FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is leading a $6.5 million project to install pedestrian hybrid beacons along State Road 80, providing Fort Myers and Tice residents who rely on walking for transportation with safer options for crossing one of the area's busiest roads.
The Florida DOT project will place six pedestrian hybrid beacons along Palm Beach Boulevard from Veronica S. Shoemaker Boulevard to Kingston Drive, with installations planned west of Pine Street, west of Fairview Avenue, east of Prospect Avenue, east of Waverly Avenue, east of Carolina Avenue, and west of Kingston Drive.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
An FDOT representative told me construction officially began October 3, 2025, with an estimated completion date of fall 2026, weather permitting.
For Fort Myers area pedestrians like Fernando Rivera, who relies on walking as his only means of transportation, the news comes as welcome relief from dangerous crossing conditions along the corridor that runs through the Fort Myers and Tice neighborhoods.
"I don't see the crosswalk. I need the crosswalk," Rivera said. "They make it more sure for people cross."
Rivera described the current crossing experience as frightening due to vehicle speeds.
"Sometimes scary for me because the car, they goes so fast, you know... when I don't see cars, I cross the street," he said.
The installation of the beacons would be life-changing for Rivera.
"t's better, you know, I make it amazing," he said when told about the planned safety improvements.
David Scarpelli, communications specialist with the Florida Department of Transportation, explained the project's importance for the Fort Myers and Tice communities.
"This project is going to, you know, it's focusing on improving pedestrian safety along State Road 80 or Palm Beach Boulevard," Scarpelli said. "Florida Department of Transportation is proposing to install, you know, pedestrian hybrid beacons at the locations to provide safer, more visible crossings for pedestrians along this busy corridor."
According to Federal Highway Administration data, pedestrian hybrid beacons have demonstrated significant safety benefits, including a 55% reduction in pedestrian crashes, 29% reduction in total crashes, and 15% reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes.
READ THE PROJECT DETAILS:
The beacons work by remaining dark during normal traffic flow, then cycling through a sequence when activated by pedestrians. After a pedestrian presses the button, drivers see flashing yellow (prepare to stop), steady yellow (stop if safe), steady red (stop and remain stopped), and alternating flashing red (stop, then proceed when clear).
"You go up, hit the button, it would tell the vehicles to stop and allow that person to cross safely at those locations," Scarpelli said.
The Florida DOT project involves nighttime construction to reduce daytime traffic disruptions for Fort Myers and Tice area commuters, with intermittent overnight lane closures expected throughout the construction period.
"During the construction, when it's when it's happening, you know, drivers can expect periodic lane closures and traffic pattern shifts," Scarpelli said. "You know, we always work to minimize those disruptions as much as possible."
The decision to move forward with the improvements was "guided by that data and the safety studies that were done," Scarpelli said, noting that the beacons "are intended to reduce those incidents, and it supports the F dots goal, you know, of achieving safer transportation, you know, for pedestrians along with, you know, drivers."
Once operational, pedestrians in the Fort Myers and Tice areas will need to follow these steps: press the button and wait for the walk signal, look both ways before entering the crosswalk, continue watching for turning vehicles while crossing, and avoid starting to cross during flashing or solid "don't walk" signals.
It is similar to the one you have seen in Cleveland next to Centennial High School.
The Florida DOT project encompasses more than just beacon installation, including milling and resurfacing the roadway, updating signage and pavement markings, improving lighting, and enhancing intersections along the corridor.
Scarpelli advised drivers to "be prepared and look for the signs of having to make changes, either slow down or stop or, you know, avoid the workers" during the construction period.
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