A Complete Streets champion bids farewell to Southwest Florida

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 6/21/17
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com

In the decades I’ve lived here and been involved in efforts to make our community safer and more accessible for pedestrians and those on bicycles I’ve had the pleasure of working with many smart and dedicated individuals.

Among these folks are a special few who have risen above and beyond what would otherwise be considered fitting in terms of their commitment and effectiveness. Dr. Margaret Banyan, a professor in FGCU’s Southwest Florida Center for Public & Social Policy, is one such special person.

Unfortunately for us, Dr. Banyan is moving back to her roots in Portland, Ore., a place from which many of her ideas and philosophy were born. But her influence and accomplishments will remain here and continue to motivate others to keep working towards making our public rights-of-way safe and accessible Complete Streets.

As a way to show how much Margaret is appreciated, BikeWalkLee broke from its usual protocol and is formally recognizing one of its own as the 2017 Complete Streets Champion of the Year. Such an honor is not usually bestowed upon a steering committee member from the coalition but an exception in this case is clearly warranted. Even were she not leaving, Margaret would be worthy of this award.

Darla Letourneau, left, and Dr. Margaret
Banyan,right, present a BWL award to
Billy Hattaway at Orlando City Hall.
Courtesy photo.

My Oct. 7, 2015, column focused on women leaders in our community and I wrote this about Margaret: “Margaret Banyan has brought her experiences from living in a place where being able to enjoy an active lifestyle without fear for one’s own safety and wellbeing is commonplace. Coming from Oregon and now working in academia she has made it her mission to convince the powers that be - from university leadership to elected officials and other decision makers in government - that focusing on walkability, bikability, and robust transit is necessary to have a livable community that attracts and retains the best and brightest.” One important aspect I failed to mention at that time was Margaret’s mentoring of students and citizen advocates into becoming leaders in the Complete Streets cause as well as other efforts to improve our community. So even when she’s no longer one of the driving forces here her influence and expertise will remain.

Those of us who have been working with Margaret will certainly miss her but we know she’ll be here in spirit. That spirit, as anyone who deals with non-motorized transportation, transit and community planning matters knows, needs to be one of persistence and patience because it’s an uphill battle.

Even though our decision makers are well aware of the infamous reputation we have for our pedestrian, cycling and transit environment (now confirmed by being ranked the most dangerous place in the U.S. for pedestrians, among other markers) turning that negative into a positive remains quite difficult. In Margaret’s case, even when addressing those less than supportive of her ideas and approach, she is able to keep her cool, remain a consummate professional, and provide facts, data, and solutions that make her case compelling, whatever the specific matter at hand.

One project Margaret’s been involved with since its inception is improvements being considered for Ortiz Avenue from Martin Luther King Boulevard/SR 82 to Palm Beach Boulevard / SR 80, a section that has very heavy pedestrian and bicycle use. The community would prefer the northern segment, from Luckett Road to SR 80, to remain as a two-lane street but with complete streets features.

Lee County, the road’s owner, wants it to be a four-lane highway that focuses on moving cars. Considering Lee County has a Complete Streets policy in place it’s hoped that they’ll follow their own policy and the will of the people who live in the area and drive, walk, and bike on this street.

Fortunately, from what Margaret has told us, she’ll occasionally be back here in her consulting capacity, continuing to make Southwest Florida a better place. For all Margaret’s done and will continue to do, we are grateful.

As stated by BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau when the award was announced on June 17: “Today we honor Dr. Banyan as an outstanding champion of complete streets and livable communities in multiple capacities throughout Lee County over the past decade. As one of the founding members of BikeWalkLee, we also honor Margaret for incredible contributions to our organization since it was founded in 2009. Many of our successes would not have been possible without Margaret. While her leadership and commitment to the Complete Streets movement in SWFL will be greatly missed, she leaves a legacy of accomplishment, and an impressive group of talented young leaders who will carry the Complete Streets/Livable Communities movement forward into the future. BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Margaret for her many contributions to making our community a better place, and to being a key part of the BikeWalkLee Steering Group team from the beginning. We are confident that her contributions to the Complete Streets movement will continue wherever she goes.” ¦

- Dan Moser is a long-time bicycle/pedestrian advocate and traffic safety professional who cycles, runs and walks regularly for transportation, recreation and fitness. Contact him at bikepedmoser@gmail.com and 334-6417. 

