Fort Myers’ First St and Palm Beach Blvd two-way conversion complete

A two-way conversion near the Fort Myers historic district is now complete. The project changed First Street, Palm Beach Boulevard, Seaboard, and Second streets.

Palm Beach Blvd has been a one-way street since the late 1980s, but city planners hope with time, this new traffic pattern will be easy and offer drivers flexibility, keeping them from cutting through nearby neighborhoods.

For now, it is important to keep yourself aware of the new two-way roads because some habits will fall into cruise control, leaving you on the wrong side of the yellow lines.

That is why police officers are driving the new two-way road between Palm Beach Blvd. and Seaboard St.

“It’s just so that they can see that there is presence and just when people see red and blue lights they pay attention a little bit more,” said Daniel Aguilera, a traffic homicide investigator with the Fort Myers Police Department.

One reason for changing the roads to a two-way is, so people pay more attention to local businesses.

“More eyes on the businesses on both sides of the road and double the amount of visibility because there is more traffic going in two directions. There is a school of thought that thinks that way,” said Public Works Director Richard Moulton.

Some people are of the school of thought that a two-way road is an easier way of getting around.

“I think this will be safer for newcomers who come into the city, to be honest,” said Lee County resident Cindy Taveras.

Tavernas has been the new girl in town before. The funky Fort Myers one-way streets had her going the wrong way.

“I got on the wrong side of the road, and I thought, ‘oh no, that’s not the way that you were supposed to be driving,'” said Taveras.

There’s certainly been more than a few people who felt it was hard to correct to driving the right way, but that’s why police are keeping a clear presence, so the right way is crystal clear.

“We hope that everything flows good and with the lower traffic speed limit we hope it causes less accidents and just makes it safer for pedestrians as well as drivers,” said Aguilera.

The speed limit on First Street was lowered from 35 down to 30.

Not too much of a difference, but it’s big enough to where police think it will significantly affect the safety of the road.