Residents: Boynton needs more trees, trails

City officials seek input in updating trails master plan.

BOYNTON BEACH — Boynton Beach needs to have more shaded areas with trees and more bike lanes, moves that would make the city more pedestrian and bike-rider friendly, a group of about 30 resi- dents said Thursday night.

The group gathered at the city library to expand upon the city’s Greenways, Bikeways and Trails master plan. The plan was adopted in 2004, and city officials wanted residents’ input on updating it. Boynton is working with Kimley-Horn to do so and will have an updated plan about October or November to present to the City Commission for approval, assistant city manager Carisse LeJeune said.

Increasing the amount of transportation by walking, biking or other ways, will increase tourism or ecotourism, outdoor education opportunities, recreation and health benefits, said Stewart Robertson of Kimley-Horn.

At the start of the workshop, the residents and some officials — Mayor Jerry Taylor, Vice Mayor Joe Casello, Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick and Community Redevelopment Agency board member Woodrow Hay — were given three blue dots and were asked to place them under bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure elements they’d like to see. Their choices included crosswalks, traffic calming and lighting. But the top pick was shading/trees, followed by bike lanes.

Resident Susan Oyer said she’d like to see more trees line Ocean Avenue. She’d also like unique lighting on streets such as Ocean Avenue and Seacrest Boulevard from Boynton Beach Boulevard to the library area, items she thinks would draw people to downtown.

Oyer also thought a historic stagecoach trail that runs along Fourth Street could be used as a heritage trail, and also for walking and biking.

Residents also wanted to see more canoe and kayak launches. Boynton currently has only a few, one of which is at Intracoastal Park. But the plan has proposed eight more.

One of them is near Miner Road and the Lake Ida canal, but some residents said it was too far to the next one.

Overall, Robertson said, “They really want to see bike lanes and paddling trails.”