Monorail, not light rail
Disney World as well as many cities around the world have been using Monorails for many years now. Monorails travel above the existing roadways so that they don’t interfere with the traffic below. This means we don’t have to take land by eminent domain as with a light rail system.
They operate on electricity so they have very little greenhouse gas and are very quiet compared to light rail or buses. The new systems such as in Las Vegas require no drivers, and is totally controlled by computers, (a huge savings in personnel cost).
Go to www.bombadier.com to see what they have been providing for years
in ground transportation around the world.
This monorail could start at Centennial park in downtown Fort Myers. Then
travels south over U.S. 41 making it’s first stop at Lee memorial hospital
and Edison mall. Then making stops at:
n 1 Bell tower mall with it’s shops, theaters, restaurants.
n 2 Fort Myers beach near Times Square.
n 3 Coconut point mall and the Brooks.
n 4 Mirimar outlets
n 5 Florida Gulf coast university
n 6 Gulf coast town center
n 7 S.W.F.I.( international airport), then back to Centennial park
via Edison mall.
A total of just 10 stops along the loop.
This could be funded by many interests: The Federal/ State/County governments, Lee Tran, and each of the malls that would like to have a stop at their mall as well as any other business or entity that would like to have a stop at their location, including Fort Myers Beach.
This would also be a tremendous tourist attraction!. Virtually
every person that visits the area would want to experience (the MONORAIL).
Parking would be free of charge at all stops.
This could take thousands of cars off the roads and reduce our traffic and
greenhouse emissions substantially.
By Ed Kennedy
Fort Myers