Sidewalks are coming to Southwest Florida — but will they be on your block?

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

McDaniel Drive in Suncoast Estates looks the same today as it did six years ago, except now, there is a memorial on the road for 14-year-old Allana Staiano.

"We use it as a kind of symbol to remind us that we need some changes out here. We need some safety improvements," said Staiano's mom, Christine Gray.

On Jan. 11, 2020, a hit-and-run driver hit and killed Staiano while she was walking with a friend.

"She used to talk about wanting to go to college, and not long before it happened, she was like, 'Well, what about God? Do you believe in God?' And, you know, she just had so much more she wanted to learn and do," Gray said. "And it is, it's, it's real hard, especially this time of the year, because I literally relive every minute of that day."

Courtney Gainey was caught days after the crash. She received a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to hitting Staiano. But now, she is seeking a new trial.

The death of Staiano fueled a fight to make Suncoast safer.

"We pushed for sidewalks and lighting. Now, they did come out here, and they started working on redoing some of the sidewalks that already exist. And then, nothing," Gray said.

She notices a need for change across Lee County.

"I see the same areas in Lehigh. I've seen some of the same areas in Cape Coral," Gray said.

The road where Staiano was killed is one of thousands that Lee County maintains, and there have been calls for safety improvements across the Gulf Coast.

"Sidewalks are great. It would be great to have sidewalks on every street. It's just not feasible. It's not cost-feasible," said Rob Price, director of the Lee County Department of Transportation.

Price said that, each year, they have $3 million to $5 million in the DOT budget for sidewalks, but the cost to build them has doubled.

"The cost of concrete has escalated a lot over the last five to 10 years, so the money doesn't stretch as far as it used to," Price said.

Lee County has its Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee. It prioritizes which projects happen first by using a scoring system that looks at multiple factors.

"Proximity to a school is one of those factors. Traffic volume is one of those factors. Has there been any accident-related data involving pedestrians or bicyclists? That's another factor that goes into how a project could score higher," Price said.

One project that is happening is adding sidewalks to Bell Boulevard in Lehigh Acres. Plus, county crews recently replaced the Richmond Avenue bridge in Lehigh that was destroyed more than eight years ago during Hurricane Irma.

"And now, we've really added back that Critical Connection that is close to some schools," Price said.

In Cape Coral, city crews have been working to get sidewalks within one mile of every school. But they have also moved to a scoring system similar to Lee County's.

"We know that they're needed all over, and we want to get them all over. However, we need to prioritize where they end up," said Bryan VandeWalker, transportation maintenance manager for the city of Cape Coral.

In both Cape Coral and unincorporated Lee County, local leaders say they fight for federal funding and state grants.

"Those are very competitive. There are limited amounts of projects that the state awards annually. We've been successful in getting probably five or six of these over the last 15 years or so," Price said.

Many roads in this area were originally created just to move cars.

"So, Cape Coral, when it was developed, was more centrally focused around canals and automobile travel 58 there wasn’t a big focus on pedestrian traffic and pedestrian safety," VandeWalker said.

The following is a list of upcoming sidewalk projects throughout Cape Coral. But the city notes this is not a complete list.

• Skyline Boulevard — South of Cape Coral Parkway
• Southwest 4th Street — Chiquita Boulevard to El Dorado Boulevard
• Embers Parkway — Old Burnt Store Road to Burnt Store Road
• Embers Parkway — Burnt Store Road to Chiquita Boulevard
• Embers/Nicholas Parkways — Chiquita Boulevard to Nelson Parkway
• El Dorado Boulevard — Embers Parkway to Tropicana Parkway
• Ceitus Parkway — Sirenia Vista Park to Burnt Store Road
• Southwest 22nd Terrace — Surfside Boulevard to Southwest 20th Avenue
• Orchid Boulevard — Southeast 46th Street to Southeast 44th Street

But now, projects are designed to include sidewalks from the start. Some of that now falls on developers.

"Where you have like a commercial center or a residential neighborhood, they are required to put sidewalks in on the main thoroughfares that they connect to," Price said.

Price said anyone who is concerned about getting sidewalks in their neighborhood in unincorporated Lee County should reach out to the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

But first, they say you should make sure you know if the county maintains your road. You can use the Resident Information Lookup on the county website's main page.

As for Suncoast, Price said there are projects moving their way through the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

The county said the entire stretch of McDaniel Drive, Tucker Lane, to Zoysia Lane is on the list to get sidewalks. A county spokesperson said it's the fifth-rated project in its impact fee district. They told Gulf Coast News that design work for sidewalks on McDaniel Drive could start sometime within the next five years.

Gray still feels the area is getting neglected and fears for others who have to get around on foot.

"It's astounding how many friends and family we've had to visit in the hospital because they've been hit by cars out here," Gray said. "I drive all over the county. It's not just us. It's any lower-income area. The more working class area becomes, the more neglect is seen," Gray said.

She said she will continue fighting for change like Staiano would have.

"She will be my inspiration for that till my dying day," Gray said.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.