City staff told the Lakeland City Commission during an agenda‑study session on Oct. 22, 2025, that three Florida Department of Transportation pass‑through grants would fund construction of new multiuse trails linking neighborhoods with parks and existing trail networks.

The three grants presented were: a $1,385,000 FDOT reimbursement for the Chase Street Trail; a $960,000 FUT grant to replace a 5‑foot sidewalk with a 10‑foot shared‑use asphalt path along Glendale Street between New Jersey Road and Lakeland Highlands Road; and an $850,000 grant for the Hartsell Avenue Trail, for which staff said a $10,000 local match is required.

The Chase Street Trail project was described as a 10‑foot asphalt shared‑use trail that will run roughly parallel to George Jenkins Boulevard, pass May Manor and connect to Veterans Park, improving access to Bonnet Springs Park from the west. Bridal Laysenby of the Public Works Engineering Division said the west half of that trail will be adjacent to an existing roadway and single‑family homes; east of Burnell Parkway the trail will traverse a 60‑foot unimproved right‑of‑way.

Ryan (staff) said the Glendale Street project ties in with the Fort Fraser Trail and a recently completed three‑parks trail on New Jersey Road, creating a more continuous SunTrail network through the city. For Hartsell Avenue, staff said the trail will replace an existing 5‑foot sidewalk with a 10‑foot asphalt path between Sykes Boulevard and Lake Beulah Drive and will include limited curb and turn‑lane work; easements from the school board and the Lakeland Housing Authority were described as secured for the project.

City staff asked that the item remain on the consent agenda so the commission could act on the grant acceptances and the related purchase orders at the regular meeting. No formal vote on the grants was recorded during the study session; staff said the grants and the projects’ budgets are included in the fiscal planning documents and construction timing is being coordinated for advertisement in March.

Why it matters: The three projects are intended to fill gaps in Lakeland’s active‑transportation network, improve park access and connect to the SunTrail network, potentially shifting short, local auto trips to walking and biking routes.

Details and next steps: Staff said FDOT will reimburse the city for construction costs under the Chase Street Trail agreement. The Glendale and Hartsell projects are budgeted and advertised as state‑cooperative or FUT grants; the Hartsell grant carries a $10,000 local match. Staff intends to advertise for construction in March and to bring construction contracts back under the consent process for formal action.

Provenance: See agenda study remarks introducing the grant items and the staff explanations for Chase Street, Glendale Street and Hartsell Avenue.