Fort Walton Beach asks residents to help shape the future of Hollywood Boulevard, meeting set for August 19
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the City of Fort Walton Beach is inviting local residents and other interested parties to a public hearing to talk about potential improvements along the Hollywood Boulevard corridor. The event will take place at the Fort Walton Beach Recreation Center, located at 132 Jet Drive, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This workshop will be set up like an open house, and attendees will be able to look at and comment on three possible options for the corridor stretching from Eglin Parkway to Bay Drive. There won’t be a formal speech. Instead, city employees and representatives from HDR Engineering will be there to answer questions and give extensive explanations of each design idea.
The initiative stems from the Ferry Park Neighborhood Traffic Study conducted in November 2023, which flagged concerns over speeding and frequent crashes along Hollywood Boulevard. A follow-up traffic study done in March 2025 looked into options to ease traffic, such as possibly cutting the number of driving lanes on the eastern part of the corridor from four to two. The assessment also suggested turning the crossroads at Ferry Road into a roundabout to make traffic flow better and make it safer.
One option is to make improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, including installing extra sidewalks or a shared-use route. This would make it easier for people to commute without using a car and make it safer for everyone.
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The Emerald Coast Regional Council and the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization adopted the Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan in December 2024. It indicates that Hollywood Boulevard is part of the region’s High-Injury Network. The suggested improvements fit with the larger goal for the region to make roads safer for everyone.
The City of Fort Walton will choose a preferred concept and start working on the design once it has heard from the community. The Half Cent Sales Tax Fund in Fort Walton Beach would pay for the construction.
The city wants as many people as possible to get involved and makes sure that everyone can take part without any discrimination. Daniel Payne, P.E., Director of Public Works and Utility Services, can be reached at [email protected] or the City’s official website for more information.
Public input can be provided in-person at this meeting, by email or by U.S. Mail. All comments postmarked on or before August 29, 2025, will become part of the official record. Comments can be sent to:
Mr. Daniel J. Payne, P.E., Public Works & Utility Services Director, City of Fort Walton Beach
7 Hollywood Blvd, NW
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
(850) 833-9613
Mr. Devon Ravine, Public Information Manager, City of Fort Walton Beach
107 Miracle Strip Parkway
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
(850) 586-7855
Mr. Jonathon Burchfield, P.E., Consultant Project Manager, HDR Engineering
25 West Cedar Street, Suite 200
Pensacola, FL 32502
(850) 429-8921
