City of Cape Coral contemplates safety improvements for pedestrians

Seventy-seven accidents.

In 2018 alone, Cape Coral Police Dept. Officers were called to Cape Coral Pkwy for a pedestrian involved accident 77 times!

Dustin Campbell, a biker, said he knows how dangerous the busy roadway can be.

“I just try to weave in and out and try to slide through it as fast as I can,” Campbell said, “so I don’t get run over.”

A redevelopment plan for the South Cape said without enough crosswalks close together, many choose to cross in the middle of the road.

For close to three decades, Ralph Sangiovanni has owned a shop off the parkway.

“We need an area to where it is more pedestrian friendly,” Sangiovanni said.

Making busy Cape Coral roads safer for pedestrians

The more than 100-page plan outlining how to make the roadway safer pedestrians notes several recommendations.

Sidewalks are narrow and crosswalks are longer than necessary. Therefore, it suggests to make street parking smaller and even taking away dedicated right-turn lanes on the parkway, in turn, freeing up more room to walk.

Cape Pkwy’s primary issue, the report said, is it is a place designed for cars and not people.