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West Boca Raton residents urge county to install red light at busy intersection

Mother who lost son in crash among those fighting for light
Lyons Road and Escondido Way, red light proposed for intersection by residents
Posted at 3:59 PM, Sep 21, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-22 16:34:04-04

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Residents living along a busy road in west Boca Raton continue to fight for a traffic light.

WPTV reported in 2018 that there were several crashes at the locations on Lyons Road and Escondido Way.

The neighborhoods are still working to make their area safer three years later.

The Timbers of Boca and Escondido neighborhoods begged the county in 2018 to put a red light at the intersection.

Jeanette Kamciyan lost her son in 2015 when a car hit him on his motorcycle while he was turning into the Timbers of Boca neighborhood. The road at the site is named is now named after him.

Jeanette Kamciyan, son died in motorcycle crash near Lyons Road and Escondido Way intersection
Jeanette Kamciyan's son died in motorcycle crash near the intersection in 2015.

"I don't know what makes them think this is a safe area," Kamciyan said.

She is still asking county officials to make this intersection safer.

"We haven't been given any real solutions," Kamciyan said.

Ian Price said after the speed limit was raised to 40 mph speed, it has become a speedway.

"People like to speed through it," Price said.

The road is nicknamed the killer curbs by neighborhood residents.

John Fischer, lives in the Escondido neighborhood of west Boca Raton
John Fischer says speeding is a problem in the area and supports a light at the intersection.

"This is a wicked S-turn that both of these communities are tucked right in the middle of," said John Fischer, who lives in the Escondido neighborhood.

County officials said in 2018 that the intersection did not meet the requirements for a traffic light.

Since then, there have been 10 crashes, and another crash nearby killed a 31-year-old man driving a motorcycle.

The county said their study in 2018 showed the number of cars leaving the two neighborhoods and the number of wrecks did not meet the requirements to put in a light.

S-curve in Lyons Road in west Boca Raton
Residents say an S-curve in Lyons Road near the intersection increases the dangers of the area.

"It isn't static elsewhere, and that traffic feeds into Lyons Road," Kamciyan said.

Kamciyan argues the growth around West Boca has created a constant stream of traffic on Lyons Road.

She said they are not giving up on fighting for a traffic light, and don’t want another fatal wreck to be the reason why.

"The light won't bring my son back. It may prevent it from happening to me and the rest of my family and to others," Kamciyan said.