TRANSPORTATION SUMMIT

By facilitating direct dialogue with Palm Beach County's Engineering and Public Works Department, Florida's Turnpike Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and other key entities, this pivotal event clarified complex infrastructural issues and secured commitments for essential safety and mobility improvement.

As such, the well-attended discussion provided an effective opportunity for our residents to receive direct answers on urgent community concerns. Inquiries from the public chiefly focused on the following topics:

• Traffic Signal Visibility: Public attendees secured a commitment for the remediation of yellowed and dim traffic signals, including those at the Atlantic Avenue and 441 intersection, with cleaning, restoration or replacement of lens covers scheduled within 7-10 days.

• Expansion of Florida's Turnpike & Atlantic Ave.: The Atlantic Avenue (SR 806) Widening Project is increasing capacity by expanding certain two-lane segments to four lanes and four-lane segments to six lanes, while also adding an extra through lane at the SR 7/US 441 intersection for improved traffic flow. Furthermore, new safety and marking initiatives are being developed to reduce driver confusion at the Atlantic Avenue/441 merge.

• Bike & Scooter Lane Usage: The Atlantic Avenue widening project includes the addition of 7-foot buffered bike lanes between SR 7/US 441 and Lyons Road, specifically designed for use by bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters. Users of these devices also have the option of utilizing the sidewalks, provided they yield to pedestrians, or riding on the main roadway.

• Preserving Pedestrian Safety: Experts explored the possibility of FDOT installing necessary safety features, especially guardrails, where the sidewalk meets the roadway on Acme Dairy Road, and provided the expected timeline for these corrective measures.

• Pacing Development With Infrastructure: The community often asks: Why are developers allowed to proceed with building new homes before infrastructure is complete? As I have always stated and will keep adhering to, "not a shovel drops until the roads are ready." In this context, we must carefully balance planning with appropriate levels of development as circumstances continue to evolve.

Overall, this event provided an excellent forum for our residents to ask critical and important questions about our transportation system. To view a recorded video of the meeting, please visit: youtube.com/watch?v=v3kl1F-uouk.

VETERANS DAY

Veterans Day offers a solemn opportunity for Palm Beach County, as well as our great nation as a whole, to take the time to acknowledge and pay our respects to the service and sacrifice of every American who has worn the uniform, and I was truly honored to once again join our local community for this year's celebration.

This special day is not just marked by tradition. More significantly, it reaffirms my duty to honor Veterans through meaningful action and support. I have a long-standing record of turning this commitment into reality, including the securing of vital funding for the creation of the Veterans Success Center at Palm Beach State College. In operation since 2018, the Veterans Success Center continues to serve as an essential resource, offering academic support, career guidance and mental health services to countless Veteran students transitioning into civilian life.

Beyond the Veterans Success Center, my dedication to supporting our servicemen and servicewomen goes beyond the Veterans Success Center. I actively champion broader initiatives, including securing funding for vital mental health services, expanding affordable housing options for homeless Veterans, and advocating for robust job training programs. This commitment is deeply rooted in my family's history of service, highlighted by my father, Lt. Col. Russell F. Lorts (dec.), of the United States Army Infantry, who served in WWII and Vietnam.

With this in mind, and on behalf of Palm Beach County, I salute, honor, and thank all service-members both past and present, together with their families and love ones, in acknowledging their tremendous courage and invaluable sacrifice. God bless our Veterans and the United States of America!