Government

Three Proposals Would Make Downtown Boca Raton Greener, More Pedestrian Friendly

by
Daniel Nee
December 6, 2024

Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton officials are pondering three proposals that would transform a city street already known for its greenery and walkability into one that would envelope both pedestrians and motorists in a calmer, more picturesque setting in the heart of the downtown district.

Though the aesthetics of the project would be the most visible aspect for residents and visitors, safety is at the heart of the proposals being considered by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, whose jurisdiction includes Palmetto Park Road, where the modifications are proposed east of Federal Highway toward the bridge over the intracoastal waterway. Between 2018 and 2023, police recorded 1,868 motor vehicle crashes, 28 percent of which occurred on Palmetto Park Road and 21 percent along U.S. 1. Six of the accidents were fatal. Pedestrians and bicyclists were involved in just 4 percent of those accidents, but represent about 11 percent of those injured.

Potential solutions to reduce crashes and improve the environment in the heart of the downtown corridor include an “Enhanced” zone, a “Further Enhanced” zone, or a “Pedestrian Realm” concept.

The “Enhanced” street plan would improve safety by reducing the distances pedestrians must trek when crossing the road, widening sidewalks and installing more green space.

The ‘enhanced’ concept for Palmetto Park Road in downtown Boca Raton, FL. (Credit: Planning Document)

Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The CRA would also install refreshed brick pavers to maintain a colorful and inviting look, maintain a landscaped median to keep surface temperatures cool, install high-visibility crosswalks, and add shade awnings in certain locations. Crosswalks would also be outfitted with lighted beacons to alert drivers to a party crossing the street.

‘Further Enhanced’ Options

Under the “further enhanced” option, Palmetto Park Road would be reduced from five lanes to four lanes – two in one direction, one in the other, plus a turning lane – and using the former travel lanes as repurposed space to provide wider sidewalks, shade, street furniture, public art and “flexible zones” that could accommodate pedestrian-friendly features.

The ‘further enhanced’ concept for Palmetto Park Road in downtown Boca Raton, FL. (Credit: Planning Document)

This option would further reduce pedestrian crossing distances while maintaining valet parking in some locations and creating more flexibility for on-street parking elsewhere. All of the pedestrian improvements in the “enhanced” streetscape would carry over, with the addition of even more green space made of native plants, a landscaped buffer that would naturally calm traffic, and curb extensions that would enhance the aesthetics of street corners even further while slowing down vehicles and making pedestrians and bicyclists more aware of their surroundings.

The plan would also include physically raising crosswalks to make them more apparent to drivers, leading them to more clearly notice someone crossing the street. Sidewalks could include colorful tones, while green lanes in the road would designate bicycle paths.

The ‘Pedestrian Realm’

The ‘pedestrian realm’ concept for Palmetto Park Road in downtown Boca Raton, FL. (Credit: Planning Document)

A third path for the city includes what officials term a “pedestrian realm” design, which contains a plan to convert five lanes to three lanes along Palmetto Park Road, and incorporate a more amplified version of the “further enhanced” plan.

The “pedestrian realm” focuses on mobility, with wider sidewalks than any other iteration of the plan, significantly-reduced pedestrian crossing distances, and multiple lush, tree-lined swaths of greenery with center medians that provide a park-like pedestrian “respite” zone.

Tradeoffs

Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

As with any plans, officials say, there are tradeoffs when it comes to redesigning a thoroughfare as central to the downtown core as Palmetto Park Road. If one eastbound lane is removed, travel time will increase by less than 2 minutes in 20 years, but if five lanes are converted to three, a trip from U.S. 1 down Palmetto Park will likely take as long as 9 additional minutes – raising concerns over traffic tie-ups that could cause some drivers to avoid the area and its businesses.

Up in the Air

A fourth plan would see the city implementing an elevated walkway and bikeway similar to the High Line in New York City or the “6o6” walkway in Chicago. Boca Daily News will detail this proposal in a future report.

Meanwhile, city leaders said they will consider the options for Palmetto Park Road, but remain mindful that the focus of the projects should be on safety rather than aesthetics alone. Additionally, there are concerns over how the redesign project will gel with still-pending plans for a new city government complex and the future of Federal Highway as the downtown district becomes more residential in nature.

Councilwoman Yvette Drucker reminded those in attendance at the last meeting of the CRA that the nexus of all of the considerations is the city’s “Vision Zero” program, which seeks to eliminate pedestrian fatalities on local roadways.

“If you want to have vision zero, and truly save lives, we’re going to have to make hard choices,” she said. “We could do every study in the world, but if we’re not willing to make the changes, we’re never going to attain vision zero.”

Ensuring a cohesive connection with governmental space planned near the Brightline train station is an important factor, even if it delays implementation of the plan, she said, even if that elicits some opposition.

“Maybe the best path is not making a change right now until we find out what this entire area is going to look like,” Drucker said.

Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

“The connection to Federal and Dixie is critical,” said Councilman Marc Wigder. “The cars are racing down Federal Highway. We should change the name of Federal Highway – it’s not a highway anymore, the downtown is a residential neighborhood right now.”

Then, he said, officials must consider the Palmetto Park Road bridge which connects to the barrier island. Under county jurisdiction, that portion of the road could remain enlarged to four lanes, potentially undermining the traffic calming efforts of the city’s plan.

“If you drive downtown, walk downtown or bike downtown, many people who are driving – and I understand they’re in a rush – but they’re racing to get to the bridge,” Wigder said. “It’s like they’re racing to get to the Atlantic Ocean and there is nothing stopping or slowing them down. It’s a four-and-a-half lane highway to drive to the ocean … right when they get to the bridge, it’s going to be four lanes. If you give people more lanes, they’re going to speed up and drive fast.”

Mayor Scott Singer and Councilman Andy Thomson both suggested conducting more outreach and considering written and vocalized proposals from residents.

“I think there have been some ideas put on paper by some very talented and very engaged residents, so I’m interested to hear what they say as well,” Thomson said.