The traffic on Estero Boulevard this season has been a nightmare. Every year there’s traffic. Most of it is backed up getting onto the island. This year, getting off the island has become a major adventure.
Drivers have come to expect yearly seasonal backups getting onto the island and on Estero Boulevard from Red Coconut to the bridge because of the intense amount of pedestrian traffic near the downtown area. But all the way to Publix? In some cases it’s even further south…and that’s to get off the island.
The FDOT base-of-the-bridge project has certainly added to the traffic jams. Drivers can no longer exit the island by continuing on Estero Boulevard due to the construction. They must turn down Crescent before exiting via 5th street. And despite the town removing a stop sign before turning onto 5th, many drivers are still in the habit of stopping at that intersection. Then, to add to the backups, once they make it to the base of the bridge, drivers also stop there after being trained for years that traffic would be coming up Estero and onto the bridge. Some decide that’s the perfect spot to make an illegal u-turn rather than leaving the island. The base of the bridge construction is expected to continue at least until the end of May.
So what is the town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council doing to try to keep the traffic flowing? Here’s the plan they’ve laid out. The town has hired a firm that specializes in traffic control on major roadways to help keep the traffic flowing at 4 choke points near the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge.
On this map (to the right) you’ll see the 4 red stars. Those stars indicate where a person will be posted to keep traffic moving – and most likely – pedestrians waiting a little longer than they have been which will help keep vehicles flowing.
The 4 locations are:
– Estero Blvd. and Crescent street
– Crescent street and Fifth Avenue
– Old San Carlos and Estero (Times Square)
– The base of the bridge exiting the island.
The company the town has hired will fill in the gaps when the Lee County Sheriff’s Department is not on duty at the corner of Estero and Crescent. Florida Highway Patrol will be at the base of the bridge to make sure there are no u-turns at that spot. FHP is being brought in because the construction project is a state project.
As of Tuesday, the town’s contractor started working at the corner of Crescent and Fifth and old San Carlos and Estero (Times Square). The traffic light at the San Carlos/Estero intersection has been out of operation since Hurricane Ian. It now operates as a 3-way stop but it’s also one of the busiest intersections for pedestrians to get to and from the beach.
Mayor Allers says these intersections will all be covered from 12PM to 8PM 7 days per week. And Town Manager Andy Hyatt said this will begin immediately.
Local journalism is hard work. If you appreciate the most in-depth reporting on Fort Myers Beach, please support what we do HERE by Venmo, Zell or PayPal. Thank you.
This is not just a new problem, but one that has been around for a long time. If you live on the South end as I it’s impossible to get off the Island. Going North the road will back up to the Catholic Church daily and going South it’s just as bad backing up to lovers key. Although the city council states it’s not a problem really we have one lane going and coming to the Island let’s even build more bigger high rise Units. And don’t forget half or more condo units on the South end are not occupied. Who’s running this city anyway?
Why don’t you put a toll booth on the southside entrance to the beach from Bonita Springs, since estero Blvd. is a short cut to aoid US 41 for most of the workers who commute from that area….and all residence get a free pass…plus a temporary one for renters….thats why we have all this traffic.
What are you talking about?? I live on Southend of island for 5 months of the year and would have to pay a toll? There is nothing on Southend right now, and we need to exit. What about delivery drivers or Door Dash to bring us packages and food? I’m really confused why you would want this. It’s NOT a short cut. And, if you drive it daily, you’d find out the South bridge is being replaced with an huge Span bridge and it’s down to ONE lane on Old San Carlos Bridge – traffic is backed up. Tolls are not the way to go. While living here 5 months per year, I support everything I can on this island, but the FMB doesn’t have essentials yet. Can’t even get my hair cut here, among other things. Doctor, Dentist, Medical ER (we had one here), etc., etc. I, right now, am just happy, barely, back into my home!!! 😢
I’m sure at the next council meeting WAK will say traffic is now moving great so we can continue to double the allowable density for all the new developments.
This traffic should have been anticipated even after the road is complete. When this project was just being planned, there was a meeting where different aspects of the project we’re going to be discussed. I went to the meeting to specifically talk to a representative about traffic, flow and issues that many of us saw would be a problem. Guess what? No one from the traffic department, or roads, etc. showed up at the meeting. That was my first hint that there was going to be a problem. Hopefully the people who are directing traffic up at the north end no how to direct traffic. I really don’t see an end to any of this, especially as larger, hotels, restaurants, etc. are being approved. I sadly left the beach, but I return frequently. Fortunately, most of my friends and business is on the south end and I live in the Bonita area.
Crossovers – good idea but, few use them – making them is a joke. You do know that they are tourists, different people ALL the time, can’t really be “trained” .
The 10-15mph gaukers are sooo annoying – also mostly tourists !
Density is a factor – but, Council does not care – they want more !!!
Traffic Guards — seriously ?
What an absolute joke – this Council likes to spends $$$ – guess they think it’ll shush us up – ‘cuz it looks like they’re on it.
Matanzas Bridge / work – another ultimate disaster.
