Study looks at transportation along Oakland Park Boulevard

By Terry Sheridan
Daily Buisness Review
Posted January 16,2009
 
Similar to the ongoing effort to redevelop State Road 7 throughout Broward County, a group of local governments and the Florida Department of Transportation are about to launch a study ultimately intended to improve mass transit and boost affordable housing along Oakland Park Boulevard.

The county, Florida Department of Transportation, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors are pooling resources with the help of a $75,000 state grant and Florida Atlantic University architectural students to determine how housing and business needs along the highway can benefit from faster transit service.

The agencies will begin their study with a public workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 24 at the Oakland Park City Hall at 3650 NE 12th Ave.

Ray Lubomski, assistant to Oakland Park City Manager John Stunson, coordinates the city’s corridor study team. He spoke Thursday with the Daily Business Review about government goals for the project.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why was Oakland Park Boulevard chosen?

Because of the congestion along the highway. It’s one of the most heavily traveled boulevards in the county.

What area does this study include?

This pilot project, as they are calling it, stretches from Dixie Highway to our western limits of around Northwest 31st Avenue. Eventually, they’ll study the entire corridor.

Is this intended to address primarily traffic needs or try to coordinate that with housing needs as well?

It’s a combination of both. We’ll look at how best to use transit service along the corridor — and we’ll look at using the Breeze system [a limited-stop bus service on Federal Highway and State Road 7] — and we’ll consider improved infrastructure for buses and pedestrians. That includes shelters and walkways, and possible park-and-ride facilities.

And we’ll study how to combine all of those with affordable housing and businesses along the corridor.

Housing is an important element here. There isn’t much right on the street but behind the businesses, there is.

Those people use the transit system.

We’ll also extend the study about half a mile north and south along the Dixie Avenue corridor because that will encompass our downtown redevelopment area.

There’s also the possibility of a tie between the FEC [Florida East Coast Railway] passenger rail [proposal] and Oakland Park Boulevard. We are listed as a stop in the FEC Corridor study. Imagine getting on the train in West Palm Beach and being able to get off at Oakland Park to go to work, or go to the airport. It will bring development of more housing and businesses along that corridor.

Another consideration is a transit tie at I-95 and Oakland Park Boulevard, and that’s a major concern.

What’s the first workshop going to target?

They’re asking for initial reactions from interested stakeholders, meaning residents, civic and homeowner associations, and property and business owners in the area.

What spurred this study?

There was a congestion management plan developed several years ago, and this project was developed from that.

What’s the attitude around the city about this?

We haven’t brought it before the City Commission yet. We’ll do that in February. We need to get a letter of agreement and work scope from the county approved. I know the city is aware that Oakland Park Boulevard is congested and whatever we can do to help, we would consider. Buses running on congested roads clog traffic when they stop.

Are municipal funds involved?

No.

This has never been tried before along Oakland Park Boulevard?

No. We’ve been involved with the State Road 7 plan [which intersects with Oakland Park Boulevard]. But this first study area involves just Oakland Park and Wilton Manors.

With President-elect Barack Obama pushing for an economic stimulus plan that includes infrastructure improvements, this may be happening at a good time.

The federal stimulus package may pump this up a little bit, right. And if we can get [transit] connections between the airports, that would have a major impact.

What role will the architectural students have?

They’ll be brainstorming, and there will be a charette [a special workshop with residents and other property owners that seeks everyone’s ideas for what should be included in a plan] — they’ll generally be thinking outside the box. They’ll look at how current housing and businesses developed, what can be done to ease the congestion and how mass transit fits into that plan.

Terry Sheridan can be reached at (954) 468-2614.