A stretch of Federal Highway will be reconfigured in downtown Boca Raton to boost safety for pedestrians and cyclists, including modified bike lanes and a lower speed limit.
The Florida Department of Transportation would create wider sidewalks along portions of Federal, also known as U.S. 1, in Boca Raton, as well as buffered bike lanes, which are those with extra space between the bike lane and the driving lane.
The redesigned sections would encompass a 1.3-mile stretch of Federal — from Camino Real to Northeast Mizner Boulevard — in an area with some of the city’s most popular spots, such as Mizner Park, as well as grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s.
Buffered bike lanes are planned for the entire length of the project, but sidewalks will only be widened from Camino Real to Southeast Mizner Boulevard. Those sidewalks would be widened from 6 to 12 feet.
New pavement markings would emphasize the existence of these pedestrian lanes. Pedestrian push buttons at intersections would be updated. And the speed limit would be lowered from 40 mph to 35 mph.