Dr. Margaret Banyan honored as 2017 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

On June 17th, BikeWalkLee presented Dr. Margaret Banyan with the 2017 Complete Streets Champion of the Year award.  BikeWalkLee, along with the larger transportation world in SWFL, owes a great debt of gratitude to Margaret for her decade-long efforts to put complete streets and livable community principles into action.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Issued June 17, 2017

Contact: Darla Letourneau, (239) 850-3219, dletourneau@bikewalklee.org

BikeWalkLee, a local community coalition advocating for complete streets in Lee County Florida, has selected Dr. Margaret Banyan, FGCU Associate Professor and a founding member of BikeWalkLee, as the 2017 Complete Streets Champion of the Year for her outstanding contributions to taking complete streets and livable community principles and putting them into action in the real world -- academia, government organizations, and local communities throughout Southwest Florida--for more than a decade.

Dr. Margaret Banyon

 “Today we honor Dr. Banyan as an outstanding champion of complete streets and livable communities in multiple capacities throughout Lee County over the past decade." said BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau. "As one of the founding members of BikeWalkLee, we also honor Margaret for incredible contributions to our organization since it was founded in 2009. Many of our successes would not have been possible without Margaret," said Letourneau. 

Dr. Banyan's impact on the community is considerable thanks to  the various "hats" she wears and how she has used the synergy of those roles to introduce, educate and implement the concepts of complete streets, livable communities, a balanced transportation system, transit and transit oriented development, integration of transportation and land use planning, and community engagement. She has the unique opportunity to bring these ideas to both the future generation (i.e. her students), to government agencies and officials that make decisions on these issues, and to make them part of citizen community planning efforts.

 

BWL's Dan Moser presents award to Margaret

As the lead faculty for FGCU's land use planning certificate, she has trained and mentored many up-and- coming staffers and leaders in regional governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations. 

As a consultant to many local cities and community planning organizations, Dr. Banyan has worked to incorporate the principles of complete streets and livable communities into the fabric of the local government policymaking. Those many consulting projects gave her an opportunity to train her students about the real world of public administration and public policy, encouraging many to continue their careers in this field and to consider staying in Southwest Florida.

From her FGCU seat, she organized many seminars and workshops with national experts to introduce new ideas to our area, bringing in the area players from academia, government, consultants, advocacy organizations, community groups, along with students.

Friends and colleagues at Margaret's award presentation

She also played a critical leadership role on many government committees and task forces, which allowed her to move complete streets ideas into recommendations for government action:

•  Within FGCU, she served on several committees to advocate for better bike/ped facilities, improved transit on campus, reconsideration of parking policies, and incorporation of these concepts into the Campus Master Plan. 
•  She was chair of the county's Smart Growth Committee, which drafted the county’s Complete Streets Policy in 2009.
•  She remained as chair and member of the reconstituted committee, the Community Sustainability Advisory Committee, as well as a member of its Complete Streets working group. 
•  She was the Chair of the Tice Planning Community and worked tirelessly to improve the community and to develop its capacity and interest in citizen engagement.
•  She also worked as a consultant on the development of the Community Plans for Buckingham and North Captiva, and provided her planning expertise to several Fire Districts.
•   She was a member of the MPO's Citizen Advisory Committee and played a key role in the development of the Long Range Transportation Plans. She was a respected expert on transit and spoke at numerous MPO Board meetings on transit and related land use and transportation planning issues.
• She was also selected by the MPO Board in 2015 to be part of its team to participate in the prestigious national Transportation Leadership Institute, focused on innovative uses of performance measurement for transportation investments. 
•  She was chosen to be a panel member on the National Academies Panel on Livable Transit Corridors. She also served on the FDOT statewide committee developing its 2060 Plan.

