by David Chapman
Staff Writer
With an eye toward the legislative session, board members of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization approved agenda items Thursday geared toward state representatives.
Their first request: That legislators do not touch the State Transportation Trust Fund for nontransportation purposes, including balancing the state budget.
Board members approved the agenda unanimously.
The agenda is broken down into strong support of legislation, support of legislation and encouraging legislative categories.
In addition to supporting a hands-off approach to the trust fund, other “strongly supported” measures include:
• Allowance of strategic intermodal system funds for use on roads and other transportation facilities not designated on the system if it would alleviate congestion on the system.
• Allowance of all counties that are members of a TPO to implement a surtax to fund local and regional transportation projects and services.
• Legislation that would create a dedicated funding source for paratransit and community transportation services.
Items “supported” included:
• The Road Rangers program.
• Protection of home rule.
• Allowance of counties to impose local option taxes by a simple majority vote along with a super majority vote to repeal local option gas taxes.
• Allowance of indexing a local option gas tax to the consumer price index.
The third tier of “encouragement” includes legislation for the expanded use of local option taxes to include operation and maintenance costs; to ensure Florida high-speed rail; regulation of electronic wireless communication devices while operating a moving vehicle; and resolving insurance, liability and indemnification issues associated with new passenger rail service.
In other news from the meeting:
• The board elected officers for the coming year with current Chair Doug Conkey earning the nod for a second time. Conkey, a Clay County commissioner, was eligible to be re-elected, as he took over the role from Art Graham, former City Council member and current Public Service Commission chair. Nassau County Commissioner Danny Leeper was elected vice chair and Beaches representative Mike Borno takes over as treasurer.
• As part of an information-only portion of the meeting, James Bennett of the Florida Department of Transportation gave board members an update on the Interstate 95 Overland Bridge project near Downtown. The project, which begins between Emerson Street and San Diego Road and ends at the Fuller Warren Bridge, was originally a five-year project dedicated to fixing southbound traffic at a cost of $146 million. But, based on public comments, the plans have changed to include northbound improvements that will actually cut the five-year construction window to three while creating a safer work zone at a $224 million price tag. The changes will be discussed during a public workshop in January.
• Bennett also gave a shortened version of the lengthy FDOT work program from fiscal years 2011-12 through 2015-16, which was discussed in detail during the last workshop.
• There is no board meeting in January. Regular monthly meetings will resume Feb. 10.
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