UPDATE 12-20-23:

Pine Island residents and business owners are invited to learn more about an Intersection Improvement Evaluation for Stringfellow and Pine Island roads from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.

The Lee County Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold the open-house style public information meeting in the cafeteria at Pine Island Elementary School, 5360 Ridgewood Drive, Bokeelia, FL 33922. No formal presentation is planned. Attendees can view materials, comment cards will be available, and Lee County staff and project representatives will be on hand to answer questions.

DOT has evaluated the intersection and will show information related to three scenarios: no change (keep existing intersection as is); roundabout; and traffic signal. The three options were evaluated for operations and costs as they relate to improving traffic flow and reducing delays.

Although potential alternatives will be shown and discussed at the meeting, no decisions have been made. In July 2022, DOT was requested to evaluate the intersection. This meeting is a step in the process of intersection improvement evaluation.

The Stringfellow and Pine Island roads intersection has traffic volumes in the range of 12,000 vehicles per day in peak season. Accident data for the five-year period from 2017 to 2021 shows 17 crashes occurred, with none of the crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists. All crashes were property damage only, with no recorded injuries.

People who cannot attend the meeting but would like to share comments can do so until Dec. 18 by visiting www.PineIslandStringfellowIntersection.com. Questions can be directed to DOT at (239) 533-8591 or JScholler@leegov.com.

(Editors Note:)
To anyone living on Pine Island for more than a few years will know that this subject has been raised every few years for the last thirty or more years.

The alternatives are; 1) leaving it alone, 2) adding stop signs at the "yield" turns,  3) creating a round-about which will require expansion of the existing property to facilitate, 4) install turn signals.

Our prediction, based on history, which is always a safe bet, is that the situation will remain status quo. The argument against has always been that any significant changes would forever destroy Pine Island's "quaint" atmosphere. You are the judge.

UPDATE 12-20-23:The Lee County DOT Release:

"More than 120 people attended DOT’s public meeting Dec. 7, at which islanders completed comment cards. Hundreds more participated via online comment cards.
More than 86 percent of respondents said they preferred to keep the existing intersection as is.
DOT will continue to monitor the intersection as needed. "