Riviera Beach CRA holds workshop to shape corridor mobility plan

At a public workshop in Riviera Beach, the Community Redevelopment Agency heard consultants’ presentations and solicited resident input on a proposed Corridor Mobility Plan intended to guide pedestrian, bicycle, transit and roadway investments in the CRA district.

Jadel Merzius, executive director of the Riviera Beach CRA, opened the meeting and framed the session as an opportunity for residents to define "what our mobility can, should, will look like in the city of Riviera Beach," emphasizing that community feedback will be collected and incorporated into the plan.

Albert Waters, president of E.L. Waters and Company, introduced the consulting team and said the evening was focused on gathering input rather than presenting final recommendations. Corey Delaine, a project principal with the consulting team, told attendees the plan aims to connect residents to jobs, services and regional transit, noting existing access concerns into and out of the CRA along Blue Heron and Broadway.

"Our roadway systems [are] designed and operated to prioritize safety, accessibility, and connectivity for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities," project presenter Matt Wojnarowski said, summarizing the "complete streets" approach the consultants are using as the plan’s framework.

The consultants described local data collection completed since January, including traffic counts, accident records and a sidewalk inventory, and said the project follows an approximately eight- to nine-month schedule with a draft plan expected for board review by mid-summer (a July/August adoption target was cited). They identified pedestrian–vehicle accident "hot spots" concentrated at Broadway and Blue Heron and highlighted access corridors to destinations such as the Marina District and a Publix gateway.

Consultants outlined a range of possible responses: repairing and widening sidewalks, improving lighting and drainage at crossings, investing in continuous bike infrastructure rather than only sharrows on Broadway, re-evaluating intersection design or turn lanes, and addressing parking supply and location (including bike parking). They also asked whether the community would support fixed-route shuttles, on-demand ride services, micro-mobility such as scooters or bike share, or even a water taxi given the waterfront context.

Public engagement tools available at the meeting included station boards where attendees placed colored dots to record where they live, work and like to visit; inspirational boards showing transit-stop amenities from nearby jurisdictions; paper comment cards; and a survey at rivierabeachrbcra.com. The team also plans walking tours (aiming for late this month or early May), and a second public workshop in June to refine priorities before presenting a final plan to the board.

A committee member speaking on behalf of the board praised the effort, calling it "a phenomenal plan," and urged continued support for the CRA staff and consultants.

The project team said collected responses will be combined into datasets to prioritize investments and that county and state grant opportunities will be considered in placing funds. The next public engagement steps are the scheduled walking tours and the June workshop; the consultants said the plan will be updated to show community input before returning to the board for adoption consideration.

(Reporting based only on the workshop transcript and on-screen materials presented at the meeting.)