The COVID-19 pandemic upended our world this year and forced the cancellation of numerous special events that not only do we locals enjoy, but which attract thousands of people to Panama City Beach in the spring and summer. One of those events this summer was to be a special celebration marking the City’s 50th anniversary.
While the beach has been around a lot longer than 50 years, and the City of Panama City Beach was originally established in 1953, what exists as the City of Panama City Beach today is a merger of four communities. The City of Panama City Beach, the City of Long Beach Resort, the City of West Panama City Beach and the Town of Edgewater Gulf Beach were merged by the Legislature in June 1970.
Dan Russell, who had been the mayor of West Panama City Beach, was sworn in at that time, as the first mayor of the ‘new’ Panama City Beach. The City Council held its first meeting August 12, 1970. When the Council met 50 years ago, the biggest topic of discussion was moving a water line to make way for a new four-lane road on Highway 98 – which came to be known as Back Beach Road and today is called Panama City Beach Parkway.
Fifty years later and we continue to work with the Florida Department of Transportation to get this highly traveled road six-laned. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on Panama City Beach Parkway ranges from 44,500 east of the Richard Jackson Boulevard intersection to 52,500 at the Alf Coleman Road intersection west.
Due to the City’s steady growth, mobility remains one of the City’s top challenges 50 years after its founding. The City of Panama City Beach is committed to seeing PCB Parkway expanded, the completion of Bay Parkway as a means of alleviating traffic on the Parkway, and the conclusion of the Front Beach Road Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), which widens Front Beach Road while adding bike and tram lanes as well as streetscape such as sidewalks and improved lighting.
Mobility and transportation are at the forefront of our goals and, in fact, have been identified as one of the City’s strategic priorities through our recent strategic planning process. The City is working hard toward creating a well-maintained functional and multi-modal transportation system to enhance community mobility.
Our other strategic priorities include a commitment to public safety, support of the economic development of our area, maintaining strong financial health as a City, the enhancement of the appearance of our community, and a dedication to improving quality of life through the growth of cultural, recreational, health and other amenities.
As residents and visitors, we can appreciate the efforts of those who came before us. And we thank them for the strong foundation the City continues to build upon. All of us, all of you, make Panama City Beach a great place to live, work, worship and play.
