News

By Mary Thurwachter

    A town-commissioned traffic study to see if a four-way stop sign was warranted at the intersection of South Atlantic Drive and Lands End Road on Lantana’s Hypoluxo Island failed to yield the results many islanders sought.
    The traffic study, conducted in July by Calvin, Giordano & Associates, concluded “the intersection did not meet the minimum volume or crash frequency threshold required by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for the installation of a multiway stop.”
    Residents have been seeking a solution to speeding traffic on the island, known for its rustic, Old Florida appeal.
    As the study recommended, the town will add two speed limit signs on South Atlantic Drive before it intersects with Southeast Atlantic Drive.  
    A “no left turn” sign will also be installed at the intersection of South Atlantic Drive and Southeast Atlantic Drive.
    Some islanders who appeared at the Town Council’s Aug. 8 meeting didn’t like when the study took place.
    “The timing of the $8,500 traffic study was poor,” said Lyn Tate, treasurer of the Hypoluxo Island Property Owners Association and traffic calming committee chairperson. “It would have been better in November or March,” when more residents were on the island.
    Town Manager Deborah Manzo said that if the study were done during those times, “counts would go up but percentages would be similar.”
    In May, Lantana police conducted a weeklong traffic slowdown program on the island. Citations and warnings were issued to drivers who broke the speed limit.
That program was deemed successful, town officials reported, and will be repeated several times during the year.