Paying to get to the beach? FMB considering tolls

Paying your way to get onto Fort Myers Beach could soon become a reality.

Town leaders are discussing a pay-to-cross idea to get on the island.

Adding tolls to Fort Myers Beach isn’t a new idea.

The town council has been going back and forth on this for months.

The idea is that having tolls could stop heavy cut-through traffic.

Town council member Karen Woodson said she has had conversations with the town manager and commissioners about putting tolls on the Matanzas and Big Carlos Pass bridges.

“If we’re looking at impactful alternatives to our traffic and what we could do about it, I think this is one that we should really look at seriously,” Woodson said.

WINK News spoke with beachgoers who don’t agree with that.

“If anybody comes here, they know how the traffic backs up,” said Shelley Lillis, who lives 30 minutes away. “That’s not a quick way to get to where you’re going. I don’t see people using it for that reason.”

“I don’t think it’s a smart idea,” beachgoer Jessica Heleniak said.

The town council has yet to decide how much the toll would cost or explain why it wants to start charging people to get on the island.

It also remains unclear if people who live on the island would also have to pay the toll.

The town council will be meeting Wednesday to talk about the idea.