Traffic congestion is one of the major complaints about living in or near the fast-growing Village of Estero in south Lee County.
But if you think it's bad now, just wait until you hear predictions for the future.
A study by Johnson Engineering forecasts that stretches of several major roads in Estero will fail in the next ten years. The company presented findings at a workshop of the Estero Village Council.
Failure, an 'F' grade, means: motorists almost always will face slow traffic, sometimes no better than stop and go. They also likely will have to wait through more than one light cycle to make turns.
The worst? The Johnson study found that Williams Road between Via Coconut and Three Oaks Parkway will top that dubious list. Over the next couple of years, the village is opening a new sports and entertainment complex along that stretch of Williams.
The study concluded that other roads, such as Ben Hill Griffin, Corkscrew, Tamiami Trail and Three Oaks Parkway, will have more vehicles than they can handle in the next 10 years, unless they're widened, or other solutions found.
Estero resident Scott Stryker urged the council to think beyond just building more and wider roads.
"We need to create safe infrastructure for the people on the bikes, on e-bikes (electric bikes), on scooters, on e-scooters, on motorized wheelchairs, on golf carts," Stryker said. "Let's stop doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Someone called that insanity."
Because they met in a workshop, council members could not propose specific plans or take votes.
At least two council members said the village will have to work closely with Lee County and the state transportation department, to find the money, and make plans, to deal with a steady increase in traffic.
Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
