As Gov. Ron DeSantis established his transportation goals of the future in his latest State of the State Address, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) reflected on 2019’s achievements.
DeSantis’ speech covered infrastructure topics under the development of the state’s economic well-being. He discussed efforts to build on a previous executive order outlining protections for natural resources, improving water quality, and restoring the Everglades. Stewardship, he said, was key to economic well-being, since water is the foundation of Florida’s tourism, fishing and boating industries. He lauded the $625 million allotted by the Legislature for water resources and Everglades projects, and funds that helped the Tamiami Trail come into existence — these efforts helped secure another $200 million in federal funds for Everglades restoration. Momentum, he seemed to think, is on Florida’s side.
“We can keep it going by addressing three main areas,” DeSantis said. “First, we should fund water resource projects at the $625 million level on a recurring basis for three years. This will provide needed certainty for these key initiatives and will help us leverage more federal support. Second, the Legislature should pass the comprehensive water quality legislation I have proposed. The bill represents the initial recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force that I launched upon taking office. It is based on sound science and provides a roadmap to reduce nutrients in our water.
“Third, those that spew untreated wastewater into Florida’s water bodies need to be deterred from doing so by appropriate penalties. Too many municipalities have failed to invest in needed upgrades to their water infrastructure in part because it is cheaper to violate the law and pay a nominal fine. This is unacceptable and needs to change. We at the state level will also be doing our part to fortify our infrastructure in our areas most vulnerable to increased flood risks.”
DeSantis also noted that the Division of Emergency Management and Department of Economic Opportunity will disperse more than $1 billion in mitigation funds to areas hurt by the last few years’ hurricanes. All in all, it painted a picture that FDOT calls innovative.
“Governor DeSantis continues to have bold plans for Florida’s infrastructure, and the department is committed to turning his strategic vision into a reality as well as preparing for future growth,” FDOT Secretary Kevin Thibault said. “As a result of the Governor’s leadership, the state is leveraging innovative solutions to improve safety and reduce congestion throughout the state’s transportation system, and I look forward to reporting even more accomplishments in 2020.”
FDOT also took the opportunity to note the state’s achievements throughout 2019. The department earned two U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) awards of nearly $100 million to assist infrastructure projects and received more than $82 million in U.S. DOT BUILD program funds to bring autonomous shuttles to Central Florida, improve transit in Miami-Dade County and enhance the seaport at JAXPort. It also instituted new rail safety measures, completed Phase 1 of the state’s first state-owned autonomous vehicle testing facility–SunTrax–and built express lanes along I-295, bringing a more than 20 percent travel time decrease between S.R. 9B and S.R. 202. Additionally, their efforts widened parts of I-75 to 6 lanes and, in the wake of Hurricane Michael, removed 10 million cubic yards of debris on both state and local roadways in regions hard-hit by the storm.