I write on behalf of the residents of Pembroke Pines (and neighboring Southwest Ranches) who are understandably alarmed at Broward County’s push to spend $28 million to widen roughly two miles of Sheridan Street between Flamingo Road and I-75. The project — long in the works — was previously funded and is now being fast-tracked, despite strong community opposition.
According to Broward County’s own capital projects pages, the Sheridan Street improvements are intended to widen Sheridan from four to six lanes, upgrade pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and enhance lighting and signage. The scope extends from Southwest 148th Avenue to east of Flamingo Road.
Claudia Goldsmith is a resident of the Pembroke Falls neighborhood of Pembroke Pines. (courtesy, Claudia Goldsmith)
At a public meeting in January with the county’s transportation staff, many residents came forward with concerns about safety, noise and light intrusion. We also questioned the need for widening the entire stretch. We emphasized that the existing bottleneck is concentrated at the Flamingo intersection — not along the full corridor. We urged the county to revisit the plan and propose a targeted widening only where needed, instead of blanket expansion.
At a Sept. 30 meeting, Broward County officials began by reciting (almost verbatim) the issues residents raised in January, giving the impression that our input had been heard. Then they announced: “the project is moving forward.” Their so-called mitigations include:
Adding a six-inch curb “bumper” on the sidewalk for safety
Lowering light poles so they “don’t reflect into homes”
Claiming that noise studies show no need for sound barriers
Reducing the speed limit to 35 mph as “noise mitigation”
New pavement, they argue, will reduce noise
Enforcement, they suggest, will manage the speed limit
These proposals are frankly insulting. Can we really believe that reducing the speed limit to 35 mph — and expecting law enforcement to patrol a new six-lane road — is a practical solution? Indeed, Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo spoke up in response, predicting that enforcing such a limit would be nearly impossible and would undermine the very purpose of widening the road (since police would need to pull over drivers, potentially blocking one of the new lanes).
Residents raised common-sense questions that were met with dismissive answers. One Pembroke Falls parent said: “I use the sidewalk to ride a bike with my son. Can you tell me how many accidents have occurred on this road over the last three years?” The answer from county staff: “No.” Yet we are told we will be “safe” with nothing more than a six-inch curb separating families from traffic lanes that are now six feet closer to our homes. Another resident — himself a civil engineer — said he has been requesting the county’s traffic and noise study data for months, to no avail. How can the public evaluate a $28 million project when the supporting studies are hidden?
Worse still, the county claimed this massive investment would save commuters about one minute in travel time. One minute — for $28 million? How can planners justify a multiyear, multimillion-dollar upheaval for negligible benefits?
At the Sept. 30 meeting, of the roughly 100 people in attendance, only three to five raised their hands in favor of the project. That’s not a marginal difference — it’s a resounding rejection by the folks who live with this road every day. How can the county proceed as though public input doesn’t matter?
We understand that improvements may be warranted. But the current plan fails to respect the realities of living adjacent to a major roadway, and it displays a shocking disregard for residents’ voices. Rather than bulldoze ahead, the county should revisit the design:
Restrict widening to the intersection area (for example, just Flamingo and I-75 approaches), rather than expanding the entire two miles.
Include meaningful noise and light mitigation (sound walls, shielded lighting, buffers) where homes directly abut the roadway.
Publish transparent, realistic projections of time savings and traffic modeling and allow independent review.
Hold true public hearings with Q&A—not “stations” in the backroom where consultants talk to small groups.
To waste $28 million for essentially a cosmetic increase and a one-minute gain is poor fiscal planning. To do so without truly listening to affected residents is even worse.
I urge county commissioners and planners to pause and reassess — before it’s too late.
Claudia Goldsmith is a resident of the Pembroke Falls neighborhood of Pembroke Pines.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/10/09/sheridan-street-widening-draws-community-outrage-opinion/
