FDOT told the Town of Fort Myers Beach they have no plans to switch to two lanes exiting the island on the Matanzas Pass Bridge during the busy traffic season.
Fort Myers Beach Town Councilman John King and Town Manager Will McKannay met with FDOT officials this week to piutch the idea and were shot down. According to King, FDOT does not want to spend money on lane changing stations and they fear it will cause additional fender benders “as people jockey to get ahead of someone else.”
Some town officials and residents believe changing the traffic pattern from 2 lanes on the island (in the mornings) to two lanes off the island (later in the day) would help with traffic flow during season. Others say once you hit the bridge on the way off there really is no traffic. Traffic was very bad last season because of the construction work at the base of the bridge and so many construction vehicles as the island continues to rebuild after Hurricane Ian.
2025-2026 will be the first season visitors experience the completed roundbout in front of
Margaritaville at the base of the bridge as well as the two lanes coming on to the island and the new traffic lights. How pedestrians cross the street in that entire area will have a lot to do with the success of the new setup. If drivers continue to allow pedestrians to cross everywhere while the traffic lights are green and traffic should be flowing noe of these improvements will matter.
One of the final pieces of this project is new landscaping at the base of the bridge that will be installed by the state and maintained by Margaritaville. FDOT officials believe that additional landscaping will deter people from crossing the road anywhere but the crosswalks.
“If drivers continue to allow pedestrians to cross everywhere while the traffic lights are green and traffic should be flowing noe of these improvements will matter.”
I count no less than 6 pedestrian crossings in the small area in this depiction. Florida law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and intersections likely making these improvements useless.