Florida voters approve $35m to turn 5.8 miles of railroad into trail

Voters in the coastal Florida city of Bonita Springs have approved a $35 million general obligation bond, clearing the way for the local government to buy a key 5.8-mile stretch of unused railway. The ballot decision unlocks the missing central section of the wider 11.4-mile Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT). The project will also help close an important gap in the planned Florida Gulf Coast Trail, a 400-mile network that is intended to run across Southwest Florida. The referendum was held during the 18 August primary election. It allows the city council to issue up to $35 million in general obligation bonds with a 30-year repayment period. According to public election filings, $28.6 million will be used to buy the 5.8-mile inactive railway corridor from the Fay family, owners of the Seminole Gulf Railway.