The
Village of Estero is barely a year old and there are some exciting things
happening, especially if you are a bicyclist or a pedestrian. You may have
heard last October, the Village Council signed an agreement with FGCU to
perform an assessment of the condition of our roads, bike lanes, sidewalks and
median landscaping by the end of January 2016. FGCU presented their findings to
the Village Council at a Workshop on January 20th and proceeded to knock it out
of the park.
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| Link to Report |
The FGCU team was led by faculty member Dr. Margaret Banyan (who
focuses on smart growth, public transportation, and community issues in
Southwest Florida) and Dr. Claude Villiers (who has an extensive background in
civil engineering, materials and construction). They were joined by a team of
seven civil engineering, public administration, and political science students.
The Team logged many miles around Estero working on this project.
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| FGCU Team Leaders: Dr. Villiers and Dr. Banyan |
At the January 20th presentation, Dr. V (as he is called), went into a
detail analysis on how each of the road’s conditions were analyzed. He went on
to state that the roads in Estero are in pretty good condition with only 12%
requiring immediate attention. One of those roads is Estero Parkway. The report
stated that there was “severe raveling throughout the entire road.” It also
noted that, the “pavement appears to be very thin and is not flush with curbing
(~1 inch)…and that immediate attention is recommended.” The Team provided pictures
and took videos to demonstrate the conditions.
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| Estero Parkway has severe raveling |
Next
up was the review of our bike lanes and sidewalks or lack thereof. Dr. Banyan led
that discussion. Again, no surprise that Estero Parkway is lacking in biking
and walking facilities. The recommendation is “new 10’ Shared Use Path –
Asphalt and Buffered and Marked Bike Lanes” on both sides would improve connectivity,
usage, safety and access. Another area of concern in Estero is River Ranch Road
which requires new sidewalks to repair gaps to protect those that walk to and
from the high school. These findings are certainly no surprise to anyone that
drives, bikes or walks in Estero.
The
final report included a “heat map” using data provided by Walk Score. This data
highlighted the areas that have the closest proximity of amenities in the
Village. These maps are a good tool to measure the Estero baseline of walkability
and to help to prioritize infrastructure improvements.
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| Sidewalk "heat map" shows highest Walk Score at Coconut Pointe |
Estero
has a lot of work to do. Thankfully, the Village Council had the vision to
reach out to FGCU to perform this assessment. Based on discussion at the
meeting between the Council, Dr. Banyan, and Dr. Villiers, it sounds as if the
Village Council is very pleased with the results.
As
stated in the News-Press article “Three Worst Estero Roads" Identified published on January 23rd, Councilman Jim Boesch called
the involvement of the university “terrific,” and expressed hope that FCGU will remain involved
with the Village in the future. The article went on to say
"It provides a baseline assessment of our infrastructure of roads and
sidewalks and landscaping throughout the entire village,” said Village Manager
Steven Sarkozy. The Village and Lee County are due to negotiate an agreement to
settle what roads will remain with county government and which will become
property of Estero. “It does add to the understanding
of what the conditions are, it will influence whether we take property back
that is not well-maintained,” Sarkozy said. For Sarkozy,
the question is one for Estero’s elected officials. “The
village council will ultimately decide,” Sarkozy said. To read the entire article, click here.
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| Bike "heat map" shows need for additional biking facilities |
The next steps
The
Village Council has estimated that they will have a surplus of approximately
$5M at the end September (FY 15/16). In addition to putting some money in
Reserves, the Council has always had a vision to develop a 5 year Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) to put some money back into Estero on things that the
community is interested in. Now that we know what
needs to be corrected and in what timeframe, it will be up to the Village of
Estero Council and the County BoCC to work together and agree on a solution.
Also,
I am hopeful that money will be put in next year’s budget to hire a consultant
to help create the Village’s first Bike/Ped Master Plan. Our neighbors Bonita
Springs and Cape Coral are each presently working on their Bike/Ped Master
Plans with the help of consultants.
How
you can help? To make Estero a safer and more inviting village, we need many
more Estero residents to speak up for a walkable and bikeable future. The
Village Center is in the process of being planned. We need you to get involved
and lend your voice, your energy, your passion, and your connections. The
residents of Estero will have an opportunity to have their voices heard at
public workshops later this Spring to help determine what is in the 5 year CIP.
Stay tuned for dates and times. Until that time, I hope you will all join me
and let the Village Council know that keeping bicyclists and pedestrians safe
is a priority.
Just
as everyone enjoys the vision that our leaders had and continue to support
regarding the “look and feel” of Estero, I too, have a vision that the Village
of Estero will be leaders in Lee County for safe multi-modal transportation. I
am hopeful that one day the Village of Estero will be named a Bicycle Friendly
Community, just like Sanibel and Cape Coral. Too often in Estero, we are all
competing for the same space on our roads. Bicyclists and pedestrians are on
the road with motor vehicles due to a lack of bike lanes and shared use paths.
When you walk out the door, you should be able to make a choice as to your mode
of transportation. Am I going to drive, bike or walk to my destination? When
each of these modes of transportation has its own space, we are all safer. This
is our chance to shape the future of the Village of Estero. I am excited, are
you?
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| Doug Saxton |
Many
thanks to Dr. Banyan, Dr. V and the FGCU team for an eye-opening report. It’s
time for visions to become reality.
Report by Doug Saxton, Estero
Resident and BikeWalkLee Estero Representative
Links: Village of Estero post 2/1/16: FGCU submits final report of infrastructure inventory
FGCU Study: Estero Infrastructure Inventory (prepared for Village of Estero), Jan. 29, 2016
FGCU PowerPoint presentation on Inventory study to Estero Village Council, Jan. 20, 2016
NBC-2 News 1/28/16: Potholes, cracks in Estero roads need 'immediate attention'
News-Press 1/23/16: Three worst Estero roads identified
BikeWalkLee related blog posts:
July 13, 2015: Estero citizens press for bike/ped facilities on Estero Parkway
February 7, 2012: Estero: Roadside revisions begin
March 8, 2011:Commissioners back Downtown Estero--mixed use project
February 16, 2012:NBC-2 News: STEM students contribute to street safety [Estero H.S.]
March 20, 2014: ULI Forum, All Eyes on Estero, at FGCU last week points to ways to make Estero walkable/healthy community
December 21, 2010:Estero planning groups' priorities include safer bike paths
November 17, 2010: Estero river district plan includes complete streets features
