Fort Myers plans to convert one-way streets downtown to two-way streets

Reporter: Justin Kase Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
One-way street sign in downtown Fort Myers. Fort Myers City Council has approved a plan to convert all one-way streets to two-way streets by November 2020. Credit: WINK News.

Major changes are coming to downtown Fort Myers, as one-way streets will be converted to two-way streets.

Fort Myers City Council said it wants the project done by November 2020.

For the first phase of the project, no taxpayer dollars will be used.

People we spoke to said they are thankful the project is taking shape.

“It confuses people. I know the streets around here, so I’m used to it,” said Conner Hawk in Fort Myers. “But I know a lot of people get confused around that area.”

The project is expected to get underway after the season here ends. City council said that should eliminate some of the headache drivers could face.

“I personally hate one-way streets,” said Frantz Casimir in Fort Myers. “But I do know that they’re necessary because of, you know, the capacity.”

Business owners said the changes could also mean more business. One business manager said the one-way streets for First Street, Second Street and Seaboard Street have made it harder for customers to walk through their doors.

“We get so many times people just say they pass by, but they don’t stop because they realized it too late,” said Danielle Compean, the manager at House of Ride Nature. “So they have to do a full U-turn. And a lot of times it’ll take, honestly, even months for them to come in.”

The first phase of the project will begin with re-striping the roads. Next, workers will install traffic signals at multiple intersections. Some said this should reduce the crashes they see on these one-way streets.

“I mean, I’ve only lived here for a year now,” Compean said. “And I’ve seen three accidents from people going the wrong way on the one-way.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.