News-Press Op Ed: Lee County is growing so fast, we are losing the quality of life

BikeWalkLee's mission is to promote complete streets and livable communities.  Today's commentary in News-Press focuses on what it means for our communities to be walkable, bikeable, and livable.  This is key to the quality of life for our citizens.  "This is not a partisan issue...We all seek a good and healthful way of life no matter how we vote."  Kudos to Charlotte Newton for her thoughtful commentary.  What has been happening to the quality of life in your community? Is your area safer or more dangerous than it used to be for walking and biking? Let your elected officials know you care about having walkable, bikeable, and livable communities.

News-Press Opinion
Feb. 17, 2019
Lee County is growing so fast, and we are losing the quality of life
By Charlotte Newton, Guest contributor 

Do you enjoy living in Lee County?  I do – but will admit to worrying about its future.
Rampant development is increasing traffic and impacting our schools.  Lee Health tries, but can’t seem to keep up with our growing population, resources for early childhood learning are limited, and there is minimal funding for mental health treatment.  Clean water appears to be a thing of the past.  Increasingly, Lee County is becoming unlivable.

So how do you define livability?  According to AARP, “a livable community is one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing and transportation options, and offers supportive community features and services.”   When you bike on our roads, do you feel safe?  Can you walk to your local Publix without having to dodge cars?  When you take your child to the school bus stop, are there sidewalks, lighting?  How long do you have to wait to see a doctor, either at the local emergency room or at a medical office?  And how long does it take you to travel the Cape Coral Bridge to get home after a tiring workday?

More: We need to expand roadways in Lee County to offset population growth: your say
The fact is that Lee is growing so fast, we are losing the quality of life we have enjoyed and until we get the situation under control, it is not going to get any better. 

This is not a partisan issue; it doesn’t matter one’s political party.  We all seek a good and healthful way of life no matter how we vote.

Nobody is calling for a halt to development, which is an important part of our economy.  But unfortunately, development is the tail wagging the dog and negatively impacting our quality of life in so many ways.  For example, in Lee, we have a plan called Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) which originally was aimed at controlling overdevelopment in southeast Lee County due to the potential for wetlands destruction and the demands on our water resources from increased housing density.  Time and again, the DR/GR plan is either simply ignored or cast aside by those charged with county zoning.

Building more roads just invites more cars.  Our population is aging and our roads are jammed to capacity. We need a viable bus network that covers the entire county and offers those who cannot or do not want to drive alternatives to getting around. 

We also can no longer wait for our county leaders to act on the blue-green algae in our waterways.  It’s still there – we just can’t see it. The governor’s water quality proposals are welcomed; however, they will take years to implement. 

Our county leaders are turning a blind eye to taking action here, now.  The economy is one reason to act, but let’s also prioritize the health and recreational effects on our year-round residents.
Third, a livable community is one that invites its citizens out – out biking, out walking and hiking, out enjoying public gatherings.  With so many gated communities, it’s a difficult challenge but one from which we should not shy away.  Cape Coral has built a network of bike paths and is developing a system of parks. 

The rest of Lee County should follow suit by requiring developers to build these amenities for all our citizens, not just those who buy houses inside their gates. 

Our concerns are not new and have been voiced by others over the years.  But no matter how many speak up, nothing seems to change – or slow down.  Perhaps the answer is to remind our county officials that listening to those they represent – rather than those who donate to their campaigns – is critical to staying in office. 

Charlotte Newton is a citizen member of The News-Press Editorial Board.

NDN: BikeWalkLee awards "Champion of the Year" while calling for cyclist safety

 BikeWalkLee awards Champion of the Year while calling for cyclist safety

Thaddeus Mast, Naples Daily NewsPublished 11:36 a.m. ET Dec. 21, 2018

The cyclists of south Lee County are getting a little safer as BikeWalkLee declares it’s Complete Streets Champion of the Year.

