County commissioners have ordered the consultant behind Palm Beach County's Transportation Master Plan to return next month with a revised report addressing unanswered questions about project costs, funding and priorities.
The more than 1,000-page report, prepared by WSP, one of the world's largest engineering, planning, and professional services consulting firms, warns that traffic congestion could increase sharply over the next 25 years. The study concludes that roadway congestion, growing east-west travel demand, transit gaps, and pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns require a coordinated countywide response.
Transportation bottlenecks already exceed 2 miles at major corridors throughout Palm Beach County. Analysts found average travel speeds on those corridors during peak travel periods ranged from 3% to 68% below posted speed limits. As The Palm Beach Post reported before the Wednesday, Aug. 26 presentation, the plan recommends that the county consider a sales tax increase to fund transportation projects.
More: Traffic master plan backs new tax for transit projects | Exclusive
Among the worst-performing segments were:
10th Avenue North between Congress Avenue and Interstate 95 near Lake Worth Beach
Indiantown Road between Interstate 95 and Island Way in Jupiter
Glades Road between Florida's Turnpike and St. Andrews Boulevard near Boca Raton
Commissioner after commissioner faulted WSP for failing to prioritize projects or provide cost estimates for the 21 corridors it identified as being in need of expansion to address traffic congestion.
"You identified a problem, but we still have no clear idea how to solve it," Commissioner Joel Flores said. "This was a wreck from the beginning. We expected more from you."
Commissioner Maria Sachs complained about the lack of public meetings in her district that covers much of the unincorporated area that falls under the jurisdiction of Palm Beach County. "You have not done your job," Sachs told WSP.
County Commissioner Gregg Weiss complained that what the county received was a framework, not a plan, noting that no cost benefit analysis was done. He acknowledged, though, that the report contained valuable information that will be helpful to address transporation issues in the future.
The report suggested that Palm Beach County should create a long-term revenue source, potentially including a sales tax, to help pay for transportation improvements needed to tackle worsening traffic congestion as the region's population grows.
Weiss, however, said it was premature to discuss a dedicated funding source for transportation. "We are far from that today," he noted.
WSP appeared before the commission to ask it to approve the master plan or at least receive it. There was no sentiment to adopt it. Debate followed about whether to receive it. Concerns were expressed that doing so would indicate that the county was pleased with what was done.
Eventually, the commission directed WSP to appear again before the commission on Sept. 24 to provide more detail about projects that should move forward.
County commissioner Maria Marino noted that the contract never required WSP to provide detailed costs for projects it identified. But she called on the consultant to prioritize many of the projects when it returns next month.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Transportation plan flags problems but county asks 'how and how much?'