[00:00:01]
[1. Call to Order and Pledge]
WELCOME. LET'S CALL THE ORDER.OKAY [INAUDIBLE] IS COMMENCING.
OKAY. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE.
MAYOR. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU. CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR A TRAGEDY THAT IS HAPPENING? AND MAYOR JOSH LEVY LOST FAMILY IN ISRAEL.
SO A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE.
[2. Electronic Roll Call]
THIS IS ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL.FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE BY LAWRENCE MARTIN.
FOR THE RECORD, ALSO, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE VIRTUALLY ATTENDING WHEN A MOTION IS MADE, IF YOU OPPOSE THE MOTION THAT'S BEEN MADE, YOU NEED TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO US VIRTUALLY SO THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THAT.
OTHERWISE, IT WILL BE BELIEVED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU ARE VOTING WITH THE MAJORITY.
ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND? OKAY. LET'S GO TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[3. Approval of Minutes - September 14, 2023]
ANYBODY. ANYBODY.A MOTION AND VIRTUAL. YOU HAVE A MOTION TO BY COMMISSIONER COLBOURNE AND A SECOND BY MAYOR BRUNSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR VOTE YAY OR NAY.
VIRTUAL. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE ALL SET.
OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
WE HAVE. OKAY, LET'S GO TO EXCUSED ABSENCES.
[4. Approval of Excused Absences]
JOY COOPER AND BUZ OLDAKER ARE THE TWO MEMBERS WHO ARE HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.ALL RIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR? I DON'T SEE A VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
[5. Approval of Agenda]
ALL RIGHT. VIRTUALLY.WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING THERE, BRYAN? BRYAN. YEAH, THIS IS KARL.
KARL. ARE YOU CATCHING THEM ALL? YEAH.
CHAIR ORTIS, THIS IS KARL MPO STAFF.
I'M JUST UPDATING THE ATTENDANCE FOR COMMISSIONER SIMMONS, WHO JUST CAME IN.
YEAH. WAS HE LATE? [LAUGHTER] NO. OH.
THANK YOU. THEN YOU'RE EXCUSED.
YOU'RE ABSENT. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET BACK.
COMMISSIONER UDINE IS ALSO NOT ABSENT.
HE WAS HAVING A DELICIOUS BAGEL AS WELL.
WE'RE BACK TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
SO REBECCA'S NOT HERE, SO KARL'S JUST A STEP SLOWER.
HE'S STILL LEARNING HOW TO DO IT.
SHAKING OFF THE RUST. HERE'S TO THE RUST.
GOOD JOB TOO. OKAY, WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT.
HOW ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENTS? THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS MORNING.
WE'LL GO WITH THAT TO CONSENT ITEMS NUMBER ONE.
[ CONSENT ITEMS (All Items Open for Public Comment) ]
OKAY. SO WE HAVE THREE ITEMS OF CONSENT.ITEM TWO MOTION TO APPROVE A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BROWARD METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND ALFRED BENESCH AND COMPANY FOR 2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE AND AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S VOTE ON THE CONSENT ITEMS.
[00:05:05]
YOU KNOW WE GOT IT ALL.YEAH. CHRIS CAPUTO IS SECONDED.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION MADE AN A SECOND.
AND PLEASE VOTE TO APPROVE THE THREE CONSENT ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE WE VOTED.
OKAY, LET'S GO TO ITEM ONE TO ENDORSE.
[1. MOTION TO ENDORSE the Route to 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Project Prioritization Process]
THIS IS THE REGULAR ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION IF YOU'D LIKE, OR YOU CAN JUST TAKE IT AND VOTE ON IT.I NEED A MOTION TO.ROUTE TO 2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN MTP PROJECT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS.
AND WHETHER YOU PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU WANT TO.
OKAY, MEMBERS YOU WANT TO JUST PASS IT OR DO YOU WANT A PRESENTATION? OKAY, WE'LL TAKE A PRESENTATION.
YES. MR. RESTREPO. YES. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY ISN'T ANYTHING BRAND NEW.
THESE ARE BASICALLY A RECAP OF THE PREVIOUS TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE GIVEN TO ALL OF YOU ALL.
SO THIS IS PART THREE OF OUR TRILOGY THAT WILL BE CULMINATING WITH TODAY.
THEY ARE COMPLETE STREETS, ROADWAY, TRANSIT & HUBS, TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY AND RESILIENCY.
SO THE GREEN, BLUE, BLUE AND TEAL COLORS THERE.
SO THOSE ARE OUR PROGRAMS. AT OUR SECOND PRESENTATION THAT WE GAVE TO YOU.
SO OUR SECOND SO OUR SEQUEL TO THE FIRST ONE WE INTRODUCED OUR PRIORITIZATION FACTORS.
SO THE FIRST PRIORITIZATION FACTOR IS EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
SO SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TO SCORE PROJECTS IN THAT CATEGORY WILL BE OUR EQUITY TOOL, WHETHER A PROJECT SUPPORTS TRANSIT, SUPPORTS COMMUNITIES HOUSING, SUPPORTS NON AUTO DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO ACCESS TO ACTIVITY CENTERS.
AND THEN ALSO IF A PROJECT HAS ANY IMPACT TO NATURAL OR BUILT ENVIRONMENTS.
AND THEN OUR LAST FACTOR WILL BE ECONOMIC VITALITY AND MOBILITY.
SO THIS IS SUPPORTING THINGS LIKE THE MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT AND GOODS, CREATING ALTERNATIVES TO SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, OUR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR OF OUR FACILITIES. SO THE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF THAT AND HOW WE UPDATE THAT AND MAINTAIN THAT, REDUCING TRAVEL TIME, PEAK DELAY AND THEN ANY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT WE DO FOR ITS.
SO ALL OF THAT FIBER NETWORK AND GOOD COMMUNICATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE OUR THREE FACTORS AND THE CRITERIA THAT SUPPORT THEM.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE INTRODUCED IN THE LAST PRESENTATION.
AND THEN FOR ECONOMIC VITALITY AND MOBILITY TO HAVE A 30 POINTS.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A FULL ROUNDED NUMBER OF 100.
SO A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POINTS A PROJECT CAN GET THROUGH OUR PRIORITIZATION PROCESS IS 100 POINTS.
SO WHAT YOU'RE ENDORSING TODAY IS JUST THE OVERALL PROCESS.
AND THEN AT THE VERY END, WE'LL HAVE A FULL LIST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE RANKED AND PRIORITIZE THAT FIT WITHIN EACH ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND I'M HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM.
I SAW IN THE HANDOUT THERE WAS PROPOSED TAX CHANGES.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE FROM WHAT YOU JUST SHOWED US, THEY WERE INCORPORATED.
[00:10:10]
AROUND FOR THE ACCESSIBILITY SAY INTO THE HUBS OR.YES. SO I'LL SHOW YOU SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT NON AUTO UNDER EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
SO PROVIDING ANY KIND OF FACILITY THAT SUPPORTS ANY KIND OF MOVEMENT THAT DOESN'T RELY ON AUTO.
SO A GREENWAY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD FIT UNDER THAT CATEGORY FOR BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN.
WELL THANK YOU. YEAH. MR. SIMMONS. ALL RIGHT.
ALSO, THANK YOU FOR THE VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION.
I CAN GO LONGER IF YOU NEED ME TO, I THINK I THINK THAT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION. I DON'T WANT TO I'M NOT ARGUING OVER FOUR POINTS OR 30 OR 40, BUT CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE PRIORITIZATION IS BROKEN DOWN THE WAY IT IS.
SO WHY IS IT THAT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC WHAT IS IT ECONOMIC VITALITY RANKED BELOW, YOU KNOW, SAFETY OR EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY. AND I'M JUST I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THAT THE RANKINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE.
YEAH. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT.
FIRST, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE AND DATA SOURCES TO SUPPORT THAT CRITERIA SO THAT WE CAN GIVE POINTS TO A PROJECT, BUT ALSO ON A NON DATA SIDE, IT'S REALLY A LOT OF THE COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE PUBLIC.
WE HAD A SURVEY THAT WE ASKED WHAT THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITIES WERE.
AND WE ALSO WENT TO THE CAC OR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO TAKING ALL OF THAT IN TOGETHER, LOOKING AT WHAT WE DID FOR THE 2045 PLAN, WE'VE COME UP WITH THIS POINT SYSTEM THAT WE THINK BEST REPRESENTS HOW WE CAN SCORE PROJECTS IN THE 2050 PLAN.
SHOULD I GO FURTHER? IS THAT GOOD? IF YOU GOT ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? LET'S VOTE.
MOTION MADE BY YVETTE COBURN, SECOND BY MISS MCGEE.
ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. LET'S VOTE. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD PRESENTATION.
[2. MOTION TO APPROVE: A. Agreement No. 24-04 Between the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization and Deloitte Consulting LLP for MPO Regional Data and Transportation Analytics (MRDATA) in an Amount Not to Exceed $5,000,000 B. Task Work Order No. 1 Between the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization and Deloitte Consulting LLP for Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Project Simulation in an Amount Not to Exceed $519,674.68]
SIR. YES. ITEM TWO IS MADE UP OF TWO ITEMS. WE'LL TAKE THEM EACH INDIVIDUALLY.THE FIRST IS FOR AGREEMENT NUMBER 24-04 BETWEEN THE BROWARD EXCUSE ME METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND DELOITTE CONSULTING LLP FOR MPO REGIONAL DATA AND TRANSPORTATION AND ANALYTICS.
MRDATA IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5 MILLION.
YES, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS THE ONE WHERE WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO ALL THE DATA IS COMING IN FROM CELL PHONES, ALL THAT STUFF COMING IN, ALL THE DIFFERENT UBERS, LYFT, ALL THE DIFFERENT, ALL THAT INFORMATION.
EVERYBODY THAT WILL PROVIDE US DATA WILL END UP.
EVERYWHERE WE CAN GET IT. YEAH, EXACTLY.
THE REASON IT'S $5 MILLION CONTRACT IS THIS TASK WORK ORDER IS WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO OFFER IT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THE COUNTY, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE DATA AND ACTUALLY ANALYZE THE DATA.
ALL RIGHT. THERE IS A MOTION BY MEMBER.
OH NO IT HASN'T BEEN MADE ELECTRONICALLY YET.
CHAIR ORTIS I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BREAK THIS AGENDA ITEM UP INTO A AND B? NO GO ONE AND TWO. YOU DO IT.
OR DO YOU WANT IT? YEAH. DO YOU WANT A SEPARATE OR DO IT TOGETHER.
YOU WANT A SEPARATE. I'D DO IT SEPARATELY.
SEPARATELY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S DO SEPARATE ITEM ONE.
JUST GIVE ME ONE MOMENT THEN I HAVE TO SEPARATE THAT.
YEAH IT WAS DONE AS ONE BIG ITEM.
THEY WANT IT SEPARATE. THE ATTORNEY WOULD LIKE IT SEPARATE.
COMMISSIONER SIMMONS MAKES A MOTION.
LET'S. SHE NEEDS TO JOIN A GAME SHOW.
SO THERE WAS A. WE STILL NEED TO.
LET'S VOTE. FOR THE RECORD WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO IT ELECTRONICALLY.
SO, PLEASE. WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO GET THAT THROUGH, BUT EVERYBODY'S TALKING UP HERE.
SOME PEOPLE. ALL RIGHT? IT'S GOOD THAT EVERYONE'S HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME, I KNOW.
OKAY. ARE WE UP? YEP. READY? MS. MCGEE MAKES A MOTION, SECONDED BY CAPUTO.
[00:15:02]
ITEM ONE. ALL RIGHT.NEED A MOTION. AND IT'S APPROVED BY COMMISSIONER SIMMONS.
A OKAY. MOVING TO ITEM B OF THAT MOTION A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM TWO.
THIS IS TASKED WORK ORDER NUMBER ONE BETWEEN THE BROWARD METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION DELOITTE CONSULTING LLP FOR METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN MTP PROJECT SIMULATION, AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $519,675.
OKAY. GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SIMMONS.
HOW ABOUT ITEM B? THAT WAS IT. READY TO GO TO REGULAR ITEMS? REGULAR GO. ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO IT.
COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR. MR. CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO PROVIDE?
[8. Comments from the Chair]
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.ANYBODY FROM OKAY? NONE. GO AHEAD.
ALL RIGHT THEN, I'M GOING TO SPEAK.
[10. Executive Director’s Report]
OTHER THAN HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYBODY.OBVIOUSLY WE ARE GETTING THROUGH THIS IN RECORD SPEED.
THERE IS A COUPLE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN A FEW MINUTES THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO DIGEST, BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU EXAMPLES OF WHAT BUS RAPID TRANSIT WILL LOOK LIKE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY QUARTERS THE COUNTY COMMISSION IS GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD WITH, TO PROVIDE BETTER LAYERS OF TRANSPORTATION HERE IN BROWARD COUNTY, AS WELL AS HOW THE PENNY SURTAX WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO WE'RE KIND OF REALLY EXCITED TO BE PRESENTING THAT.
BUT I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HAS BEEN GOING ON.
AND WE HAD THAT $5 MILLION AWARD WITH THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.
AND WE WERE COMMISSIONER SIMMONS YOU SAVED MY BUTT A SECOND WITH A NEWSPAPER THERE.
I APPRECIATE THAT. I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS LIKE A DEER IN THE HEADLIGHT MOMENT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO RECOGNIZE IS WE'RE ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
THEY HAD A SELECTION COMMITTEE AND THEY MADE A FINAL SELECTION.
THEY'RE GOING INTO NEGOTIATIONS, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY.
WE HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE ASSEMBLED AND PUT TOGETHER, AND WE'RE TARGETING THAT SOMETIME BY JUNE TO HAVE THINGS MOVING FORWARD AS FAR AS COMMITTEES AND EVERYBODY PARTICIPATING WITH THAT.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU ALL ISN'T THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH AT THE MOMENT.
BUT WHEN WE SUBMIT IT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR APPROVAL, EACH ONE OF YOUR CITIES, EVERY COUNTY WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FROM US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN A VERY LARGE AMOUNTS.
WE ALSO APPLIED FOR A SMART CITIES GRANT THAT JUST WENT IN.
THAT KIND OF FEEDS OFF OF THE MRDATA CONVERSATION.
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE IT IN TASK WORK ORDER, NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO THE DATA GAME, BUT ALSO IT ALLOWS US TO BRING IN THE GRANT SHOULD WE BE AWARDED AND ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
WE ARE GOING TOGETHER WITH BOTH DELOITTE AND GOOGLE AS CO APPLICANTS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH US TO PROVIDE THE PLATFORMS. THE CITY OF MIRAMAR HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO COME WITH US AS WELL ON THE JOURNEY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE TYING A LOT OF THEIR LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE WATER, SEWER FACILITIES, LIGHTING AND SO FORTH INTO THE BRAIN SYSTEM OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DEVELOPING, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
OUR BIG KICKOFF. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP TO SHOW UP FOR THAT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY IN DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND THAT IS ABOUT $100 MILLION, OR A $400 MILLION PROJECT THAT WILL MOVE FORWARD THAT WE'LL BE DOING TOGETHER WITH FDOT AS WELL AS THE CITY OF HOLLYWOOD, TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH CURRENT CLIMATE CHANGE CONDITIONS THAT ARE FLOODING IN EASTERN HOLLYWOOD.
HOWEVER, WE CONTINUE OUR WINNING STREAK AND IT IS A GOOD THING TOO, TO KNOW.
[00:20:01]
WE ACTUALLY CAME BACK FROM CLEVELAND.WE OBVIOUSLY DID A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS.
WE'RE LEADING THE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION.
I HAD A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH USDOT THE BUILD AMERICA PROGRAM.
MR. MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT OR IF THEY SAID ANYTHING YET ON THE AWARD, BUT YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE IS TEED UP FOR A VERY LARGE AWARD, WHICH IS GOOD TOO.
AND WE'RE HAPPY FOR THEM BECAUSE THAT'S A GOOD MOVING FORWARD OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO CELEBRATE IT, IT'S OKAY.
I DON'T LIKE GIVING OUT AWARDS EITHER.
FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU DO THAT? NO, IT'S NOT IN THE QUEUE YET.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? VERIZON, YOU'RE IN A QUEUE, MAYOR.
SO THANK YOU, GREG, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE HAS BEEN A RECIPIENT OF AN AWARD OF APPROXIMATELY $1 MILLION IN ORDER TO AS A PRECURSOR TO A LARGER AWARD, WHICH WE'LL BE SEEKING IN ORDER TO PURSUE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO EXPLORE AND IDENTIFY PURPOSES FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS, WHICH WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND TO HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM THROUGH THE CITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY TOOK AN INFORMAL VOTE YESTERDAY AND DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUILD A BRIDGE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS, THAT ANY EFFORT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT IS GOING TO BE FUTILE.
THE REALITY IS THAT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND FIND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT THE CITY WENT INDEPENDENTLY AND APPLIED FOR THIS MONEY BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. AND WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO PURSUE INDEPENDENT ANALYZES OF THE COST AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A TUNNEL APPROACH, AS OPPOSED TO A BRIDGE APPROACH. THE COUNTY WAS PRESENTED WITH AN ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE BY THE WHITE HOUSE GROUP WE FEEL WAS BASED ON FAULTY METRICS. AND THEREFORE WE ARE PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION THAT WE FEEL IS MORE RELIABLE AND BASED ON ON STATISTICS AND REPORTS BY PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY BUILD TUNNELS.
AND SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
WHEN MITCH LANDRIEU WAS HERE LAST APRIL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS, HE'S THE FORMER MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS, AND HE'S NOW THE WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF ALL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO WE MET WITH MITCH IN WASHINGTON, AND THEN MITCH CAME HERE TO FORT LAUDERDALE TO REVIEW.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE BIG FLOOD IN APRIL, AND I WAS BUILDING MY ARK.
WE ALL AGREED THAT A BRIDGE CANNOT BE BUILT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF FORT LAUDERDALE.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE SECRETARY IS COMING DOWN NEXT WEEK.
BUT IF THIS IF THE MPO IS SERIOUS ABOUT COMMUTER RAIL, I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO JUST BE FOCUSED TOGETHER ON A SINGLE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE WILL NEVER SIGN ON TO A BRIDGE.
SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS GOING FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU, GREG, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I ALSO WANT TO COMMENT ON ADDITIONALLY, WE PUT TOGETHER AN APPLICATION WITH THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE FOR ABOUT $1 MILLION AS WELL WITH THE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM.
AND SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WILL ALSO COME TOGETHER.
THE MAYOR AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WE PUBLICLY ADVERTISED A MEETING WITH MAYOR FISHER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW ACTUALLY, ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU ALL THROUGH THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
[00:25:01]
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY TO START DEVELOPING WAYS TO TAKE OUR EAST WEST STATE ROADS AND EITHER GO UNDER OR OVER THE FEC TRACKS, WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL ROADWAY CAPACITY, WHICH IS A GOOD THING FOR ALL OF US, PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES, WHICH IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AS WE HAVE MORE TRAINS ALONG THE CORRIDORS, WHETHER THEY'RE ABOVE OR UNDER.SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT GREG IS SAYING, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY AN INTERESTING APPROACH.
THE COUNTY AND THE CITY MET A FEW WEEKS BACK AND TALKED ABOUT A 25 FOOT BRIDGE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE BRIGHTLINE STATION NOT TO HAVE TO BE REBUILT.
AND IT WOULD ALSO NOT REQUIRE A BRIDGE TO BE BUILT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
IT WOULD JUST THE TRACKS WOULD LAND RIGHT BEFORE BROWARD BOULEVARD.
AND IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A COMMITMENT BY THE COUNTY TO CREATE UNDERPASSES.
SO WHERE BROWARD BOULEVARD IS AND WHERE SISTRUNK BOULEVARD IS AND WHERE SUNRISE BOULEVARD IS, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO TUNNEL OR BRIDGE THEY WOULD BUILD, WE WOULD BUILD UNDERPASSES UNDER THOSE UNDER THE TRACKS TO ALLOW FOR TRAFFIC TO FLOW MORE SMOOTHLY.
BECAUSE BRIGHTLINE ANTICIPATES AS MANY AS 50 TO 100 NEW TRAINS A DAY AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE, RIGHT? THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATING.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT A 25 FOOT BRIDGE BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THE 25 FOOT BRIDGE WILL ACCOMMODATE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT CONTINUES TO FLOW UP AND DOWN THE RIVER. SO.
SO HAVING HEARD THAT DIRECTLY FROM MARINE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION, WE'RE ALL BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
AND RIGHT NOW, ANYTHING ABOVE A 25 FOOT BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE IS NOT ACCEPTED TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE BROWARD WORKSHOP, ALL OF WHICH HAVE HAVE AGREED THAT THE TUNNEL IS THE ONLY APPROACH THAT WE CAN TAKE AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THE DISCUSSION.
AND THEN FINALLY, I ACTUALLY WANT TO GIVE ONE MORE THING.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONER UDINE. THANK YOU.
IS MY MIC ON OKAY? SO WE HAD OUR WORKSHOP AND I'M NOT.
I DON'T WANT TO CRITICIZE THE COMMENTS MADE BY MAYOR TRANTALIS.
MAYOR FISHER MADE SOME COMMENTS AT THAT MEETING, WHICH I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO WATCH THE MEETING.
YOU KNOW WHAT HIS COMMENTS WERE, WHAT I WOULD SUMMARIZE FOR THOSE FOR THAT, THE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T THERE AND THAT AREN'T WATCHING IT, THERE'S A COMMITMENT THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO HAVE COMMUTER RAIL.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THAT'S A COMMITMENT OF ALL OF US HERE.
WE WANT TO SEE COMMUTER RAIL UP AND DOWN THAT CORRIDOR AS WE'VE DONE THESE REPORTS, AND AS THESE REPORTS HAVE COME IN FROM FDOT AND FROM THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, THE PRICES FOR THE TUNNEL ARE SOMEWHERE AROUND TEN TIMES WHAT THE PRICE FOR THE BRIDGE IS.
SO THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
IT WAS A JOINT CONSULTANT THAT WAS DONE.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS A CONSULTANT THAT WAS SELECTED.
THE SCOPE OF SERVICE WAS WORKED OUT TOGETHER AND THEY CONFIRMED THE NUMBERS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO SPEND $3 BILLION TO BUILD A TUNNEL WHEN THEY CAN BUILD A BRIDGE FOR $300,000.
SO SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THE FREIGHT COMPANIES ARE NOT MOVING, THEY'RE STAYING ON GRADE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF UNOBTRUSIVE.
YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN BROWARD BOULEVARD.
SO THAT'S REALLY A BIG ISSUE WITH ALL OF THIS.
NOW I'VE BEEN IN ON THE MEETINGS.
[00:30:02]
I'VE, TRAVELED WITH MAYOR TRANTALIS.WE'VE ALL HAD COMPANIES COME TO US AND EVERYBODY SAYS WE CAN BUILD A TUNNEL MUCH CHEAPER.
SO WE KEEP GOING BY WHAT THESE NUMBERS ARE.
