Jam session: Public invited to talk traffic at 4-day event

WEST PALM BEACH – A fourday public event aimed at offering solutions to a prevailing issue in South Florida — traffic jams — will kick off Monday.

If those who live in or frequent West Palm Beach want to help offer remedies to traffic congestion, they should participate in the city’s Mapping the Future event, Mayor Jeri Muoio said.

The event will be presented at the Palm Beach County Convention Center from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.

It will feature Gabe Klein, cofounder of CityFi, a company assisting cities and stakeholders in creating solutions for communities.

Klein previously served as a commissioner of the Chicago and Washington, D.C., departments of transportation.

“We’re doing it because we really need to think about what this city is going to look like in the future,” Muoio said.

“I project that in the future we’re not going to have a whole lot of people riding around in singlepassenger cars. We have to really be thoughtful and plan.”

Klein will let the public weigh in after a firm presents findings discovered while conducting a study on roadways.

From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, the public will be able to give one-on-one feedback to designers and city planners and receive updates on the city’s progress.

The event is to give people a choice of transportation options, said Scott Kelly, assistant city administrator.

“That’s important, and that’s why we need participation from the public because we want to know what their personal experiences are,” Kelly said.

MARTA MIKULAN MARTIN/COURTESY Adriana Deen, 4, and her mother, Jennifer Deen, from Boca Raton, have their faces painted at Build a Better World, the annual kickoff for the summer reading initiative. The event, held at the Spanish River Library, included games, music, face painting,...