The Charlotte and Sarasota county commissions met Friday to hear the latest on a transportation study that currently is looking at the costs involved in creating a fixed bus route linking commercial and residential sectors in Port Charlotte with the city of North Port, and whether there is enough demand to support such an endeavor.

So far, the study shows there is a high concentration of people in Port Charlotte and North Port trying to get to the mall, retail stores, schools and government facilities located around Murdock Circle. People, especially medical employees, also are trying to get to the Parkside area of Port Charlotte, where two of the three major hospitals — and dozens of medical offices and health care facilities — in Charlotte County are located. The Promenades Mall and the Cultural Center of Charlotte County also are located in the Parkside district. The study focuses too on the U.S. 41-Sumter Boulevard area in North Port and North Port City Hall.