Residents say Barwick Road traffic‑calming design creates tight turns, safety concerns for Francis Drive neighbors

A cluster of residents from Francis Drive and the Kingsland neighborhood told the Delray Beach City Commission that traffic‑calming work on Barwick Road has reduced curb radii and pushed sidewalks into intersections, creating tight turning radii that can force cars to mount curbs and hinder large vehicles.

Rolf Severson said curb‑to‑curb widths and corner radii differ between corners and that engineers reduced a radius from 20 to 15 feet for traffic calming; he said that makes turning difficult for midsize and larger vehicles. "The 15‑foot radius on our corner... I've pulled up to the stop sign, had to pull forward just a little bit to get the view past the hedges," Severson told commissioners and asked that city staff bring an average‑sized car to test the geometry.

Neighbor Michael Walsh said the intersection has become dangerous, describing an incident in rain where a van could not clear the narrowed area and traffic was impaired. Miguel Poveda described sidewalks extending into the intersection and said garbage trucks must swing wide to turn; he asked the city to visit the site. Catherine Granitz echoed safety concerns for both vehicles and pedestrians and urged the commission to partner with residents to find a safer solution.

Commissioners thanked residents and directed staff to schedule a site visit and prepare a presentation for an upcoming meeting to clarify the design decisions and potential remedies.