Bonita Springs Councilor Peter O’Flinn went above and beyond other area leaders as he helped map future bike trails through the city, the organization said.

“I think the thing is to really become a part of the city’s DNA,” said Darla Letourneau, of BikeWalkLee. “A leader that makes this a top priority and sticks to it and drives it.”

While he’s not alone in the endeavor with the City Council and members of Estero aiming for a better biking experience, O’Flinn is a real driver, Letourneau said.

“Obviously, it’s not done alone,” she said. “The council is helping. But (O’Flinn is) the person who keeps moving it along. We need more Peters around the county.”

Current initiatives include a remake of Terry Street. The roadway is undergoing a major redesign with an emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists — sidewalks will be expanded and more permanent crosswalks will be added.

Planned expansions are also on city, county and state maps, giving the city grant options to kick off construction. One example is a state bike trail running alongside unused railroad tracks.

“It takes 10-20 years to get a Rails-to-Trails project from beginning to end,” she said. “These things take a dedication that most elected officials are looking at the short term.”

Despite the plans in place, current roadways are dangerous for all but the experienced street cyclists, said Doug Saxton of the Estero BikeWalkLee.

“Some people won’t leave their immediate community,” Saxton said. “Just imagine if you could ride with your kids or grandkids to go get an ice cream and it be a safe thing.”


Peter O'Flinn (Special to The Banner)

Dangerous by Design, a group that ranks communities based on pedestrian danger, listed the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area as the worst contender in the nation in 2016. Another report is set to come out in January.

“Pedestrian safety is an indicator of bicycle safety,” Letourneau said. “It’s as if they don’t care. We want to make sure everyone talks about it.”

A new study to be released in January will show whether Lee County has made improvements.
“This has been a bigger issue over the past 10 years — distracted drivers,” Letourneau said.

Local bike safety groups are pushing expanded sidewalks and short additions instead of major trails.

 “We are big champions of walkability to the new (Bonita Springs High School),” said Sarah Baker, chair Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board. “It’s kind of getting in on ground level, integrating it in on paper and then seeing it happen.”

The expansions mostly include shared use paths — in short, a widened sidewalk that both cyclists and pedestrians can use together.

“It’d be nice to have space for the cars, bike lane for the bikes and a shared use path,” he said. “If you’re not comfortable riding next to the road, then don’t.”

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

It was an honor to present the 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year Award to Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn at the Bonita Springs City Council meeting on Dec. 19th.

Vice Mayor O'Flinn (center with trophy) with BWL representatives (Darla, Doug, Sarah, to his right),
along with Mayor Simmons (L) and member of Bonita Springs City Council

In presenting the award to Deputy Mayor O'Flinn, Darla Letourneau of BikeWalkLee spoke of  O'Flinn's rare combination of talents--a big picture vision along with the skill-set, passion, and focus to drive this vision to results on the ground.  "These are special gifts, and the citizens of Bonita and the larger Southwest Florida are lucky to have Peter is a leadership role in the community," said Letourneau.

"BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Deputy Mayor O'Flinn for serving as an inspiration and role model for elected officials, staff, and advocates throughout Southwest Florida," said Letourneau.

She also thanked the Mayor, Councilmembers, and the staff "for staying the course on this decades-long and continuing complete streets journey."

In his remarks, Vice-Mayor O'Flinn acknowledged the Council, staff, and community leaders who were all instrumental in these accomplishments.  He emphasized the importance of the context-sensitive approach that is at the core of complete streets.  This approach is a way to make sure the City's development and transportation plans are consistent with the community's vision of preserving Bonita's small city charm.

NEW:  Dec. 20th: Smart Growth America's reported on Peter's award as part of its bi-weekly national newsletter.
Dec. 22nd:  Naples Daily News: BikeWalkLee awards Champion of the Year while calling for cyclist safety

Report by Darla Letourneau



BWL Dec. 19, 2018 Press Release: Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor





BikeWalkLee Press Release

Issued December 19, 2018

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

Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn

Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year

 
BikeWalkLee, a community coalition advocating for complete streets in Lee County Florida, has selected Bonita Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn as its 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year for his outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to bringing complete streets concepts to reality on the ground in Bonita Springs.

