Update on Cape Coral bike lanes pending request

Report from Steve Chupack, BikeWalkLee's Cape Coral representative:

Here's the latest on the SW Cape Coral Neighborhood Association's request for 1.1 miles of bike lanes on Beach Parkway and Agualinda Boulevard.

Thanks to efforts by a number of bike/pedestrian safety advocates, we can report unofficially that the Bicycle Lane Request Survey forms submitted to the Department of Public Works show very strong support for this request. The "survey" was just that, an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinion. Staff of PW will include the survey results when it reports to the City Council's Transportation Advisory Commission. It will be one of many factors considered when voting whether to recommend approving the request.

The TAC was scheduled to hold its next meeting on Nov. 16. On Nov. 4, TAC Chairman, Councilman Pete Brandt, cancelled the meeting after polling other members. There will be at least one new member appointed to the TAC at the Council's Nov. 14 meeting, the first after the election. If the TAC meeting was held as scheduled, there would have been only two days for any new member to be brought up to speed on the issues before the TAC, including the pending review of the SWCCNA bike lane request. It is expected the TAC will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14. We will provide updates as new information becomes available.

Patricia Young, Board member of the SWCCNA, and Steve Chupack, BWL representative for Cape Coral, express their thanks to all who used the survey form posted on BikeWalkLee and other sites, to the Caloosa Riders, and others who indicated their strong support for the bike lane request.