The highlights for visitors based on the questions we hear are these…

Beach renourishmment for the north end of the Island, begun in May, wrapped up in December. There’s 300 feet of new sand from Bowditch Point to Crescent Beach Family Park.

Speaking of Crescent Beach Family Park, Lee County opened this new Gulf-front park with volleyball courts, tables, landscaping and lots of sand. The county also has been hard at work with Pier renovations, so stop by and visit our new park, pier and sand!

The Seafarer’s mall came down in June. Currently Lee County plans to pave it for a ground level parking lot. That debate continues.

All of the Island beach accesses now have recycling bins. Please use them! Let’s keep our beach clean!

You’ll notice a lot of signage changes on the Island. A sign ordinance was approved after 11 years in the making, so everywhere you look these days a sign is coming down or going up.

The Beach Library broke ground in April for their expansion and expects to have it completed this spring. Look for a Grand Opening this fall after renovations on the existing building are complete.

The Town has completed the north end of Estero Blvd, north of the skybridge. New road, bike lanes, sidewalks and landscaping. We can only wish the county will do as well with the rest of Estero when they get around to redoing it.

Speaking of roads and traffic, be careful out there!
That’s not just a tag line from an old Hill Street Blues episode, it’s a life saving imperative on our crowded island.

The popularity of our island as a winter destination leads to traffic congestion issues that can slow traffic to a crawl. Add in the fact that our visitors come from all over the U.S., Canada and other countries, and you’ve got a cornucopia of driving behaviors and patterns that do not always mesh well.

Our goals for everyone to survive the Estero Blvd gauntlet, whether you’re on foot, on a bike or behind the wheel. The fact is it’s crowded. Traffic is slow and a lot of people don’t know where they’re going or how to get there. If you’re in a hurry, you’re in the wrong place because none of us is getting anywhere fast during season. Put your windows down and enjoy the fresh breeze. If possible, walk, use a bike or the trolley. Our traffic issues will never be solved until a way is found to reduce the number of cars on Estero Blvd.

As our island grows more crowded, we all need to watch out for one another. Here are some Island safety tips…

We don’t have sidewalks that are separate from the road here in many spots. Pedestrians walk right next to traffic lanes. Some of these pedestrians are distracted and not quite aware of their surroundings. Please watch out for them.

We have crosswalks that are clearly marked. State law requires vehicles to yield to anyone IN A CROSSWALK. That means if you approach a crosswalk and see someone waiting to cross, YOU MUST STOP. Be aware that the driver in front of you may stop suddenly for a crosswalk. Pay attention.

Pedestrians will try to cross the road outside of crosswalks. Vehicles do not have to stop for waiting pedestrians not at a crosswalk, but many drivers do. It’s the Island way here, especially with a long line of traffic behind you. Running down pedestrians is illegal everywhere, so watch out for them, especially after sunset.

Bicycles have the same rights and responsibilities as cars. Vehicles must give cyclists 3 feet of space when passing them. Bikes can be ridden on sidewalks but must yield to pedestrians. When on the road, bikes should be ridden in the same direction as cars. Bike riders don’t always pay attention to those rules. Give them some space.

Lastly, we know this is not the norm everywhere, but when you’re in that painfully slow line of traffic inching northward toward the bridge and someone is waiting to pull onto Estero, you may notice that here on the island, we stop and let them in. We know we’re not going anywhere fast anyway, might as well be neighborly. Try a wave and a smile and you’ll be a true Islander.

We’re in paradise, let’s be careful out there!

Missy Layfield