Lee County speaks on challenges of getting sidewalks near Fort Myers Middle School

The quest for sidewalks near Fort Myers Middle School is proving to be more complicated than initially expected.

Last week, WINK News highlighted the dangers students face walking along busy roads to and from the school.

• READ MORE: Fort Myers parents question reallocation of funds for school sidewalk safety

Now, the county has provided insights into what they can and can’t do to help the students get to class safely.

Both the city and the county own the road in front of Fort Myers Middle School.

The city of Fort Myers has jurisdiction over the section of Moreno Avenue closest to Central Avenue, while Lee County owns the side near Broadway Avenue.

This shared ownership has contributed to delays in sidewalk construction, which was approved back in 2019 but remains incomplete.

Mary Wilson, a parent of a sixth grader at the school, has been vocal about the urgent need for sidewalks.

“If you are in a two-mile radius, the children do not get a bus, so therefore, they have to walk,” said Wilson.

She expressed concerns about the safety of her child walking in an area without sidewalks.

“You can see the difference within the middle schools compared to our middle school, Fort Myers Middle, that two-mile radius; I would be really in shock if you would let your kid walk in these in that area with no sidewalks,” said Wilson.

Wilson’s advocacy has reached the school’s administration, city officials and the Lee County School Board, including District 4 board member Debbie Jordan.

“We’ve been talking about this for a long time, a very long time, so it’s time to make it happen,” said Jordan.

Jordan, who has personal ties to the school, emphasized the dangers students face without sidewalks.

“You take children and put them on the road. You take bikes, babies and carriages, whatever. The only place they have to walk is in a ditch, and when I say a ditch, I mean it is a ditch, like a little culvert,” said Jordan.

When asked about when sidewalks might be installed, she responded with urgency.

“Yesterday, a year ago, two years ago,” said Jordan. “It’s in the county’s hands right now.”

According to the county, the Lee County portion of the project is currently on the list set by the Lee County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. However, there is no timeline for when the project will be completed.