As 2024 draws to a close, recent actions by the Village of Estero Council and the City of Bonita Springs Council promise to keep the proposed Bonita Estero Rail Trail project on track as it seeks funding, according to Friends of BERT President Deborah Orton.

The project would convert a 14.9-mile segment of the unused Seminole Gulf Railway rail corridor stretching from Alico Road to Collier County into a hiking and biking trail, connecting to the John Yarborough trail to the north and the Paradise Coast Trail to the south. When complete, according to the Friends of BERT website, the trail would become part of the planned 42-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail and ultimately part of the more than 400-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail from Collier County to Tampa.

Deborah Orton

Proponents of the trail see it as a way to provide pedestrians and cyclists with a safe alternative to the region’s increasingly congested roadways.

On Dec. 18, the Estero and Bonita Springs councils passed resolutions affirming support for moving the project forward, after having previously each pledged $5 million toward the project, which faces a March 2026 deadline to raise the $82 million needed to acquire the land necessary for the trail.

The $10 million from Estero and Bonita Springs represents the total raised to date toward that goal, Orton confirmed.

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land negotiated the purchase and sale agreement with Seminole Gulf Railway in February 2024, with funding expected to come from local, state and federal levels, along with TPL and organizations including Friends of Bert raising funds philanthropically.

Orton, who was a co-founder of Friends of BERT in September 2022 and has served as president since then, calls it “a transformative project for Southwest Florida” and said the recent affirmation of support from the Estero and Bonita Springs municipalities is significant in how they will be perceived at both the state and federal levels as the organization seeks grants and other funding. Presentations also will be made soon to Lee and Collier counties seeking support and funding.

She said the fact that Estero and Bonita Springs have made the project a “top legislative priority” in their resolutions for the upcoming Florida legislative session will be helpful as her group and others meet with state leaders and seek funding from the Florida Department of Transportation’s state-funded SUN (Shared-use Non-motorized) Trails program.

“We have been so fortunate to have such a supportive state delegation,” Orton said. “Every one of them has voiced their support, led by Senator [Kathleen] Passidomo, Senator Jonathan Martin and Representative Adam Botana. We will be in front of them on Jan. 9, asking for their support during the legislative session.”

Orton said the organization also will apply for a federal RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant, which is due in January.

The project’s challenges won’t end with the acquisition of the land, Orton acknowledged, as another $2 million would be necessary after the purchase from Seminole Gulf Railway to fund an FDOT PD&E (Project Development and Environment) Study and another $35 million for the actual construction of the trail.

Orton said Friends of Bert continues to grow, with 3,600 members and 27 HOAs representing 24,000 homes in Lee and Collier counties that have endorsed the trail. She also noted that there are 11 schools along the proposed trail “that would really like to be able to have safe routes to school.”

She said Friends of BERT will be working in 2025 “to keep in front of people how unsafe our roads are for cyclists and pedestrians, and that this offers a great way for people to stay safe.”