Downtown Hollywood traffic circle may get a major redesign

A major redesign may be coming to iconic Young Circle in downtown Hollywood, a traffic circle with seven traffic lights that can confuse motorists and endanger pedestrians.

Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy described Young Circle as a “choke point” that discourages drivers from visiting the city’s downtown area.

Under discussion is a removal of all the traffic lights and a conversion of Young Circle to a two-way traffic circle, with counter-clockwise traffic in the outer lanes, as now, and clockwise traffic in the inner lanes.

Landscaped roundabouts would replace traffic lights at Federal Highway and Hollywood Boulevard.

Ian Lockwood of Toole Design Group conceived of these and other details of a Young Circle redesign. The city hired Toole Design to determine ways to smooth traffic flow through the downtown circle.

Lockwood’s redesign would divide a Publix-occupied parcel on the east side of Young Circle, making space for a roundabout that directly links Hollywood Boulevard to the circle.

City Commissioner Peter Hernandez said a change is needed because commuters and Hollywood residents have complained for years about traffic at Young Circle.

A spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Chuck McGinness, said FDOT was prepared to work with the city of Hollywood on a redesign of Young Circle.

City Commissioner Dick Blattner said “we just have an idea,” and the municipal government needs a detailed plan to slow traffic and reduce the number of accidents at the circle.  [Sun-Sentinel] – Mike Seemuth