© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

River District trolley to return; Commissioners agree to CREW land purchase

WGCU
Published November 19, 2024 at 4:46 PM EST
Free seasonal LeeTran Downtown Trolley is slated to resume runs.
Lee County
/
WGCU
Free seasonal LeeTran Downtown Trolley is slated to resume runs.

The seasonal River District Trolley is set to return Thursday, Nov. 21, after the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to approve an agreement with the City of Fort Myers and the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency to offer the fare-free service.

Both the LeeTran Blue and Gold Line trolleys provide free access to and from the historic downtown Fort Myers River District. LeeTran trolleys allow for a fun and convenient way to enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment, without having to drive and park downtown. That also mitigates congestion and alleviates parking constraints.

The service cost of $733,119 is funded by the City of Fort Myers and CRA contributing $366,560, and a Florida Department of Transportation Transit Service Development grant contributing $366,559. This is the fifth year of the FDOT Transit Service Development multi-year grant agreement.

 

The Blue Line runs through downtown Fort Myers. The route loops from the Oasis Condominiums to West First Street and McGregor Boulevard along First Street, then to Rosa Parks Transportation Center, Fowler Street and Second Street. The Gold Line connects North Fort Myers to downtown Fort Myers.

The service will run Nov. 21 through April 23, 2025.

In other action, the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to acquire a 5-acre parcel in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed in southeast Lee County for the Conservation 20/20 program.

The land, located about a mile east of Bonita Grande Drive, is wooded and lacks roadway access. The land is in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW), owned by the South Florida Water Management District. The purchase price is $12,000 plus closing costs.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted on Feb. 20 to pursue the purchase and the Conservation Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee (CLASAC) recommended approval of this purchase by unanimous vote on Oct. 16.

There are currently 31,508 acres within the Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition Program.

Efforts to preserve land in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed began in 1989 and now include more than 60,000 acres in both Lee and Collier counties. The land provides natural flood protection, water purification and critical aquifer recharge. The watershed also serves as important habitat for animal species such as the endangered Florida panther, snail kite and wood stork.

In a related vote Tuesday, the board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to manage and maintain county-owned property within the CREW boundary, consistent with Florida Statute. This follows the original agreement with the Water Management District that began in 2009. The new agreement will be in place for a period of 20 years, with an option to renew.
Tags
Government & Politics WGCU NewsFort Myers River DistrictConservation 20/20
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Environment
    Introduction to White Ibises
    Dr. Jerry Jackson
    White Ibises are common birds of Florida wetlands that increase in numbers with arrival of migrants from more northern areas. While they normally feed in shallow water, they have also become birds of grassy areas such as our yards, parks, and highway and canal rights-of-way. Adults have white plumage with only the tips of outer primaries black -- a characteristic that reduces wear of those feathers. Sex of adults is often easy to distinguish when the birds are in a group. Males are larger with a longer, straighter (but still curved) bill.Females are smaller with a shorter, often more-curved bill. Young White Ibises always have white on their underparts, but recent fledglings can be almost all gray-brown. Over their first year the more-gray plumage is replaced by brown and then gradually changes to the white of an adult. Through much of the year the legs, bill, and face of a White Ibis is flesh-colored or pink, but as nesting approaches the bill, face, and legs become vibrant red. Both sexes have beautiful light blue eyes.
  • ArtFest Fort Myers takes over Edwards Drive from Heitman to Lee Street.
    Arts & Culture
    Four art festivals visit Southwest Florida February 6-8
    Tom Hall
    Four outdoor art festivals dot the Southwest Florida landscape this weekend: ArtFest Fort Myers, Bonita Springs National Art Festival, the Pine Island Art Association Annual Art Show and the 38th Annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts.
  • Jennifer Johnson and Sue Ryan co-chair the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women's Luncheon, Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon Thursday February 05, 2026
    Health
    'Go Red For Women' event helps put the focus on heart disease
    Jennifer Crawford
    National Wear Red Day 2026 was celebrated on Friday via the Go Red for Women Campaign shining a light on heart disease, the leading killer of women. The Southwest Florida Go Red for Women effort took center stage at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburon Thursday.