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Boca Raton CRA to add traffic officers, advance downtown projects and expand shuttle service
Summary
At the March 17 CRA meeting, staff announced two dedicated traffic enforcement officers funded by the CRA, a parking-sensor pilot, shuttle expansion to the Barrier Island, and a list of downtown infrastructure and placemaking projects slated for tax-increment financing.
CRA staff and members outlined March 17 a series of public-safety and downtown-improvement initiatives funded or advanced by the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency.
‘‘We are going to be adding two dedicated traffic enforcement officers to the CRA patrol,’’ Mr. Brown said during the Director’s Report, adding that one position has been reallocated and is funded now while the second is included in the budget for October and will be added if it can be filled in advance.
Brown said targeted traffic enforcement has already increased: between Tuesday and Friday of the previous week, officers made 76 traffic stops in the downtown CRA area. The CRA currently has six officers assigned to the district; the two new positions will be dedicated specifically to traffic and pedestrian-safety enforcement and will be funded by the CRA.
CRA members also described a set of downtown projects the agency has prioritized with tax-increment financing. The list of projects cited at the meeting included a future pedestrian bridge to improve downtown connectivity, a second Brightline platform to expand rail service options, upgrades to Mizer Park amphitheater and open space, restorations in Sanborn Square including the public sculpture Reflections of Time, fountain restorations, placemaking signage and branded pavement markers, and security-camera planning in the Mizer Park corridor.
Officials discussed mobility and parking initiatives: the CRA will pilot parking space sensors to improve access and efficiency and is expanding the free Boca Connect shuttle to the Barrier Island to offer first-mile/last-mile service in and around downtown. The CRA also plans to hire a new downtown project manager to advance these initiatives and said that Jeff Speck will assist with a vision for downtown safety, walkability and connectivity.
Commissioners noted that much of the downtown infrastructure — especially underneath the government center — is 40 to 60 years old and requires staged replacement. Commissioner Winger said the CRA divides the district into subareas and that infrastructure work is staged over multiple years so ongoing projects will need careful prioritization.
No formal vote was taken on these initiatives at the March 17 meeting. Staff said one enforcement position is funded immediately, the second is budgeted for October, and other project timelines and budgets will be addressed in future agenda items or resolutions.
