Lee County residents look to turn abandoned train tracks into bike path

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Train tracks that operate by means of south Lee County together with the Village of Estero and the City of Bonita Springs, haven’t witnessed a coach in extra than a 10 years, but citizens there are continue to shelling out the rail corporation.

Thats why taxpayers want to flip the railway into a “Rail Trail” – a bike route that would operate together the unused tracks. This way in its place of likely to practice tracks that do not have trains, tax pounds would go in the direction of anything people can use.

“Two distinctive counties, and it is not currently being employed when we could be biking it,” resident Vik Chhabra reported.

When Estero resident Vik Chhabra heard the information about a doable rail path by way of south Lee County, he was ecstatic.

“I even started a Fb site 4-5 many years back to rally the group about anything like this,” Chhabra reported.

He’s part of a rising group of south Lee County citizens arranging on attending a June 2nd meeting, proposing an unbroken pedestrian rail trail all the way from Pinellas County to North Naples.

“Taxpayers income should really be likely in direction of assignments like this,” Chhabra included.

The Seminole Gulf Railway said that the tracks by means of South Lee County are nevertheless purposeful, and they are operating with the Lee County Metropolitan Organizing Firm on the examine.

Though it would benefit the residents of south Lee County, numerous residents possible really do not know how a lot Bonita Springs and Etero fork out for the tracks.

“But it is alternatively pricey what we are charged for each crossing,” reported Katy Errington, the Mayor of the Village of Estero.

The City of Bonita Springs explained they compensated Seminole Gulf Railway $29,507.84 for yearly sign maintenance. Meanwhile, residents like Vik Chhabra are ready to see some returns.

“We need to have to set the cyclists apart from the motorists to be risk-free, to genuinely appreciate what this space has to provide,” Chhabra extra.