Increasing Population Calls for Innovative Transportation Solutions
By Carrie Elizabeth Bradon | The Florida Free Press
ORLANDO — Florida’s steady population growth in recent years has triggered an increased strain on the state’s roads; local planning organizations are taking innovative strides, however, to increase transportation efficiency for residents and visitors alike.
In Central Florida alone, projects related to public transportation abound — totaling roughly $7.4 billion in combined budgets — Gary Huttmann, executive director at MetroPlan Orlando, the planning organization for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, told The Florida Free Press.
“We have many transportation projects in the works — everything from I-4 Ultimate — one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country —to expanding trails, buying buses, running trains, retiming traffic signals, and building complete streets,” Huttmann said.
In addition to the public projects, Huttmann explained that private investments are also coming to Central Florida’s transportation scene. These efforts include the much-anticipated Virgin Trains intercity rail line — a line that will connect Central Florida to the Orlando International Airport and the South Florida area — in addition to the extensive 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
“We live in a growing region, and that growth is expected to continue,” Huttman said. “We have to focus on moving people, not just moving cars.”
In fact, according to the Florida Chamber, the state’s population growth is anticipated to reach 26 million — an increase of 6 million — by 2030. The 2045 plan seeks to improve the options for safe transportation as the state becomes more heavily populated, Huttmann said.
While many Central Florida residents rely on cars for their daily commutes, MetroPlan realizes that fewer cars on the road will result in better traffic flow. In order for the number of cars to decrease, however, residents will require supplemental transportation options.
“When it’s easier for people to move around using non-car options, this has the potential to free up space for those who are in a car traveling on the surface streets as well,” Huttmann said. “Providing good public transportation options also helps families access jobs, healthcare, and education opportunities.”
Though locals may fear certain aspects of these transportation projects — such as worsened traffic conditions, construction noise, etc. — MetroPlan Orlando is striving to ensure that such impacts are kept to a minimum.
“We work hard in the transportation planning to make sure that any impacts are mitigated or eliminated,” Huttmann said. “If we keep the transportation system moving, we keep the economy moving. This helps everyone in our community.”
This story is part of an ongoing series investigating transportation innovation in the state of Florida.
