A proposed 70-mile multi-use path that would link Immokalee, Golden Gate and Naples, among other communities, received support a week ago from Collier County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.
If built, the Paradise Coast Trail, that has been produced by the Naples Pathways Coalition, would get to be the longest constant path system in Collier County. Although an answer giving support to the path passed the MPO having a vote of 7-1, some representatives state they need the path to connect more communities.
Erik Brechnitz, Marco Island’s MPO agent, cast the dissenting vote that is sole. Brechnitz stated he welcomes the addition of walking, operating and biking tracks within the county but things to your proposition excluding Marco Island.
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“Marco Island is just a population that is significant which is maybe maybe maybe not the main concept. This is certainly my objection and that’s just just just exactly what the social folks of Marco Island would object to,” Brechnitz stated.
Michelle Avola, the director that is executive of Pathways Coalition, said past plans for the Paradise Coast Trail included connections to Marco Island and Everglades City. The communities had been omitted of revised plans due to economic and ecological issues highlighted by county officials.
Past studies associated with the area Marco that is surrounding Island restricting the expansion of paved areas as a result of ecological issues, stated MPO Executive Director Anne McLaughlin. Nevertheless, McLaughlin stated the MPO is available to reviewing the specific situation.
Avola stated the concerns that are environmental the expansion to Marco Island have actually the possible to somewhat improve the price of the task’s feasibility research.
“once you have actually ecological problems, that eventually ends up enhancing the price of your feasibility research exponentially . ,” Avola stated. “ just what we would like to see in Collier County is a path system that links everybody else. We do not have the ability to accomplish that ourselves.”
The Naples Pathways Coalition happens to be increasing a calculated $250,000 to $500,000 to invest in the path’s feasibility research. The analysis will assess information on properties and roadways surrounding the proposed path area, build relationships community people, and explore alternate channels before issuing a report that is final. The task will even go through a ecological research before design and construction begins.
A map showing the proposed course associated with the Paradise Coast Corridor, a bicycle path task supported by the Naples Pathways Coalition. (Picture: Naples Pathways Coalition)
Naples Pathways Coalition hopes the path will give you a myriad of advantageous assets to Collier County, including fun and the opportunity for employees to commute via bike.
Avola additionally stated the combined team aims to utilize the path to attract tourists.
“With water quality dilemmas we can’t just continue to hope that … people are still going to want to come to our beaches and spend their money here,” Avola said that we saw and all the bad press that our beaches were getting last year. “We need certainly to show up with another means to attract tourism bucks.”
Al Musico, a Marco Island resident and person in Collier County’s bike and pedestrian advisory committee, stated general general general public officials need certainly to account fully for the extra traffic this new path will bring towards the roadways that link Marco Island to Naples.
Presently, Marco cyclists count on bicycle lanes and neck areas along Collier Boulevard and San Marco path traveling from the island. The Paradise Coast Trail will draw cyclists from Marco Island to Naples, producing congestion and prospective security issues, Musico stated.
“At the termination of the afternoon, i believe the true take-away is the fact that utilization of the Paradise Coast Trail can change the total amount of cyclist task that individuals can anticipate (on Collier Boulevard and San Marco path),” he said.
Mark Dillon, the elected president of biking team Naples Velo, stated areas around Naples shortage lanes and pavements for bikes and pedestrians alike.
“When Naples ended up being built … there clearly was no idea provided to pathways that are providing cyclists or pedestrians, for instance,” Dillon said.
The MPO’s help for Paradise Coast Trail makes Dillon “cautiously positive” that the county is just starting to begin to see the requirement for multi-use tracks, he stated.
“As i am aware it, it is definately not being fully a done deal, but i am motivated because there exists a recognition so it’s needed,” Dillon stated in regards to the path.
Although Avola stated it is difficult to calculate if the task will soon be finished through to the feasibility research concludes, the team hopes it’s not going to simply simply simply take so long as past projects that are local. Avola pointed to your Gordon River Greenway, which took about 25 years to perform.
“We usually do not wish this to just simply simply take 25 years. We have been planning to be riding with this much sooner than that,” Avola said.