A government-affairs representative for the Town of Loxahatchee Groves told the Broadway Crested Trails and Greenway Advisory Committee on Oct. 2 that the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) did not list the town’s Okeechobee Boulevard project as a priority for the current cycle.

The presenter reviewed the project’s history: the town previously received funding in 2019 for what she described as a roughly $4.5 million package that included trailheads, trail construction along the south side of Okeechobee Boulevard, and a roundabout at the Folsom–Okeechobee intersection; the town’s share of that prior project was described as roughly $400,000 over the construction lifespan. The earlier agreement carried a condition that, if project elements were removed within seven years, the town could face repayment obligations. The presenter said that timeline has effectively passed for some conditions tied to the earlier award.

Because the county now has the corridor in its capital program for fiscal 2026, county staff will perform a feasibility study; the presenter said the town will seek to be closely involved in that study and in design discussions. The committee was told the county’s current language in its capital plan now calls for a feasibility study for improvements rather than an automatic widening to four lanes.

The town has also submitted several other grant applications tied to trails and park improvements. The presenter said the town applied to the Florida Department of Commerce’s Community Planning Technical Assistance program for a $55,000 grant to create a comprehensive equestrian plan to identify the economic, land-use and environmental components of the equestrian industry. The town also submitted a $30,000 tree-canopy resiliency planning grant and included $1,142,000 in a Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) application to cover crossings and related work identified in the corridor plans.

The representative reported outreach and proposed collaborations with Indian Trail Improvement District, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to coordinate trailhead amenities, connectivity and potential public–private partnerships. She said the town plans to align trail segments such as F Road and North Road with the county’s planned improvements and to push for connections to nearby preserves and equestrian centers.

The presenter asked committee members to provide specific input about trail alignment, sign locations and connectivity so the town’s staff and consultants can include the committee’s priorities in the forthcoming feasibility study and grant materials. No formal committee action was recorded on the grant update during the meeting; the representative said she would update Town Council and return to the committee with status and maps.