FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road

The first steps to start a project that could save lives start with you.

Here on WINK, we have brought you several stories about people on bikes or walking on Pine Island Road that have been hit and killed.

• RELATED: Pine Island Road crash leaves 7 people injured

Now, the Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.

We spoke to an environmental administrator with FDOT. She told us safety is always the number one goal for FDOT, and given everything that’s happened here, it’s definitely a number one goal for this community, too.

Whether you live on Pine Island or have only visited once, you know how tricky Pine Island Road can be.

• RELATED: Bumpy Road Ahead; Pine Island Road has a ton of concerns

“It’s getting very difficult with people, especially crossing, they want to see the stores. Obviously, I’m open, so they tend to cross without even looking sometimes,” said Onofrio Demattia, owner of Onofrio Oro Fine Jewelry Boutique.

This is a huge problem, considering this is the only route that takes you from Cape Coral to Matlacha to Pine Island.

However, that could soon change.

The Florida Department of Transportation is in the planning stage for a new pedestrian and bike lane.

“If there’s a designated area for them, cars will stay off of it, and people will be able to walk,” Onofrio Emattia, Onofrio Oro Fine Jewelry Boutique.

FDOT has a handful of options they’re looking at, and they each bring up questions.

“Before the storm, there were 1000s of people here at a time, and to have two different lanes, one on each side. I don’t know if there’s going to be enough room,” Demattia said.

According to FDOT, they’ll only use the existing right of way owned by the county. They’re relying on your help to choose a design.

“If this project moves from feasibility to construction, we could anticipate a possible start date in 2030. Now, if anything surprising comes up, maybe we do it faster,” said Abra Horne, environmental administrator for FDOT.

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