Delray Beach rolls out preliminary $100 million long-term plan for bicyclists, pedestrians

Jasmine Fernández, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
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Delray Beach may soon become a much more walking and bicycling-friendly city.

For the past two years, city leaders have been working on a plan to improve mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. The result was a proposed Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan presented to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board on Dec. 18.

Technical analyses and public input were the key components in the master planning process, said Vikas Jain of TYLin International, the engineering firm behind the plan.

“It really boils down to creating a pedestrian bicycle network throughout the city which is safe, convenient and connected,” Jain said. And it would aim to benefit residents of all ages and abilities, he added.

A cyclist rides southbound along South Ocean Boulevard near the Delray Beach Pavillioin at sunrise on June 28, 2022.
A cyclist rides southbound along South Ocean Boulevard near the Delray Beach Pavillioin at sunrise on June 28, 2022.

Delray Beach has an existing bicycle network of 16.4 miles. This does not include the 10 miles of mostly shared-use paths either already under construction or in the planning and design phases.

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Expanding Delray's bicycle path network by 52.5 miles

For the past two years, Delray Beach leaders have been working on a plan to improve mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. The result was a proposed Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan presented to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board on Dec. 18.
For the past two years, Delray Beach leaders have been working on a plan to improve mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. The result was a proposed Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan presented to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board on Dec. 18.

The proposed Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan would expand the city’s bicycle network to 52.5 miles. This would grow the existing and programmed network for cyclists by 199%, per TYLin International.

The plan proposes adding 4 miles of separated bike lanes, 16.1 miles of buffered bike lanes and 12.1 miles of just bike lanes. It also would add 8.8 miles of shared-use paths and include permeable pavement decorative lighting, wherever possible, in alleys.

The city’s existing pedestrian network is 59.8 miles of sidewalks, not including local city streets. The plan would expand the city’s sidewalk network by 18.9 miles. It also would add 7.2 miles of enhancements, such as buffers. The plan includes adding 6.6 miles of one-sided sidewalk, 5.8 miles of sidewalk on both sides and 8.2 miles of shared-use paths.

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The estimated total cost of the bicycle improvement plan is over $100 million

Location of Delray Beach's study area for its bicycle / pedestrian master plan.
Location of Delray Beach's study area for its bicycle / pedestrian master plan.

Based on the Florida Department of Transportation’s cost-per-mile model, the estimated cost of all bicycle improvements in the plan is a whopping $103,068,000. All sidewalk improvements included in the plan would cost an estimated $15,490,000.

Some funding opportunities considered in the master plan include federal grants such as the Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, Florida’s Safe Routes to School program and some local initiatives like the Transportation Alternatives Program and the State Road Modification Program.

The plan, aside from aiming to grow the city’s economic development and improve livability in Delray through a safe — and comfortable — interconnected bicycle and pedestrian network, aims to collaborate with partner agencies, interest groups and residents, per the draft proposal.

“Most important, we recognize that a lot of the improvements that you’ll see on the plan are on different roadways,” Jain said. “Some of them are owned by the city, some of them county, as well as state. So, this has to be a collaborative process.”

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What was the public's contribution to the ideas?

The plan incorporated the public’s involvement from the start. Public meetings started in the spring of 2022 with three focus group meetings, whose members were appointed by the city commission. A project website, Jain said, was up for six months as well as an online survey that solicited about 200 location-specific responses.

“This was to understand the propensity of bike and [pedestrian] demand within the city,” Jain said.

Other improvements included walking tours, such as an art walk and mural walk, bike tours focused on historical preservation, lighting to enhance safety, bicycle parking and comprehensive wayfinding and signage.

The plan will be presented to the city commission at the next workshop, on Thursday, Jan. 4.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach has long-term mobility plan for bicyclists, pedestrians