WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WPTV is seeking answers to your traffic concerns and questions after a recent Let's Hear It community meet-up focused on traffic issues.
"What is it going to take?" Rochelle Baker-Hughes asked at the event. "Is it going to take somebody dying?"
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Confusion at 45th Street & Corporate Way intersection
Baker-Hughes drives through the intersection of 45th Street and Corporate Way in West Palm Beach each weekday during peak hours on her way to and from work.
"Day to day, I think the biggest problem is the light itself," she said. "They didn't put in the proper light for all four areas. They need a left turn signal for people who are coming off of Corporate [Way] and people coming out of Wawa."
WPTV witnessed some of the congestion and apparent confusion among drivers while alongside Baker-Hughes.
FULL STORY: WPTV viewer explains her concerns about West Palm Beach intersection
WPTV morning anchor Ashley Glass addressed the traffic concerns with Sgt. Chris Nagel with the West Palm Beach Police Department. Nagel described this intersection as a problem but "no more than anywhere else in the city."
Nagel said the biggest issue he sees is people "blocking the box." That's when drivers don't fully make it through the intersection before the light changes and they get stuck.
"It's a $166 ticket if you get caught doing it," Nagel said.
Nagel told Glass over the last six months there have been seven crashes at this intersection, but none of them were considered serious.
"What would be your advice for Rochelle?" Glass asked Nagel.
"One is defensive driving," Nagel said. "Be careful. Look out for the other driver. If you feel there is an intersection that needs traffic enforcement, you can call the police department and we'll get officers out here."
Nagel said the intersection at 45th Street and Corporate Way is in one of several designated areas where officers have been conducting targeted enforcement in West Palm Beach focused on pedestrian safety and issues. Those details are made possible by grant money from the Florida Department of Transportation.
WPTV also pressed for answers from the Palm Beach County Traffic Division and got the following responses from Fadi Emil Nassar with the Traffic Engineering Operations department:
Is 45th Street and Corporate Way considered a problem spot?
"This intersection is more prone to crashes than typical intersections due to its location just east of I-95 interchange and west of Congress Avenue with less than ideal left turn storage. The Traffic Division performed a safety review in February 2021 and recommended installing Flashing Yellow Arrow (FYA) for the east-west approaches with maintaining protected left only during peak hours. Protected-permitted phasing provides an exclusive left arrow for the left turn, followed by a permissive green ball (or flashing yellow arrow) where lefts have to yield to oncoming traffic. Considering the location of the intersection and the limited gaps in through traffic along 45th Street during the peak hours, FYA provided the option to operate the lefts with protected-only phasing during the peak hours and allowing protected-permitted left operation during off-peak hours when adequate gaps are available. These improvements were implemented in October 2021 with protected only east-west left turn operation during morning & afternoon peak hours."
Baker-Hughes feels that turn signals at each of the four traffic lights at this intersection would be better/safer. Is that a possibility?
"Currently the north-south approaches operate with a permissive phase. Providing a protected left phase is based on conflict with opposing through volumes. The national procedure for left-turn phasing has established thresholds to determine when a protected phase is appropriate. The procedure also takes into consideration the frequency of left turn crashes from these movements. County policy is consistent with these national standards that are also adopted by FDOT. We have evaluated the signal phases for the north-south approaches in both 2021 and this week and determined that the thresholds for protected lefts were not reached. We will keep monitoring intersection operation and implement changes when warranted consistent with our policies."
"We do investigate all resident concerns and reply to them after we conduct our evaluation," Nassar also wrote.
Nassar said any resident can contact his division directly by phone at 561-684-4030 or by email by going to Palm Beach County traffic webpage and on the right side. Under "Contact Us" select the type of request and use the appropriate email address.
