As the main access road to federal, state, and local offices, Banyan Boulevard also serves as an entry to downtown West Palm Beach for many employees and residents. The corridor provides access to the waterfront and a connection to the downtown entertainment district. The corridor redevelopment aimed to create a vibrant street and downtown gateway, prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists, designing alternative mobility infrastructure, and safely accommodating automobiles. Typical roadway sections assisted in transforming the corridor into a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly link while adhering to current Florida Design Manual standards and meeting an acceptable service level based on adopted criteria. The recommended typical section incorporates a raised protected cycle track for the corridor’s length. This alternative protects cyclists from vehicular conflicts and reduces pavement width, lending itself to slower driving speeds.
The use and placement of the canopy trees create a sense of enclosure and visual order that currently needs improvement. Due to the urban setting, soil cells installed underneath the sidewalk are vital to the overall design, ensuring the canopy trees have enough soil and water to thrive. Bioswales planted with a native ground cover alleviated drainage issues. The design reinvented Banyan Boulevard as a city corridor prototype for multi-mobility. The Banyan Boulevard “Complete Street” Project was more than a physical redesign of a historically significant downtown corridor. In many American cities, the role of roads may be more than just a means of travel; they serve as entryways, landmarks, connections, and, sometimes, unfortunate dividing lines. WGI planners have wide-ranging experience with redevelopment activities that address removing the longstanding social barriers often created by corridors. Properly executed, this project has the power to physically and socially unite the adjacent West Palm Beach neighborhoods and business districts and the people who reside and work within them.
Nominated for People’s Choice Award at 2022 Safe Streets Summit.
Project Highlights:
- Streetscape and Urban Design
- Bike/Ped Facility Design
- Low Impact Design (LID)
- Complete Street
- Green Infrastructure Traffic Calming
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