Workshop members in Boca Raton take a walking tour of U.S. 1, also known as Federal Highway.
Workshops are set this month for Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
As it stretches 42 miles from Camino Real in Boca Raton to Indiantown Road in Jupiter, U.S. 1 crosses through 14 municipalities.
In some places along the stretch, you’ll find bike paths and sidewalks, in other places you’ll see sidewalks on only one side.
You might also find intersections that need better lighting or improved traffic signals.
Now, the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization is working on a study that will create a blueprint for coordinated improvements along the east Palm Beach County corridor.
“We’re creating a unified vision, but one that is feasible,” says Valerie Neilson, principal planner and multimodality manager for the organization’s U.S. 1 Multimodal Corridor Study. “We’re trying to create a plan that connects all of the communities.”
The study, which began in February, is scheduled to wrap up by next spring and will include recommendations on what improvements can be made along the corridor. Once that is completed, the design phase can begin, setting the stage for implementation of the recommendations.
Since U.S. 1 is a state road and falls under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation, the MPO planners will be working closely with FDOT on the project to coordinate all efforts.
While there will be a focus on bike paths and sidewalks and the “complete streets” concept, which addresses needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, the MPO study goes much further and looks at several areas of improvement.
There’s a public transit element to the study, where teams will be looking at the stops along the way as well as schedules to ensure they’re both meeting the needs of the riders. Data show that U.S. 1 serves about 8,600 bus riders per day, making it the busiest bus route in the county. “We’re looking at how we can improve existing service,” Neilson said.
The study also could identify bus-stop facilities to upgrade and recommend ways to improve the branding and images of buses along the corridor.
Safety is a major focus of the study, as planners look for ways to reduce crashes.
Between 2011 and 2016, there were 12 pedestrian fatalities and three bicycle fatalities along U.S. 1, all at night. The three bicycle fatalities took place in Boca Raton north of Glades Road.
In that same time frame, there were 321 pedestrian or bicycle-involved crashes, with 82 percent of the bicycle crashes occurring in areas where there are no bike lanes.
As part of the study, engineers and planners will look at traffic flow to see whether lane reductions might improve safety. They’ll also be looking at signals and speed limits.
An innovative part of the study will include a health-impact assessment, in which planners will explore issues such as how difficult it is for people without cars to reach grocery stores safely.
Funding for the $775,000 study is provided by the MPO, a collaborative organization governed by Palm Beach municipal and county elected leaders designed to identify and prioritize transportation projects.
As part of the process, the MPO team has been holding meetings with community members, the first of which took place last month in Boca Raton. During that meeting and a walking audit, the team heard from residents and community leaders who offered suggestions to improve safety and mass transit.
A series of meetings will be held this month for Delray Beach and Boynton Beach residents and community leaders. A combined workshop, which will include a walking audit, will take place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 24 at the Boynton Beach Library, 208 Seacrest Blvd.
In addition, there will be open-studio charrettes for both cities from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 27-28 at the Boynton Beach Clubhouse, 2240 N. Federal Highway.
A workshop for Hypoluxo and Lantana will be July 22 at a location to be announced.
The MPO will also have open-studio charrettes July 24-26 at a location to be determined. Workshops are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and open-studio charrettes are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, visit www.us1pbcorridorstudy.com.
Comments