“Today, we honor Peter O’Flinn as an outstanding champion of complete streets, not only in Bonita Springs but throughout Lee County and beyond," said BikeWalkLee’s Darla Letourneau.

“Deputy Mayor O’Flinn is a tireless leader who is focused on bringing that vision to reality one project at a time, each building on the other attracting grant funds, and gaining state and national recognition,” Letourneau continued.

 BikeWalkLee has always understood that an advocacy group can only provide the spark of inspiration. For the effort to be successful and long-lasting, it must have committed government champions. The most successful efforts have elected leaders, staff and community volunteers working collaboratively towards a vision. 

 Bonita Springs is a shining example of a community making a paradigm shift into a new way of thinking and doing business.  The city has taken the complete streets approach and, through collaborations and partnerships, adapted and built on the foundation put in place over the past decade.

 
Prior to joining the Bonita Springs City Council in 2016, O’Flinn was an engaged community leader, advocating for enhancing the quality of life in Bonita through a complete streets approach.

 Once on the council, he made complete streets one of his top priorities.  He has provided visionary leadership on the council, throughout the community and countywide. His goal has been to consistently advance these concepts and help educate the public about its benefits.

He has worked tirelessly with city staff to ensure a complete streets approach is incorporated into the land use planning for the city.  Just as important, he has proactively initiated the implementation of complete streets projects on the ground. These projects are immediately beneficial to improving the quality of life for residents, which then helps build a broader base of support for future action, all in support of the goal of burnishing Bonita Springs’ reputation as a great small city.

 

O’Flinn has provided leadership and convened residents and elected officials in the Southwest Florida region, resulting in the following:

·     Bonita Springs, working with the nationally recognized Alta Planning + Design firm, is transforming West Terry Street into a beautiful multimodal corridor with safety improvements for school children, recreational and road cyclists, and drivers alike.  This project complements the Downtown Improvement Project, for which Bonita Springs received national recognition as one of the 12 communities in the United States for its exemplary work on implementing complete streets in The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017, prepared by Smart Growth America.

·     Bonita Springs partnered with the Village of Estero and the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation to launch a long-term effort to create of a “rails-to-trails” trail, connecting the City of Bonita Springs to the Village of Estero via a 10-mile trail along the railroad right-of-way.  This joint Bonita/Estero partnership led a community campaign in 2018 to add this local segment to the statewide Priority Florida Greenways and Trails Map.  As a result of the strong show of community support, this trail segment is now on the official State Trails Map, making it eligible for state funding through the Florida Shared Use Non-motorized (SUN) Trail funds, managed by Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT).

o   Bonita Springs prepared a $12 million application for U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s national competitive BUILD program (previously named TIGER).  The city’s proposal ties together the Downtown Improvement Project, the West Terry Street project, and the vision for the Bonita/Estero Trail (on the railroad right-of-way), to transform the entire 5-mile Terry Street corridor that runs through the heart of Bonita Springs. If funded, the project would leverage even larger transformative changes in the community.

o   Bonita Springs collaborated with Blue Zones to implement quality of life changes in the local area.

o   Bonita Springs was successful in gaining support from FDOT and the Lee Metropolitan Planning Organization for a U.S. 41/Bonita Beach Road Quadrant Study (part of the Bonita Beach Road Visioning Study); with the goal of developing an expanded roadway network between Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41 that provides a multi-modal transportation approach, using complete streets concepts.

