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Boca Raton residents push for safety improvements along Palmetto Park Road

'Crossing the street can be a life and death experience,' resident says
Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton
Posted at 1:23 PM, Feb 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-23 17:27:39-05

BOCA RATON, Fla. — A group in Boca Raton is asking the city to make a stretch of Palmetto Park Road safer.

The few blocks located between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean are a popular spot for walkers and cyclists.

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Katie Barr MacDougall has lived in the area since 1980. Over the past year, she has been working with other homeowners to help make the area safer.

Barr MacDougall presented her findings to the Boca Raton City Council Monday laying out some of the safety issues for people who walk and bike along the road.

Katie Barr MacDougall
Katie Barr MacDougall is working with homeowners to help make Palmetto Park Road safer in Boca Raton.

"Crossing the street can be a life and death experience sometimes," Barr MacDougall said.

The only crosswalk is located at A1A, so they have asked to add one or two more at the two intersections near businesses.

"Narrow sidewalks [are] made worse by the newly-installed FPL poles," Barr MacDougall said. "They encroach on the sidewalk. You can't have more than two people walking over there."

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City Councilman Andy Thomson said he agrees with a lot of the issues.

"There are portions with really messed up sidewalks and sidewalks that are too thin," Thomson said.

Boca Raton Councilman Andy Thomson
Boca Raton Councilman Andy Thomson agrees that improvements need to be made along this stretch of the road.

Another worry is the lack of bike lanes because cyclists often end up in the street with traffic.

Thomson said the road is managed by the county.

"That is not to say the city can't help and try to partner with them and their transportation planning agency to find solutions," Thomson said.

The city of Boca Raton will now decide what changes they might want to make on Palmetto Road and then work with the county to implement the changes.