Social media is buzzing about BERT.
BERT stands for Bonita Estero Rail Trail.
While the rail-to-trail project has been talked about for years, a critical decision will be made on Tuesday, with the final ballots cast in the primary election in Bonita Springs.
City voters are being asked to approve a property tax increase to help pay for the project. The proposed tax increase comes as a $35 million bond referendum.
To pass, the measure requires a simple majority vote, or more than 50% of the total votes cast in the election.
Ahead of the vote, social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Nextdoor, have become active hubs for debate and discussion on the ballot measure, with city residents — and outsiders — arguing for and against it. In posts, supporters have hailed the project as a great investment for future generations, while opponents have characterized it as a waste of taxpayer money.
From social media posts alone, it’s hard to determine the level of support.
On Nextdoor, city resident Julie Waldon expressed her support, writing: “BERT is a great investment to preserve this land for generations to enjoy!”
While some on the neighborhood platform have agreed, others have questioned the project cost and timing.
Resident Yvonne Parry urged a “NO” vote on any new or proposed projects until Bonita Springs “maintains and repairs existing infrastructure and amenities like the Beach Bathrooms and Showers.”
BERT extends beyond Bonita
The rail-to-trail project involves repurposing an unused Seminole Gulf rail corridor into a multi-use pathway for walking, running, biking and rolling.
The project sits in three jurisdictions and two counties. The purchase includes 180 acres of rail corridor that has been inactive for more than 15 years.
If the referendum succeeds in Bonita, it will allow the city to issue up to $35 million in general obligation bonds to not only purchase, but also begin developing its 5.8-mile stretch of the trail.
The city’s cost to acquire the land: $28.6 million.
The segment in Bonita Springs would link to smaller ones in Estero to the north and North Naples to the south, with the trail spanning 11.4 miles.
Advocates working hard for BERT
The nonprofit advocacy group Friends of Bonita Estero Rail Trail and the Trust for Public Land have lobbied for the referendum.
The Friends advocacy group has more than 4,000 members.
“We have worked hard at voter education and awareness. Now we need the voters to turn out,” said Deb Orton, the group’s president.
Separately, Vote4BERT2026, a political action committee, was formed to campaign for the referendum. As of Aug. 4, it had raised more than $120,000 for the effort.
Contributors to the campaign include the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit focused on land conservation and park development that has played an instrumental role in negotiating the purchase of the larger property for public benefit.
The political campaign has picked up steam in recent weeks, including a flurry of mailers sent to residents, urging them to “VOTE YES FOR BERT,” describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our quality of life in Bonita Springs for generations.”
If the referendum fails, the risk to BERT is “real”
In April, city council voted unanimously to approve the bond referendum on second reading at a public hearing.
The city estimated the bond issue would cost the average homeowner in Bonita an extra $57 in property taxes a year (or roughly $4.75 a month) over 30 years.
If the referendum fails, it could end the effort to purchase the land for public benefit.
“The risk is real: the corridor is for sale now,” Orton said. “Without the community’s commitment to secure Bonita’s segment, the opportunity to protect this land as a continuous public trail will be lost, leaving it either as a community liability or sold off and developed piece by piece. This is genuinely a now-or-never moment.”
The opposition to BERT has gotten louder
As the vote has drawn closer, the opposition to the referendum has accelerated its efforts, too, including letters to the editor submitted to The News-Press/Naples Daily News.
In his letter, Bonita Springs resident Alex Hawkins said: “While recreational trails can provide benefits, asking taxpayers to approve up to $35 million in debt for a single project raises serious concerns. Residents are already facing rising property taxes, insurance costs, and everyday living expenses. Adding decades of debt obligations for a trail project may place unnecessary financial strain on homeowners and future city budgets.”
He questioned whether the project really reflects the “community’s highest priorities.”
