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A public safety survey distributed online by the Town of Fort Myers Beach found that those who live in and visit the town want more crosswalks and bike lanes.
The survey monkey poll of town residents, visitors, and anyone else who found it online, showed varying concerns for issues such as pedestrian safety, vehicle traffic, lighting and homelessness.
The majority of the survey’s respondents said they supported a new community policing program but were evenly split on the question of spending more in taxes to pay for it.
The unscientific polls, conducted anonymously, asked respondents to rate the importance of issues such as pedestrian safety, homeless persons, bike traffic lanes, street lighting and neighborhood safety.
According to the results of the survey, which were released at a Town of Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee meeting, found 75% of those responding felt there were too few crosswalks. Half found the visibility of the crosswalks to be average while 44% believed the visibility to be poor. More than three-quarters of respondents would like to flashing lights and improved paint marks identifying the crosswalks. A similar figure of those surveyed want more painted markings for bike lanes. Most of the potential improvements to the crosswalks and bike lanes would require the town to involve Lee County and the Florida Department of Transportation.
With all of the attention to lighting on Estero Boulevard and the town council’s search for new lighting options, the only section of town found by a majority of the survey respondents (54%) to have poor lighting was from the Beach Movie Theatre to Big Carlos Pass Bridge.
The survey answers found a lot of references to dissatisfaction with traffic and road projects.
The survey found 27% of respondents didn’t know that lights and audible devices are required on bikes between sunset and sunrise. Most knew that electric bikes are not allowed on town sidewalks though a large majority believe more signage is necessary to explain the rules. Goggin said there should be some clarification that the electric bikes can be ridden on sidewalks if the electric part of the bike isn’t being used or if they are being used by those with disabilities.
Town of Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee Chairman John Goggin said the town should require bike rental stores to provide all necessary equipment to go with bikes such as bells and lights.
“I think the town could take a more assertive role,” agreed committee member James Knickle.
Goggin said the demand for more bike lanes in certain areas of Estero Boulevard was compromised by a lack of right-of-way space in the area near the southern end of town. He said that many bicyclists don’t travel in the bike lanes out of safety worries.
Goggin said homelessness was the second-highest rated issue of importance for responders. Panhandling, public drunkenness and aggressive harassment were cited as issues with homeless people. Some respondents also felt more empathy should be given to the homeless with more direction to county resources. Goggin said the county has expended significant resources on providing services for the homeless. “I think what we need to do is bring all those parties together” that are dealing with the homeless situation. “Have them explain what they are doing, what they can do, what they can’t do.”
Goggin said “there is no easy answer to this.”
Several members of the committee, including Dawn Thomas and Susan Bahan, questioned whether too much help was being given to the homeless in town in the absence of other services.
“I don’t want to leave the county out of this,” Goggin said. “The county is making a big investment. This has been a big topic for the commissioners.”
More than 80% of respondents support turtle protective lighting, stating they found turtle protective lighting to be moderately important to having a great deal of importance.
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