Future boulevard work questions answered
Safety recommendations for the second mile and beyond of the upcoming Estero Boulevard Improvements Project may be coming from a Town advisory board in the near future.
The Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee received information from questions posed on the issue at its monthly meeting at Newton Park last week. The questions were derived during a special session the week prior.
Lee County officials are expected to begin their lengthy road improvement project within the next two months and, while the first segment of the project is conceptually completed, designs for the remainder of the six-mile project are still being entertained.
Lee Department of Transportation’s Rob Phelan, the EBIP project manager, stated there will not be raised median refuges during chicane areas (turns in the road that will allow trolley pull-offs to be constructed) in future segments, but anticipates some at various points on the boulevard. Other features include more crosswalks, but not at every one of the Town’s 25 beach accesses (there are a reported 12 from Times Square to Lovers Lane); road water drainage to the center of the road (within 30 percent plans) and reflective pavement markings along white lines to show shifts in traffic at chicanes.
“We’re trying to pair trolley stops and install a crosswalk at those trolley stops,” said Phelan. “The concept (involving raised refuges) is we want to give emergency vehicles the opportunity to get by.”
Regarding crosswalks, Phelan asked Town officials to provide assistance in indicating which beach accesses have higher priority use.
“If you know of any high use locations, we can see how those beach access points are located in relation to the nearest crosswalk,” he said.
Regarding trolley pull-offs, if anyone would like to have one in front of their business or condominium, there needs to be space coordination (possible voluntary land donation) and a demonstrated need. The feature needs more than just right-of-way property.
“If someone wants to donate property for a trolley stop, we are more than happy to include that in the plans,” said Phelan.
Safety committee members have expressed concern about adequate lighting at crosswalks. While FPL is not going to provide amber LEDs (sea turtle safe) or brighter lights to illuminate the crosswalks at night, there will be empty conduit boxes on each of those poles in case Town officials want to add lighting after a proposed study is complete. Councilman Alan Mandel is in the process of asking Metropolitan Planning Organization officials for any leftover budget money to be used for such a study.
“He is trying to get a small pot of money into the lighting study that we requested through the MPO,” said Councilwoman Rexann Hosafros, Council’s safety committee liaison. “It is an important step before we ask the County for any kind of lighting. We may be able to get some money through the MPO for more lighting.”
Much of segment 2 will include five-foot-wide bicycle lanes. Within those lanes, there will be bicycle symbols with arrows to show cyclists which direction is preferred to ride. As part of the educational program, safety committee members have always pitched that bicyclists should ride in the direction of vehicle travel -ride with traffic, not against it- so that cyclists do not meet in a given lane and cause one to use the vehicle lane to get by.
“That’s something that really needs to be focused on – the education of the cyclists not to ride the wrong way on the road,” said Phelan.
Education is key
The Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee is continuing to discuss innovative ways to keep the general public safe from harm.
More safety brochures are expected to be distributed to resorts, hotels, motels and condominiums as well as bicycle rental businesses. Banners with safety messages will be placed at Santini Marina Plaza and possible other locations, like other strip malls and Times Square, and potentially on the blue tarps at the former Seafarer property fence (Council approval is needed prior to a pitch to Council officials). Even bumper stickers with safety messages handed out to residents and possibly placed on Town vehicles could be another measure.
Councilwoman Rexann Hosafros believes one message per year should be a focus.
“Different education needs different advertising,” she said. “Choose one per year.”
“Trying to get the right people to read the message is important,” added Safety Committee Vice Chair Bill Veach.