Surviving Gridlock

"I have mastered the art of eating, talking on my cell phone and driving with my knee all at the same time. I never try that full-speed on I-75-but how often are you going full-speed on I-75?"

-Tina Matte,

Gravina, Smith & Matte Marketing and Public Relations, Fort Myers

"I find it's not as frustrating to be caught up in traffic and delays when I'm making productive use of the time. I talk on my car phone-hands-free for safety's sake-with donors, elected officials, trustees, foundation directors and my staff. In between calls, I [listen] to WGCU."

-William Merwin,

president, Florida Gulf Coast University

"[In-season], we leave our facility a minimum of two hours earlier than we would normally for clients in north Naples, off Immokalee Road and in Bonita. [In the off-season], it goes back to being lovely."

-Anne Matthews,

co-owner, Naples-based catering company Matthews & Gardner

"You can tell it's in-season in Cape Coral because everyone is clean-shaven and their makeup is perfect. I try to eat or drink a yogurt and get work done on the cell phone on the way to the office. I haven't been mayor for very long, so I have a feeling I'll be doing more and more dictation as well."

-Cape Coral Mayor

Eric Feichthaler

"I've made some really good CDs for my car-Norah Jones, homemade R&B medleys-so when I get in gridlock and I'm ready to lean on the horn, it relaxes me. I say, 'OK, this is my quiet time, and I try to breathe.' But it is frustrating because oftentimes my traffic situations make me late for an appointment. Maybe we should consider helicopters."

-Karen Van Arsdale,

realtor, Premier Properties, Naples

Danger Zones - The Gulfshore's riskiest intersections

Lee County

(2004 rankings, based on crash rate, number of crashes and traffic volume, starting with the worst intersection)

1. U.S. 41 and Cypress Lake Drive/

Daniels Parkway

2. U.S. 41 and Gladiolus Drive

3. Veterans Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard South

4. U.S. 41 and College Parkway/Woodland Boulevard

5. U.S. 41 and Alico Road

6. Ortiz Avenue/Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Colonial

Boulevard

7. Summerlin Road and College Parkway

8. Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard;

Corkscrew Road and I-75 Exit 123 Northbound (tie)

9. U.S. 41 and Boy Scout Drive

10. McGregor Boulevard and College Parkway

Source: Lee County Department of Transportation

Collier County

(2003 rankings, the latest available at press time, based on total crashes)

1. Airport-Pulling and Pine Ridge roads

2. Airport-Pulling Road and Davis Boulevard

3. Airport-Pulling Road and Golden Gate Parkway

4. Golden Gate Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard

5. Pine Ridge Road and Goodlette Road

6. Golden Gate Parkway and Goodlette Road

7. Collier and Davis boulevards

8. Pine Ridge and Whipperwill roads

9. Pine Ridge Road and Logan Boulevard

10. U.S. 41 and Immokalee Road; Pine Ridge Road and I-75 (tie)

Source: Collier County Department of Transportation

Traffic by the Numbers

Number of traffic fatalities in Collier County in 2004: 58

Number of traffic fatalities in Lee County in 2004: 115

Number of traffic fatalities in Collier County as of March 20, 2005: 14

Number of traffic fatalities in Lee County as of March 20,

2005: 36

Number of traffic fatalities in the city of Naples in 2004: 0

Number of traffic fatalities in the city of Fort Myers in

2004: 8

Percentage daily traffic increased

from January to March 2004 on

U.S. 41 from the Lee County line

south to Davis Road: 13

Percentage daily traffic increased

January to March 2004 on 111th

Avenue between U.S. 41 and Gulfshore Drive in

Naples Park: 40

Fort Myers-Cape Coral's ranking in Self magazine's

2004 "200 Healthiest Places for Women to Live,"

dropping from 27th the previous year because of a

record number of motor vehicle deaths: 87

Number of traffic citations written in the city of

Naples last year: 9,196

Daily vehicle count on I-75 south of Daniels to the

Collier County line in 1982, the year it opened:

14,204

Last year's daily vehicle count on I-75 south of Daniels to

the Collier County line: 84,000

Projected daily vehicle count on I-75 south of Daniels

to the Collier County line by 2010: 100,000

Sources: Collier County Department of Transportation, Lee County Department of Transportation, Naples Police and Emergency Services, Self magazine.

Breaking Bottlenecks - An update on important road projects

U.S. 41 in south Lee and north Collier: Six-laning from the northern intersection of Old U.S. 41 and U.S. 41 to Corkscrew Road is complete. Six-laning from the southern intersection of Old 41 and U.S. 41 to Bonita Beach Road will be finished by January 2006 (the two bridges involved will be complete by April 2006). Six-laning from Bonita Beach Road to Old 41 in Collier County will be finished this summer.

U.S. 41 from Daniels Parkway to the San Carlos Park area: Metro Parkway extension project, starting this fall, will extend Metro from Six Mile Cypress Parkway southward to the Alico Road/U.S. 41 area to provide an alternate to U.S. 41. Construction is expected to take two years. Additional improvements also are planned north of Six Mile Cypress.

I-75 Alico Road interchange: Reconstruction of the interchange is starting this summer and should take about two and a half years. It will improve traffic flow in preparation for the six-laning of I-75, which begins in 2008.

I-75 Golden Gate Parkway interchange: A new interchange is under construction; it will provide more direct access between Naples and the interstate and is slated for completion in the summer of 2007.

Golden Gate Parkway overpass at Airport Road: Construction on this long-controversial overpass began in September 2004. The six-lane road is expected to be finished by the end of 2006.

Immokalee Road from Collier Boulevard to 43rd Avenue N.E.: The two-lane roadway is being widened to six lanes from Collier Boulevard to Oil Well Road and to four lanes from that point to 43rd Avenue N.E. Completion is expected in the spring of 2008.

Immokalee Road from U.S. 41 to I-75: Widening from four to six lanes started this spring, with completion expected around the end of 2007.

Immokalee Road from I-75 to Collier Boulevard: Expansion from four to six lanes could begin this fall. Construction is expected to take about two years.

Vanderbilt Beach Road from Airport Road to Collier Boulevard: Widening project from two to six lanes-involving installation of about 28 miles of underground utilities, including water, sewer and reclaimed water lines-will continue until the end of 2007.

North-south alternative to I-75 and U.S. 41: Several projects in Collier and Lee counties will combine to provide a route from Radio Road in Collier to Alico Road in Lee. An extension of Livingston Road south to Radio Road and north to Bonita Beach Road was recently completed. The road eventually will be extended north along Imperial Street and Three Oaks Parkway toward Alico Road. The section from Bonita Beach Road to Terry Street in Bonita Springs is under design.

Estero Boulevard and McGregor Boulevard south of Colonial Boulevard: Both identified as "constrained roads" in Lee County, where little can be done to relieve traffic. Neither can be widened because adjacent property isn't accessible. Under discussion: a dedicated lane for the Fort Myers Beach trolley, but the road probably isn't wide enough to accommodate it.

Colonial Boulevard at Summerlin Road: The opening of Midpoint Memorial Bridge and the growth of Cape Coral have compounded problems here. The situation is still under study, with options including a possible flyover.