Proposed bike path would run length of Fort Myers Beach

FORT MYERS, Fla. Getting to and from Fort Myers Beach may soon become much easier — for bicyclists, at least.

The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization is advancing a plan to build a bike trail that would connect with the Southwest Coastal Regional Trail, a path that’s ultimately designed to stretch from Collier to Hillsborough counties.

The Florida Greenways and Trails agency, which oversees the regional trail project, would have the final say on whether to approve the so-called Coastal Loop, which would be funded by money already set aside for the trail project.

The loop would take advantage of already existing paths and projects and fill in the gaps. A little less than half the loop is already existing, programmed or currently under construction, according to a presentation prepared by the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

It would ultimately run from Bonita Beach Road to Estero Boulevard and snake its way up San Carlos Boulevard and Summerlin and Gladiolus roads back to the regional trail on U.S. 41.

See the Metropolitan Planning Organization presentation below: