State Road A1A gets an upgrade

FDOT project is adding wider bicycle lanes and upgrading vehicle monitoring on Jack Nicklaus Drive.

Here’s good news for cyclists and pedestrians in north county.

New bicycle lanes, curb ramps and traffic signals are being installed on State Road A1A from south of the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park entrance to the Portage Landing North entrance.

What’s happening: The $3.9 million project by Hialeah-based Florida Engineering and Development Corp. started in February. Completion of the 2-mile stretch also known as Jack Nicklaus Drive is planned by the end of the year, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. 

Why it matters: Florida is the worst state for cycling safety, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Florida also ranks among the highest in pedestrian fatalities, along with Arizona, Louisiana and New Mexico.

• Six bicycle riders and 61 pedestrians were killed in Palm Beach County during 2024, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The project includes:

• Lanes designated for bicycles only on both sides of A1A. The width of the lanes is planned to vary between 4 and 8 feet. 
• Sidewalk curb ramps to improve pedestrian safety. Existing sidewalks will remain.
• Improved traffic signals and lighting at intersections including Lost Tree Village and Old Harbor Road.
• Modernized video detection. The system uses cameras to measure traffic speed and flow, identify congestion points and monitor pedestrian and bicycle volume. Traffic engineers use that data to sequence traffic lights, determine locations for crosswalks and signs as well as identify where traffic improvements are needed. 
• Repaved roadway. 
• Improved traffic signal arms to meet hurricane standards. 

Zoom out: This is the third recent piece of good news for north county bicycle riders and pedestrians. 

• The $122 million U.S. 1 bridge over the Jupiter Inlet reopened in early April. The new bridge has 8-foot-wide sidewalks on each side for pedestrians and 7-foot-wide lanes for bicycle riders. The old bridge had neither, making crossing it a shaky adventure.
• New bicycle lanes on both sides of A1A at Coral Cove Park just south of the Martin County line are finished. The lanes make itsafer along A1A, where paddle boarders, snorkelers, sunbathers, kayakers and swimmers park for free at the beach and the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Zoom in: This section of A1A is often used by bicycle riders pedaling the scenic trip from North Palm Beach through Jupiter Island to Hobe Sound. The 10-mile route along the gorgeous barrier island is a spectacular adventure past Blowing Rocks Preserve, manicured estates and wide beaches. The reward is the cool, shady tunnel of towering banyan trees along Bridge Road at the northern end of Jupiter Island, which some bicycle riders call the “air conditioned part of A1A.”