I'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE TUNNEL PROJECTS.
YOU GUYS ALL NEEDED TO JUST TURN THE NEWS ON WITH THE SUBWAY SYSTEM.
A FEW MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS WATER POURING INTO THE SUBWAY SYSTEM.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD A TUNNEL IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE COMMUTER RAIL IF WE WANT TO DO THAT.
WE PUT IT RIGHT UP TO THE SOUTH PART BECAUSE MIAMI DADE HAS ALREADY MADE SOME COMPLETION.
BUT THE WAY THIS REALLY WORKS IS TO HAVE A WHOLE CORRIDOR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING THIS FORWARD.
IF THERE'S NOT IF THE FORT LAUDERDALE ONLY POSITION IS IT HAS TO BE A TUNNEL.
THEY'RE RIGHT? THERE'S NEVER GOING TO BE A COMMUTER RAIL.
THERE WILL NOT BE COMMUTER RAIL.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A TUNNEL BUILT UNDER FORT LAUDERDALE.
FEC HAS SAID THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S UNDER THE RIGHT OF WAY THERE.
THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE MIND BOGGLING WHAT THEY DID IN MIAMI DADE FOR THE ONE MILE TUNNEL OR WHATEVER IT IS DOWN THERE, CAME IN WAY OVER BUDGET.
THE NUMBERS DON'T EVEN MAKE SENSE.
THERE'S A MILLION ACRONYMS. I CAN'T FIGURE THEM ALL OUT.
I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE SMARTER PEOPLE THAT SIT ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROOM.
OKAY. WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE TRYING TO DO A DEEPENING AND WIDENING PORT OF PORT EVERGLADES.
OKAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU. SO SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISAGREEMENT ON SOME OF THE FACTS.
AND JUST TO CORRECT A COUPLE OF THINGS, WHEN SOMEONE WHEN MAYOR UDINE FORMER MAYOR UDINE, WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BUILD A TUNNEL, WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE A TUNNEL IN FORT LAUDERDALE.
AND THE ORIGINAL PRICE FOR THE MIAMI TUNNEL WAS $3 BILLION, AND IT CAME IN AT 1.1 BILLION.
AND I MET WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THE CONSULTANTS AND ENGINEERS FOR THAT PROJECT IN MIAMI, AND THEY CAN'T WAIT TO START THE TUNNEL PROJECT IN FORT LAUDERDALE BECAUSE THEY SAID IT'S ALREADY IT'S THE TECHNOLOGY, THE GEOLOGY, EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF TUNNELS IN SOUTH FLORIDA IT'S ALREADY BEEN ANALYZED AND ASSESSED. AND IT'S A VERY, VERY DOABLE PROJECT.
SO WHOEVER IS FEEDING YOU THAT INFORMATION, I KNOW YOU'RE JUST REPEATING WHAT YOU'RE BEING TOLD.
THEY BUILD BRIDGES. SO THE PEOPLE WHO BUILD BRIDGES ARE GOING TO ADVOCATE BRIDGES.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT BUILD TUNNELS ARE GOING TO ADVOCATE TUNNELS.
SO I DON'T BUILD BRIDGES OR TUNNELS.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANT TO DO IS BUILD A COMMUNITY HERE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY.
THANK YOU. AS I'M SPEAKING MORE GENERALLY AND LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION, I JUST HAD THIS THOUGHT, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS KEEP THIS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS HERE AT THE MPO IS SOUTH FLORIDA HAS A VERY FRAUGHT HISTORY WITH TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS BEING PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, PREDOMINANTLY BLACK COMMUNITIES.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRIDGES, TUNNELS, ROADWAY EXPANSIONS, ALL THESE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE ARE MINDFUL HOW THEY'RE BEING PLACED, WHERE THEY'RE BEING PLACED AND WHO THEY ARE IMPACTING BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF.
SO AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, AND I'LL LET MY MORE SEASONED ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO I ALL LOOK UP TO, ARGUE ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE.
THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MALLOZZI.
TWO THINGS, ONE, I WAS JUST IN ORLANDO FOR THE FLORIDA LEAGUE LEGISLATIVE.
I CAN'T WHAT DO WE CALL IT? MEETING. THANK YOU.
IT WAS $80 ONE WAY FOR ONE PERSON.
AND THAT DROPPED YOU OFF AT THE AIRPORT.
THEN IT WAS TO GET TO THE HOTEL WHERE WE WERE.
[00:35:03]
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT $130.SO NOW WHEN BRIGHTLINE SAYS TO WHOMEVER THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE 50 TRAINS, I QUESTION WHO'S ON THOSE 50 TRAINS BECAUSE I'M A FAMILY OF FIVE.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT BRIGHTLINE IS GOING TO HAVE AND I JUST GOOGLED IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NUMBERS WERE CORRECT FOR CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER, THE FARES ARE $40, BUT THAT'S ONE WAY.
SO IF I WANT TO TAKE MY CHILDREN TO GO SEE THE MOUSE AND I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE AND I WANT TO BE GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S GOING TO COST ME ALMOST AS MUCH TO GET INTO THE PARK AS IT IS TO GET THERE BY USING BRIGHTLINE.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE REALLY, WHEN THEY SAY 50 TRAINS A DAY ARE GOING TO BE ON THOSE TRAINS? SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AND I DON'T KNOW TO WHOM I DIRECT THIS TO, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM AIMLESSLY, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A STUDY ON THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, AT $80 A PERSON AND THEN YOUR UBER FARE, YOUR CAB FARE, WHATEVER TO GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO YOUR DESTINATION, THAT'S ONE WAY, YOUR REGULAR PERSON, A REGULAR PERSON THAT HAS A JOB THAT'S NOT A COMMUTER TRAIN AND A PERSON THAT MIGHT BE ON VACATION WITH THEIR FAMILY, THAT'S NOTHING THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
SO THAT'S ONE POINT AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
THE SECOND POINT IS I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COMMISSIONER SIMMONS SAID.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY BUILD THE BRIDGES AT THE MPO CONFERENCE THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, YOU HAD GIVEN ONE OF THE PRESENTERS, I DON'T RECALL THE NAME HAD DONE.
THEY HAD REALLY DONE A GREAT REVAMP, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, AND THEY MADE THAT A HUB WITH RESTAURANTS AND A GO TO AND THEY SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS, THEY MADE A WONDERFUL SITUATION OF SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT PRETTY.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN AN AREA THAT MIGHT BE DISADVANTAGED, AT LEAST DO WHAT THEY DID DOWN THERE AND MAKE IT A BUSTLING AREA THAT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE THERE.
THANK YOU. I DROVE BACK FROM THAT MEETING AND I WISH I TOOK BRIGHTLINE.
THEY'VE GOT SOME NEW FARES COMING UP THEY'RE FULL.
BRIGHTLINE, COMMUTER RAIL YEAH, OKAY.
THOSE ARE SPECIAL ONES. AM I ON. COMMISSIONER STURMAN? YES YOU ARE. TWO QUICK THINGS I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY ONE, I'LL BE BACK.
THE HAVING A TUNNEL WOULD THAT PRECLUDE THE UNDERPASSES? BECAUSE I MEAN.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT IF A TUNNEL WERE TO HAPPEN.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO GO DEEP AND GO LONG, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE LIKE THE MIAMI DADE TUNNEL THAT GOES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT CUT, THAT ACTUALLY GOES EXTREMELY DEEP.
AND THAT WAS TO GET UNDER OUR SEWER LINE.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
SO IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE TO FORT LAUDERDALE, BUT THAT UNIQUENESS OF THE TUNNEL OR THE NEW RIVER CROSSING IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS IT COMES. OKAY, VICE CHAIR JOHNSON.
YOU'RE NOT ON. YOU HAVE TO GO.
I HAD TO TAKE THE BRIGHTLINE TO ORLANDO.
YEAH. AM I ON YOU? ON. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, I GREW UP IN SUBURBAN NEW YORK AND A LONG TIME AGO, AND WE HAD THE LINCOLN TUNNEL AND THE HOLLAND TUNNEL, AND THEY WERE BUILT IN 1927 AND EARLY 1930S.
AND THOSE TUNNELS ARE STILL THERE.
SO BUT THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON, THE BRIGHT LINE THING, I KNEW A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE TWO WEEKS AGO THAT WENT ON A CRUISE FROM THE VILLAGES. THERE WERE 12 OF THEM, AND WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO FORT LAUDERDALE, THEY COULDN'T GET AN UBER, EVERYTHING.
AND SO THEY COULDN'T GET AN UBER.
SO THEY GOT OVER TO THE BRIGHTLINE STATION LATE AND MISSED THE TRAIN.
AND BRIGHTLINE ISSUES ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS IF YOU MISS THE TRAIN FOR ANY REASON, NO REFUNDS.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT WAS LEFT FOR THE NEXT DAY AND A HALF WAS THE PREMIUM FARE.
[00:40:06]
SO THEY ALL HAD TO KICK UP TO THAT REALLY EXPENSIVE PREMIUM FARE.ALL BY CHOICE. SO OKAY, I'VE GOT FIVE MONTHS LEFT IN MY TERM.
I'M TRYING TO BUILD A RAILROAD TRACKS TO COME DOWN TO PINES.
PINES, YEAH. [LAUGHTER] MAYOR.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FULL LENGTH OF THE TRACKS.
SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE UNDER ANY MISIMPRESSION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $10 AND $15 FARES RATHER THAN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A CLARIFICATION THERE.
AND PLANNING AND DISCUSSION AND CHOICE AND FUNDING AND ALL THESE THINGS.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, THROW IT BACK OUT THERE TO THE COUNTY, THE MPO POWERS THAT BE THAT TO MAKE A COHESIVE, USABLE COMMUTER LINE, WHICH IS LIKE LOCAL LINE, EXPRESS LINE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THE NORTH OF THE COUNTY TOO AND TO WAIT ALL THAT TIME OF DECIDING BETWEEN A BRIDGE OR A TUNNEL AND BUILDING A BRIDGE OR TUNNEL TO GO AHEAD AND GREENLIGHT THE NORTHERN STATIONS AND START THE COMMUTER LINES IN THE NORTHERN STATIONS, THEN TO THE NORTH.
BECAUSE TECHNICALLY THE FORT LAUDERDALE STATION IS NORTH OF THE RIVER.
AND ALSO PLANNING THESE IF WE'RE GOING UNDER ROADS OR OVER ROADS, POMPANO BEACH IS CURRENTLY TEARING UP ATLANTIC BOULEVARD, SO IF WE NEED TO GO UNDER THE THING, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO TELL US AND WHERE WE COULD MAKE CHANGES.
AND I KNOW OAKLAND PARK IS ALSO DOING A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR AREA AND JUST TRYING TO WE'RE ALL LIKE PLANNING FOR THESE STATIONS THAT AREN'T COMMITTED YET AND AREN'T MOVING FORWARD YET. SO I WOULD JUST REALLY ASK THAT WE ALSO MAYBE FOCUS ON DOING THE NORTH AS OPPOSED AND SOUTH SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE WE WORK OUT THE CONNECTION.
OKAY. GOOD DISCUSSION AND I HEAR BRIGHTLINE'S GOT A CLUB CAR.
I DON'T HAVE ONE OF MY CAR. YES, THEY DO HAVE A CLUB CAR.
ALL RIGHT. SO I WANT TO FINISH UP.
AND THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION AND NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
SO I'M GLAD IT DID. THANK YOU ALL.
WELL KNOW IT'S JUST A START, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE MPO.
AND I HAVE GOOD NEWS ON THIS ONE.
I'M GOING TO END ON A GOOD NEWS NOTE.
SO BASICALLY I KNOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS A MESS.
I DO WANT TO BRING TO THE TABLE THAT ACTUALLY OUR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THIS ORGANIZATION, WHICH WAS IN THE BILL OR THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT ACTUALLY IS CONSISTENT THROUGH THE END OF THAT FUNDING CYCLE.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OPERATING BUSINESS AS USUAL.
AND ONCE THAT BILL DOES END, THEN WE GO ON TO A CR.
WE GET INTO CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS.
HOPEFULLY WASHINGTON GETS ITS ACT TOGETHER WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LOT OF DEBATES TOO.
AND WE ALL HAVE TO LAND ON THAT POSITIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT COMMUTER RAIL.
AND THIS IS A GOOD CONVERSATION.
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
[11. Monthly Legislative Reports]
THE ATTORNEY. OH, LEGISLATION.LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONER SHUHAM FIRST.
I JUST WANTED TO FIRST EXPRESS, THANKS TO THE MPO ON BEHALF OF HOLLYWOOD, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME REALLY EXCELLENT MEETINGS WITH FDOT REGARDING IMPROVING DRAINAGE ALONG A1A THEY WERE OUT THERE DURING KING TIDES LAST WEEKEND, WHICH WAS NOTHING LESS THAN HORRIFYING.
BUT I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT IN PARTICULAR TO JAMES POOLE.
HE HAS REALLY CONNECTED WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
[00:45:07]
SO THANKS. OKAY, GO AHEAD SIR.THANK CHAIR ORTIS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
SO FIRST I WANT TO START BY CONGRATULATING THIS BOARD.
YOU'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED MORE THAN CONGRESS HAS DONE IN THE PAST WEEK.
[LAUGHTER] SO GOING ON GREG'S NOTE AND TO SIMPLIFY, WE REALLY WENT ONE STEP FORWARD WITH THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION UNTIL NOVEMBER 17TH.
BUT WE ARE TWO STEPS BACKWARDS BECAUSE NOW WE DON'T HAVE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
UNTIL THAT ELECTION HAPPENS WE CAN HAVE AN APPROPRIATION BILL.
SO WE ARE WATCHING THIS AND IT DOES KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT.
BUT ON THAT NOTE, LOOKING FORWARD.
SO THIS IS AND THIS IS FANTASTIC FOR THE BROWARD MPO BECAUSE AMPO HAS A PRESENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US, PARTICULARLY HERE IN BROWARD, BECAUSE WE GET TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND HAVING REPRESENTATIVES TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE THIS IS A IT'S A LARGE COUNTY. IT'S A VERY SOPHISTICATED COUNTY.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF CITIES, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF BIG CITIES.
AND YOU DO REPRESENT A LOT OF THE VOICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
AND IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND REPRESENT FLORIDA ON A NATIONAL STAGE.
ON THAT NOTE, ALSO ON A NATIONAL STAGE, AND I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER SIMMONS IS NO LONGER HERE, BUT WE DID WIN THE THRIVING COMMUNITIES VOTE OR SORRY, THRIVING COMMUNITIES GRANT. THIS IS FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE CITIES THAT HAVE LAND BETWEEN I-95 AND THE TURNPIKE, WHICH, LOOKING AT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, IS THE MOST DISTRESSED AREA OF THE COUNTY.
IT'S A TWO YEAR CONTRACT, TWO YEARS WORTH OF TECH SUPPORT FOR YOUR CITIES.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING. SO IF YOU HAVE A CITY YOU REALLY WANT TO DO TOD PLANNING.
WE'RE TALKING TO THEM. WE'RE WRITING THE SCOPE NOW OKAY.
DO YOU NEED ZONING CODE UPDATES.
DO YOU NEED TRAINING? DO YOU NEED TRAINING FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS? DO YOU NEED TRAINING FOR STAFF ON WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE? SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO BRING THIS TO CENTRAL COUNTY.
AND THEN LASTLY, AND THIS IS KIND OF ON A PERSONAL NOTE, WE KNOW THAT OCTOBER ENDS WITH HALLOWEEN.
