Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION

SR 80 Corridor Action Plan

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducted a corridor study along a 45-mile segment of State Road (SR) 80 in Palm Beach County. The limits of the corridor being evaluated extended from US 27/SR 25 to I-95 (see Exhibit 1) traversing nine municipalities and a large portion of unincorporated Palm Beach County. The local governments with jurisdiction within the study area and partners to the FDOT in this Study are listed below:

• Palm Beach County
• City of South Bay
• City of Belle Glade
• Town of Loxahatchee Groves
• Village of Royal Palm Beach
• Village of Wellington
• Town of Haverhill
• Town of Glen Ridge
• Town of Cloud Lake
• City of West Palm Beach

The corridor study area extends beyond the roadway to include all lands and roadways within two miles on either side of SR 80. The following roadways will also be generally included for evaluation in the study to understand overall traffic patterns:

• Hooker Highway from SR-715 to SR-80/US-98
• SR-715 from Hooker Highway to SR-80
• Okeechobee Boulevard from CR-880 to I-95
• Collecting Canal Road from A Road to Folsom Road/Crestwood Boulevard
• Gun Club Road from Jog Road to I-95
• Belvedere Road from SR-7 to I-95
• Summit Boulevard from Jog Road to I-95
• Forest Hill Boulevard from SR-80 to I-95

SR 80 is a major roadway corridor in Palm Beach County connecting several communities to major commercial and employment destinations within the region (Exhibit 1). SR 80 also serves as a major truck corridor for moving freight across the state. The corridor currently serves a very important function of providing access to businesses located along the corridor while also accommodating a high-speed, high-volume through traffic. Due to the significance of this roadway, it has been designated by the FDOT as a Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) highway. SIS refers to a high-priority network of transportation facilities critical to Florida’s economic competitiveness and quality of life. The FDOT is required to maintain an acceptable level of service along the SIS highways.

The SR 80 corridor was widened to an eight-lane roadway between Royal Palm Beach Boulevard and I-95 and six lanes from Royal Palm Beach Boulevard to west of Forest Hill Boulevard. The segment of SR 80 from west of Lion Country Safari Road to Forest Hill Boulevard was proposed to be widened to six lanes by 2018. Although these improvements significantly improve traffic conditions along the corridor, the need for additional improvements has became apparent due to projected increases in traffic and development. Several new residential, commercial, and industrial development plans have been approved in communities along the SR 80 corridor. The cumulative effects of approved new development show that estimated traffic volumes will exceed the Department’s adopted level of service on SR 80. However, widening the roadway beyond the existing eight lanes is not a feasible option.

The western segment of SR 80 primarily functions as a downtown main street through the cities of Belle Glade and South Bay connecting downtown businesses to and from residential areas. This segment was evaluated for opportunities to implement truck bypass routes to separate local traffic from truck traffic and to improve safety for all roadway users. The impacts of the new Intermodal Logistics Center (ILC) developed near South Bay and US 27 was also be evaluated.

Due to the complexities of these issues, the FDOT worked with local governments to investigate a broad range of transportation improvements aimed at achieving and maintaining the adopted level of service and standards for SIS facilities along the SR 80 corridor over a 20 year planning timeframe.

STUDY GOALS, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The FDOT’s goal for the SR 80 corridor was for it to operate as a safe and efficient transportation facility that accommodates all users of the roadway and is well integrated with the surrounding land uses, while preserving its primary function of serving regional commerce and long distance travel.

The purpose of this Study was to develop a Corridor Action Plan that would consist of recommended strategies and actions to be taken by the FDOT and the local governments in the study area to protect and enhance the SR 80 corridor over the long term. The Study was conducted in a manner that seeked input and collaboration from the public and stakeholders, as well as from state, regional and municipal agencies. The corridor action plan includes land use, transportation and economic development strategies that guide future development along the corridor in a manner that supports and respects the various functions of the roadway.

The primary objectives of the corridor action plan are to:

• Identify short-term and long-term construction and management improvements that enhance the traffic flow along the corridor and around the intersections;
• Identify short-term and long-term improvements to accommodate all users of the roadway, including public transportation users, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists;
• Meet and preserve the FDOT level of service standards and criteria within a 20-year timeframe;
• Conduct preliminary engineering and environmental analysis to support the development of various transportation alternatives;
• Identify strategies and improvements to preserve the corridor’s primary function of serving regional commerce and long distance travel;
• Develop recommendations in cooperation with regional and local agencies so the actions can be incorporated into the transportation and land use plans and programs of the various agencies;
• Establish a study process that considers the goals and objectives of the local and regional plans in developing study alternatives to achieve agreed upon improvements;
• Establish a transportation planning approach where the alternatives are developed within the physical context of the surrounding land uses and supports the vision of livable communities; and
• Implement a cooperative, consensus building process resulting in an action plan that is reflective of the long term vision of the communities located along the corridor.

The Study established a long-term vision for the corridor utilizing a comprehensive land use and transportation planning approach that meets the needs of the diverse communities located along the corridor and all users of the roadway. This long-term vision was developed using a collaborative process that ensures a two-way exchange of ideas and communication between the study team and the stakeholders.