Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
3 min read March 2024 — Recent business relocations and expansions have brought a wave of working professionals and families to Palm Beach County, leading to a thriving economy while also putting added pressure on housing and transportation needs.
At the recent Invest: Palm Beach launch conference hosted by Capital Analytics at The Ben Hotel, transportation leaders and advocates spoke about the opportunities formed by blending more housing projects with different transit options and the need for residents to have access to more transportation choices.
“Folks wanting and needing transit are also those looking for workforce and affordable housing,” said Palm Beach County Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron, who joined Valerie Neilson, executive director of the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, and Smart Mobility Associates Principal and Founder Jonathan Hopkins during the final panel: “Moving Forward: An in-depth look at transit-oriented development and infrastructure in Palm Beach County.”
READ MORE: Tri-Ril’s expanded service to downtown Miami signals new mass transit milestone
To address the housing affordability crisis in the county where longtime residents are being priced out of the market, Palm Beach County leaders have set a goal to build 20,000 new affordable and workforce housing units by 2032 through its “Housing for All” plan, using allocated funds from the $200 million affordable housing bond approved by voters in 2022.
One of the key focus areas of the action plan is amending zoning and land use codes to permit a higher level of density as well as fewer required parking spaces at smaller sizes for transit-oriented residential development. Incentives are in place for projects that provide workforce and affordable housing units.
“Solutions to the problems we’ve discussed need funding. We need to be able to maximize housing capacity, enabling people to be closer to different transit options,” said Hopkins during the panel discussion.
A solution Transit Village could accomplish. The 1.5 million-square-foot proposed mixed-use development, valued at over $500 million in 2021, is aimed at creating a “transit-oriented urban hub that will include office, retail, and workforce to luxury housing offerings,” according to Related Chairman and CEO Jorge Perez.
The site of the project is directly connected to the Intermodal Transit Center, which would link more housing to the Tri-rail station and PalmTran buses, among other mobility options.
However, the project has yet to break ground as developers Related and BH Group and the county look to come to agreeable terms.
While major transit-oriented developments are awaiting progress, a new opportunity to fund more transit infrastructure could be available. Palm Beach County’s 1% Infrastructure Sales Tax, which was approved by voters in 2016, is scheduled to reach its $2.7 billion threshold sooner than expected, prompting an early ending on Dec. 31, 2025.
“We are the only county that lacks a transportation surtax, meaning we don’t have a dedicated funding source for transportation operation and management,” said Neilson, which could change if a new transportation surtax was approved.
A transit referendum is expected to make the November 2026 ballot, allowing residents to vote on a new surtax that would address infrastructure projects such as road improvements while also being considered for larger mass transit projects such as light rail linking parts of the county together, as cited by Palm Beach Post.
Neilson noted, “By connecting the streets and the network, you’re providing access to opportunity, healthcare, and quality of life.”
Top image via Tri-Rail
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