Where pedestrians fear to tread
One word comes to mind to describe the man I saw stroll across PGA Boulevard in the midst of lunch-hour traffic Wednesday: fearless.
Pedestrians are more likely to get hit by a car in Florida than anywhere else in the U.S., according to a recent report.
Smart Growth America, a national group that advocates smart development, prepared the “Dangerous by Design” analysis of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians. Not surprisingly, seven of the top 20 were in Florida.
When I asked readers to suggest the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in Palm Beach Gardens, the responses came within minutes. Let’s take a look. Sarah Peters
1. PGA Boulevard and Military Trail: I saw several people walk through this intersection and a man ride his bicycle up Military Trail just north of PGA Boulevard when I observed it for about 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon. I’ve seen walkers take refuge on the wide medians while they wait for a safe opening to cross the divided lanes. There are bike lanes on PGA and Military, although they’re not protected from traffic in any way.
2. Military Trail and Holly Drive: This intersection is a nominee specifically when Palm Beach Gardens High School dismisses. Reader Karen Gilbert says there aren’t crossing guards at this busy spot, making it dangerous for people walking home from school. This intersection reminds me of the old song lyric: “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.” There’s a bright yellow pedestrian crossing sign on at least one corner and a “Turning Vehicle YIELD to Pedestrians” sign hanging from the traffic signal wire. With all the distracted driving these days, I’m not sure that’s going to solve this problem.
3. PGA Boulevard and the Turnpike: Honestly, I’m not really sure why anyone would want to try to navigate this intersection on foot or on a bicycle, absent a desperate need to get to work without a car. It’s close to Mirasol and PGA National, but each of those communities have their own quiet, open roads that are perfect for squeezing in a morning jog or an after- noon bike ride.
The lane closures for a $1.6 million interchange improvement project that’s well underway make trying to cross this intersection even more dangerous. Those fluorescent green signs that say “Share the Road” for bikes and pedestrian crossing signs abound near here, but your best bet, at least for the next few months, is to just stay away.
What are the fixes? The Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization is working on an plan to deal with the increase in bicycle and pedestrian accidents.
Gardens officials in November supported revisions to the city’s comprehensive plan with an emphasis on making the city better for pedestrians and bicyclists. If the state signs off on the changes, the revisions also would allow the city to impose an impact fee on developers to pay for alternative transportation needs.