CS Award Trophy

As an FGCU facility member, she successfully pursued grants for complete streets/livable community projects that would provide opportunities to partner with others in the community as well as provide opportunities for her students to participate. The awarded grants ranged from the national technical assistance grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for the walking audit and community engagement in the Tice community, to Health Improvement Assessments in Tice funded by the Centers for Disease Control, to the joint BWL/FGCU/Goodwill partnership that received a Southwest Florida Community Foundation grant to conduct walking audits in the Tice and Dunbar communities as a community empowerment and civic engagement tool.

"Over the past decade, Dr. Banyan's leadership and commitment to the complete streets movement has left a legacy of accomplishment, and an impressive group of talented young leaders who will carry the complete streets/livable communities movement forward into the future," said Letourneau. "BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Margaret for her many contributions to making our community a better place, and to being a key part of the BikeWalkLee Steering Group team from the beginning."

Walk Audits provide "roadmap for improvements" needed to make walking safer in Tice and Dunbar communities

Over the past year, BikeWalkLee, FGCU, and Goodwill Industries have been working on a collaborative community project funded by a SWFL Community Foundation grant, to work with residents of the Tice and Dunbar neighborhoods to assess their walking and biking environments and to facilitate engagement in the community. The release of the Walk Audit Final Report this week provides local officials with recommendations to consider as they respond to last week's national Dangerous by Design 2016 report, which ranked the Lee County metro area as the most dangerous area in the country for pedestrians, with economically disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by unsafe conditions.

BikeWalkLee thanks the community residents who participated in the walking audits, the community organizations that hosted the walks, our project partners--FGCU, Goodwill Industries, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation; and members of the project team [Dr. Margaret Banyan, Diane Odeh, Vickie Rydz, Stephan Pierce, Mercedes Castillo, Darla Letourneau, and Dan Moser].  We are also appreciative to AARP for its excellent "AARP Tool Kit" for conducting walking audits. 

At the end of this blog is an extensive list of links to all components of this report, the Dangerous by Design 2016 report, and all BikeWalkLee's previous blogs about our efforts in the Tice community over the past 5 years.

Background
Over the past five years, much work has been done with the Tice community, involving the Tice Historic Community Planning Group, BikeWalkLee, FGCU, Goodwill, the Lee Department of Health, along with many other community stakeholders.  Tice was also part of a federal grant administered through Project for Public Spaces to improve community engagement and livability in the Tice Community.  These combined efforts have resulted in thorough identification of problems and community-supported recommendations to policymakers to increase safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

BikeWalkLee has taken a special interest in working with the Tice community due to the high concentration of people riding bikes and walking, its high incidence of accidents, and its status as a disadvantaged community. We, and the community, believe that improving the conditions for walking and biking would translate into increased livability for its residents.

Walk Audit Final Report: A Collaborative Community Project
BikeWalkLee was a proud partner with Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University on a transportation and livability grant funded by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation administered through the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. The grant was designed to work with residents of the Tice and Dunbar neighborhoods to assess their walking and biking environments and to facilitate engagement in the community. The Dunbar area was included in the grant as a way to leverage the project throughout two communities with high concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists. The result was a series of walk audit reports that each documented the routes, issues, and opportunities within the neighborhoods. The team also produced a final report that summarizes the problems and opportunities throughout the neighborhoods.  Links to the final report as well as the ten individual walking audits are listed below.

The project also included the first known and documented research on what participants learned during the walk audits. Across the board, participants demonstrated increased knowledge of safe walking and biking. In addition, they increased their understanding of who is responsible for making change in their neighborhoods and who they can tell when there are problems.

Goodwill and its grant partners are continuing the work of improve safety for walking and biking in Tice and Dunbar, sponsoring a series of "Traffic Safety Tips and Tools" presentations in the community with BWL's Dan Moser. 

The partners are also continuing to distribute the Request for Assistance (RFA) cards developed by the team as part of this grant to provide an easy way to let residents know how to report infrastructure problems in their communities.

BikeWalkLee is grateful to its partners and the Southwest Florida Community Foundation for its commitment to seeing this grant through.  We also want to thank AARP (one of our partner organizations and national champions of Complete Streets) for its excellent tool kit on how to perform a walking audit, which was used as a model throughout these walk audits.

This work will position the highly walkable neighborhoods of Tice and Dunbar to advocate for better and safer infrastructure that will, in turn, enhance livability and community engagement.