The Lee County Taxpayers Association has strongly opposed the referendum through a strategy that has included social media posts and press releases sent to local media. The association has described the land intended for purchase as “polluted dirt” and pointed out that the Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office valued it at less than $380,000.
David Jaye, the association’s president, has urged residents to vote against the referendum, saying taxpayers would get stuck with the bill for the land purchase, along with pollution cleanup, track removal, and construction costs for the trail, while the sellers would get to keep all of the income from billboards, utility rights and commercial leases.
“The railroad gets the meat — taxpayers get the bone,” he said.
A forensic audit provided by the association showed “the true long-term cost exceeds $169.5 million” for the city’s property owners, including clean-up and construction expenses for the trail.
“This is not a grassroots park project,” Jaye said. “It is a corporate bailout that dumps a multi-generational debt onto local families while the railroad keeps the profitable parts of the corridor.”
He’s repeatedly questioned the validity of the independent appraisals for the land, funded by the Trust for Public Land, which put the value for the entire stretch of BERT at about $75 million — which is more than the agreed-upon price for the public purchase.
City councilman uses social media to advocate for BERT
In a recent post on Substack, Bonita Councilman Chris Corrie addressed the many questions he’d heard about the referendum and described it as “one of the most significant public decisions” the city has faced in “many years.”
He emphasized the referendum was about “preserving an opportunity.”
“Bonita Springs has benefited because earlier generations had the foresight to preserve community assets like the Liles Hotel, the Shangri-La Hotel, the McSwain House, and the Wonder Gardens buildings,” he said. “Those decisions weren’t made just for the people living here at the time. They were made for those who would follow.”
He stressed that the referendum would not be the final decision on the city’s purchase of — or investment in — the land.
If the findings from environmental studies are unacceptable, or they cannot be satisfactorily resolved under the agreement, “the city is not obligated to complete the acquisition,” Corrie said.
BERT isn’t just about recreation
The thinking behind the trail isn’t just recreation and health, but safety. In Lee County alone, there were nine bicycle fatalities, 371 pedestrian crashes, 21 pedestrian fatalities and 334 bicycle crashes in 2024.
In an opinion piece for The News-Press, Scott Stryker, a Friends of BERT board member and governor-appointed member of The Florida Greenways and Trails Council, said: “This isn’t just about building a trail. It’s about building a future where going for a walk or a bike ride isn’t a risk. It’s about ensuring that no more families have to ask whether a loved one’s death could have been prevented.”
Now is the time to act, he said.
“Our sunsets are world-class, but our roads are among the most dangerous in the nation for anyone outside a vehicle,” Stryker said.
As part of her arguments for BERT, Orton has pointed out that it’s within a mile of 11 schools and could provide a safer route for thousands of students to get to and from those schools.
The trail would also bring 70,000 residents within a 10-minute bike ride or walk, according to an analysis by the Trust for Public Land.
On top of that, the trail is expected to have economic benefits.
“It gives us something additional than our beautiful beaches for visitors to come to. We know if we have this type of trail amenity, that tourists will come too,” Orton said.
Funding for BERT will come from other sources
Collier County and the village of Estero have found other ways to fund their sections of the trail without increasing property taxes.
For its part, the county has agreed to pay more than $11.6 million for its roughly 1.5-mile segment, mostly with money from its existing taxpayer-funded Conservation Collier land-buying program.
Meanwhile, Estero has pledged nearly $19.8 million for its 4.1-mile stretch, with plans to use money allocated to its Capital Improvement Plan, which is supported by its general fund, or primary operating account, which gets its revenue from a mix of sources.
If the Bonita referendum is approved, a closing on the land is expected in October. Once the land is acquired and becomes publicly owned, the focus would shift to planning and designing the trail.
Funding for project development could come from private donors and from the state and federal governments.
Friends of BERT would continue to be involved in the effort by raising additional money for design, construction and maintenance.
Laura Layden is a business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: ‘Now or never moment.’ Bonita voters to decide fate of new rail trail
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
