FDOT hearing for pedestrian safety on US 41

FORT MYERS, Fla. A dangerous place for pedestrians could soon become safer.

Measures to make a busy stretch of U.S. 41 easier for pedestrians to cross will be the topic of discussion Tuesday at a Florida Department of Transportation public hearing.

A proposal calls for the installation of safety crosswalks with overhead mounted pedestrian signals as well as median construction and resurfacing. The project would encompass U.S. 41 from Winkler Avenue northward to downtown Fort Myers, according to transportation officials.

A January report named the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area the most dangerous for pedestrians in the U.S.

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The public will get a chance to see renderings and get answers to questions from transportation staff. The DOT is soliciting questions ahead of time — call Project Manager David Jones at 863-519-2253 or email at David.Jones@dot.state.fl.us.

The hearing will begin at 5 p.m. with a formal presentation at 6 p.m. at the Araba Shrine Center at 2010 Hanson St.

Construction for the project would start in fall 2018.

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