“Thanks to Deputy Mayor O’Flinn’s visionary efforts, the citizens of Bonita Springs will have safer streets, a community with more options for getting around town, a trail that will serve present and future Bonitans for generations, and a burnished reputation as a great place to live, work, and play,” said Letourneau. “BikeWalkLee is deeply grateful to Deputy Mayor O’Flinn for his leadership and many contributions to implementing a complete streets approach in Bonita Springs, and serving as a model for other communities throughout Southwest Florida.”

Key Links:

• BikeWalkLee Dec. 19, 2018 Press Release: Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn Honored as 2018 Complete Streets Champion of the Year
• History of BikeWalkLee's "Complete Streets Champion of the Year" Awards: 2010-2018 
• Bonita Springs' Complete Streets Journey to date (2014-2018): Links to Key BikeWalkLee Blog Posts

 

BWL letter to BoCC in support of Joel Blvd. "road diet"

BWL sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioners voicing its full support for the County's upcoming Joel Blvd. lane reconfiguration (known as a road diet), which is scheduled to be implemented as part of the regular resurfacing of this road in the Spring.  Road diets (along with roundabouts) are one of the best ways to improve the safety of all road users, esp. the most vulnerable.

 

Before and After photo of road diet

December 15, 2018

 

Dear Commissioners:

 

BikeWalkLee is a volunteer community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County and promoting policies that enhance the safety of Florida's roadways.  At a recent Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) meeting, we became aware of LeeDOT’s planned new safety treatment on Joel Blvd. in Lehigh.  Given BikeWalkLee’s commitment to improving the safety of Lee County roadways, we wanted to voice our full support for the County’s scheduled Joel Boulevard lane reconfiguration (called a road diet), to be implemented in the Spring of 2019 as part of the regular resurfacing of this road.

 

As you know, for more than a decade, Lee County has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians and cyclists both in Florida and nationwide, and Florida has ranked the most dangerous state in the country.  In the 2016 national “Dangerous by Design” report, Lee County was ranked as the most dangerous community in the country, demonstrating the urgent need for safety improvements on our roadways.  This road diet project is one way the County can demonstrate that it is taking action to turn around our “worst in the nation” ranking. 

 

We are pleased to see the County following through on the implementation of one of the elements of its 2010 Complete Streets Implementation Plan, developed to carry out the Board’s Complete Streets policy adopted in 2009.  A “road diet” (which typically entails converting an existing 4-lane road into two lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes), is one of the key proven safety treatments promoted by FHWA and FDOT as part of its efforts to improve safety for all road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists who are the most vulnerable.

 

Road diets are proven to save lives by reducing the number of crashes by 20-50%; and by reducing speeds; the severity of the injuries is less, resulting in fewer fatalities.  This is particularly important for road users at the greatest risk—pedestrians and cyclists.   Safety is of paramount concern at the Joel Blvd. location, where 83 crashes have occurred over the past two years, six of which were fatal.  It is also an excellent choice for a road diet, given its current and projected vehicle volume loads.

 

One of the most cost effective ways to implement new complete street safety treatments is to incorporate them into the planning for road resurfacing.  We applaud the County for taking a holistic approach at this location, and urge you to make this a routine practice to integrate the complete streets and resurfacing planning in order to bring needed safety improvements on the ground faster and for much less cost than if done separately.

As with many safety improvements that are new to the public (e.g., road diets and roundabouts), there is often some opposition from residents and businesses when first proposed because it’s a change.  It’s clear from the research and reporting on the experiences of communities around the country that most public opposition is quickly forgotten after residents experience the new treatments and see the significant safety benefits associated with them.  It is important for our elected officials to stand by the importance of making safety of our roadways the top priority.

Thank you for making the safety of all road users, esp. pedestrians and cyclists, a top priority in your reconfiguration of Joel Blvd.

