sarasota Commerce Center II and University of Phoenix campus to UTC

Benderson is also proposing a bicycle sharing program that would allow people to find a stand and rent a bike to get around Benderson Park and the shopping center. According to the Herald, the developer is working with a top pedestrian and bicycle engineering company to create a network of paths and trails for the program.