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East Corkscrew Road became a busy corridor because of the fast-housing growth and road expansion, but the downside to this has been that there is more traffic and unsafe conditions for the people walking and biking.

East Corkscrew used to be a quiet, two-lane road with little traffic. But over time new housing developments were approved, and more people kept moving into the area. To handle the growth, parts of the road were widened and connected to other larger roads. These decisions turned East Corkscrew into a main route for daily travel. However, the road design did not always keep up with the increase in other things like people and traffic, and today the road is mainly designed for cars, which creates problems for people who want to walk or bike.

There are two main safety problems:

First, missing and incomplete sidewalks. In some areas sidewalks suddenly end or are not even, which forces people to walk on the side of the road, too close to the traffic. Crossing the road is also difficult because there are not enough crosswalks.

Second, there is no safe space for bikes. There are limited or no protected bike lanes, and cyclists must share the road with cars going at higher speeds. This can be dangerous, especially during busy traffic times.

Safety is the biggest concern. Without sidewalks and bike lanes the risks of accidents increase, which affects families, students, and anyone who travels without a car. The quality of life is also affected because when the roads are not safe for walking or biking, people are less likely to go outside or travel short distances without driving. Adding to that, there are also environmental impacts. More driving means more traffic and pollution, especially near natural areas like the Corkscrew watershed.

As the community has recognized these issues and concerns certain citizens have felt they have researched and examined possibilities for a better and safer way to commute for these pedestrians. A possibility is adding bridges over extremely busy roads only for bikers and walkers to provide their own way of traveling to and from without interfering with the drivers of busy roads. The major concern for this project is that it is extremely expensive to create a whole bridge, as well as the time it takes; however, it can allow the estimate for other bridges to be referenced after the success or failure of this one. Another possibility is adding lights or sensors for when walkers or bikers must cross intersections. Drivers are more alert to the lights going off when a walker or biker crosses the path. This is a simple project that will require some money as well as time for the installation but is more practical overall and can still have an impact on the commuters.

Over the next few years, the community will be progressing with creating more safe routes and options for those who choose or must bike and walk to their destinations. The safety of the citizens is extremely important to the community which creates urgency when needing to solve this issue.

 References

Engage Estero (2024, August 6). Pedestrian and Bike Safety in Greater Estero. EsteroToday.com by Engage Estero. https://esterotoday.com/pedestrian-and-bike-safety-in-greater-estero/

Engage Estero (2025, July 17). Road concerns in Greater Estero. EsteroToday.com by Engage Estero. https://esterotoday.com/road-concerns-in-greater-estero/