Public meeting to be held Wednesday for Sanibel traffic suggestions

Getting to and staying on Sanibel Island is easy, but the congestion getting off the island is an ongoing problem and the city needs your help with a solution.

The intersection of Periwinkle Way and Causeway Boulevard is the choke point of traffic for people trying to leave Sanibel.

Unfortunately, there are no solutions as of yet.

The city plans to hold a public meeting to hear community input on the changes they would like to see to help alleviate the traffic congestion.

Sanibel Island has a lot of things to offer visitors and residents alike, such as dining, shopping, and a plethora of other things.

But getting off the island is where the trouble starts.

Daniel Billheimer, the owner of Lighthouse Cafe of Sanibel Island said, “The real issue seems to me, and always has been, that mid to late afternoon congestion coming off the island…An hour, an hour and a half of being backed up, it’s no fun for anybody.”

It can sometimes be a pain for commuters who live there or are visiting.

“Anyone who comes on to Sanibel during the peak of the season realizes that there is traffic that can get kind of bottled up in that Causeway Boulevard, Periwinkle Way intersection, and this has been going on for decades,” said Eric Jackson, the Public Information Officer for Sanibel.

Jackson also said that they are now working on a plan in hopes of alleviating some of the traffic woes.

“The council directed the City Manager to work with staff, and a consultant to come up with some possible solutions,” Jackson said. 

After conducting a few surveys and information from the city’s consultants, “They’re going to be sharing the numbers of vehicles that are at different intersections from Kasey Bell down to that Periwinkle Way Causeway Boulevard intersection, talk about some of the work that they’ve done in the past and other possibilities for what could be put in place,” Jackson explained.

However, nothing is set in stone just yet.

Jackson says one of the most important steps of this plan focuses on you, the community.

After speaking to a few people locally and out of town, they had quite a few suggestions.

“I would prefer if they’re going to make some changes to that, to not put a red light in, but possibly do a nice traffic circle. That seems to solve a lot of those congestions,” said one Sanibel resident.

Another Sanibel resident said, “I think maybe having an extra lane, like three lanes for a while just spreading out the traffic and then merging back into two lanes might work here and there along the causeway.”

With endless possibilities and suggestions, Jackson says the main goal is to come up with one solution that helps everyone. 

But most importantly, “It’s about making sure that whatever is decided and whatever the path forward is, that it ties in with the Sanibel plan and what this Sanibel community wants,” said Jackson.

The city plans to hold two public discussions Wednesday at City Hall. The first discussion will be from 11 a.m. to noon and the second from 6 to 7 p.m.