MEMORANDUM

TO: Local Planning Agency's Transportation Subcommittee

FROM: Bill Spikowski and Mohsen Salehi

DATE: July 10, 1997

SUBJECT: First Subcommittee Meeting on July 18, 1997

Please find attached an agenda and other backup material for the first meeting of the Local Planning Agency's transportation subcommittee, scheduled for July 18 at 10:00 A.M. at the Fort Myers Beach Town Hall, 2523 Estero Boulevard.

The LPA is currently preparing a comprehensive plan for the entire Town of Fort Myers Beach. This subcommittee has been established by the LPA to assist in preparing the transportation element of that plan.

The Town faces transportation challenges similar to other popular barrier island communities such as Sanibel that are largely built out. Opportunities are very limited to improve accessibility through the conventional means of widening existing roads and building new bridges. Even if cost were no object, such improvements may conflict with state and federal planning goals, and could even decrease mobility and safety at Fort Myers Beach by damaging the Town's enviable position as a pedestrian hub for all Lee County (especially as enhanced by the recent Times Square pedestrian improvements). At a minimum, though, the Town can certainly take an active role in offering multiple transportation options, shifting the emphasis from "auto mobility" (probably not achievable during the peak season) to realistic "people mobility" through a variety of interconnected modes of travel.

The first step in examining the available mobility options is to gather together the extensive transportation data that has been collected by many agencies over the past decade. The attached report is a compilation of the most important data that we have been able to obtain, organized as follows:

• HOW ROADS ARE CLASSIFIED BY THEIR FUNCTION
• ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS AT FORT MYERS BEACH
• BEACH TROLLEYS
• SCHOOL BUSES
• OTHER MEANS OF TRAVEL
• HOW RESIDENTS TRAVEL TO WORK
• SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS DUE TO TOURISM
• TRAFFIC COUNTS
• TRAFFIC CRASHES

Please review this report prior to our first meeting. This data will ultimately become the first chapter of the Fort Myers Beach comprehensive plan. We need to know how this information can be made easier to understand, and also if you are aware of additional data that should be included.

Prior to our second meeting we will be mailing out another report containing our preliminary analysis of specific local transportation problems, including evacuation, traffic conflicts, peak season congestion, parking shortages, and inadequacies in the pedestrian and bicycle network. We will then identify promising opportunities for improving mobility at Fort Myers Beach, and prepare goals, objectives, and policies for potential inclusion in the comprehensive plan.

We hope that this subcommittee will be an integral part of identifying the best mobility opportunities and laying the groundwork for their implementation. Thank you for agreeing to participate.

LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE

TOWN OF FORT MYERS BEACH

NationsBank -- Conference Room

2523 Estero Boulevard, Second Floor

Fort Myers Beach, Florida

July 18, 1997, 10:00 A.M.

AGENDA

1. Welcome by Chairman Linda Beasley

2. Introduction of subcommittee members and consultants

3. Presentation of aerial video of Fort Myers Beach

4. Presentation and discussion of Summary of Existing Data (copies distributed in advance)

Roadways/intersections/bridges/sidewalks

Means of travel

- Personal/rental cars

- Public transit/trolleys

- School buses

- Other (land vs. water; motorized vs. non-motorized)

Work trips and non-work trips

Seasonal traffic fluctuations

Traffic counts and crash data

5. Comments and input by subcommittee members and public

6. Set date for next meeting

7. Adjournment