BOCA RATON, Fla. — Changes are coming to the streets of downtown Boca Raton, with safety being top of mind.
Florida Department of Transportation officials have plans to reduce lanes, widen sidewalks and improve bike lanes along a 1.3-mile strip along US-1.
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The plan has an estimated cost of $5.5 million and stretches from Camino Real and SE Mizner Boulevard.
“Around that area is so congested, so that’s very good that they’re making it safer for people,” said resident Andrea Legato. “We got to keep people safe, our community safe.”
The project includes reducing three lanes on US-1 from East Camino Real to Mizner Boulevard and Southeast 5th Street.
There are also plans to stretch bike lanes, widen sidewalks, add mid-block pedestrian crossings, and update signs and pavement markings.
“It’s gotten a lot more congested and I notice it’s a lot more dangerous on the bike lanes and just for pedestrians.”
Legato commutes and strolls where the project is being proposed. She believes it will bring a safer community for everyone.
“With the bicycles, they need room to go. I’m always afraid I’m going to hit them when they’re in the bike lanes because they’re so narrow,” said Legato. “I’ve known people have gotten hit on their bicycles in and thankfully they survived, but we need more safety.”
Construction is expected to begin next summer and is set to be completed by fall of 2027.
FDOT officials sent WPTV a statement on the “Bike Lane and Sidewalk Improvement Project,” saying:
“The corridor was part of the US-1 Multimodal Corridor Study adopted by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) in 2018. The study conducted by the City of Boca Raton included analysis of future traffic demands for the year 2040 as well as safety impacts as part of the supporting information for the proposed modifications.”
