by David Chapman
Staff Writer
The often discussed idea of a regional transportation authority has one less task force looking into the idea — for now.
During Thursday’s monthly board of directors meeting of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, it was announced that the in-house task force formed earlier this year decided to cease further action until the conceptually similar and legislatively mandated Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Florida Department of Transportation task force report its findings.
Gov. Charlie Crist signed House Bill 1213 in June, charging the two organizations with conducting a study on the framework of such a regional authority, along with revenue sources and the “existing power and duties of the authority, as well as the additional powers and duties necessary for the agency to plan, design, finance, construct, operate, and maintain transportation facilities” with results due by Feb. 1, 2010.
While similar in concept, the two studies were different in scope, as the JTA/FDOT study is to include Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties. The North Florida TPO study was to only look at five. The North Florida TPO task force concept was reintroduced by then-Chair Art Graham and has been chaired by current Chair Doug Conkey since, meeting to discuss the makeup and powers of such an authority, while the legislatively imposed study has met since late June.
North Florida TPO Planning Director Jeff Sheffield said part of the decision was made due to the timeline imposed on the alternate group and encouraged the organization’s task force members to work with the JTA/FDOT study members with input until the February deadline and then revisit the issue.
The JTA/FDOT study group meets the first Wednesday of every month at Thrasher-Horne Center Conference Center, with the next meeting Nov. 4.
In other news from Thursday’s North Florida TPO meeting:
• There were several new and returning faces as well as roles for Thursday’s meeting. Lora Hollingsworth, interim secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation Dist. 2, filled in for the now-retired Charles Baldwin and will continue to do so until a permanent hire has been named. City Council member Daniel Davis was recently appointed to the board of directors by Mayor John Peyton as his alternate, while former Atlantic Beach Mayor and North Florida TPO member John Meserve returns as a City Council member for the departed Art Graham.
• Three board members were named to the organization’s Legislative Committee. Travis Cummings, Clay County commissioner; Danny Leeper, Nassau County commissioner ; and Phil Mays, St. Johns County commissioner ; will fill the positions and meet once a month to go over legislature measures that could potentially affect the North Florida TPO.
• The Envision 2035 Draft Cost Feasible Plan was presented to the board for review and comments by Wylie Page, who described the three-step process. The board first adopted the program’s Need Plans (179 roadway and transit projects at $12 billion) Sept. 10, then forecasted revenues to fund those projects, which turned out to be $42. billion in state and federal sources. The last step considered the 19 adopted North Florida TPO projects, an additional project for widening Alta Drive, 13 transit projects and the funding for a Transportation Center. All are in the process of final public input, with final adoption plan to be voted on by North Florida TPO board members at the November meeting.
• Many of the board members discussed attending the upcoming 2009 Global Trade & Transportation Symposium Oct. 20 at the Marriott Southpoint. A Transportation Horizons Panel on the topic of future transportation plans of Northeast Florida will feature new Jacksonville Aviation Authority Executive Director and CEO Steve Grossman, JTA Executive Director Michael Blaylock, current Assistant State Attorney Dan McCarthy and Jacksonville Port Authority Executive Director Rick Ferrin. In addition, attendees will get a legislative update from FDOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos and a keynote speech from Urban Land Institute Senior Resident Fellow and former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy.
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