Polk residents get look at plan for 200-mile trail spanning 6 Florida counties

BARTOW, Fla. - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is planning a more than 200-mile pedestrian trail to span across 6 counties, including Polk.

The Collier to Polk Regional Trail is in the very early planning stages. Tuesday, leaders hosted an open house in Bartow, seeking feedback from the community.

"That would go from Marco Island all the way up to the Auburndale TECO trail that’s in Lakeland," said Kat Chinault, project manager for the FDOT Collier to Polk Master Plan. The trail would include Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Glades, Hendry, and Collier counties.

Courtesy: Florida Dept. of Transportation

"The goal is to connect up to future trails, towns, heritage, and historic sites, state parks," Chinault said.

FDOT leaders are in the master plan phase, but the project's PD&E studies are already fully funded through FDOT's SUN Trail Program.

FDOT is mapping the trail out county-by-county through different alternative routes. Some counties, like Collier, already have defined planning corridors. The Polk County region also has portions of defined planning corridors.

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"We need it in and around commercial (developments) and where people live so that they can utilize it. There’s some trails around here that are great and beautiful, but they're out in the middle of nowhere," Polk County Commissioner Rick Wilson said.

Bartow City Manager Mike Herr said he could picture the trail providing an economic boost to communities.

"I could see the bicycle shops opening up, I could see some opportunities for retail, opportunities for bed and breakfasts along the trail route," he explained.

To submit your feedback to FDOT, click here.

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