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LEE COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO)

The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the federally mandated agency responsible for coordinated, long-term transportation planning across Lee County, Florida. It was established in 1977 under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962 (and subsequent laws) to create a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (3-C) multimodal transportation planning process for urbanized areas with populations over 50,000. This is a requirement for receiving federal transportation funding.

The MPO serves as the county’s official transportation partnership, planning for all modes of travel (roads, bridges, transit, biking, walking, aviation, rail, and freight) while working closely with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), local governments, and the public. Its official website is leempo.com, and its offices are in Cape Coral.

Jurisdictions Covered

The MPO plans for the entire Lee County urbanized area, specifically including:

  • Cities of Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Sanibel
  • Town of Fort Myers Beach
  • Village of Estero
  • Unincorporated Lee County

This ensures seamless coordination across city and county boundaries rather than fragmented local planning.

Mission and Vision

  • Mission: Provide leadership and promote a comprehensive intermodal surface transportation system that supports regional mobility, encourages a positive investment climate, and fosters sustainable development sensitive to community and natural resources.
  • Vision: A multi-jurisdictional, integrated multi-modal transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods to, through, and within the area, enabling Lee County and surrounding regions to flourish in the global marketplace.

Public participation is a core requirement; the MPO actively seeks input from residents, including underserved groups, through meetings, surveys, workshops, and committees (e.g., Citizen Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinating Committee).

Organizational Structure and Board

The MPO Board has 18 voting members plus one non-voting member (FDOT District 1 Secretary or designee). It meets monthly (typically the Friday after the third Thursday at 9:00 a.m.) to set priorities and approve plans.

Board composition ensures direct representation:

  • All 5 Lee County Commissioners
  • 5 elected officials from the City of Cape Coral
  • 3 elected officials from the City of Fort Myers
  • 2 elected officials from the City of Bonita Springs
  • 1 elected official each from Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, and Estero

This structure guarantees that every major jurisdiction has a voice in decision-making.

Key Functions and Planning Documents

The MPO develops two primary plans and supports studies, safety initiatives, and public input processes:

  • Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP): A 20–25-year multimodal vision (updated every 5 years). The current plan is the 2050 LRTP, adopted by the MPO Board on December 12, 2025. It identifies needs for roads, buses (LeeTran), bike/pedestrian facilities, sidewalks, freight, and more, then creates a financially constrained “Cost-Affordable Plan” based on projected growth, population/employment forecasts, and community input.
  • Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): A 5-year prioritized list of funded projects (adopted annually, usually in June). It includes federal, state, and local dollars for roadway widening, bridges, transit, bike/pedestrian paths, greenways, aviation, rail, and maintenance. Projects must first appear in the LRTP to qualify for the TIP and receive funding. It tracks phases from planning through construction.

Additional work includes congestion management, safety action plans, transportation disadvantaged services, and coordination with neighboring MPOs (e.g., Charlotte and Collier counties) on regional projects.

How the Lee County MPO Benefits Lee County’s Various Jurisdictions

The MPO functions as a collaborative partnership rather than a top-down authority. It delivers concrete, shared advantages that individual cities or the county could not achieve alone:

  • Direct Representation and Local Voice — Each jurisdiction’s elected officials sit on the Board and help prioritize projects that matter most to their residents (e.g., Cape Coral’s 5 representatives ensure city-specific needs like sidewalks or trails are weighed alongside county-wide priorities).
  • Access to Federal and State Funding — Jurisdictions qualify for millions in federal and state transportation dollars only through the MPO process. The TIP programs these funds into actual projects; without MPO inclusion, many local improvements would not be eligible. This includes grants for roads, transit (LeeTran buses), Complete Streets, and multi-use trails.
  • Regional Coordination and Seamless Mobility — Planning prevents mismatched infrastructure across borders. Examples include roads and bridges connecting Cape Coral to Fort Myers, trails linking Estero and Bonita Springs, or I-75/US 41 improvements that serve commuters, tourists, and freight throughout the county. This reduces congestion, improves safety, and supports economic growth for all areas.
  • Cost-Effective Planning Expertise — The MPO provides professional staff, data analysis, studies, and public outreach so local governments do not duplicate efforts. This saves taxpayer money and ensures data-driven, fiscally realistic decisions (e.g., balancing growth projections with limited revenue).
  • Multi-Modal and Quality-of-Life Improvements — The LRTP and TIP emphasize bike/pedestrian facilities, transit, safety, and sustainable “Complete Streets” alongside traditional roads. This benefits residents in every jurisdiction—walkable downtowns in Bonita Springs or Fort Myers, expanded trails in Cape Coral or unincorporated areas, and reliable LeeTran service county-wide.
  • Economic Development and Sustainability — Better transportation supports tourism (Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach), business freight movement, and orderly growth while protecting natural resources. The MPO’s focus on performance measures (safety, mobility, reliability) helps the entire county remain competitive.
  • Inclusive Public Input and Transparency — Every jurisdiction’s residents can participate in LRTP/TIP development through surveys, workshops, and committees, ensuring projects reflect community needs rather than isolated city decisions.

In short, the Lee County MPO acts as the “glue” that turns individual local needs into a unified, funded, forward-looking transportation system. It maximizes limited dollars, ensures every jurisdiction has a seat at the table, and delivers safer, more efficient, and more sustainable mobility for residents and visitors across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, and unincorporated Lee County.

For the latest meetings, documents (including the full 2050 LRTP), or to get involved, visit leempo.com. Public comments and project suggestions are welcome year-round.

Lee County Long Range Transportation Plan

The 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the adopted 25-year multimodal vision for transportation needs in Lee County, Florida. The MPO Board unanimously approved it on December 12, 2025. It builds on the previous 2045 plan while addressing projected growth, funding realities, and community input.

