Town Manager Kirk Blouin led a panel of senior town officials who fielded residents’ questions about traffic congestion at a forum on Tuesday in Town Hall.
More than 60 people attended the two-hour program, entitled “Moving Forward: Traffic Solutions 33480.” It was co-hosted by the Palm Beach Civic Association and the town, and moderated by Michael Pucillo, the Civic Association’s chairman and chief executive officer.
To read an Our Town article about the town panel’s presentation at the forum, CLICK HERE.
In addition to Blouin, the panel consisted of Public Works Director Paul Brazil; Police Chief Nicholas Caristo, Town Attorney Joanne O’Connor; and Zoning Director Wayne Bergman.
Some questions were also addressed by Julie Parham, senior project engineer with the town, and Adam Kerr, transportation engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates, which is a traffic consultant to the town.
Questions and Answers
What can we do as residents to help reduce the traffic congestion?
Kirk Blouin:
Don’t ‘block the box’ at intersections. Consider flexibility when scheduling your staff and service members traveling to and from your house.
Would the town consider operating and underwriting a shuttle system, from a West Palm Beach parking lot onto the island, for retail and restaurant employees?
Kirk Blouin:
There’s no point in moving forward with the logistics of that if the demand for it doesn’t exist. I would be surprised if the demand is there. For them to have to drive out of their way to the parking lot, they’re going to lose time. There would have to be some sort of incentive for them.
How can ambulances get to the hospitals when the bridges are at full capacity? With further development in West Palm Beach, will that problem get even worse?
Sean Baker:
We have multiple contingencies to get our ambulances through traffic and off the island. If there ever is a situation where we can’t move ambulances off the island and get to the hospitals, we can fly people out. We have five helicopter landing zones strategically placed throughout the island.
We have been able to move a little better through the intersections, realizing that the Police Department now (remotely) controls (signalization) at every intersection. Through dispatch, they know when we are navigating the corridors.
Further, when the traffic is completely at capacity and there is no movement on the island, we can use alternate lanes to get off the island.
Traffic backs up two or three miles southbound on Bradley Place, Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Why not eliminate the left turn lane onto Sunset Avenue, so there are two southbound lanes heading toward Royal Poinciana Way?
Paul Brazil:
Part of what the town staff is proposing is to try to increase the through-lanes. I think you are going to see push back if you try to completely eliminate that (left turn lane) movement.
Adam Kerr:
One option we were looking at is, not eliminating the left turn lane at Sunset, but providing a shared left-hand through lane so you would have the option to go through or turn left.
Have you considered eliminating street parking on Bradley Place [between Sunrise and Sunset avenues] from 2:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.?
Paul Brazil:
We proposed to permanently eliminate the street parking on both sides of the road to pick up (traffic) capacity. If we eliminated parking for part of the day, enforcement would be challenging and I’m not sure it would be effective.
We can maintain some parking from Royal Poinciana Way to Sunset. From Sunset to Sunrise, we need to eliminate the parking completely.
If you eliminate the parking to create more travel lanes on Bradley Place between Sunrise and Sunset avenues, won’t that create a bottleneck north of Sunrise?
Paul Brazil:
You could continue this philosophy further north and you’re going to have additional impacts. If we increase capacity as you approach Royal Poinciana Way, we can’t guarantee everything to the north, but you’ll move more traffic through the intersection.
When heading east on Sunset Avenue toward the intersection with North County Road, we need a right-turn lane for drivers attempting to go south on County Road without getting caught in the bridge traffic. Is the town looking into that?
Paul Brazil:
That intersection is challenging. The Police Department has created a slip lane (a dedicated lane for the bridge traffic), which is a good temporary solution, but we need to look at that entire corridor as well, and we’ve started that.
Can we institute a bridge toll or a road usage fee like New York City has done for vehicles headed into high-congestion areas?
Joanne O’Connor:
The Florida Department of Transportation owns the bridges, so nothing can happen relative to tolls on the bridge or congestion pricing. Our options are very limited without participation from the state.
Is it possible that barges could be towed by boats that fit underneath the bridges and would not require an opening?
Kirk Blouin:
The barges are operated by a contractor under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has said it has no money budgeted to meet the costs of reopening that contract.
