In light of the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis many folks are asking if any bridges in Southwest Florida are unsafe. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez spoke with the Florida Department of Transportation to find out.

Collier County recently declined to participate in a project to put toll lines on I-75. But for now Lee County is still interested in working with the Southwest Florida Expressway Authority. WGCU’s John Davis has more…

Lack of funding for expanding the number of lanes on I-75 in Southwest Florida means challenges for motorists in the coming years. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports.

The executive director of Southwest Florida International Airport will ask the Lee County Port Authority Wednesday to approve turning over to a private contractor the handling of outbound luggage. The move comes as customer complaints about baggage handling at RSW have mounted – but Director Bob Ball says that’s not a factor in the expected change WGCU’s Valerie Alker has more.

Lee Tran officials are offering everyone in Ft Myers a free ride Thursday in order to get more people to keep their cars at home. WGCU’s Luis Hernandez has this report.

Southwest Florida transportation officials say it appears the widening of U-S 41 in Bonita Springs is set to finish later this month...almost nine months behind schedule. The 18-million dollar project started in 2003. The mission: add an extra lane for three miles on a busy and congested road in South Lee County. Since then the contractor, Astaldi, has missed many interim deadlines to get the work completed on-time much to the chagrin of residents and businesses who have lost time and money since the 41 widening project began. Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Debbie Tower says the contractor believes the widening will really be completed by the end of the month.

“Florida DOT is not pleased with Astaldi’s overall performance on the project. In recent months, Astaldi has dedicated the resources and has made good progress on the project. However, the agreement was to see this job finished in April. That did not happen and we are disappointed with the schedule moving and slipping.”

The D-O-T fines Astaldi 61-hundred dollars every day. By the time the Italian-based company is finished, it will have to pay 800-thousand dollars in fines.

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The massively-delayed widening of U-S 41 in South Lee County is supposed to be finished by the end of the month. After almost a year of delays, state transportation officials are optimistic the project will be completed soon. Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Debbie Tower says the finish line is in sight. After three years of work to add an extra lane on a three-mile stretch of U-S 41 through Bonita Springs, the project’s end can’t come soon enough for business owners and residents. Tower says the project was supposed to be finished last January. Then it was April, then the summer and now by the end of September, hopefully.

“We certainly understand the community’s frustration with this project. In fact, we share it. We understand the community would like to see six-lanes open to traffic and would have liked to have seen that in January. Certainly April, the project should have been finished. We understand the frustration.”

The Italian contractor, Astaldi, has blamed rainy weather, cement shortages and unexpected environmental obstacles. The company now has to pay 61-hundred dollars every day to the state as a penalty. By the time the project finishes, Astaldi will have to fork over more than 800-thousand dollars in fines.

Southwest Florida International Airport officials added extra security in light of new terror threats targeting jetliners. All departing passengers had to dump beverages, shampoos and lotions. Lee County Port Authority spokeswoman Susan Sanders says travelers took the new measures in stride -- and security lines have been short all day.

“I thought they might be backed up because I’m sure that many of the passengers, especially those on the early flights, had a lot of things in their carry-on bags that are covered under this new security directive. So I figured it would take some additional time. But the lines have been moving really well.”

A decision by the Transportation Security Administration may end plans to resume commercial flights into the Marathon Airport in the Florida Keys. Marathon is about 50 miles northeast of Key West International.

The last commercial flight in and out of Florida Keys Marathon Airport was in 2000. For the past two years, business owners and residents have worked with Monroe County officials to attract airlines back to the terminal that had frequent commercial air service for years.

The Marathon-area raised 300,000 dollars and the county received more than two and half million in federal grants. The efforts were led by Keys Tourist Development Council member June Helbling, who lists the attributes of the Marathon airport.

"We certainly can justify more air service coming in to Monroe County. Key West is maxed out. We have a better facility. We have a longer airstrip. We’re smack dab in the middle. We can readily service both the lower keys and the upper keys.”

Helbling helped the community raise more than four million dollars for the effort and it worked. Continental Connection agreed to begin roundtrip service from Tampa and Fort Lauderdale in October. Delta Connection would begin service to Atlanta in November.
But the TSA now says it will not provide security screening, citing budgetary and other problems. Monroe County Airports Director Peter Horton says they’re disappointed and frustrated.

"That the federal government gave us the money for the air service grant, gave us the money that we needed to bring the terminal back to shape and the airport back to shape – prepare it for the TSA screening and now the TSA after working with us for 6 months is telling us that they’re not going to serve us.”

The TSA suggests both airlines could operate like charters, which follow certain rules and don't need TSA screeners. But Horton and the carriers reject that option. They instead hope the TSA will change its mind. A recent study revealed the commercial service would mean an economic impact of more than forty million dollars to the Florida Keys.

Sarasota’s been on the leading edge of conservation efforts in recent years. County commissioners have passed several resolutions mandating sustainability and preservation…and now they’re adding a hybrid bus to the county’s public transit fleet. The diesel-electric bus is the first of 30 that Sarasota County Area Transit plans to have on the road by next year. SCAT’s maintenance manager - Chad Engel - says it saves gas, emits less pollution…and is a downright smooth ride…


“It actually is much like riding in an automobile. Very quiet compared to a standard diesel bus. Very enjoyable – you don’t have to shout or yell if you’re sitting in the back if you’re riding with a friend or you meet somebody new on the bus. It’s a more pleasant atmosphere than a typical city bus.”

Engel says it’s all part of the county’s commitment to reduce fossil fuel use. Sarasota County Commissioners just passed what’s called the 2030 Challenge – a mandate to step down carbon emissions to ZERO over the next 24 years.

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Sarasota County Commissioners recently passed a resolution calling for the reduction in fossil fuel emissions. One of the first steps toward that goal got started Monday when the first of 30 hybrid buses hit the road as part of the county’s transit fleet. Sarasota County Area Transit maintenance manager Chad Engel calls the buses a win – win…


“The emissions are knocked down significantly…most by more than 90-percent, others by more than 50-percent. The overall diesel fuel consumption…you’re saving about 30-percent…the equivalent to about 7-thousand gallons a year.”

Engel says not only do the buses require less energy and emit less pollution, but they’re also so quiet you have to listen closely to tell if they’re running. The hybrid buses cost a half-million dollars each -- 200-thousand more than a standard diesel bus. They’re being purchased with federal grants.

The bill’s author says motorists who drive slowly in the fast lane cause road rage by forcing other drivers to tailgate and zip in and out of traffic. Governor Jeb Bush vetoed a similar measure last year saying the bill was just a license to speed. Backers have made changes to try to pacify the governor. Lee County Sheriff’s sergeant Larry King says law enforcement supports the bill.

“Road rage is a fact of life. It’s been ever since there’s been four wheels and probably all the way back to the horseless carriage, we probably had some form of road rage. It will not go away. But it’s certainly something we need to get a handle on and try to deter.”

King spoke on W-G-C-U’s Gulf Coast Live. First time violators would be fined 100-dollars. A second road rage conviction increases to 250 dollars. Opponents say the legislation punishes drivers who obey the speed limit