I’ve Lost Too Many Friends on Lee County Roads. That’s Why I’m Fighting for BERT.
by Steve Gunther, Bonita Estero Rail Trail – Treasurer
I never imagined I would one day have to count the friends killed while riding bicycles.
Yet here I am.
Too many people in our community have headed out for a ride and never made it home. While others survived, only to face life-altering injuries. Every time I hear about another deadly crash involving a cyclist or pedestrian, I think about what that truly means: a spouse lost a partner, a child lost a parent, and a friend lost someone they expected to see at the next group ride. These aren’t statistics to me. They’re people I knew.
Like many Florida residents, I ride because I love it. Cycling keeps me healthy, lets me enjoy the outdoors, and has introduced me to lifelong friends. But every ride begins with the same question: Which roads are the safest today?
That isn’t how it should be.
Lee County is one of Florida’s most dangerous places for people walking and biking. Our population has grown rapidly, yet our transportation system was built almost entirely for automobiles. Cyclists and pedestrians often travel beside vehicles moving 45 to 55 miles per hour.
I’ve had too many close calls with distracted drivers, vehicles passing within inches, and cars turning directly across my path. Every cyclist in Lee County has similar stories. Some of my friends never had the chance to tell theirs.
That’s why I became involved with the Friends of the Bonita Estero Rail Trail.
BERT has never been just about bicycles.
It’s about creating a safe place where families can walk together, children can ride without parents fearing every passing car, seniors can stay active, runners can train, and people of all ages can enjoy the outdoors safely. A protected trail cannot eliminate every risk, but it dramatically reduces the greatest one: separating vulnerable users from high-speed traffic.
I’ve ridden trails across the world and seen what they offer. They connect neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses, and destinations. They encourage healthier lifestyles, strengthen local economies, and create places where communities gather rather than simply driving through.
Most importantly, they save lives. BERT will save lives.
Every person who chooses a protected trail instead of a busy roadway is one less person exposed to unnecessary danger.
I don’t want to see another ghost bike or roadside memorial honoring someone who never made it home.
I don’t want another spouse receiving a phone call that changes their life forever.
I don’t want another Saturday morning ride ending with an ambulance instead of coffee.
I’ve seen enough heartbreak.
BERT gives us the opportunity to build something that will benefit generations. It’s an investment in public safety, quality of life, and the future of our community.
Whether you ride a bicycle or not, everyone benefits from safer transportation options.
This isn’t about choosing bicycles over cars. It’s about recognizing that one of Florida’s fastest-growing regions needs transportation choices that safely serve everyone.
I can’t change what happened to the friends we’ve lost.
But I can honor their memory by helping prevent another family from experiencing the same tragedy.
If BERT helps save even one life—if one parent, grandparent, child, or friend returns home safely because they were riding on a protected trail instead of a busy roadway—then every volunteer meeting, fundraising event, and hour spent advocating for this project will have been worthwhile.
That’s why I’m involved.
