Seven cities along U.S. Route 1 in

Seven cities along U.S. Route 1 in southern Florida have pooled their resources to revitalize a 15-mile section of the ailing coastal highway. The cities, Riviera Beach, Lake Park, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Jupiter, and Tequesta want to create mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented centers on U.S. 1 and want to attract investment, says Michael Busha, director of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Treasure Coast and Dover, Kohl & Partners held charrettes in April and May of 1999, and the council has published the conceptual master plan developed at those sessions in the report Who Cares about U.S. 1? Riviera Beach has already taken a major step toward reclaiming its Main Street. In November, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) approved a plan to reconstruct a 19-block section of the highway by removing the center turn lane, adding parking on both sides of the street, and widening the sidewalks. In Palm Beach Gardens, the master plan will strengthen the city’s main U.S. 1 intersection by adding infill development on the corners, Busha says.