 Sincerely,

Dan Moser
On behalf of BikeWalkLee

 

 

 

SWFL Lost a Complete Streets Champion Today

 Celebrating the Life of Beth Brainard

We are sad to share the news that after a lengthy battle with cancer, Beth Brainard passed away on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Her friends and colleagues are invited to a memorial service to celebrate her life on Saturday, November 17 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at The Moorings Country Club, 2500 Crayton Road, Naples, FL 34103. In lieu of flowers, she asked that donations be made in her name to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

Beth was honored by the City of Naples for her contribution to the community during her tenure with Naples Pathways Coalition. Please visit our website and scroll down to the News and Announcements section to watch the video of Mayor Bill Barnett reading the proclamation presented to Beth declaring October 2018 as Beth Brainard Month.

We will be forever grateful to Beth for her passion to create safe, bikeable and walkable communities, her efforts to change legislation that would make texting while driving a primary offense, and her work to educate motorists, cyclists and pedestrians of their responsibilities and how to safely share the roads.

Contact Us
phone: 239-777-7718
web: naplespathways.org
NPC Facebook

Mailing Address:
300 Fifth Ave. S, Suite 101, Box 464
Naples, FL 34102

President, Craig Manchen
Executive Director, Michelle Avola
email: Michelle@naplespathways.org

Your vote can help outdoor quality of life

Florida Weekly 'Outdoors' column, 10/10/18
danMOSER
bikepedmoser@gmail.com




Since early this summer there have been quite a number of opinion pieces — from letters to editors to guest columnists’ writings — expressing exasperation and demanding solutions to our water woes. Like too many other problems our community faces, it took a near meltdown of the tourism and fishing industries for anyone other than the “usual suspects” (i.e., environmentalists, scientists and others who have been sounding the alarm for a long, long time) to finally become indignant and press for action.

Whether this newfound support to solve the problem will eventually succeed is yet to be determined, but it sure can’t hurt to have so many more aware of and concerned about just how much impact bad water has on our community’s economics and quality of life.

Much like our current water problems, our chronically unsafe traffic environment has been obvious and festering for decades. Both have been denied the attention and resources necessary to adequately address these issues. Why our local, state and federal governments, the business community and the general public give such relatively low priority to both significant problems remains a mystery to me.

Apparently, I’m expecting too much. One would think that routinely being among the worse environments in the country for non-motorists would eventually equate to it becoming a high priority to change that fact. Falling to the worst in the nation should have sent everyone scrambling. However, like other quality of life and vital economic aspects of Lee County and Southwest Florida, that’s not been the case.

Understandably, our water quality and natural environment have taken center stage recently. Just like the many obvious indicators of problems for pedestrians and cyclists that have and continue to plague our transportation network, our water and environment woes have been apparent for decades. Yet it wasn’t until the double-whammy of our inland waterways becoming clogged with algae and tons of suffocated sea life washing up on our shores did almost every elected official acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. And then only because of the economic impacts it’s having, not so much the environmental and health costs. So, until the lives lost or forever changed by traffic related incidents equate to what our leaders at all levels consider an economic crisis, it looks like nothing will change. Unless, of course, until there are leaders in office who decide we’ve had enough.

Being mid-term election season, we have an opportunity to move toward changing priorities that benefit all citizens when it comes to health, safety and quality of life. Each of those elements does indeed have economic value so there should really be no negative trade-off versus the status quo. In some cases it will take new representatives to recognize and address the problems. In others it’s just a matter of those in office being on the wrong side of the majority so they are being thwarted in their efforts. Unbiased information is required to determine how candidates and incumbents at various levels of government, from municipal positions to the federal levels, will work on those and other important matters.

For those seeking background of an overall sense on currently elected officials and candidates the Lee County chapter of League of Women Voters (lwvlee.org) is an excellent resource. Politifact Florida (politifact.com/florida) offers a Truth- O-Meter that covers many topics and statements made by elected officials and candidates.

Specific to issues related to pedestrians and bicyclists, Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) has “Legislative Platform” pages and the League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org) has an “I Bike – I Vote” section. BikeWalkLee’s blog (bikewalklee.blogspot.com) is a good source of information on the people, organizations and policies.

