Crashes like the one we saw on A1A in January that sent eight cyclists to the hospital is one reason for improvements that are being made to a stretch of A1A from Boca Raton to Delray Beach.
And after hearing from many viewers about what should be done, changes are on the way.
Resident Michael Command says he rides from Boca Raton to Delray Beach and back daily, and that it can "get very dangerous."
That's why the Florida Department of Transportation launched an over $8 million project to resurface A1A, and improve signage and pavement markings.
"Any improvements, anything I'd be happy with," said Command.
Delray Beach
Driver crosses center line, crashes into group of 8 cyclists
Command said he would like to see more physical barriers to separate cars from cyclists, and would like more green road markings.
"Not so much for the bikers, but for the cars to know that these are bike lanes and they need to be aware that there are a lot of bikes here, especially on the weekends," said Command.
He said he would also like to see more enforcement, as he often encounters speeders and motorists driving on the shoulder.
The project starts at the north end of Boca Raton and stretches three miles to Linton Blvd. in Delray Beach. It will also widen A1A in each direction, providing five-foot bicycle lanes.
Brian Ruscher with the Palm Beach Transportation Agency says this will be a win-win for cyclists and drivers.
"If you have pot holes or if you have alligator cracking or if you have pavement that's worn, the stopping capabilities for a vehicle is not as good," he said.
They did a crash study from 2014-2023, and found there were 22 bicycle crashes along A1A from Royal Palm Way on Palm Beach Island, through the end of Boca Raton, one of which was fatal, not including the January crash.
"I think it's important that we draw attention to this and that we continue to call out that there are serious safety deficiencies on our streets that we need to address," said Ruscher.
Ruscher said A1A is known as a local hot spot for cycling activity.
"The strategy with A1A is that there are some sections which have a small shoulder already, but they don't meet the current standard so by widening the roadway a foot or two on either side you are able to get a standard bicycle lane of four or five feet. And what that provides is a safe dedicated space on the roadway for cyclists to operate so they're not mixing with motor vehicle traffic," said Ruscher.
He said on Florida roads, we lose about eight people daily that are tragically killed, with about 50 people severely injured statewide.
"No crash should result in a person's life being lost, or someone being severely injured. That's the approach that we take, we look at every fatality and serious injury crash and report that comes across the county and we evaluate it especially those for those vulnerable road users," said Ruscher.
We reached out to the town of Highland Beach and officials tell WPTV that they are working on improving their signage.
Currently there is roadwork underway along A1A in Highland Beach. Officials said FDOT crews are monitoring traffic, and there are automated signs and other precautions in place to help commuters get by.
When can we expect these project to be complete? According to FDOT, it should be finished in fall of 2025.