I MEAN, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WALKABILITY.
WE ARE OFFERING YOU CANDY TO GO WALK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS NIGHTS FOR CHILDREN AS PEDESTRIANS.
SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF TAMARAC.
WE'VE TEAMED UP WITH THEM FOR AN EVENT ON OCTOBER 20TH.
STAFF WILL BE OUT THERE HANDING OUT LIGHT UP WRISTBANDS AND PROVIDING SAFETY FACTS AS PART OF OUR LET'S GO WALKING INITIATIVE TO EDUCATE OUR PEDESTRIANS, PARTICULARLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE ONES OR OUR TINY ONES.
OKAY. CARS HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER.
OKAY, TO EDUCATE THEM AND THEIR PARENTS ABOUT SAFETY ON HALLOWEEN.
THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS? GENERAL COUNSEL.
[12. General Counsel’s Report]
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING ALL.SO MY REPORT IS BEFORE YOU AS YOU'VE SEEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'M AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS THAT.
HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION THIS MORNING.
ANYTHING ELSE, MR. DIRECTOR? NO, SIR.
WE CAN GO INTO THE NON ACTION ITEMS.
[1. Federally Mandated Performance Measures and Targets]
WE HAVE A FEDERALLY MANDATED PERFORMANCE MEASURE TARGETS PRESENTATION.YOU WILL BE ADOPTING THAT NEXT MONTH.
IF YOU'D LIKE MR. FLAVIEN TO PRESENT.
YOU'RE WELCOME. OR YOU CAN READ THE ATTACHED ITEMS. THAT'S YOUR CALL.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A PRESENTATION NEXT MONTH.
SO THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THOSE TYPE OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
THEY ARE FEDERALLY REQUIRED AND THEY DO MEASURE US ON OUR PERFORMANCE OR NOT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
OKAY. WE'LL HEAR IT. ALL RIGHT.
RIGHT. OH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. GOOD MORNING.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. PAUL FLAVIEN AGAIN, BROWARD MPO STAFF MEMBER TASKED WITH KEEPING THE MPO CURRENT WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE MEASURE DUTIES PER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO AGAIN, WHY ARE WE DOING PERFORMANCE MEASURES?
[00:50:03]
THESE TWO LAWS ENACTED IT.AND WHAT ARE WE MEASURING ESSENTIALLY.
WHAT ARE WE DOING. THIS IS EFFICIENT INVESTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDS TO FOCUS ON NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION GOALS, INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, AND TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING AND THROUGH PERFORMANCE BASED PLANNING AND PROGRAMING.
NOW FOR THIS PRESENTATION AGAIN I'M GOING TO FOCUS PRIMARILY ON SAFETY.
BUT THESE RIGHT HERE ARE WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEASURE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SAFETY OVERALL ON ALL THE PUBLIC ROADS IN BROWARD.
BRIDGE AND PAVEMENT CONDITIONS.
TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT AND TRANSIT SAFETY, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE REQUIRE TO MEASURE.
AND FOR SAFETY, IT'S A YEARLY THING THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT.
RIGHT. AND TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT THE SAME THING.
SO AGAIN, NORMALLY WE COME TO YOU IN DECEMBER WITH THE WORK PROGRAM AND ADOPT TARGETS, BUT BECAUSE THE WORK PROGRAM IS A MONTH EARLY THIS YEAR SO WE'RE COMING TO YOU IN NOVEMBER.
YOU'LL BE ADOPTING THOSE IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE ALWAYS WANT TO TRAVEL WITH THE WORK PROGRAM.
AGAIN. THAT'S WHAT THE STATE HAS ADOPTED AND WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT ZERO TARGET WITH THE STATE.
AND ALSO MOST OF THE MPOS IN THE STATE ALSO ARE FOLLOWING THIS VISION ZERO TARGET.
NOW THIS IS THE CURRENT DATA THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
IT'S A FIVE YEAR AVERAGE INFORMATION.
SO I'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT REAL QUICKLY NOW.
THIS RIGHT HERE IS SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION AND I THOUGHT I HAD TO SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD.
THIS IS INFORMATION WE HAVE FROM 2012 TO 2022.
THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
AS YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE THE FATALITIES IN BROWARD.
AND YOU NOTICE ESSENTIALLY IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT GENERALLY IT'S TRENDING UP.
AND IT WAS REALLY IT REALLY TRENDED UP IN 2021.
THE ESSENTIALLY THE BIGGEST COVID YEAR.
AND YOU SEE IN 2022 IT CAME DOWN.
SO. WELL, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITIES GOING ON AT THE MPO WITH CSLIP AND SS4A AND ALL THOSE THINGS, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BEND THOSE CURVES.
NOW THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE.
SO NOW THESE ARE THE BIKE PED FATALITIES.
AGAIN THAT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE STABLE.
BUT AGAIN YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE IN 2021 THOSE SPIKED UP.
AND IN 2022 THEY STARTED TO COME DOWN.
NOW THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE DATA.
NOW THE INTERESTING PART HERE, THIS IS THE SERIOUS INJURIES IN BROWARD, ALL OF THEM THAT'S BEEN ACTUALLY TRENDING DOWN THE ENTIRE TIME FROM 2012 ALL THE WAY NOW. WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE OUTLIER AGAIN, WHERE YOU SEE IN THE 2021 THAT DEATHS ARE GOING UP FOR WHATEVER REASON.
BUT SERIOUS INJURIES ARE HAVE BEEN TRENDING DOWN FOR THE LONGEST SINCE 2012.
AGAIN, FIVE YEAR DATA SHOWS THE SAME THING.
NOW THESE ARE BIKE AND PED SERIOUS INJURIES AGAIN SAME TREND.
THEY'RE GOING DOWN EXCEPT FOR 20 AND 2021 WHERE THEY SPIKED UP AND THEN THEY CAME BACK DOWN IN 2022.
AND THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE DATA.
AGAIN IT SHOWS THAT SAME TREND COMING DOWN.
NOW THESE ARE PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR BRIDGE AND PAVEMENT CONDITIONS.
THESE CURRENT DATA THAT WE HAVE IS FOR 2022.
THESE ARE THE CURRENT DATA AND CURRENT TARGETS THAT WE HAVE FOR TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT.
THESE ARE THE CURRENT DATA THAT WE HAVE FOR TRANSIT SAFETY.
AND WE ALWAYS WANT TO END THE PRESENTATION WITH ESSENTIALLY WHAT IS THE MPO DOING IN TERMS OF TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BRING RESOURCES TO BEAR TO MAKE SURE THE OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT HAPPEN.
AND THAT DOES INCLUDE THE SS4A $5 MILLION GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
[00:55:01]
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF TRANSIT SAFETY AND TRANSIT ASSET MANAGEMENT.AND I THINK WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
DON'T LAUGH, I WON'T LAUGH, OKAY? I'VE BEEN TAKING MY BICYCLE AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO.
YEAH, I KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GO FARTHER.
SO I THOUGHT, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO THINK I'M INSANE.
LAST MEETING WE HAD, I WANT TO SAY IT WAS FDOT HERE PRESENTING ON ANOTHER TOLL ROAD ON 95.
WELL, ON OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES BECAUSE AND YOU'RE SAYING OH DEAR.
BUT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE FOR CONNECTIVITY.
WE'RE ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B WHEN YOU'RE NOT INTERSECTING AS MUCH, WHICH YOU'RE NOT WHEN YOU'RE ON A 95 OR A TURNPIKE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT.
SO YOU'RE ABLE TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO WITHOUT THE CONSTANT STOP AND GO OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
I DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D BE ALLOWED TO DO OR IF IT'S EVEN IN OUR PURVIEW, BUT SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER, OR IF IT'S EVEN SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INSANE.
IT'S ACTUALLY AGAINST FEDERAL LAW.