If we are ever to shed the stigma and related reality of being the most dangerous place in the U.S. to be a pedestrian, we must have in place leaders who acknowledge and seriously address the causes. ¦

- 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. 

For Lee County cycling and tri events visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (caloosariders.org); Florida Mudcutters (mudcutters.org); and SW Florida Biking Meetup Group (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL). The Florida Bicycle Association (floridabicycle.org) is your source for statewide happenings. BikeWalkLee’s blog site has all the information you’ll need to stay abreast of advocacy efforts in Southwest Florida as well as statewide and nationally.

BikeWalkLee's Letter to Estero Council on Estero Parkway Options

On May 29th, BWL issued an action alert re: Estero Council's upcoming June 6th decision on the Estero Parkway design.  On June 1st, BWL sent a letter to the Estero Village Council with its comments on the Estero Parkway Options (see below).  Communicate your preference to Estero Council members in several ways:  complete the ECCL survey by Monday, June 4th (Estero residents only); attend the June 6th Council meeting (starting at 9:30 a.m.) to speak during public comment period; and/or write, call or meet with Estero Council members before June 6th. For background on the two options, click here.  Click here for letter to Council from Dr. Margaret Banyan, author of the FGCU Estero Infrastructure Study, requested by Estero Council in 2015. Click here for Streets Alive of SWFL's letter to Council, both in support of the complete streets approach (Option 2).

 

June 1, 2018

Village of Estero Council

9401 Corkscrew Palms Circle 
Estero, FL 33928

 

Dear Mayor Boesch and Council Members:

 

BikeWalkLee is a volunteer countywide coalition advocating for complete streets. With Lee County being ranked as the most dangerous area in the country for pedestrians, it is clear that our roadways are “dangerous by design” and local governments must begin to design our streets for safety, which is what the complete streets approach is all about. 

 

As the Village Council gets ready to vote on the final design for Estero Parkway, BikeWalkLee would like to communicate its strong support for Option 2—the 2-lane “complete streets” option.  Our overriding priority is safety and Option 2 is the only option before you that is designed to make the roadway safer for all users—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.  Option 2 also best supports the new FDOT Complete Streets Implementation Plan and the Village’s original vision of Estero Parkway as a signature project that will serve as a model street for the Village.

 

Streets play an enormous role in determining a place's quality of life.  While people may not know the term "complete street", they know the characteristics of their favorite streets-- streets with tree canopy and attractive landscaping; safe, comfortable and shady places to walk and bikes buffered from traffic; moderate traffic speeds, safe ways to cross the street, and inviting places to be for all kinds of uses.  The holistic and integrated planning of a roadway (the entire right-of-way public space) is context sensitive and reflects balance among the needs of the various users.  Again, we believe that Option 2 best balances the needs of all users.

 

The roundabouts in Option 2 are key components to slowing down the traffic and making the roads safer for everyone.  Research has proven that roundabouts are safer—there is a 35% overall decrease in crashes; a 76% decrease in injury crashes; and a 71% to 81% decrease in fatal/incapacitating crashes for single lane roundabouts. As then FDOT District 1 Secretary Billy Hattaway told the MPO Board and the Bonita Springs City Council in 2015, there is often opposition to roundabouts from businesses and the public before installation.  According to Hattaway, 75% of the public is opposed to roundabouts before installation, and as soon as the roundabouts go in, it flips to 75% support of them. FDOT promotes the use of roundabouts and has developed an informational guide for cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists about roundabouts: FDOT Brochure: A guide to Roundabouts (One-Lane)

 

