After some initial confusion, motorists seem to have gotten the hang of a new traffic signal and a shift in traffic patterns at a busy intersection on the near North End, a town police spokesman said.
With the activation of the signal at Sunset Avenue and Bradley Place on March 24, the 200 block of Sunset officially switched to a two-way street. The town in 2023 had changed it to a one-way road that allowed eastbound-only traffic.
The latest changes were made to help eliminate the gridlock that often gripped the area — a perfect storm of vehicles traveling to and from the North End, drivers headed in and out of Publix, and valet crews working at the landmarked White Elephant Palm Beach hotel.
The transition has progressed without much fuss, police said.
“It’s been relatively smooth,” Palm Beach Police Sgt. Michael Ogrodnick told the Palm Beach Daily News.
Officers have been focused on educating motorists about the changes, and there have been no serious issues at the intersection, he said.
Traffic congestion throughout Palm Beach has been compounded by the ongoing indefinite closure of South Ocean Boulevard next to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club. The portion of that road between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and South County Road has been shut down since March 3.
Sunset Avenue is the street directly north of Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach’s historic Main Street and an area that is bustling with businesses and restaurants. On the northwest corner of Sunset Avenue and Bradley Place are the 333 Sunset Ave. and Biltmore condominiums, and Bradley Park is on the southwest corner. Publix sits on the northeast corner, and the White Elephant Palm Beach hotel is on the southeast corner.
Town officials have said they hoped that the changes at Bradley and Sunset would improve the flow in that area, where bumper-to-bumper traffic at peak times is common.
Palm Beach’s Public Works team in the summer of 2024 hired Susan O’Rourke Engineering and Planning to study the possibility of adding a traffic signal at the intersection to improve the flow of traffic. Her report determined that a signal there would help, town officials said during an August 2024 council meeting.
Officers have been on hand at the intersection since March 24 to make sure motorists are aware of the changes, Ogrodnick said.
The town removed two parking spaces at the west end of Sunset near Bradley at the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Caristo, who wanted to ensure trucks had enough room to make the turn, Ogrodnick said.
Police are keeping an eye out for any problems.
“We’re going to continue to monitor it, and as necessary, our officers will mitigate if needed,” he said. “But right now, it’s running. We’re going to keep it that way.”
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Traffic changes at Sunset and Bradley help flow, Palm Beach Police say
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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