Dangerous by Design 2016 Report
The recently released Dangerous by Design 2016 report by Smart Growth America, ranked the Cape Coral/Fort Myers metro area as the most dangerous for pedestrians in the country.  [See BWL blog 1/10/17: Lee County ranks as most dangerous metro area in country for pedestrians: BikeWalkLee's statement in response to Dangerous by Design 2016 report.]

The national report also documented that people of color and those in economically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately represented among pedestrian deaths.  This national finding holds true in Lee County: Our most economically disadvantaged communities, including Tice and Dunbar, are the ones suffering the disproportionate share of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities yet receive the least investments to make their streets safer.

BikeWalkLee's statement in response to this national report includes a detailed "roadmap for improvement", with suggestions for all regional and state agencies as well as each of the local jurisdictions.  All jurisdictions are asked to "Fund projects, review policies and revise practices to ensure that infrastructure in those community disproportionately impacted by unsafe conditions and those in underserved and economically disadvantaged communities are given priority."  In addition, the specific suggestions for Lee County and the City of Fort Myers include implementing the recommendations of this walking audit report.

Report by Dr. Margaret Banyan and Darla Letourneau

Links to Walk Audit Reports:
Walking Audit Final Report: A Collaborative Community Project, Jan. 2017
Individual Walk Audit Reports:
Tice:
•    St. Martin de Porres (Participants)
•    Tice United Methodist Church
•    Morse Shores Civic Association
•    Jesus the Worker Church
•    Tice Elementary School
•    Orange River Elementary School
•    St. Martin de Porres Board
Dunbar:
•    Franklin Park Elementary
•    Royal Palm--Housing Authority of Fort Myers
•    Mt. Hermon Ministries
•    Dunbar High School


Comprehensive Walk Audit Final Report and 10 audit reports (all above combined)

AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit

Links to BWL blog posts about focus on Tice Community (2012-to present)

• BWL blog 1/10/17: Lee County ranks as most dangerous metro area in country for pedestrians: BikeWalkLee's statement in response to Dangerous by Design 2016 report

• BikeWalkLee's statement re: Dangerous by Design 2016 Report [with detailed "roadmap for improvements" for each agency/jurisdiction]

• 1/10/17: Dangerous by Design 2016 report, Smart Growth America

• 7/26/16: Reporting a problem with roadway and getting results: The story of one pothole and FDOT

• BWL blog 4/28/16: BikeWalkLee's Column: Who to call if there's a problem with a roadway
• Click here for a one-pager with all who/what/when/how to report (keep this handy)

• 12/16/15: Efforts to promote safer biking and walking recognized with multiple awards by Lee Injury Prevention [Includes award to DoH for Health Impact Assessment project in Tice]

• 5/4/15: FGCU student study on economic benefits of complete streets in Tice community

• 4/9/15: Road Zombies in Lee County: The Invasion of Bad Planning in the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan [Tice Community's connectivity plan vs. 4-laning Ortiz Ave. in context of MPO LRTP 2040 goals and decisions.]

• 12/22/14: Lee Department Health receives national grant for Health Impact Assessment in Tice

• 9/10/14: Florida Weekly feature article puts spotlight on safety in Southwest Florida [Includes discussion of Tice community safety concerns]

• 9/8/14: FGCU's Health Impact Assessment: Ortiz Ave. Road Widening

• 3/1/14: Lee County Advisory Committees complete action on two more New Horizon 2035 Lee Plan elements [includes recommendations re: Tice Historic Community Plan]

• 5/29/13: BWL's Guest opinion: Engaging to improve our bike/walk safety [printed in News-Press]

• 5/29/13: Dan Moser's Column: With Complete Streets, Tice could (once again) be nice

• 5/22/13: BikeWalkLee rakes in awards by spurring awareness, action.  Florida Weekly article by Roger Williams. [focus on nationally funded Tice walk audit project]

• 5/10/13: Tice walking audit and FDOT/Lee bike/ped safety campaign kick-off receives good media coverage

• 5/1/13: Partnership Aims to Increase Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in Tice Community, Lee County

• 10/29/12: Palm Beach Community Planning Panel recommends "road diet/complete streets" approach to section of Ortiz Ave. [Note: name of Planning Panel was changed to Tice Historic Community in 2013.]

