Collier County Eyes $5M in Sidewalk Upgrades, Some Projects Nearly a Decade in the Making

After years of planning and community requests, Collier County commissioners are poised to approve nearly $5 million in sidewalk improvements across multiple neighborhoods — including projects that were first identified seven years ago. The move reflects growing attention to pedestrian safety, connectivity, and neighborhood walkability in areas that have seen rapid residential growth but lagging infrastructure.

A key focus of the planned upgrades is Linwood Avenue in East Naples, where sidewalks are currently nonexistent. That stretch, located near a neighborhood and an elementary school, has been on Collier County’s radar since 2018 due to concerns about walkers and students navigating roadside shoulders with no designated pedestrian space. The lack of sidewalks has long been seen as a safety gap in an area where vehicle speeds and neighborhood foot traffic intersect.

Under the new plan, the county would build six-foot sidewalks on both sides of Linwood Avenue from Linwood Way to Airport Pulling Road. Funding for these and other segments comes through the Florida Department of Transportation’s Local Agency Program, which partners with local governments to improve safety and mobility.

The nearly $5 million in planned improvements is not limited to East Naples. Commissioners are also set to move forward with sidewalk segments in other parts of the county, including:

Together, these projects aim to create better walking routes for students, local residents, and people accessing community services — especially in neighborhoods that previously had limited or no pedestrian infrastructure.

Some segments of this sidewalk plan have been in county planning documents for years. The long timeline — particularly for Linwood Avenue — underscores how infrastructure improvements can take time to move from identification to funding and construction. County officials have pointed to the multi-step process required for grant applications, design work, and coordination with state partners as factors that extend project timelines beyond initial expectations.

The nearly seven-year gap between the first identification of some projects and their expected approval highlights both the complexity of coordinating transportation grants and the challenges counties face in balancing priorities with limited capital budgets.

For residents of East Naples and other Collier neighborhoods, the sidewalk upgrades represent more than new concrete paths. They promise safer routes for children walking to school, better access to community destinations, and infrastructure that keeps pace with growth. As neighborhoods continue to expand, investments in pedestrian facilities are increasingly seen as essential to long-term mobility and quality of life.

Final approval from the Collier County Commission is expected soon, setting the stage for construction phases that will bring long-awaited sidewalk connections to life.