Drivers fast, residents furious

Shawn Reber can list lots of reasons why he's had enough of motorists speeding though his Bonita Springs neighborhood.

Countless numbers of cars race by every morning as he walks on Goodwin Street. There are moments when just being near his mailbox seems unsafe. Then there are his cats. In the last year, four of Reber's cats have been killed by speeding cars on Goodwin Street, two in the last month.

"It's literally gotten to the point where it's absolute lawlessness," Reber said.

As the city grows, so do the number of people who face similar problems. In addition to increased traffic, the city's lack of arterial roads frequently results in motorists taking shortcuts through residential neighborhoods, often speeding along the way.

City and law enforcement officials say they're aware of the problem but that finding a solution is not easy.

Lee County Sheriff's Cpl. Eric Nalewaik, part of the Bonita Springs Community Policing unit, said his unit spends a few days a month concentrating on road patrols in residential neighborhoods.

Roads such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, Goodwin, Ragsdale and Matheson are the most frequent targets, spurred by resident complaints.

Photo by MICHEL FORTIER, Daily News

Slow down. That's the message Shawn Reber and other residents have for motorists speeding down Goodwin Street in Bonita Springs. Reber has lost four cats to speeding cars this year, two in the last two weeks. City and county officials have yet to address the problem, despite a windfall of complaints, residents say.

During the patrols, deputies will issue a handful of citations and give even more warnings. The patrols help, but the impact is often only temporary as people race to avoid traffic and get to and from work during the morning and afternoon commutes.

Chase Walter and David Armstrong are all too familiar with the limited effect of police patrols. For years, the two men have lived across from each other near the intersection of Matheson Avenue and Orangewood Drive. And for years they've seen cars speed through, blow by stop signs, hit trees, hit parked cars — just about everything short of killing someone, Walter said.

"They blow by everything — everything as fast as they can," Walker said.

Reber said he, too, feels like motorists are often flying past him at speeds up to 50 mph, adding that he'd like to see even minimal enforcement.

Increased patrols are not the only options for some of these problem areas. In areas with persistent problems, the Lee County Department of Transportation can get involved.

Neighborhoods can request everything from speed limit signs — a solution most agree does little — to speed bumps and even closing the road to through traffic.

Lee County Traffic Engineer Steve Jansen leaves the decision to residents — they must agree by a three-quarters majority — on which action is best.

In the past, the county transportation department has closed off roads on Pine Island and laid speed bumps on St. Clair Avenue and Tolles Drive in the North Fort Myers area.

Speed bumps do have a psychological effect, Nalewaik said. Proof of that lies on Kent Road, near the YMCA in Bonita Springs.

Residents of the private road have painted a sign warning motorists of speed humps ahead. In reality, there are no speed humps, but residents have painted a solid white line across the road.

Out of habit, people brake as they pass, Nalewaik said.

The various traffic-slowing options do offer some answers, but often they are not successful in the way people hoped they would be, Jansen said.

Speed bumps and extra stop signs eventually wear on residents' patience. The only permanent solution is to make sure major roads are running smoothly so motorists don't feel the need to take shortcuts through side streets, Jansen said.

Bonita Springs has not yet had to take any traffic-slowing actions on its streets such as installing speed humps, said City Manager Gary Price, though he noted he has received numerous speeding-related complaints from residents on Matheson and Pennsylvania avenues.

Price said people who complain do not always comprehend how fast a car is going. A car that passes at 30 or 35 mph can seem a lot faster when you're standing still, he said.

"When you actually clock them, you find that they are not actually speeding," Price said.

Price said the speeding problem should alleviate somewhat when major road projects around the city are completed, reducing or eliminating the need for people to cut through residential areas.

Until then, people like Reber are left hoping the speeding problem doesn't translate into tragedy.

"With the way they drive, you know, it can get scary," Reber said.