Option 1—the 4-lane option will essentially make Estero Parkway another highway in Lee County…one designed to prioritize and move vehicles as fast as possible.  Research has proven that speed kills, especially for vulnerable road users.  Not only will the “highway” with virtually no traffic calming features be less safe, it ignores the needs of those bike riders (whether children, seniors, or others) that are not comfortable riding on the road.  Only installing narrow sidewalks (as called for in Option 1) means that the needs of these types of bike riders and their safety are not being addressed.  As the Village continues to grow and change demographically, if Option 1 is adopted, in a few years the Village will inevitably face citizen demands for a wider path so it can be used safely by both walkers and bikers.  It’s much more cost effective to install wider paths now.  According to the MPO, the costs of retrofitting will be 5 to 10 times the cost of doing it right the first time….something that many communities throughout Lee County have learned the hard (and expensive) way.   Finally, Option 1 is essentially “more of the same” which means that the Village will lose its once in a lifetime opportunity to create the promised model street that could help define the Village as a walkable/bikeable/livable community that is a place where people want to live, work, and play. The option that is chosen for Estero Parkway will help define the future of Estero.

Thank you for considering our views.  We appreciate the efforts that the Village has made to consider a range of options and to invite public participation throughout the past 2+ years. We hope as leaders that you will take all of this into consideration and choose Option 2 in order to do what is best for the safety of all residents now and well into the future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Darla Letourneau and Doug Saxton
on behalf of BikeWalkLee

 

cc: Steven Sarkozy, Village Manager
      David Willems, Public Works Director

 

Related Links:

Dr. Margaret Banyan's June 4, 2018 letter to Estero Council in support of Complete Streets Option
(author of FGCU Estero Infrastructure Study, requested by Estero Council in 2015)

BWL's June 1, 2018 letter to Estero Council re: comments on Estero Parkway Options

Streets Alive of Southwest Florida's June 5, 2018 letter to Estero Council in support of Complete Streets Option 2.

 

 BWL Blog May 29, 2018: Action Alert: Estero Council decision on Estero Parkway design on June 6th

FDOT Brochure: A guide to Roundabouts (One-Lane)

FHWA brochure concerning roundabouts and 1st responders

 

 

Action Alert: Estero Council decision on Estero Parkway design on June 6th

Next week the Estero Village Council will make an important decision on the design of Estero Parkway that will help define the future of Estero.  Do you want it to be another 4-lane highway (Option 1), or a 2-lane complete street (Option 2)?  Time to weigh in with members of the Estero Village Council.

Background
Even before Estero was incorporated, discussions were underway about the need make Estero Parkway safer for walkers and cyclists.  In order to ensure that Estero Parkway was redesigned as a signature project that would serve as a model street for the Village, the Council took responsibility from the County for this road, along with $2.2. million from the County towards this project.  Since 2015, the Village has been looking at various options, holding workshops, and now they are at the final decision point for the design of this important project.

At the June 6th Village Council meeting, the Council will vote on which of two options to approve:
Option 1, which we call "Estero Highway" option--a 4-lane road with bike lanes and only a narrow sidewalk and no roundabouts. 
Option 2, which we call "Estero Parkway" option--a 2-lane road with bike lanes, a shared use path, and roundabouts, i.e., a model complete street, which makes the roadway safer for ALL users. 
BWL strongly supports Option 2.  This complete streets design will be much safer for all road users--pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.  It is the best option in support of the new FDOT Complete Streets Implementation Plan and the Village's original vision of Estero Parkway as a signature project that will serve as a model street for the Village.

Below is an Action Alert sent out by the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) requesting Estero residents to read the analysis of the options, complete the survey by June 4th about which Option you prefer, and to encourage citizens to attend the Council's June 6th meeting to speak.

Note that the ECCL Board voted unanimously in favor of Option 2--the complete streets approach.
 

LINK TO SURVEY 

We need your opinion about

how the Village should improve Estero Parkway

ECCL SURVEY
MAY 29, 2018

What’s at Stake: The Village Council will be deciding on improvements to Estero Parkway in June

What you can do: Read the comparative analysis and complete the survey, which the ECCL will present to councilmembers

When: before June 4, so we can present the information to the councilmembers before their June 6 meeting.

