Bonita Springs Voters Approve $35 Million Rail Trail. What Happens Next?

With 68% of the vote, Bonita Springs residents cleared the way to convert a historic rail corridor into a multiuse trail. Here's what comes next.

This is one of the biggest local votes of the year for Bonita Springs, and it just cleared decisively.

Bonita Springs voters approved a referendum authorizing the city to issue up to $35 million in general obligation bonds to fund the Bonita-Estero Rail Trail, according to WINK News. The measure passed with 68% in favor in Tuesday's primary election, though turnout was modest at 21%.

The bond funding will go toward acquiring and converting the former Seminole Gulf Railway corridor, which runs through Bonita Springs and into Estero, into a public trail for walking, running, and cycling. Independent appraisals had valued the rail corridor at roughly $75 million ahead of the vote, according to Gulfshore Business.

With the referendum passed, the next steps reported by WINK News include a full inspection of the rail property, followed by the closing process to formally acquire the corridor. From there, the city will need to plan the conversion work itself, which typically involves removing rail infrastructure, grading, paving, and adding trail amenities, though specific timelines for that phase haven't yet been reported.

For homeowners near the corridor, a project like this can be a meaningful long-term amenity. We'll track the timeline as more details emerge from the city.

Sourced from WINK News and Gulfshore Business. Every factual claim above links to its original source, click through to verify before sharing.