If you can’t make smart, significant changes – you need to leave.
The crossovers are ridiculous. They can just walk across the road or they can either walk up or take an elevator up then walk across and then back down the stairs or elevator…..takes too long and is too inconvenient. Plus today most people are so out of shape, have bad knees, lazy, too fat, etc. to take stairs and too lazy to wait for an elevator.
As others commented, I agree this is not a new problem however it is absolutely worse than ever. Traffic has been backed up to Ascension or further. And consider that we’re only talking maybe 25% of residents are back since Ian. I do know quite a bit of the added traffic is from contractors – which won’t disappear anytime soon. We’ve found if we need to head North (we live on Bay Beach Ln), Sundays are the best day. This season those of us who live on the South end are thankful to have Junkanoo and even that is sometimes impossible to get to.
Never see anyone working
Just wait until Seagate is built and see what that does to the traffic situation.
Another fine job by the town council.
Traffic has been a problem for years and years. Now that people are complaining more the mayor acts like this is a new problem. Why is it that every single solution always costs the home owners more? Someone came up with the brilliant idea to hire traffic guards and the home owners pay for it. The FEMA rules were not followed, so the homeowners again foot the bill for that mistake. Maybe we need to have people in charge that are problem solvers that do not ignore problems and their solutions are always “make the home owners pay”.
Traffic has been bad for years and every once in a while the town hires someone to correct it for a large amount and nothing changes except your wallet
The other problem with the traffic coming to a complete standstill is people trying to valet park at Margaritaville. People having to wait to pull into their valet section which causes the standstill because of having to go past there in order to exit the island. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of going of the island in the afternoon and it was at a complete stop for 40 minutes, didn’t move a foot. The traffic was only backed up to Mango st at that time.
Vegas guardrails with walk overs would be nice to keep the cattle pedestrians from stopping the traffic every two seconds. Or could do an overpass road on top of Estero for a strait shot off the island, can only get on the exit road and not off until you exit the island. Similar to what they did in Hawaii Oahu and Chicago. But that will never happen. I can already hear the people screaming about the views of it, put it high enough so it won’t impede pedestrian views. The traffic problem will never be solved.
We need to have the Sheriff’s ticket the people driving 10-15 mph under the speed limit. If someone can’t drive the speed limit then they should not be driving.
Cause and effect, unintended consequences, butterfly effect ?? But wait, let’s allow more large, intense development on our island. The traffic problems on the island that have grown exponentially in the last several weeks are clearly the fault of poor management and planning on the part of the council, present and past. Four crossing guards are not going to fix anything, short or long term. But it sure makes the public think the town council has their collective eye on the ball. LOL
THANK YOU!!!!
It’s time to put a toll on the bridge and build a parking garage where the parking lot is at the base of the bridge. Have a shuttle go back and forth all day from the garage to the beach. Property owners and renters would have a pass to get on and off the island for free. Day trippers and commercial vehicles would pay.
As long as town council continues to increase the density on rebuilds, this is the only way to control traffic. Otherwise, it will never get better and that will start to affect businesses and rentals as the public realizes they can’t move on the island.
I agree 100% If someone won’t pay a $5 toll at the bridge then there is almost zero percent chance they will come to FMB to eat lunch at an expensive restaurant. Charge these contractors, food trucks, annoying motorcycle groups, day trippers, gaukers,etc.
You don’t want tolls.first it’s free for residents. Then later on you will pay at a discounted rate..it still ges backed up.The VZ bridge in NYC started at 1.oo dollar round trip..now it’s 20.00 …no tolls you will be sorry.
I was thinking the same thing. Toll bridge. I don’t know that $5 would be enough to encourage drivers to use alternate choices. Maybe $20.
Whenever I pass the bus parking area behind Walmart I wonder just how many actually use that lot. I’m betting it has not paid for itself.
The Town of FMB does not own any roads therefore tolls cannot be imposed by FMB and exempt beach residents. Estero Blvd is owned by Lee County. Plus, you better be able to have all of your service work done by Islanders because no businesses will pay a toll to do your service or they will pass the cost on to you.
When Karen Woodson (town council) brought up the idea for a toll on the bridge and people immediately started to screech like hyennas at the thought. As Chery above said FMB doesn’t own the roads…OK then maybe FMB could petition the county to start to charge a toll? It is unusually bad now because of the contractors. One home could have 6-10 contractors coming and going all day plus the food trucks racing up and down the roads. Not to mention all the flatbeds hauling equipment and building materials. And like someone said, this is not going to be over anytime soon. We have years of building ahead of is.
The buss lot used to be packed every day in season, but Ian changed that. Not too many reasons to head to the beach now..
Tolls: “idea dead as a doornail.”
https://beachtalkradionews.com/bridge-toll-idea-dead-as-a-door-nail/
The beach’s bridge was built by the state with statewide tax dollars. Cannot toll it.
Sanibel bridge built by Lee County with bonds which allowed it to be tolled.
