Public officials, educators, parents and advocates hit the pavement this Thursday morning in North Fort Myers to make sure the neighborhood around Tice Elementary is a safe place to walk and bike.
The group also includes nearby residents. They all took part in what is called a “walking audit,” which tasked them with assessing the area’s walkability.
Marshall Long, a teacher at Tice Elementary who helps out with security there, was part of the audit. At one point he directed everyone’s attention to a group of middle school students.
“As you can see any student that is coming down this street to get to school they have to cross the street here – no crossing guard,” he noted. “This is a very busy street and cars to do not do the speed limit here.”
Long’s observation was pretty common in the neighborhood, which is what the audit was meant to highlight. Billy Hattaway, a District Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation, said in Tice walkability is particularly important.
“About 50 percent of the students walk to this school,” he said. “That’s much, much higher than the other schools and because you have more activity that creates more exposure in terms of a safety perspective.”
Hattaway said more sidewalks and better lighting would make walking in Tice safer. But he also says changing driver behavior is crucial.
“On Palm Beach Blvd on the intersection with Tice Blvd. the drivers don’t always behave there,” he said. “There are a lot of drivers that are not yielding even when the cross guards are on the road.”
Hattaway said the information collected during the audit will be directed to state and local agencies and law enforcement. Lee County’s walking audit was funded by a federal project aimed at making communities more livable.
