City decisions are driving the traffic issues on Cape Coral Parkway
To the editor:
As all full-time residents and snowbirds of Cape Coral know, traveling Cape Coral Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard during rush hour means having to deal with massive traffic congestion. Add an even minor traffic incident and the ripple affect extends the nightmare to Veterans Memorial Parkway, Cape Coral Bridge, and the Midpoint Bridge.
Consequently, the Cape Coral mayor’s and City Council’s short-sighted development of downtown Cape Coral defies all logic and concern for the people of Cape Coral.
Standing alone, The Cove, Bimini Square, or the Slipaway Food Truck Park and Marina might be good developments for downtown Cape Coral, provided the city and/or the developers made provisions to improve traffic flow.
The much-lauded Cape Coral Multimodal Transportation Plan does nothing to improve traffic except, perhaps, providing signage to parking areas.
Now, the city is going to add to the problems with the purchase of 19 acres for Bimini East, demolishing homes, etc. and removing roads, so a developer has a blank slate for more massive development. If the city is going to use taxpayer dollars, tax increment financing or other tax incentives, to encourage development, it should require the developer to improve traffic flow.
Actually, if the downtown is to be a final destination point, a thoroughfare or bypass should have been constructed so the Cape Coral Bridge and Del Prado Boulevard can be accessed without traversing the downtown area. Unfortunately, it’s probably too late for that.
For those getting to work, the airport, hospitals, surgery centers, doctors’ appointments, etc., it will become an even greater source of frustration, anxiety, and delay during rush hour or the occurrence of any traffic accident/incident. It seems patently obvious that the mayor and City Council are simply failing to plan and have no regard for their constituents.
Ken Husby
Cape Coral