Coral Springs, Parkland Officials Spar Over University Drive Extension

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Coral Springs and Parkland city leaders recently put on boxing gloves- in a verbal sense.

The spar was over the much debated extension of University Drive that would connect Broward and Palm Beach County.

“We can agree to disagree with Coral Springs officials,” Parkland Mayor Michael Udine told the Our Town News.  

Parkland is in opposition of the extension of University Drive over the canal to Palm Beach County. Instead the city prefers the extension up to Countyline and a two-lane expansion to continue to 441.

“This will relieve traffic on Holmberg,” said Udine. “Traffic in Parkland is not a North, South issue but an East, West problem. Countyline Road helps with the East/West traffic. If the extension on University passes from University to West Boca, the traffic for Parkland will be astronomical.”

He added, “441 is over capacity and is going to be no matter what, especially if they have another Hard Rock Hotel due to the expansion at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.”

Coral Springs officials, on the other hand, are in favor of the extension of University Drive.

“We’re adamant about extending University Drive. It’s going to ease traffic flow especially with the Seminole Coconut Creek casino that appears to be on the horizon in a quick way. We cannot afford the back up or to make 441 any worse than it is,” said Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook.

As for the city of Parkland’s opposition, Brook says he has received information from some Parkland residents in favor of the extension.

“I know the Parkland commission has a different position, but I’d be surprised that a majority of the community is opposed to saving time by alleviating traffic time,” Brook said. “This extension offers greater opportunities for business and evacuation purposes. And I’ve spoken with a few Parkland residents and they don’t want to go all the way to 441 to head North.”

Extension Update

The Broward and Palm Beach County MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) recently met to discuss the inconsistency between the Palm Beach and Broward MPOs long range transportation plans in response to the plans for the extension of University Drive.

Florida Legislature has approved annexation of the property into Broward County known as the “Wedge,” subject to the removal of University Drive from future plans.

The issues related to SR7 mobility and impacts on the transportation network from the Wedge and casino projects were main topics of discussion. Palm Beach County residents expressed safety concerns for residents and school children with the extension of University Drive. The need for transit service was also mentioned relative to the type and level of services to be provided. The implementation of the Fast Bus concept or a light rail service was suggested.

Further comments were made concerning SR7 levels of service, east-west transportation impacts, private sector involvement in service provision, land use and alternatives to be considered.

“As for the section of land called the Wedge in Palm Beach County’s side, state legislation has approved annexing that land to Broward County and it will go into the city of Parkland. The Florida Department of Community Affairs has concerns involving comprehensive plans for both counties not being compatible,” said Roger Del Rio, Director of the Transportation Planning/Broward MPO Division. 

The issue comes down to city and county differences of opinion as to where the extension should be made. Many previous plans to connect the two counties have been rejected. Broward County’s plans have University Drive becoming a 6-lane intersection and extending to Glades Road. Most recently, Palm Beach MPO took that connection off its plan. Broward MPO has not taken a position regarding the removal of the extension of University Drive into Palm Beach County.

Furthermore, the Palm Beach MPO plan shows SR 7 as an 8-lane roadway while the Broward County plan shows SR 7 as a 6-lane roadway.

“University is already built up to county-line road on the Broward side. It’s Broward MPOs plans to continue and connect to Glades Road but because Palm Beach took that connection away from its plan, it ends at county-line road,” said DelRio. “That’s the problem. They don’t have it in their plans and we have it in ours. The joint goal is to provide consistency between the two MPO plans.”

Since the two counties have also agreed to disagree, the MPOs have come up with 18 alternative connections for University Drive that will be analyzed and presented to an Oversight Committee consisting of MPO members from the two MPO Boards. For example, one alternative has University extended via the Sawgrass to Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton.

Also at the meeting, a consensus was reached to create a Working Group with representatives from the agencies and jurisdictions involved in the transportation sector or located in the area. The Working Group would carry out the analysis of alternatives and provide the results to the Oversight Committee and will make recommendations to the full MPO Boards who will decide on unified transportation systems for that area.

The next step?

“We’re going to take these results to an Oversight Committee, and look at the 18 alternatives and reduce them to 4 or 5 alternatives,” said DelRio.

Either way until a decision is made, Coral Springs and Parkland officials “agree to disagree.”