No safety in numbers
To the editor:
This week a person riding his bike on a Fort Myers 25 mph street was killed.
Sadly, this death proves that the Cape Coral’s “Local Road Speed Study,” the Cape Coral Police and Steve Neff are correct – 25 mph speed limits do not keep people safe.
I found research that found 25 mph limits make residents assume streets are safer than they actually are and they found that “Slow Children at Play” signs created a false sense of security. Cape Council needs to save the $100,000 and put it into sidewalks!
That first stretch of sidewalk needs to start at the “Historic Gateway” to Cape Coral on Hancock Bridge Parkway, on the north side of Hancock from 24 Avenue to just before Del Prado. The Cape Coral Hancock Bridge Parkway entrance has signs that read “Neighborhood Community Watch Area,” “Cape Coral conserves water reclaimed water used for irrigation do not drink,” “Welcome to Cape Coral Help us keep it clean litter fine $100, ord. 3-07,” “23 years Tree City USA Arbor Day Foundation.” There is a larger sign with two small dying palms and some bushes. The sign reads: “Welcome to Cape Coral. You’ll like the Attitude in Paradise.”
If you were to pull over and walk and read all the signs coming into Cape Coral you would think “nice place” but if you actually look around you would, sadly, see that the “Attitude” of the entrance street into Cape Coral is one of not caring.
The speed limit is 45 mph but there is no sidewalk. There is a bus stop with a bench and litter all around it. There is litter all along the street. There is a nice Lee County Park but there is no sidewalk to get to the park. The children on the north side of Hancock Bridge Parkway do not qualify for bus service to Caloosa School because it is under 2 miles yet it is not safe to walk because there is no crosswalk or sidewalk to Del Prado.
Bad Attitude Cape Coral! This “historic” entrance road into Cape Coral needs to convey “Welcome to Paradise.”
Spend that $100,000 on safety and beautification.
Karen Koehn
Cape Coral