Wellington plans to explore adding multi-use paths, turn lanes and deceleration lanes along some roads that would allow better traffic flow and connectivity through the village without necessarily having to widen streets.
On Thursday, June 26, at the latest of its visioning sessions, the Wellington Village Council discussed Wellington’s infrastructure and how to have better connections throughout the village. The topics ranged from sidewalks and road improvements to golf cart and bicycle use.
Though no official decisions were made, council members largely agreed that Wellington should look to improve traffic flow without widening its roadways.
“Nothing, in my mind, changes the character of a community more than the roads that go through it,” Councilman Howard Coates said. “I think we need to be protective of our roadways.”
Community Programs Manager Mike O’Dell said village staff hopes to craft a long-term plan for improving roads and pathways in the village that will help residents get where they need to go.
“We’re talking about a long-term plan that could be developed out over a number of years,” he said. “Some of the plans could be implemented more immediately, but you’ll also end up with roads like Forest Hill Blvd., which are 10 to 15 years away from any more improvements.”
Given traffic and congestion in some parts of the village, Village Manager Paul Schofield said that the use of golf carts is becoming an alternative for many people, and Wellington will need to make plans to direct golf carts to appropriate paths and streets.
“The use of golf carts and other low-speed vehicles is growing,” he said. “I was driving down Wellington Trace the other day, and someone was driving a John Deere Gator. We need to look at how [residents] get to the schools and to the shopping plazas.”
Schofield said current plans include building multi-purpose pathways along Wellington’s collector roads, such as Wellington and Big Blue traces and Greenview Shores Blvd.
“On roads with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less, you will be able to use a golf cart on the street. That means in the neighborhoods, you can drive golf carts,” Schofield said. “When you get out onto collector roads, the speed limits are too high for low-speed vehicles.”
O’Dell noted that many of Wellington’s pathways are already wide enough for golf carts, at 8 feet.
“With council direction, they could become pathways for golf carts and other usage, if you want to go down that road,” he said.
In the Wellington Equestrian Preserve, many of the roads already have golf cart use, but issues arise when residents want to drive on more heavily traveled roads.
“On Pierson Road, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour,” O’Dell said. “So why wouldn’t we want to allow carts there? It’s the amount of traffic on the road that doesn’t make it safe for golf carts or types of vehicles like that.”
Councilman Matt Willhite said that Lake Worth Road is particularly dangerous to travel on if not in a vehicle. “There’s not a bit of light on Lake Worth Road west of 120th [Avenue],” he said. “If we had multi-use paths, we could at least get people off the roads and have a safe place to travel.”
But, he also noted, Wellington has a lot of pathways that don’t connect to anything.
“We have sidewalks that just stop and don’t go anywhere,” Willhite said. “We have one of those halfway down Pierson Road, where it comes to the roundabout at 120th.”
Schofield said Wellington has difficulty on Pierson Road because it has a narrow right of way. “There’s just not room for 10-foot pathways,” he said.
The road, which runs to Wellington’s largest park, should be accessible by bicyclists and foot traffic, Councilman Howard Coates said.
“It’s our premier park facility,” he said. “If you asked me where I’d want to make sure we have connectivity to, that would be it. And it seems like it’s the area you’re telling me we have an issue.”
Schofield said the village is working to put pathways on Pierson Road.
“From 120th to South Shore, Councilman Willhite is working with the Jacobs family to get a pathway,” he said. “We already have an agreement with Dr. [Scott] Swerdlin to put pathways to his property. Additionally, there’s a pathway along 120th that can be expanded.”
Willhite said he’d like to see pathways to all entrances of the park. “If this is going to be our number one gem of a park in the village, we have to allow people to get there,” he said.
Public Works Director Mitch Fleury said his staff has already started plans for such a connection. “We can tie it into the piece that’s already there,” he said. “It will fit, but it won’t be an 8-footer.”
Schofield said 8 feet is ideal for golf carts, but not necessary.
“I’d be happy with even 4 or 5 feet,” Willhite said.
Coates asked about the state of the roadways, specifically South Shore Blvd. south of Pierson Road.
“Right now, that’s two lanes,” he said. “What is the long-term vision for that? Is it in the village plans to remain two lanes?”
Schofield said the road must remain two lanes under Wellington’s comprehensive plan.
“It would take a supermajority vote to change that,” he said. “There is no plan today to four-lane that roadway. Is there enough room? Yes.”
Councilwoman Anne Gerwig pointed out that the road is two lanes under Equestrian Preserve regulations. “It’s not just a line in the sand,” she said.
Further, Mayor Bob Margolis noted that the issue has been to court. “There has already been litigation,” he said.
Coates said his concern was that the extra land surrounding the road could present an opportunity for it to become four lanes in the future.
“I would have some issues with that, considering the character of that area,” he said.
This is the same with other roads in the village, Willhite said, pointing out that Greenview Shores Blvd. also has plans for four lanes.
“Given the current capacity, I don’t see why we would four-lane those roads,” Schofield said.
Willhite said Wellington should utilize the vacant space to relieve traffic woes, so four lanes won’t be necessary.
“Put in measures so it doesn’t have to happen,” he suggested. “But do improve the area. You can put in turn lanes and bike lanes to give relief off the roads. It will take some of the traffic off the flow patterns so you wouldn’t need to widen them.”
Gerwig agreed, noting that the lack of turn lanes causes traffic issues. “I’ve seen accidents because people are waiting to turn and cars try to go around them,” she said.
Willhite agreed. “If there was a deceleration lane, that wouldn’t be an issue,” Willhite said.
Coates said he wants to make sure Wellington’s local roads remain two lanes.
“I never want Big Blue [Trace] or Greenview Shores [Blvd.] to turn into Forest Hill [Blvd.],” he said.
Schofield said there is no demand for four lanes on those roads.
“The road where people are clamoring for expansion is South Shore from Pierson to Lake Worth Road,” he said. “A significant amount of people use it to get in and out of the village. But the comprehensive plan says we can’t do that without a supermajority.”
Willhite said that would be unlikely. “I don’t think you have four votes,” he said.
Gerwig agreed. “I don’t even think you’d have one vote,” she said.
Coates said people pushing for the expansion probably disagree with Wellington’s traffic policy in the Equestrian Preserve.
“We, as a council, and the councils before us, seem to have made a policy decision that we don’t want traffic going through the preserve,” he said.
Schofield said Wellington could use some of that land for paths and turn lanes, which could help people get around on golf carts and other street-legal low-speed vehicles.
“In the Equestrian Preserve, just about every road can use low-speed vehicles legally, but there’s some areas we wouldn’t want them,” he said. “That’s why we’re looking at plans for multi-use paths. There’s room to do it.”
Schofield said it would cost about $5 million and could be implemented over several years to spread the cost.
Willhite recommended staff make plans and bring them before the council.
“All those two-lane collector roads where we have easements, I say you put in right turn and deceleration lanes, multi-use paths, and we start in that direction,” he said. “There’s no sense in leaving all this property vacant next to a two-lane road that’s squeezed to one side. We can get people off the through lanes, allow the flow of traffic and stop the backups that cause further congestion.”
