Lack of sidewalks in Fort Myers causes pedestrian safety concerns

In an area like Fort Myers that has a large amount of pedestrians walking around, enjoying the warm sunshine, a lack of sidewalks in the area is causing concerns.

Residents say the lack of sidewalks is very concerning to them, because it isn’t safe when out walking dogs or riding bikes.

“I’m insecure that cars are going to come by and not see me,” said Kari Francis, who lives in Fort Myers.

The city says they want the street appearance in Fort Myers to be pristine, but lots of areas have overgrown shrubs and a shortage of areas to walk along the road, making it unappealing and unsafe.

“I’ve seen sidewalks that are crumbling, I’ve seen areas where we don’t even have sidewalks, I’ve seen areas where the shrubbery was so overgrown it makes it almost impassable,” said Kevin Anderson.

But getting this issue fixed won’t be easy, and residents acknowledge that.

“It’s an expensive issue I understand that, so it’s not going to be something that’s going to be fixed overnight. It’s going to be a long term plan. We’re a very walkable area and having good sidewalks is part of that,” said Anderson.

The city will be discussing this issue Tuesday morning in their city council meeting.