Division over new trail project in Bonita Springs

For most, it is full steam ahead for plans to turn abandoned railroads into a place for hiking and biking, but some say this plan is taking something special from them.

Nearly 15 miles of rails will soon be pulled up and used for a walking and biking trail called BERT or Bonita Estero Rail Trail.

Turning something old into a path for people, pedestrians and bikers is the vision of BERT. Deb Orton is the president.

“For Southwest Florida to not have trails like this is a crime, really, because of where we live in– paradise– we should be able to get to that safely,” Orton said.

Orton said the 14.9-mile trail connects Alico Road all the way down to North Collier County and would keep bikers safely away from traffic.

She called the purchase from the Seminole Gulf Coast Railway, which will cost $82 million, a milestone after four years of negotiations with the rail line and conversations with the community.

“We have 3200 people that are friends of BERT. We have 21 HOAs along the trail that have endorsed it, so that represents 18,000 homes,” Orton said.

One of those HOAs in opposition to the plans is the Vines in Estero.

“Many communities are in favor of the bike trail, and of course, none of those communities have the bike trail bisecting their community or even coming up to their back door. It’s quite a bit different here,” said Bruce Ackerman, The Vines in Estero neighbor.

Ackerman said a bike trail should not come before the people. The path completely cuts through the gated, 24-hour security neighborhood.

Ackerman said they’re all in favor of more recreation for all ages but not with the current plans.

“We offered the MPO engineers an alternative route that wouldn’t go this way at all, that would go around our community, and their answer was we don’t have time to study that. That was the answer,” Ackerman said.

For those here and others up in San Carlos, where the trail would be just 40 feet from their back door, it’s a safety thing, but it’s also a disruption thing.