Development and Structure

The plan has two main components:

  • Needs Plan: Identifies all anticipated transportation improvements (roads, bridges, transit, bike/pedestrian, freight, etc.) based on policy, future population/employment forecasts, technology changes, and public feedback. Projects are evaluated and prioritized using technical criteria aligned with national planning factors.
  • Cost-Affordable (Cost-Feasible) Plan: Scales the Needs Plan to match reasonably available revenues from federal, state, and local sources through 2050. Due to lower-than-expected state funding, the final plan is more constrained than earlier drafts, with some projects shifted to later decades or beyond 2050. It preserves core goals from the prior plan but focuses on fiscally realistic priorities.

Socioeconomic forecasts driving the plan (developed using the Interactive Growth Model) include:

  • Net population increase of ~355,000 residents by 2050 (with significant growth in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres).
  • ~115,000 additional employed persons.
  • ~154,000 new households.

These projections emphasize the need for balanced land use, commercial nodes near residences to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and infrastructure to support schools, tourism, and reduced congestion.

The LRTP covers all modes and includes dedicated elements for Bike/Pedestrian & Trails, Transit, and Freight. Full documents are available on the MPO website (leempo.com/plans/long-range-transportation-plan/), including the main 2050 LRTP, Adoption Summary Report, Socio-Economic Data Summary, and separate modal elements. Cost-feasible project tables and maps were part of the development process.

Key Roadway and Bridge Projects in the Cost-Feasible Plan

The plan prioritizes capacity improvements, reconstructions, new alignments/extensions, interchange/intersection upgrades, and bridge replacements. Many early projects (2024–2030) align with ongoing or near-term work, while later ones address longer-term growth. Here are selected examples from the cost-feasible list (with approximate time frames; some are already underway or programmed):

Notable Roadway Projects:

  • Corkscrew Rd segments: Widening from 2L to 4L in phases (some 2024–2025, others 2041–2050 or beyond).
  • I-75 improvements: Widening to 6 lanes (Golden Gate Pkwy to south of Corkscrew Rd, 2024–2025); managed lanes in segments north of Corkscrew to SR 80 (2041–2050).
  • Three Oaks Pkwy Ext: New 4L/6L–8L from Pony Ln to Daniels Pkwy (2024–2025).
  • Ortiz Ave segments: Widening from 2L to 4L (e.g., Colonial Blvd to SR 82 in 2024–2025; other segments 2041–2050).
  • SR 31: Widen 2L to 4L from SR 78 to Charlotte County line (2024–2025).
  • Cape Coral area: Andalusia Ext (new 4L, 2026–2030); Del Prado Blvd widening (2041–2050); Challenger Rd Ext (new 4L, 2026–2030).
  • Other widenings/extensions: Alico Rd Connector (new 4L/2L to 4L, 2031–2035); Kingston Blvd (new 4L, 2031–2035); Sunshine Blvd segments and extension (various phases 2036–2050); Burnt Store Rd (2L to 4L, 2036–2040); Williams Rd (2L to 4L, 2026–2030).
  • Intersection improvements: Metro Pkwy at Daniels Pkwy (2026–2030); US 41/Bonita Beach Rd (2041–2050); others later or beyond 2050.

Bridge Projects (replacements/reconstructions, critical for safety and evacuation):

  • Cape Coral Bridge replacement (2026–2030).
  • Big Carlos Bridge (2026–2030).
  • Orange River Bridge (2031–2035).
  • Alva Drawbridge and Hickory Bridges (2036–2040).
  • Multiple others (e.g., Buckingham Rd, Hancock Creek, Stringfellow) in 2041–2050.

Public input during adoption highlighted concerns about evacuation routes (e.g., deteriorating bridges) and accelerating projects like the Bayshore Corridor.

Transit Element

The cost-feasible transit plan focuses on enhancing LeeTran service through frequency improvements, new zones, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), express routes, microtransit, and ferries. Examples include:

  • Expanded Lehigh Acres and new Estero/Cape Coral/North Cape Coral/Shel Point microtransit zones (starting 2026–2048).
  • Frequency upgrades on routes like 140, 100, 590, 10, and 40 (various years 2030–2046).
  • Lee-Collier Commuter Express (2036).
  • US 41 BRT (2038) and Palm Beach Boulevard BRT (2040).
  • City to Beach Connector Ferry and Fort Myers Beach Islander Ferry (2036/2040).

These aim to improve reliability, coverage (especially in growing areas), and multimodal options while controlling operating costs.

Other Elements

  • Bike/Pedestrian & Trails: Emphasis on sidewalks, multi-use paths, and Complete Streets to improve safety, connectivity, and quality of life (specific projects detailed in the dedicated element).
  • Freight: Strategies to support efficient goods movement, coordinating with regional partners.
  • Performance measures track safety, mobility, reliability, and environmental/sustainability factors.

Benefits to Jurisdictions

The 2050 LRTP ensures coordinated investments that benefit all areas (Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, and unincorporated Lee County). It provides a data-driven, fiscally constrained roadmap that qualifies projects for federal/state funding via the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Early wins (e.g., certain widenings and bridge work in the late 2020s) address immediate congestion and safety, while longer-term projects support growth in high-demand areas like Cape Coral/Lehigh Acres. Regional coordination (e.g., with Collier County on I-75) prevents fragmented infrastructure.

Projects move from the LRTP into the 5-year TIP for implementation as funding aligns. The plan is adaptive—staff monitor grants and revenues to potentially accelerate items.

For the most current and complete details, including full project lists, maps, and modal elements, visit the Lee County MPO website: https://leempo.com/plans/long-range-transportation-plan/. You can also contact MPO staff for technical edits or updates post-adoption. Public participation remains ongoing for future TIP updates and the next LRTP cycle.