I started visiting my parents in 1985 where they stayed two blocks north of where Publix is now and it was always backed up to there in season. We live on San Carlos now but our son rents mid island now and it is regularly backed up still. The light at Buttonwood works when alternating
Agree with what others have said – this won’t do enough. It takes us 2.5-3 HOURS from the south end (near Wyndham) to get to Margaritaville. This is absolutely ridiculous. We need to do better. Utilizing both lanes on the bridge to those leaving the island would certainly help (alternating to those coming on). The oncoming traffic later in the day is nowhere near as busy as the traffic exiting the island. And because the traffic has become such a nightmare, now so many are exiting south to Bonita causing more traffic that way as well. This problem won’t be fixed or even marginally helped by the proposed plan.
All the comments have great suggestions. Let’s hope someone listens to them. Let’s hope that the 4 people directing traffic have some sort of radio communication. Last year u would see one person calling for people to keep going while the other 50 yards around the bend was stopping them to let 1 or 2 people cross the road.
Also if people would please stay up with the person in front of them, instead of 3 car lengths back, so that when the light does turn green u don’t have to race to get thru it and more cars behind u get to go thru too.
Mary, there was a volunteer deputy who was an older gentleman who would literally stop traffic to let (like you said) one or two people cross. It was ridiculous. He would get the traffic backed up for miles. Getting rid of him would be a big plus.Now we (the home owners) are paying tens of thousands to have traffic guards get the contractors, day trippers and gaulkers to stop looking around and MOVE!!
I am all for this plan. I do want to point out that we have been coming to the islands for the last 42 years. We have always stayed at Pointe South Condo’s, just south of Publix. Pre-Ian there were many times where the traffic to get to the square was backed up to us. This is not just a new phenomenon, but one that has been around for a long time. Again, I have nothing but sincere thanks for anyone trying to get the traffic moving!
It would be great if looky loos driving 10 to 15 mph under the speed limit where stopped and ticketed for impeding traffic. If there are 15 cars behind you…. you’re the problem
I agree! Do they not see in their mirror that they are holding up traffic??? Where is the Sheriff? Ticket them!!! They are a HUGE part of the problem. Looking for parking. Looking at hurricane damage. When you see that little head barely above the head rest, you know your patience will be tested. If they can’t drive the speed limit then she should not be driving.
I totally agree the light at buttonwood/San Carlos needs to go back to alternating!!
It sure does. Not sure what traffic genius thought both green was a good idea !
The flaggers must understand that for every car leaving the north island, there are fifty coming from the south. For that reason the flaggers on Crescent should allow fifty cars to exit the island from Estero Ave before letting five exit from the north.
As long as people can walk across the roads, this fix won’t work. Force people to use the walk-over and build more so that cars don’t have to stop.
Totally agree- we let pedestrians control the traffic flow!
Yes build more walk overs along the 7 mile stretch of the island space them out. Force the pedestrians to use them. Example the Vagas Strip pedestrians have to walk to the walk overs to get from one side of the strip to the other. You have to move the people like cattle make them wait so the traffic can flow.
I also agree with this. The overhead cross walk is so darn easy to use (I know from personal experience). Walking pedestrians should not be allowed to cross at street level. As another person mentioned, Vegas did this. Yes I realize we’re not Vegas (we don’t have multi traffic lanes), but from a safety perspective it will also help.
This will only work if the flaggers are instructed to move cars and let the pedestrians wait. the LCS officers often seemed to be doing the opposite. I liked one person’s suggestion to stop traffic coming on and use both lanes going off. Too bad the redesign didnt include a reversible flow second lane. the wait times are much worse leaving.
There is also a big problem with getting on the beach because the double lights (San Carlos and Buttonwood) are not operating the way they were designed. Since both lights are green at the same time the right line flies thru and butts in while the left lane stays still and backs way up. Such a simple fix of turning on the lights to alternating the way they were designed would fix the problem. A lot of frustration and road rage would be prevented. I have emailed Lee County DOT a month ago about this issue but no response. Now that spring break traffic is here with increased traffic it is getting much worse.
I hope you can get somebodies attention and get this fixed. Thks… Jerry Weaver
Unfortunately, the town has no authority off island, so that is going to be Lee County. Good luck with them.
We’ve lived mid island for 28 years. February and March traffic has backed up past Publix and as far as the Catholic Church every year except for the 2008 recession, Covid and Ian. I think two lanes on the bridge leaving the beach and guard rails on the sidewalks to prevent jay walking would help. In the past we had a traffic cop that would let pedestrians cross constantly and back up traffic. Thank goodness he’s gone.
Linda
The red light let people cross at that intersection not the deputy. The deputy was there to keep traffic flowing in both directions through the green lights.
Not true. Without a doubt the deputy stopped traffic by the minute, more often than the traffic light, to let people cross the road. He didn’t have them wait until there were more people accumulating to cross the road at the same time.
Lee, with all due respect, don’t even try to defend that one deputy. He was not keeping traffic moving, he was stopping traffic if even one pedestrian walked up. He was the volunteer deputy and made everything worse. I just have no idea why no one (Marciano, Allers, town council,etc) told him to pay attention because he made it 10X worse.