Cities must provide a safe, comfortable, and connected network of facilities to achieve high bicycle ridership. A number of cities are prioritizing a minimum grid, or bicycle spine network, as a first step to realizing a complete bicycle network in their city. In particular, Rochester NY is planning such a network. This article recommends a Minimum Grid (aka Bicycle Spine Network) for Boca Raton, as depicted in the map. Furthermore, future bicycle roadway upgrades should be designed to connect to the grid.
Background
Weak connectivity prevents Boca Raton’s bicycle paths from reaching their full potential to increase ridership, despite having some good ones. In 2019 BocaFirst published an article advocating for connecting the major bicycle paths and lanes in the city Transportation Connectivity Matters – BocaFirst.
The lack of bicycle infrastructure connectivity or grid is a major barrier to increasing bicycle ridership in Boca Raton. The article in the link below, illustrates this with a comparison to an excellent airport in a city. If there are no other airports to link to, the airport is rather useless.
The following map shows the existing major bicycle paths in Boca Raton. Note the lack of connectivity.

A Recommended Solution
In researching other cities’ bicycle infrastructure best practices, I found this excellent article describing a similar situation in Rochester, NY.
LINK: It’s Time for a Minimum Grid – Reconnect Rochester
The term minimum grid, although widely used, is confusing. A major bicycle network spine connects other bicycle paths and lanes, serving as the primary cycling infrastructure in a city and its adjacent areas.
The solution recommended for Rochester is to start with a major bicycle path running east/west through the city and have that connect to another major bicycle path running north/south. This infrastructure would be a connected minimum grid that other bicycle paths and lanes in the city eventually connect to.
To achieve a minimum grid in Boca Raton it is recommended that the El Rio Trail and the Palmetto Park Road Shared Use Path be connected and extended.
Look at the map below. The solid purple line is the existing El Rio Trail and the dashed purple line is the recommended extension of that path. The solid blue line is the existing Palmetto Park Road Shared Use Path and the dashed blue line shows the recommended extension of that path.

By connecting and extending these two major bicycle paths an east/west and north/south bicycle minimum grid, or bicycle network spine, will be created.
A recent BocaFirst survey ask Boca residents if they supported connection of our strategic trails. The summary of responses is shown here. It shows a high degree of resident support for connecting Boca’s strategic trails. The full survey results can be read at: BocaFirst 2024 Live/Work/Play Survey Results – BocaFirst.

Summary
This article focuses on a minimum grid (aka Bicycle Spine Network) for Boca Raton. Our research found a city, Rochester, with a similar disconnected bicycle network to our city. Our recommended solution is consistent with the Rochester solution, i.e., connect a major east/west path with a major north/south path where both extend to the city limits.