FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — If you’ve visited Fort Myers Beach recently, you’ve probably noticed the long lines of cars backed up for miles, now the town is trying something new to improve it.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, shows you the town's traffic improvements:
To people who have experienced barrier island life before, traffic has become a norm. One visitor said, “I grew up here; my grandma had a condo. It’s always been a thing since I can remember.”
People trying to get off the island sometimes end up waiting for hours. “At least an hour,” another visitor mentioned. “Bumper to bumper all the way.”
Starting this week, the town hired a new company, called AWP Safety, to help man the intersections.
The cost to the town is approximately sixty-five dollars an hour. However, when we arrived at the intersection of Crescent and Estero Blvd—where LCSO is contracted to direct traffic—there wasn’t a controller.
The town manager said it was due to a lack of access to the traffic light control box, but the Operations and Compliance Manager of Fort Myers Beach, Thomas Yozzo, noted that people crossing at this intersection is the main issue.
“It’s pedestrian traffic that’s causing issues, because they’re coming from Margaritaville or trying to go to the Margaritaville pool and they’re not paying attention—they’re just walking,” he explained.
The town says the other part of the traffic problem is the ongoing project to redesign the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge.
We asked FDOT when the northbound lane of Estero Blvd is expected to reopen, and they confirmed it will be this spring.
A Florida State Trooper has also been stationed at the base of the bridge to prevent people from making illegal U-turns that hold up traffic.
The town plans to install cameras throughout intersections to monitor traffic flow, which will also be available for public viewing. Despite the extra time in the car, people still came out to enjoy the beach.
“Even if we’re sitting in traffic, it’s great weather out here—it’s worth it,” said one visitor. Another chimed in, “It’s worth the wait!”