IT IS. YEAH. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE SPEED.
THERE'S SPEED, SAFETY AND CAR CRASHES.
SO I MEAN, THAT TYPE OF CONSIDERATION IS ACTUALLY PARALLEL.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF YOU TAKING YOUR BIKE FURTHER DISTANCES.
THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME. WELL BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO BE GREEN OKAY.
THANK YOU. OKAY. COMMISSIONER WELCH.
HELLO. JUST CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THE SPIKES IN 2020 AND 2021 ARE RELATED TO COVID? MORE PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR BIKES AND WALKING.
AND I MEAN, IT WAS THE FATALITIES THAT WERE SPIKING, NOT THE SERIOUS INJURIES.
SO WE SUSPECT THAT IT HAD TO DO MORE WITH THE SPEED THAT PEOPLE WERE TRAVELING THAT CAUSED A LOT OF THOSE THAT SPIKE IN DEATHS SPECIFICALLY AND IN THE SERIOUS INJURIES, BECAUSE AGAIN, REMEMBER, IN COVID, WE'RE A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE IN LOCKDOWN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WORKING FROM HOME.
SO THE ROADS WERE SORT OF EMPTY AND PEOPLE WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, REALLY FLYING DOWN THE ROAD.
THEY MUST FORGET THERE'S NO COVID BECAUSE THEY'RE FLYING DOWN THE STREET STILL.
AND BUT WE ALSO HAVE ONE OTHER THING.
WE HAVE A SERIOUS PANHANDLING PROBLEM IN OUR CITY, AND I'M SURE OTHER CITIES EXPERIENCE IT TOO, BUT IT ADDS TO THE WHOLE IT ADDS ANOTHER DIMENSION AND MAKES IT MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AS WE SEE PEDESTRIANS WHO ARE IN THE STREETS SEEKING CONTRIBUTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THEY COULD BE HOMELESS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THAT BECAUSE THAT TOO FEEDS INTO THE STATISTICS OF WHO GETS INJURED BY VEHICLES, WHICH IS WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT.
VISION ZERO, RIGHT? IT'S ALSO IMPACTED THE NUMBER OF DEATHS THAT ARE OCCURRING ON BRIGHTLINE, PEOPLE WANDERING ONTO THE TRACKS, PEOPLE GETTING HIT BY THE TRAIN.
AND SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THAT? IS YOUR PROGRAM CONTEMPLATING ANYTHING IN TERMS OF TRYING TO ASSIST MUNICIPALITIES, ATTEMPTING TO REACH VISION ZERO AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEED TO TRY TO ENFORCE PANHANDLING LAWS IN THE COMMUNITIES? WELL, THE MPO, AS YOU KNOW, MR. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A CSLIP PROGRAM WHICH IS INCORPORATES A LOT OF SAFETY ELEMENTS.
WE HAVE OUR COMPLETE STREETS MASTER PLAN, WHICH ALSO DOES THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING.
[01:00:03]
I'M NOT SURE I CAN SPEAK TO THE PANHANDLING.I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE TO TAKE YOU OFF THE FLAME.
IT REALLY ACTUALLY IS. AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU OR THE OTHER CITIES WOULD LIKE US TO SPEND SOME TECHNICAL TIME TRYING TO LOOK AROUND THE NATION ON WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT. I LIVE IN FORT LAUDERDALE, AS YOU KNOW, AND I PLAN MY TRIPS TO THE PUBLIX ON TIMES WHERE I KNOW THERE'S LESS FOLKS OUT ON THE SIDEWALKS THAT I HAVE TO AVOID, WHICH IS KIND OF A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT IF THERE WERE SOME LEGAL MECHANISMS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF OUR NORMAL DAY TO DAY SCOPE OF WORK, BUT NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DID WITH GETTING ALL THE CITIES TOGETHER ON THE RAILROAD PROTECTION GRANT AND GOING AFTER THE MONEY.
YOU KNOW, I'M SURE MY TEAM MEMBERS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, VERY INTERESTED IN TRYING TO HELP SOLVE THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THERE, IT'S POMPANO, IT'S DEERFIELD BEACH, IT'S HALLANDALE BEACH, IT'S HOLLYWOOD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HAPPENING AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, HELP AN ALLIANCE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SECOND MAYOR TRANTALIS IDEA TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT SOMETHING TO HELP WITH THE PANHANDLING SITUATION, BECAUSE IT IS A DANGER BOTH TO DRIVERS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE STREETS.
SO YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO SECOND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO MY COLLEAGUE BILL CROSS WHO'S SITTING UP HERE FOR BRYAN TODAY IS HE AND I WERE TALKING.
HE LIVES IN BEAUTIFUL BOCA RATON, THE CITY I GREW UP IN.
AND THEIR POPULATION SEEMS TO BE MUCH LESS IMPACTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK BOCA RATON DID PRIOR TO OTHER FEDERAL LAWS CHANGING.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN CLEAN UP SOME OF OUR STREETS AND PROVIDE A BETTER VISION ZERO FORWARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU OUGHT TO BE COMMENDED AS WELL.
AM I ON NOW? YEAH, BECAUSE FRANK LEFT.
SO THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[2. Premium Transit Education Series: Elements & Principles of Bus Rapid Transit]
GO AHEAD. SECOND PREMIUM TRANSIT EDUCATION SERIES OKAY.AND SHE IS GOING TO PRESENT A VERY INTERESTING PROGRAM ON WHAT BUS RAPID TRANSIT LOOKS LIKE.
IT IS GOING TO THE INITIAL CORRIDORS, OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD.
SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLES FOR YOU, AMANDA MS. CHRISTON. HI I'M AMANDA CHRISTON WITH BROWARD MPO, THE TRANSIT MANAGER.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO GIVE YOU A PRIMER ON BUS RAPID TRANSIT.
I'M GOING TO START WITH A VIDEO PROVIDED BY MARTA IN ATLANTA.
IT WILL GIVE A BRIEF BACKGROUND.
I WANTED TO START OUT WITH JUST A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORD PREMIUM.
[01:05:09]
TRANSIT SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE FREQUENCY OF THE SERVICE.THEY ARE IMPROVED FOR PREMIUM TRANSIT AS OPPOSED TO A LOCAL BUS SERVICE.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS A PREMO PLAN, THE BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT PREMIUM TRANSIT PLAN, AND THE BRT LINES THAT ARE PROPOSED ON THAT PLAN.
SO YOU HAVE SIX TOTAL, THE NORTH SOUTH ARE UNIVERSITY STATE ROUTE 7 AND POWER LINE ROAD EAST WEST, COMMERCIAL OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD AND SUNRISE. AND THE ANTICIPATED INVESTMENT, THE TOTAL COST AT THIS TIME FOR THAT FOR THOSE BRT LINES IS $1.32 BILLION, AND THEIR EXPECTED RIDERSHIP IS ANYWHERE FROM 9.7 TO $15.2 MILLION ANNUALLY.
AND THINKING ABOUT THE PREMO PLAN, THE BRT, THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT, PARTS OF THAT PREMIUM PLAN ARE REALLY THE SPINE, THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF THAT PLAN.
IT'S THE MANY, THE MOST MILES AND WILL BE THE CONCENTRATION OF INVESTMENT AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, SOME SMALL LIGHT RAIL LINES.
SO BRT IS REALLY THE BASIS OF THE PREMIUM MOBILITY PLAN.
AND WHY CHOOSE BUS RAPID TRANSIT? I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE.
IT IS REALLY A BUS AND LIGHT RAIL HYBRID, MEANING IT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO AND FUNCTIONS VERY SIMILAR TO A LIGHT RAIL, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE.
IT DOES NOT INCUR THE SAME INVESTMENT OR CAPITAL COSTS OF A LIGHT RAIL.
