THE BONITA ESTERO RAIL TRAIL - TRANSFORMATION OF A REGION
THE PATH FORWARD
With the Bonita Estero Rail Trail Feasibility Study completed , the path forward to deliver BERT continues . The collective effort is focused on acquisition of the rail corridor , preliminary engineering ( PD & E study and design ), and construction of the trail .
Acquisition of the rail corridor is the pivotal next step . Though there are hundreds of miles of constructed rail trails in Florida , there are very few remaining unused rail corridors that can be acquired for the purpose of developing a new trail . BERT is one of those limited opportunities :
In February 2024 , the Trust of Public Land ( TPL ) and Seminole Gulf Railway agreed to terms for the 14.9-mile rail corridor to be acquired for the eventual construction of BERT . Under the agreement , the deadline to purchase the corridor is March 2026 .
TPL successfully negotiated two alternative acquisition options to purchase the rail corridor . The first ‘ whole corridor ’ option is for purchase of the entire 14.9-mile corridor for $ 82 million . The second ‘ phased ’ option provides for purchasing the corridor in two phases . Phase 1 would be $ 70.4 million for Wiggins Pass Road in Collier County north to Estero Parkway , approximately 11.4 miles . The remainder would be purchased in Phase 2 .
The option to purchase Phase 1 of the corridor from Wiggins Pass in Collier County to Estero Parkway for $ 70.4 million is being pursued .
In May 2024 , the Lee County MPO Board added BERT to the county ’ s list of FDOT priority projects to expand funding sources and opportunities .
TPL and the Friends of BERT are coordinating with local jurisdictions to identify and secure funding for purchase of the corridor from local , state , and federal sources . There is also work underway to secure funding from private sources .
Funding to construct the trail is likewise essential . A May 2024 estimate from the Lee County MPO to construct BERT ’ s Lee County portion ( a 13.4 mile section ) was $ 40.7 million for the trail and a needed pedestrian bridge at Corkscrew Road . Refined estimates will be developed for the entire corridor through the PD & E and Design phases , which are expected to follow acquisition of the rail corridor and set the stage for constructing and completing the trail . Funding is expected to be from a combination of federal , state , and local sources .
13