Everybody is in agreement: There’s a traffic flow problem at the intersection of Ives Dairy Road and Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura.

The state Department of Transportation has studied it, measured it and come up with a recommendation.

But don’t hold your breath. Any change is years away and could end up making matters worse.

That’s the grim picture that emerged Sept. 17 at a workshop session of the Aventura City Commission.

According to FDOT calculations, traffic flow in the right-turn lane averages 1,120 vehicles per hour and should grow to 1,360 vehicles per hour in 2035. There were over 300 accidents at the intersection from 2005-07. And backups often extend past the traffic light on Ives Dairy.

FDOT engineers say they can reduce the backup of cars waiting to turn right onto US 1 – toward Aventura Mall – with a minor shift in traffic flow. Vehicles wishing to continue straight through the intersection would be moved left one lane – from the #2 lane to the #3 lane. That would allow the #2 lane to be a signal-regulated right-turn-only lane designated for traffic bound for the mall. Vehicles going straight and vehicles turning left, then, would share the #3 lane.

And all it would take is a little signal reprogramming and a signage change.

Easy, right?

Not so fast.

FDOT has changed its regulations on wind load, so if the overhead signs were changed at that intersection, it’s likely a whole new sign structure would be needed. That’s about a $400,000 job, Aventura officials were told, and FDOT doesn’t have any money. The best guess, FDOT officials said, is that a small project like that might be funded in five years -- 2015.

While lauding FDOT staff for the quick response on the traffic study, commissioners weren’t happy with the delay. Mayor Susan Gottlieb asked if the city could front the money and be repaid by FDOT later. Perhaps, she was told, but such a deal would require signoff at the highest level and even then wouldn’t produce any work until 2012.

By then, the opening of The Village complex at Gulfstream Park may well have created enough additional traffic at the Ives Dairy/Biscayne intersection to make that change counterproductive.

The change envisioned would improve right turn volume by sacrificing left turn volume. And it’s left turn volume that would be headed for The Village.

Still, that might be an acceptable result for Aventura.

Commissioner Zev Auerbach reminded commissioners that efforts to talk about a regional traffic plan had failed because Hallandale Beach said there was no issue caused by The Villages.

Gottlieb observed that lengthy backups on Ives Dairy might force more traffic to Hallandale Beach Boulevard “which might be a good thing.”

The commission’s consensus was that the city should do what it can to improve today’s problem and help traffic bound for Aventura Mall. Traffic bound for The Villages would have to fend for itself.

The commission directed City Manager Eric Soroka to negotiate with FDOT on finding the quickest way to implement the recommended lane changes.