Last Wednesday the Village’s Estero Parkway transportation consultant briefed the Village Council on two alternative comprehensive roadway improvement options. The Council Chambers were crowded, largely by residents of the Cascades who are strongly opposed to constriction of a roundabout at their entrance.

Next week, on Wednesday June 6, the Council will conduct the first of two meetings required for them to make this important decision that will likely influence the way all Estero roadways are improved.

The ECCL Board believes that the members of the Village Council need to know which improvement option all the residents of Estero prefer inasmuch as this decision will ultimately impact traffic safety in their area as well.

Thus we ask you to review this 13 page comparative analysis of the options, complete the following survey by June 4, and click the link to forward it to us for use at the June 6th Council meeting.


BWL Key Links: BWL 3/14/17 letter to Estero Village Council re: Estero Parkway Conceptual Design 


Tetra Tech PowerPoint Presentation to Estero Council 3/15/17: Estero Parkway Improvement Implementation

 Estero Infrastructure Inventory, by FGCU to Estero Council, 1/20/16

 
BikeWalkLee Blog March 17, 2017: BWL Comments to Estero Council on Estero Parkway Improvement Implementation Plan

BWL Blog Jan. 31, 2016: FGCU Infrastructure Study of Estero lays foundation for creation of walkable/bikeable community

April 24th Webinar on Implementing Complete Streets in Florida.

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Bonita Springs exemplary complete streets work highlighted in national report

Congratulations to the City of Bonita Springs for being in the national spotlight as one of 12 communities across the country that were singled out in Smart Growth America's new report for their exemplary Complete Streets initiatives. It is gratifying to see one of the five agencies/municipalities in Lee County that adopted complete streets policies in 2009-2015, to have on-the-ground results from their successful implementation of their complete streets policies.  We hope to see other communities in Lee County recognized for exemplary complete streets work in the future.

This week Smart Growth America/National Complete Streets Coalition released its new annual report: The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017.  We're excited that the City of Bonita Springs was one of the 12 communities selected nationwide to feature as doing exemplary work on implementing complete streets.  The write-up on Bonita's work highlights its Downtown Improvements Project, and starts with the following statement:  "Motivated to improve accessibility and safety in its downtown area, the City of Bonita Springs, FL worked with both the community and private sector to create a more people-friendly downtown area.  Through its Downtown Improvements Project, the city created a better connected street network for people walking, biking, and taking transit.  The city also incentivized development that promotes job growth and affordable housing."  (See p. 31-33 of the report for the full Bonita Springs write-up.

As the Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition stated in the report's introduction, "We hope that these stories will not only provide inspiration, but also spur other communities into action so that in 10 more years we are celebrating tangible and lasting changes to our streets, with the benefits extending to everyone."

The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017 For the last month, we’ve been profiling one exemplary Complete Streets initiative each week. But now the full report from our National Complete Streets Coalition is out, highlighting 12 people and places doing exceptional work when it comes to making a tangible difference on building safer, more complete streets. Unlike our usual annual report which grades and ranks policies, we took a different approach this year to celebrate a brand new framework for evaluating what makes a successful Complete Streets policy. The new policy framework, which will be used to grade all policies passed in 2018, moves beyond merely passing a policy and puts a greater emphasis on equity and implementation, reflecting the progress that the Complete Streets movement has made over the last decade. The 12 communities and people highlighted in the report reflect this more ambitious and effective approach. Congratulations to everyone who had a role in these 12 initiatives and to all the other communities that have passed Complete Streets policies in the last year.

Link to full report:  The Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017 by National Complete Streets Coalition/Smart Growth America.

Link to information on the Downtown Improvements Project, found on the City's website.

BWL Blog, July 16, 2015: Kudos to Bonita Springs City Council on approval of downtown redevelopment design.