by SC Feature Writer Reanna Haase
At the Sanibel Parks and Recreational Advisory Committee meeting on Oct. 15, Public Works Deputy Director Scott Krawczuk and Public Information Officer Eric Jackson updated members on city projects.
Shared-Use Paths– Krawczuk told the committee that phase two of the Hurricane Ian shared-use path repairs down the SanCap corridor is designed and will go to FDOT for review. The project will resurface remaining sections and widen paths from six to eight feet and eight to 10 feet where feasible. The city hopes to bid after the holidays and begin construction after Easter 2027.
A separate proposed path on the north side of Wildlife Drive would be eight feet wide from the “Ding” Darling exit to Wulfert Boulevard, widening to 10 feet toward Sanibel-Captiva Road where space allows. Its schedule depends on wetlands permitting; construction could begin in late summer or fall 2027.
The entire repair project has about $4 million in grant funding available.
Bike Safety – Jackson outlined Sanibel’s bike-safety education efforts Thursday. A 2019 city ordinance limited e-bikes on shared-use paths to Class 1. Since then, the city has used signage, ranger outreach, videos, and digital advertising to educate path users.
In early 2026, the city incorporated bike and crosswalk safety into its Slow Down Sanibel campaign for drivers. A separate digital bike-safety campaign ran from July through October. As of the report shared at the meeting, it has generated more than 256,000 impressions, reached more than 111,000 users and received 1,291 clicks through Meta and Google ads.
City Council is discussing a proposal to let residents and on-island employees register Class 2 and 3 e-bikes for use on the shared-use path. Jackson said the city would adapt its education materials if the rules change. The proposal would include reading and signing a path code of conduct. The proposal has not yet been adopted.
We spend 3 months on Sanibel in our condo each winter. I use the shared use path to walk 3-4miles almost every day..starting from Loggerhead Cay. I have never had any issues sharing the path until last winter. Twice I had electric bikes come from behind me unannounced- one rider yelled Move as he passed me , laughing with his friends. The 2nd time, a person behind me yelled watch out as the e bike flew by. The person that yelled to look out was on a regular bike and stopped to make sure I was OK since I had to jump into a shrub to avoid the e bike.
I have no solutions to suggest. I have no idea if the kids I came across on E bikes were vacationers or residents. I would expect locals to know the rules. A few sections of the shared path have a dividing line. Could the city line the entire pathway and add arrows assigning a direction for each side of the path?
We spend 3-4 months in our Sanibel condo every winter. I walk 3-4miles, 5 days a week on the shared paths. I have never had any issues until last winter. Twice I was “buzzed” by E bikers flying by me. 1 forced me off the path, had not yelled I am passing or anything so I had to jump out of the way of the 2 e bikers. The 2nd time, a kid on his E bike was stopped by his parents after forcing me off the path. The path is not wide enough for passing in some areas of the path and there is not enough signage reminding bikers and e-bikes to stay in their lane and to announce themselves when passing.
Last winter I came upon an elderly couple…they had been walking along the path when 2 kids on bikes flew between them unannounced. The woman was bloodied and holding her arm. I asked If I should call for assistance but they said the person who saw the accident happen was calling. The path should be fully marked with a line down the middle ( not just in sections where there is a curve) and arrows added to the path indicating the direction of “traffic” on each side.