Consultants propose roundabouts, phased streetscape for Midtown Fort Myers; council gives preliminary direction

Traffic consultants and city staff told the Fort Myers City Council during a retreat session that roundabouts would produce better long‑term traffic operations and lower crash costs than signalized intersections at a series of Midtown intersections, and staff asked the council to provide guidance on phasing the Midtown infrastructure work.

Why it matters: Midtown is a major redevelopment focus in the city’s CIP. The consultants’ traffic modeling projected 20‑year volumes and evaluated level‑of‑service and crash‑cost outcomes for alternatives. Staff said roundabouts scored well on operations and lifetime safety costs and showed conceptual roundabout layouts at Edison Avenue intersections (Grand, Broadway, Jackson and Central) and other Midtown junctions.

What staff and consultants presented: the traffic study modeled future (2045) annual average daily traffic on Midtown corridors and evaluated intersection alternatives (signalization, all‑way stop, and roundabouts). The consultant told council that roundabouts generally produced A‑ or B‑level performance even under projected future traffic, reduce severe‑injury crashes compared with signalized intersections, and avoid ongoing electrical and signal maintenance costs. The consultant also ran vehicle turning templates to confirm 40‑foot transit buses and the city’s longest fire apparatus could navigate the proposed roundabout geometries.

Phasing discussion and council feedback: staff proposed treating Edison Avenue as a priority corridor for full build‑out with a shared‑use path on the north side and sidewalks on both sides, then moving on to targeted blocks in central Midtown rather than attempting an end‑to‑end build at once. Council members raised right‑of‑way questions, asked about how on‑street parking and single‑family driveways would be handled, and urged coordination with CRA funding and stormwater plans. One councilmember asked whether interim changes could be used to provide pedestrian/bike facilities ahead of larger DOT/MPO projects.

Constraints and design issues noted by staff included: conflicting underground utilities (fiber, electric, water at differing depths) in Midtown that could complicate construction; tight cross sections on some blocks, especially between Fowler and Evans; and state or MPO funding timelines that staff said were likely several years out for larger reconfiguration projects. Staff indicated phase 1 Midtown infrastructure work is under design and that the city will return to council for direction on final phasing and right‑of‑way acquisition plans.

Taper: staff asked council for preliminary concurrence to prioritize Edison and then a second phase that would include Broadway and Jackson toward Grand Avenue; councilmembers signaled support for a phased approach and asked staff to continue coordination with the CRA and MPO on funding and timing.