Transportation for Florida’s Future
Moving FLORIDA Forward!
The Mess We’re In
Status Quo is Latin for “the
mess we’re in.” -Ronald Reagan
Florida can’t afford the Status Quo!
Florida’s Economy
Florida has a "TRANSPORTATION-based“
economy.
Without good transportation,this region's economy …grinds to a halt.
QUESTION: Is our economy:- tourism,
- agriculture, or - construction-based?
The BIG Picture
TRANSPORTATION is really all about PEOPLE. It provides:
• Safety, • Freedom and • Prosperity to all the PEOPLE of Florida!
Florida’s Explosive Growth
• Lane miles are increasing at 1.3% annually
Lane Miles
0
10
20
30
40
50
6019
95
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Trends in Mobility and Demand on the FIHS:Continued Growth Will Increase System Demands and
Reduce Mobility
Florida’s Explosive Growth
•Lane miles are increasing at 1.3% annually•Population is increasing at 2.3% annually
Lane Miles
Population
0
10
20
30
40
50
6019
95
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Trends in Mobility and Demand on the FIHS:Continued Growth Will Increase System Demands and
Reduce Mobility
Florida’s Explosive Growth
•Lane miles are increasing at 1.3% annually•Population is increasing at 2.3% annually•VMT is increasing at 5.4% annually.
Trends in Mobility and Demand on the FIHS:Continued Growth Will Increase System Demands and
Reduce Mobility
Lane Miles
Population
Daily VMT
0
10
20
30
40
50
6019
95
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
What Growth Means
Each day, nearly 1,100 new residents move to Florida.
Over one year, that’s like adding a new city the size of Tampa to Florida!
Shortfall$22.7Billion
Shortfall$22.7Billion
Funded$48.4Billion
Funded$48.4Billion
$23 Billion “Pothole”
Over the next ten years we need an additional $23 BILLION … just to keep things the way they are TODAY!
Bleak picture?
“The picture’s pretty bleak, gentlemen… The world’s climates are changing, the mammals are taking over, and we all have a brain about the size of a walnut.”
What We Need To Do
1.) Protect Existing Transportation Funding Sources
•State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF) and the new monies from the 2005 Growth Management legislation - $542 million annually
Transportation “Hippocratic Oath” – First Do No Harm!
STOP Highway Robbery!
With a Special Legislative Session on the Budget scheduled for mid-September:
• $80 million in TRANSPORTATION funding have already been targeted by Florida DOT, and
• hundreds of millions more are in jeopardy as well.
STOP Highway Robbery!
• TRUST in GOVERNMENT should not be an OXY-MORON
• When the economy is slowing, don’t apply the brakes
• The first casualty of a revenue downturn shouldn’t be safety
• Traffic congestion is already very bad, why make it worse
• Don’t Pull the Plug on Smart Growth Management
Florida Can’t Move FORWARD If Our Transportation System Is In
REVERSE!
What We Need To Do
2.) Provide MORE Money for Transportation Improvements (from recurring and non-recurring sources)
• Use technology to move away from a gas tax and towards a distance-based user fee. (Oregon pilot program)
• P3s• Electronic Tolling• Managed Lanes (Rapid Bus Transit)
• Truck Tollways
What We Need To Do
3.) Move Ahead Quickly on New Transportation Corridors (… and expand & enhance existing transportation facilities).
TIME = Money!• New corridors paid by tolls – not “robbing
Peter to pay Paul.”• New corridors help provide congestion relief
to existing routes.
What We Need To Do
4.) Empower Local Governments to Do More for Transportation
• Local “Option” Rental Car Surcharge • Index Local Option Gas Tax • Index Motor Vehicle Fees
Selling Transportation
“Sell” TRANSPORTATION to (the 3 Ps):• Public,• Press, and the• Politicians.
Facts are nice, but slogans sell beer.
Aim for the heart…
not the head!
Sell Truth & Offer Hope!
Hope: Story of the rail line built over the Alps from Austria to Italy – before a train existed that could make the trip!
Tell the truth about today’s transportation challenges – really “sell”
the truth – and then offer hope.
FBT – Keeping Florida Moving Douglas J. Callaway, FBT President - (850) 521-1256
www.bettertransportation.org
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