Glades Road in west Boca Raton has always been a highly trafficked road. With the opening of the new Uptown Shopping Center, which includes a seven building, multifamily development with 456 rental units, an already bad traffic situation has morphed into a nightmare issue for the residents of West Lakes, their families and their friends.  In addition, traffic from the 500+ residences now being built on the site of the Boca Raton Municipal Golf Course further jeopardizes the safety of all who attempt to enter and leave West Lakes.

West Lakes residents are in dire need of a traffic light at Glades Road and East Lake Boulevard, the sole entrance and exit.  A light will allow the residents to safely enter and exit the community.  At this time, in order to enter the community from the east, three lanes of busy traffic must be crossed without the aid of a traffic light.  When attempting to exit the community, not only is it necessary to wait for a break in the traffic flow long enough to be able to turn onto Glades Road, but residents must additionally wait for drivers wishing to go into Lakeside Shopping Center, which is adjacent to West Lakes, to make a U-Turn directly in front of the entrance/exit, making the process that much more time consuming and precarious.

West Lakes is also home to elderly residents who no longer drive.  To frequent the shopping center across the street they must cross Glades Road in front of the community without the aid of a light.  It is too strenuous a walk for an elderly person in the Florida heat to walk to the light at Boca Rio or Concord Green.  It is just a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.

West Lakes residents are literally trapped by the flow of traffic in front of the exit and entrance and are at the mercy of drivers in three lanes who have already stopped, to back up and allow cars to enter the community.  An earlier request for a light was denied because the County said the community does not have the required number of cars entering and leaving daily to warrant a light.  This is a flawed rationale.  Every resident of Palm Beach County is deserved of a safe route to enter and exit their community, especially when recent governmental approval allowed the development of the additional homes and shopping centers around their existing community?

For the reasons set forth above, please sign this petition to show support for the residents of West Lakes in their request for a traffic light installed at Lake Boulevard and Glades Road.  A traffic light will insure the safety of all drivers attempting to enter and exit West Lakes.