PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — A familiar stretch of Southern Boulevard is getting new signs — two sets of them, honoring two very different chapters of Palm Beach County history.
On Tuesday, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to support the construction of honorary designation markers along portions of Southern Boulevard for “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard” and “PBSO Motorman Highway,” according to the county’s agenda backup for the July 8 meeting.
The Trump designation covers the segment of Southern Boulevard between Kirk Road and S. Ocean Boulevard, the corridor that runs from the area used for Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport toward the president’s Mar-a-Lago home, the county document states.
The “PBSO Motorman Highway” designation, also on Southern Boulevard, applies to a different section: between 18000 Southern Boulevard (Lion Country Safari Road) and Royal Palm Beach Boulevard, the agenda summary says.
Both moves are tied to House Bill 987 from the 2025 legislative session, which directed the Florida Department of Transportation to construct suitable markers for the named road segments.
The county notes that because the roadway falls within FDOT’s jurisdictional limits, FDOT will handle the design, construction, and maintenance of the honorary designation markers.
There’s also a procedural box to check before the signs go up. Florida law requires the appropriate city or county commission to pass a resolution supporting a proposed honorary designation before markers can be erected, and if the segment runs through multiple local governments, each affected government must pass a supporting resolution first, according to the agenda summary.
In Palm Beach County’s resolution, the county recognizes FDOT as the responsible agency and formally supports the construction of the markers.
The “PBSO Motorman Highway” name is intended to commemorate three Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputies who were killed in a crash last year, as described in the resolution: Cpl. Luis Paez, Deputy Ralph “Butch” Waller, and Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz.
The resolution states the three deputies died during and days after the morning of Nov. 21, 2024, when an SUV struck them on the side of Southern Boulevard as they were conducting traffic enforcement.
The resolution also includes background on each deputy’s service. It notes Paez began his law enforcement career in January 1988 as a corrections deputy and later transitioned to road patrol, with more than 20 years of service described in the document.
It states Waller began in law enforcement in 1998 and later joined PBSO, where he became part of the Motor Unit.
The resolution says Diaz served with PBSO, contributed to the DUI Unit, and later served in the Motor Unit.
The Trump designation is described in the resolution as honoring Donald J. Trump, identified there as the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and it specifies the roadway segment between Kirk Road and S. Ocean Boulevard.
Separately, West Palm Beach city leaders are proceeding with plans to rename a four-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard as “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard,” covering the area between Palm Beach International Airport and Mar-a-Lago, with FDOT responsible for creating the new street markers. The decision has drawn mixed feedback from the public, and city officials framed their vote as aligning street naming with the state’s earlier action. West Palm Beach is joining Palm Beach County and the town of Palm Beach in approving signage on their portions of Southern Boulevard, based on the information provided.
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