Lee County planners recommended that the state fund construction of more than 2 miles of shared-use paths in Fort Myers’ urban core, several sidewalks in Cape Coral and a traffic signal upgrade in Bonita Springs.
They are part of a list of priority projects aimed at improving transportation infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians and reducing traffic congestion.
Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinating Committee, a multijurisdictional group of officials, government staff and citizens, approved the recommendations at its April 28 meeting at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers. The Florida Department of Transportation will consider funding them in fiscal years 2028 to 2032.
Committee members review plans for shared-use paths, sidewalks and roadway upgrades. The recommendations aim to improve safety and reduce congestion.
Evan Williams
The projects reflect the challenges of retrofitting roadways built for cars with new infrastructure designed to accommodate an increasing number of bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and pedestrians.
In Fort Myers, the committee’s recommended projects include replacing sidewalks with a 10-foot-wide shared-use path for three-quarters of a mile on the west side of Central Avenue from Hanson Street to Edison Avenue for $820,292, and for 2 miles on the west side of Ford Street from Hanson to Edison for $820,150.
The Edison Bridge connects downtown Fort Myers to North Fort Myers. Officials are exploring adding bike lanes during a future resurfacing project.
Evan Williams
The group also discussed a planned, state-funded project to stripe the northbound and southbound lanes of State Road 729, also known as the Edison Bridge or U.S. 41 Business, in downtown Fort Myers with 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes. The lanes would extend over both sides of the bridge and along Fowler Avenue and Park Avenue/Evans Avenue to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
FDOT is considering adding the stripes during a routine road resurfacing project in 2029. Several committee members expressed approval of the plan, though they were underwhelmed with the idea.
“Something is better than nothing,” said Ron Gogoi, transportation planning administrator with the Lee County MPO.
Maps outline proposed shared-use paths along Central Avenue and Ford Street in Fort Myers. The projects would replace sidewalks with wider multiuse paths.
Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization
Others suggested more robust improvements to protect cyclists, such as rumble strips or flexible dividers. But those additions would take up more of the already limited space and add costs that may fall outside budget constraints.
“We’re just limited on the space and what we can do,” said Tanya Merkle, coordinator for FDOT District 1.
Fort Myers city planners also are working to extend the John Yarbrough Park Linear Trail from south of Colonial Boulevard to Hanson Street, including a pedestrian overpass at Colonial, among other improvements.
In Cape Coral, the committee recommended new 6-foot-wide sidewalks along a 2-mile stretch in two phases. They would begin on the north side of Diplomat Parkway from Andalusia Boulevard to Santa Barbara Boulevard for $1.1 million and, in a second phase, continue from Santa Barbara Boulevard to Nelson Road for $927,154.
A conceptual 3D rendering illustrates a shared-use path under the SUN Trail program. The design highlights space for cyclists and pedestrians alongside roadways.
Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization
They also discussed construction of the Kismet Parkway Trail, part of Cape Coral’s shared-use, nonmotorized SUN Trail Program. The first phase of the 10- to 12-foot-wide path from Burnt Store Road to Nelson Road was completed in 2022. Phase 2, from Nelson Road to Del Prado Boulevard, is scheduled for completion this summer. Phase 3 design planning, for a stretch from Del Prado Boulevard to Northeast 24th Avenue, is near complete, with construction expected to begin in 2028.
In Bonita Springs, planners asked the state to consider funding for a new eastbound through lane and traffic signal upgrades at the intersection of Bonita Beach Road and Old 41 Road for $1.4 million.