PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Neighbors in Palm Beach Gardens are raising safety concerns over a lack of street lighting throughout their city.
Jamil Weaver has driven these roads for 20 years as she has watched the area grow. She noted that areas like alternate A1A, Burns Road, and Central Boulevard get very dark at night.
"There's very limited lighting," Weaver said.
Weaver is concerned about people commuting on scooters and bikes, as well as children, like her daughter, who have to wait in the dark at their bus stops.
"There's no lighting for them, and then they're making it on the other side, and then they get on the bus," Weaver said.
Looking for a solution, Weaver contacted Palm Beach Gardens City Hall a year ago. A year later, the streets near her home are still dark.
"A lot of people are very helpful, and then they're just like, this is not something that's urgent. We really don't think it's something that's of a big necessity," Weaver said. "But then you see we have neighborhoods like Paloma Alton that are, it's a light over, you know, it's beautiful and lighting, and you feel safe."
I reached out to the city, and officials pointed to an ordinance saying it does not take responsibility for lighting on roads it does not own. I then reached out to the county. The county told me some roads inside city limits are up to the municipality.
When I brought that back to the city, they doubled down, saying they follow their own ordinance, not county policy.
Depending on the road, responsibility can shift between the city and county. For example, some roads like Burns Road are under Palm Beach Gardens' jurisdiction, while others like Hood Road fall under the county.
Weaver plans to keep putting a spotlight on the problem.
"It's just really important and it needs to be enhanced," Weaver said. "For people that are commuting for work and for people that are just trying to get around this area, it just needs to be a lot safer."
We want to be your voice and help you find solutions.
While we hold our monthly Let's Hear It meet-ups, we know many are not able to attend, but we still want to hear from you and start taking action to get you answers. You can e-mail us at LetsHearIt@wptv.com.
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