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Delray staff present traffic-calming plan for Swinton–Atlantic; commission asks study of keeping right-turn lane
Summary
City engineers outlined a traffic-calming plan for the Atlantic Avenue–Swinton Avenue corridor that adds raised intersections, a midblock crossing and a truck bypass to reduce pedestrian crossing distances; commissioners asked staff to test a compromise keeping a right-turn lane to limit congestion
Delray Beach public works and consultant Kimley-Horn presented a revised traffic-calming and pedestrian-safety plan for the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton Avenue at the May 20 commission meeting, showing design changes and traffic modeling tied to a proposed bypass and raised intersections.
Public Works Director Missy Barletto and Kimley-Horn project manager Eric Reguet described the design the team recommended after public outreach and modeling. The concept shifts a downtown bypass to Southwest Second Street, installs raised (tabled) intersections to slow traffic approaching downtown, adds a midblock crossing on Swinton with a refuge median, shortens crosswalk distances and introduces pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacons at key crossings.
“Rather than having the traffic come all at once… they have to start slowing down before they get to the downtown area,” Reguet said, describing raised intersections as a traffic-calming measure that also reduces crosswalk lengths. The design removes an existing eastbound right-turn lane from Atlantic onto southbound Swinton to narrow the crossing pedestrians must make and encourage motorists to use a bypass route on Second Street.
Traffic modeler Stephanie Garrett said the team ran Synchro modeling for multiple peak conditions and adjusted counts for seasonal increases. Under the proposed design, most intersections would maintain current levels of service, but the Swinton–Atlantic intersection’s average vehicle delay would grow from about 28.5 seconds to 43.9 seconds in the weekday PM peak, moving from a Level of Service C to D, largely because the design adds an exclusive pedestrian phase and reduces lane geometry.
Commissioners raised concerns about congestion and truck routing. Mayor Carney and others warned that removing the right-turn lane could push traffic through residential streets; the project team said the redesign includes a clearly marked truck bypass on Southwest Second Avenue to keep truck traffic out of Swinton. Several commissioners supported the safety goals but asked for a compromise.
“I'm just saying. If it's your consensus, we can add in a right turn lane that would not be separated, but would still allow the turn movement… We can add a right turn lane there and do the modeling,” Barletto told the commission, noting staff would test the geometry and re-run the models with that lane option.
The commission did not vote to adopt the plan at the meeting. Mayor Carney said he had directed staff to analyze the feasibility of adding a right-turn lane that keeps the safety improvements while preserving the turn movement, and asked staff to return with additional modeling and configuration options.
Ending: Staff said the project will continue through design and that the team would return with updated modeling that incorporates a potential non-separated right-turn lane and the commission’s direction on truck signage and bypass treatment.
