The Town of Fort Myers Beach is conducting a survey on public sentiment regarding water taxis on Fort Myers Beach though the wording of the survey drew questions councilmembers concerned that the survey is being directed more towards visitors than residents.
Fort Myers Beach Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force (MERTF) Chair Dave Nusbaum brought up the water taxi survey to the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council last month. Nusbaum said he thinks water taxis could reduce traffic on the island.
On Monday, Town of Fort Myers Beach Anchorage Advisory Chair Chris King also brought up the water taxis and the survey during a presentation to the town council. King said she was looking forward to the anchorage advisory committee partnering with MERTF “as the town continues to explore opportunities for businesses to provide water taxi and/or water ferry services on or to and from the island, in an environmentally friendly and navigationally safe way that also provides a special experience for those using it and helps mitigate or counter traffic issues.”
King said that MERTF and the anchorage advisory committee will meet together in May to discuss water taxi services further to discuss and recommend to the town council a framework for “guardrails” to support water taxis.
That brought questions from Town of Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Rebecca Link as to why the survey’s questions were largely directed towards visitors and didn’t mention residents.
“It seemed to be directed toward people who come to our island,” Link said. “Does that not include people who are on our island who want to go back and forth?”
Town of Fort Myers Beach Public Information Officer Abigail Eberhart said she and town staff put the survey together after “MERTF approached me and said they wanted to get public sentiment and just general comment on the feasibility of water taxi survey.”
Eberhart said the concept of a joint meeting was put forward since the anchorage advisory committee had also been looking at water taxis, Eberhart said.
“The idea of the survey wasn’t to garner interest from residents or non-residents, it was just to garner general interest to see if this would be something people were generally interested in,” Eberhart said. Eberhart said there would be a more in-depth look at data points, feasibility and potential routes.
“It doesn’t matter if they are a resident or non-resident,” Eberhart said regarding the survey.
Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay said he wants to make sure the right regulations are in place “before we start something like this.”
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said he thinks it is important that the survey differentiate between visitors and residents.
“I think it is important to have that data point,” Allers said. “I think with knowing that, you will see a difference in their answer.”
Allers said non-residents might be more interested in an off-island ferry rather than a canal ferry.
King responded to Allers by saying “I just wonder if we are a little ahead of the gate here in getting these data points before we put some of the guardrails in place.” King said “some thing might not be possible.”
Allers said that having the question of residency might help narrow the focus of the water taxi study. “If there is no interest in having a canal ferry, why would you want to spend a lot of energy looking at what an ordinance would look like putting in place to have that if there is no interest in it?”
King said that was “a fair point” but still wants to have a discussion about it before multiple surveys are put in place. King said the town still has to determine if the canals are navigationally safe.
Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Scott Safford said the town first has to determine if there is enough demand for the water taxis.
Eberhart said there has been almost 400 responses to the survey so far.
The survey, which was linked to on the town’s Facebook page on Feb. 24 in a request for public input, says “The Town of Fort Myers Beach is exploring the feasibility of a Water Taxi service that would transport passengers from unincorporated areas of Fort Myers Beach to the Town, helping reduce roadway congestion.”
The survey asks respondents how frequently they travel to Fort Myers Beach and whether they use a car, bicycle, public tansit, walk or another way of traveling. Other questions include what the most important factor is for visitors to consider when traveling such as cost, time, convenience, schedule flexibility or environmental impact.
The survey asks if respondents would be most likely to use a water taxi in the morning, afternoon or evening, and how likely they would be use such a service.
Asked what factors would increase the likelihood of using a water taxi, the available answers are pricing, frequency of departures, eco-friendly operations, comfortable seating or onboard amenities.
King said the issue has been talked about for a long time between the advisory committee and MERTF.
“This is sort of what brought these two committees together,” King said. “We really think it is an overlap of our two communities.”
Water taxis have been a controversial concept in the town and were a point of inquiry and contention during an early presentation from the London Bay redevelopment of the Outrigger Beach Resort and the former Charley’s Boat House. Residents living on nearby streets were concerned about early proposals to consider using a water taxis service to support plans for developing those properties. The subject came up again during plans for the redevelopment of the Beach Theater into a restaurant, with residents living on nearby streets with canals concerned about the impact of potential boat traffic through local canals.
The water taxi idea was championed by former Town of Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Jim Atterholt as a way to possibly alleviate traffic concerns on the island.
The survey asks respondents to rate current traffic conditions on the island and to list their primary reason for visiting Fort Myers Beach.
The survey also asks how important is environmental sustainability when considering transportation and how much respondents would be willing to pay for a one-way water taxi trip.
A link to the survey can be found at https://fortmyersbeachfl.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/1714. A direct link to the survey can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/68CJJ3B.