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Mobility
Florida citizens require a transportation system that is not only efficient, but most importantly, safe. Each year, Florida seaports, airports, highways and railways move to Florida more than 80 million visitors who join the state's 18 million residents.
Why Is This Important?
Congestion increases the cost of doing business in Florida. Delays in transporting commerce or getting to work mean a loss of productivity. Larger communities face more challenges with congestion, which leads to higher costs. Using mass transit or a less congested Florida Turnpike system can reduce congestion. In addition to building new roads, others are regularly maintained to keep Florida moving as smoothly as possible.
How Is Florida Doing?
Travelers on the Florida highway system are experiencing travel delays at a significantly lower rate per person. Delays actually fell for the first time this decade. Use of mass transit doubled in fiscal year 2008-09 from the previous year, matching 2005’s rate. Tolls collected by the Florida Turnpike system reveal a slight increase in usage in fiscal year 2008-2009. Most recent figures show that Florida had about the same number of lane miles added and a decrease in new roads and roads adding lanes.
Federal Stimulus Funds and Transportation.
New roads, or the “Number of Lane Miles Added," will increase due to Florida's strategy of committing federal stimulus funds to new roads vs. repaving current roads. On average, Florida maintains more than 42,000 miles each year, with or without stimulus funds. However, Recovery dollars will fund 521 highway projects with many projects focusing on new roads. Florida’s total highway stimulus funding is $1,346,735. Not only will Florida be better off in the future, contractors have presented documented cases of job savings or creation. One North Florida contractor reported that 40 to 50 additional employees would have lost their jobs without one of the new road projects.
Scorecard
What Influences Mobility?
Florida is not only a high priority tourist destination, but is also one of the fastest growing states in the United States. This growth means more people and more automobiles and trucks. This volume puts a strain on the transportation system and requires government planners to keep up. Free roads are normally more extensively traveled than toll roads.
Normal culprits of congestion are morning and evening rush hours. Other factors play significant roles as well. Accidents, especially on bridges, can lead to significant delays. Most drivers have experienced delays when government is performing one of its primary functions – road maintenance. In Florida, heavy rains are a way of life and a contributor to traffic delays.
What Is the State's Role?
The state is required to properly maintain roads and expand them when the need exists and sufficient funding is available. Growth can be properly managed to plan for congestion when new developments are approved.
The State can also promote the use of mass transit, as well as carpooling by providing designated lanes during rush hour traffic. Promoting the use of the turnpike system can decrease congestion, especially in metropolitan areas.
Florida also provides 511 traveler information at:
http://fl511.com
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