Some members of the community looked into the cost of financing a smaller barge. We are still waiting on that information. But I think it is probably cost-prohibitive, in the millions of dollars, even to lease barges during that period of time here.
What is the status of the Florida Department of Transportation redesign work on State Road A1A near Sloan’s Curve?
Julie Parham:
The DOT is hosting a meeting about the project at the South Fire Station on February 25 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The DOT plans to solicit bids this year and start construction in 2026.
[Editor’s Note: According to the DOT, the project consists of repaving the road and widening both shoulders from 3 feet to 5 feet from north of Ibis Way to north of Emerald Beach Way to better accommodate cyclists. The 2.4-mile project is budgeted at $3.2 million and slated for completion in spring 2027].
The intersection of Brazilian Avenue and South County Road has always been problematic. Could you install a roundabout (rotary) there to improve traffic flow?
Kirk Blouin:
In general terms, the goal is to try to keep traffic moving north and south on the main arteries.
Paul Brazil:
A roundabout will not fit in that intersection. It’s also the DOT’s intersection. We have asked them about redesigns. Their next step would be to install a traffic signal at the intersection because it is so nonconforming. I don’t think the community would like the aesthetics of a signalized intersection there.
Would it be more efficient if the town used flashing traffic lights during non-peak hours at intersections such as Sunrise Avenue and Bradley Place?
Paul Brazil:
I don’t believe it’s going to be more efficient. There would be an enforcement issue. Right now, the signals have the ability to recognize that someone is waiting. The system can interrupt the north-south traffic and let the east-west traffic go. That’s probably the most efficient way.
Residents have recommended putting up a security wall around Mar-a-Lago to protect it so the road can stay open. Is that being considered?
Kirk Blouin:
I have addressed that with the interim director of the U.S. Secret Service. In concept, it’s not a bad idea. They tell me they do not believe that’s a feasible option considering how close the road is to Mar-a-Lago.
Is the town exploring legal options that could provide leverage regarding Mar-a-Lago functioning as a club? If the club were closed, would that impact traffic?
Kirk Blouin:
Regardless of whether the club is operating or not, the road is going to remain closed while the president is in residence. Town officials met with the management of Mar-a-Lago and their attorney to discuss all our concerns. One is the declaration-of-use agreement between the town and Mar-a-Lago. There were some objections to the town’s interpretation. I think if there were a legal action, that could take many years and I’m not sure we would see traffic relief during that time.
Joanne O’Conner:
The idea that relief would come if Mar-a-Lago were not allowed to operate as a club is, I think, a misnomer. The president owns other homes on (nearby) Woodbridge Avenue. If he lived in one of those homes, the road would still need to be closed.
Is West Palm Beach doing anything to minimize the impact of traffic related to the additional number of residences being built there?
Kirk Blouin:
It doesn’t seem that considerations for traffic and parking are part of their master plan. They have sort of disregarded that aspect. They want to make it a walkable city. I have objected to that for many years. The demographics are a little older in South Florida. It is hot and rains every day in summer. (But) they seem to believe people will get out on bicycles and walk and therefore there’s not going to be enough need for actual roadways.
The town did engage in a lawsuit with them over one of their projects just over the bridge, One Flagler. We did lose that lawsuit.
Paul Brazil:
Their goal is very different, and their community, in terms of roadways, is also pretty well built out. And they are growing very quickly.
The DOT is going to redevelop the Okeechobee Boulevard corridor. What that will look like is yet to be seen.
What can be done to minimize parking on Royal Poinciana Way?
Paul Brazil:
The only proposal I know of to minimize parking on Royal Poinciana would be the slip lane we are proposing to Town Council. It would eliminate parking spots west of Bradley Place, on the north side of the road.
The community is held hostage by the Coast Guard’s control over the bridges. Is there anything residents can do to make our concerns known?
Kirk Blouin:
We have made the concerns known on behalf of the community very consistently and very loudly. I’m not sure that there’s anything more a resident could do at this moment. But we may have access to the new (presidential) administration to discuss some of these policies and laws to see if there is any flexibility in making a change.
What about the additional demand on traffic and parking once the playhouse reopens in the Royal Poinciana Plaza?
Kirk Blouin:
It’s going to make parking and traffic more difficult in that area.
Our Town sponsored by:
