Joel EngelhardtConsultant holds public meetings to present still-incomplete draft; plan suggests ways to deal with changing technology, retrofit existing roads.
A comprehensive approach to revamp transportation in Palm Beach County, from new technologies such as autonomous vehicles and robotaxis to old standbys like buses and trains, has emerged in the draft of a first-ever countywide transportation master plan.
Consultants working with city and county officials are offering a baseline for building a transportation system that works despite all the glaring inefficiencies of the past: gated, cul-de-sac communities that block connectivity, traffic funneled into easily congested east-west roadways, and sprawling development that doesn’t support mass transit.
While a draft of the $1 million report, nearly a year in the making, is not done, consultants WSP unveiled a PowerPoint summary at public meetings last week with two more meetings on tap Wednesday and Thursday.
The idea is to examine options to build “a stronger, smarter transportation system,” creating best practices for cities and the county to follow when it comes to the size of roadways, bike lanes and sidewalks. It also contemplates revamping the county’s 1980s-era system of assessing impact fees from developers to pay for roads but not for other transportation options, a source of friction between cities and the county.
As a master plan exploring options, it does not attempt to take into account the cost of changes, leaving that for another phase.
Navigating technology
While it recommends improvements to road networks, including the sure-to-be-controversial suggestion of raising a roadway above Okeechobee Boulevard, it suggests pilot projects to test new technology, embracing an airport-to-downtown circuit for autonomous cars similar to one recently proposed by the California transit firm Glydways.
But it’s not blind to the limits of technology.
At last week’s meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, WSP presenter Emily Ritzler pointed to videos of Atlanta residents in May upset over empty Waymo robotaxis drawn by the dozens to a neighborhood cul-de-sac. When worried residents set up a barrier, a Waymo traffic jam ensued. See the video here.
Still, the consultants suggest embracing technology to manage traffic on main east-west roads such as Okeechobee, Southern and Forest Hill boulevards and north-south roads including U.S. 1, Military Trail and State Road 7.
They touch on smart traffic signals and incorporating artificial intelligence systems into traffic analytics for “real-time traffic optimization,” crash analysis and speed detection.
They encourage pilot projects to test self-driving cars, robot vans and freight vehicles and preparation for drone delivery by setting aside places for vehicles capable of vertical takeoffs and landings.
Getting more from existing roadways
They suggest reexamining a 1990s-era proposal to double-deck Okeechobee Boulevard. Since existing plans call for highway-style interchanges along the major east-west corridor, the elevated roadway would add capacity, relieving traffic in the same way an express line works on a rail corridor.
The county rejected double-decking Okeechobee in 1991, when it would have cost an estimated $200 million.
The consultants also propose flex lanes on six roads that would allow officials to change the use of a traffic lane, such as bus-only in the morning, mixed-use in the afternoon or for commuters willing to pay for an express lane during rush hour.
The six roads are: PGA and Southern boulevards; Palmetto Park, Indiantown and Glades roads; and Military Trail.
While many residents cringe at the suggestion of more roundabouts, especially on busy roads, the consultants embrace them, saying studies find them safer than intersections controlled by stoplights.
They suggest roundabouts on Southern and Forest Hill boulevards, Lake Worth Road, Wellington Trace and Northwest Fourth Avenue in Boca Raton.
They identify 21 corridors for deeper analysis including major segments of Military Trail; Lantana and Lake Worth roads; and Northlake, Okeechobee, PGA and Southern boulevards.
The plan proposes filling gaps in the road network, referencing the controversial extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Boulevard and the expansion of Okeechobee Boulevard west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
Since train crossings stop cars, they suggested elevating roads over train tracks at Okeechobee, Linton and Northlake boulevards; Belvedere and Yamato roads; and Atlantic Avenue.
Support for Tri-Rail expansion but no money
They embrace the long-discussed concept of moving Tri-Rail trains to the eastern FEC Railway corridor, a potential $1 billion move that officials have said depends on lining up a new revenue source, such as a dedicated sales tax.
Asking voters to approve such a tax on the November ballot played a role in the county’s decision to work with cities to pursue the master plan. By the time consultants were selected and work began in late July 2025, it was clear that the plan could not be completed in time to get the issue on this year’s ballot.
Instead, the ballot will feature county measures to boost property taxes to raise $450 million to upgrade parks and libraries.
Without providing details, the planners support examining east-west rail connections, rapid-transit bus routes and water taxis along the Intracoastal Waterway.
The draft of the four-chapter report is not done and is being made public in stages. Two chapters have been sent to a steering committee of city and county officials, and public comments will be considered as the consultants craft the final chapters.
The public can weigh in on the PowerPoint at two more sessions from 6 to 8 pm Wednesday at the Boynton Beach Arts & Cultural Center, 125 E. Ocean Ave., and from 6 to 8 pm Thursday at the Clayton E. Hutcheson Agricultural Services Center, 559 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach.