• 9/26/12: Update on Ortiz Avenue: Community efforts in support of safe and walkable neighborhood

• 8/7/12: FGCU Students Analyze Local Road Conditions

• 4/6/12: Palm Beach Planning Panel Recommends Further Analysis on Ortiz Avenue

BikeWalkLee's local representatives, including new reps in Cape Coral and FGCU

BikeWalkLee welcomes two new local representatives-- Cape Coral rep, Nick Dekker; and FGCU rep, Diane Odeh. Thanks to our outgoing Cape rep, Steve Chupack, for his terrific work these past five years. Thanks to all seven of BWL's local reps for keeping our network informed and involved in what's happening around the county.

Background
BikeWalkLee has been involved in advocacy on a countywide basis, participating in Lee County MPO meetings and committees, and in the Board of County Commission committees and hearings. While the majority of transportation decisions that affect bike/ped/transit facilities and complete streets policies are made in these two bodies, the local jurisdictions (Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and the new Village of Estero) also make bike/ped decisions on their local roads as well as influence decisions on county maintained roads. In the past couple of years, the cities have played a leadership role in implementing complete streets and focusing on bike/ped safety in their local jurisdictions.

Beginning in 2011, BikeWalkLee designated local representatives in each jurisdiction. Click here to the updated list and bios of our local representatives. These individuals serve as our “point persons” who lead the local advocacy efforts and keep the BWL network informed about what’s happening in their jurisdiction. Great things are happening in the local jurisdictions and our local representatives are in the thick of things.

New Local Representatives
Cape Coral Representative:  Nick Dekker grew up in the Netherlands. He is a graduate of the University of Groningen and has been living in Lee County since 2009. He runs a small IT security and Web consultancy firm and has been a consultant in the IT field for years. In earlier life he was a driving instructor in the Netherlands.

Nick Dekker

 His work and private life makes him a frequent visitor of Europe where he has witnessed many improvements in city infrastructure over the last decades. Nick grew up riding bicycles and he tries to continue this lifestyle in Florida. He has a strong commitment to improving safety for vulnerable road users and creating a livable community, and is also a member of the Cape Coral Bike-Ped team.  

FGCU Representative: Diane Odeh is a program assistant at FGCU and a graduate student in the University's Masters of Public Administration program. She has lived in Fort Myers since 2011. Prior to that, she lived in Ithaca, New York. Diane holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Oklahoma State University. Her research interests include mechanisms of empowerment, equity, and human capital in communities. She is a life-long walker and has a personal passion for ensuring safer communities.

Diane Odeh

A special thanks from the BikeWalkLee team to Steve Chupack, who has been a terrific Cape Coral rep for the past five years.  He played a key role in bringing new bike lanes to the Cape, launched the first annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo for students, and helped launch the Cape Coral Bike-Ped group (CCBP), which is doing great things in the Cape.

Steve Chupack

Here's the full list of our representatives:
 Bonita Springs:       Sarah Baker
 Cape Coral:             Nick Dekker

 Estero:                     Doug Saxton

 Fort Myers:             Dan Moser

 Fort Myers Beach:  Bruce Butcher
 Sanibel:                  Tom Sharbaugh
 FGCU:                    Diane Odeh

Click here for bios and contact information on our local reps.

So, if you live in one of these jurisdictions and want to get involved or have questions, contact our representative for that area.

 Report by Darla Letourneau

FGCU Infrastructure Study of Estero lays foundation for creation of walkable/bikeable community

An important first step was taken by the Village of Estero towards the goal of making it a walkable/bikeable community, with the recently completed FGCU Infrastructure Inventory. Kudos to the FGCU team of professors and students, and thanks to BWL's Estero representative for reporting on the progress in Estero. As Doug says, more Estero residents need to speak up in support of a walkable and bikeable future: "We need you to get involved and lend your voice, your energy, your passion, and your connections." To get involved in the next steps, there will be public workshops in the Spring about the recommendations in this report. We'll let you know as soon as those workshops are scheduled. 

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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?

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:

Jan. 6, 2016:Invite to Jan. 12th Estero Village Center workshop

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