THE BUS SERVICE OF COURSE, THE FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED SERVICE PLANNING WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED TO FEED INTO THE BRT SYSTEM LIKE ANY OTHER PREMIUM TRANSIT INVESTMENT, BUT IT REALLY CREATES AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM.
BUT JUST IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY OF SERVICE, A BRT WILL COME TYPICALLY EVERY 5 TO 7, POSSIBLY TEN MINUTES PER STATION.
SO THAT FREQUENCY OF SERVICE REALLY ALLEVIATES A LOT OF THE TRAVEL TIME ASSOCIATED.
IT IS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OR SUSTAINABLE REDEVELOPMENT.
THE NUMBER OF TRIPS THAT ARE REMOVED OR THE MODE SHIFT IS WHAT WE CALL IT.
SO IT IS A SUSTAINABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS THE BRT ALIGNMENTS OR WHERE IT IS CHOSEN TO PUT A BUS RAPID TRANSIT LINE CAN REALLY FOCUS DEVELOPMENT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY, REDUCED EMISSIONS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S COST EFFECTIVE.
IT HAS VERY SIMILAR OUTCOMES IN, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS RIDERSHIP IS CONCERNED AND A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS COMPARED TO A LIGHT RAIL OR A STREETCAR.
THERE ARE SOME BASIC FEATURES OF A BUS RAPID TRANSIT THAT ARE BARE BONES.
THE BRT VEHICLE AND THE BRT STATION HAS TO HAVE THESE THINGS IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE CONSIDERED A BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM, SO IT HAS TO HAVE A DEDICATED RIGHT OF WAY THAT'S CALLED A BUS WAY, AND IT CAN IN CERTAIN PARTS, MIX WITH TRAFFIC OR TRAVEL IN MIXED TRAFFIC.
BUT BY AND LARGE IT HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN BUS WAY, MEANING OTHER VEHICLES, PEDESTRIANS NOR BICYCLISTS MAY USE THAT BUS WAY, SO THAT ALLOWS FOR IT TO STAY ON SERVICE, STAY ON TIME, AND TO TRAVEL AT THE SPEEDS THAT IT NEEDS TO CREATE THAT INCENTIVE FOR RIDERSHIP.
SO WHEN YOU SEE YOUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES APPROACH, A LIGHT IS RED.
[01:10:09]
BUT AS THE EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLE APPROACHES, IT TURNS GREEN FOR THAT VEHICLE.THESE BRT HAVE THE SAME THEY HAVE THE SAME SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION AS WELL AS WHAT IS CALLED A QUEUE JUMP, MEANING THE BUS CAN KIND OF VEER OVER TO THE RIGHT IN WHAT YOU KNOW, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ROADWAY OR THAT SEGMENT OF ROADWAY MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, ON STREET PARKING OR SOMETHING.
THE OFF BOARD FARE COLLECTION IS AGAIN, A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PART OF A BRT SYSTEM.
THAT REDUCES OR RATHER ELIMINATES THE AMOUNT OF TIME, THE DWELL TIME THAT A PERSON NEEDS TO BE STANDING TO GIVE THEIR FARE TO A DRIVER OR AN OPERATOR.
THE VEHICLES ARE HIGH CAPACITY.
THEY REGULAR YOU KNOW, A REGULAR BUS HAS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 SEATS.
TYPICALLY THESE SEATED ARE, YOU KNOW, 55.
THE MARKETING AND THE BRANDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT IS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN IDENTITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANCE AROUND STATION SECURITY LIGHTING.
A LOT OF THEM HAVE CCTV, WHICH ADDS TO USER COMFORT.
SO HOW IS THE BRT DIFFERENT FROM A FIXED ROUTE BUS? AGAIN, IT DOES NOT RUN IN MIXED TRAFFIC.
IT HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN WAY OF TRAVELING IN, YOU KNOW, IN AND AROUND THE CITY.
THE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION IS DIFFERENT THAN A REGULAR BUS.
SO IF YOU SEE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT'S A BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
PEOPLE CAN GET ON AND OFF ON ALL THE DOORS.
BECAUSE OF THAT OFF BOARD FARE COLLECTION SYSTEM SPEEDS UP TIME.
THE ELEVATED PLATFORMS AND STATIONS NOT STOPS.
THOSE CREATE AGAIN, THERE ARE TIME SAVERS.
THE ELEVATED PLATFORM IS IMPORTANT FOR ACCESSIBILITY, AND YOU'RE NOT SPENDING TIME FOR PEOPLE TO WALK UP THOSE THREE STEPS AND THEN GIVE THEIR FARE TO THE BUS DRIVER.
THEY ALL ADD TO THE SPEED OF THE SERVICE.
PASSENGER AMENITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
THE LEVEL OF COMFORT IS IMPORTANT.
THINGS LIKE WI-FI CHARGING, YOU KNOW, PORTS FOR YOUR PHONES.
THOSE ARE VERY COMMON IN A BRT VEHICLE AND ALSO OTHER AMENITIES AT THE STATIONS, WATER FOUNTAINS, ALSO WI-FI, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE THE BUS OR THE BRT RATHER.
SHORTER HEADWAYS, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
RATHER THAN A 15 OR 30 MINUTE OR ONE HOUR HEADWAY, WHICH IS THE TIME IN BETWEEN THE BUSSES, THEY ARE SEVEN, FIVE, SEVEN, TEN MINUTES REAL TIME ARRIVAL INFORMATION.
WE TALK ABOUT THAT QUITE A BIT HERE.
LETTING THE RIDER, LETTING THE CUSTOMER KNOW WHEN THEIR NEXT IS COMING.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THE ELEMENTS OF A GOLD STANDARD BUS RAPID TRANSIT ARE ALL OF WHAT I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, BUT THEY ARE NOT ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES.
WHERE IT BECOMES A PROBLEM IS WHEN A BUS RAPID TRANSIT LEAVES ITS DEDICATED BUS WAY AND STARTS GOING INTO MIXED TRAFFIC, AND THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS TO ACT LIKE A REGULAR BUS.
SO THAT IS A REAL THAT'S A REAL DANGER WITH THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM.
AND I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT INTO THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT THE STATIONS HAVE TO HAVE WEATHER PROTECTION.
THEY HAVE TO BE SAFE AND WIDE AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH SEATING.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH LIGHTING.
SECURITY LEVEL BOARDING IS A PRIORITY AGAIN FOR TIME AND FOR ACCESSIBILITY.
AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS ALREADY.
[01:15:01]
SO. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BRT CREEP.IT IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM, YOU KNOW, SCOPE CREEP, WHICH IS IN A CONSULTING WORLD, OR IT'S WHEN WE ASK MORE OF THE CONSULTANT THAN WHAT WE HAVE AGREED TO.
BRT CREEP IS THE OPPOSITE OF THAT.
TO SAVE MONEY BY DOWNSCALING THE SYSTEM.
BY DOWNSCALING THE SYSTEM, IT DIMINISHES ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
IT DIMINISHES ITS ATTRACTIVENESS.
IT DIMINISHES ITS RIDERSHIP AND DIMINISHES ITS OVERALL SERVICE.
AND. THEY'RE VERY IT'S LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY EASY TO START DOING THINGS LIKE TAKING AWAY THE DEDICATED LANE OR NOT BUILDING BRANDED PROMINENT STOPS, OMITTING THE OFF BOARD TICKETING.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, DEATH BY A MILLION, A MILLION CUTS.
AND IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO YOU ALL, AS OUR BOARD AND STEWARDS OF THE MOBILITY ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM MONEY WOULD BE TO REALLY BE AWARE OF THE BRT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED BY BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT AND DON'T THINK OF IT AS LIGHT RAIL LIGHT OR CHEAPER THAN LIGHT RAIL.
THINK OF IT AS ITS OWN STANDALONE QUALITY SYSTEM, AND ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS NEED TO BE CONTAINED THEREIN FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 76 MILES, THREE NORTH SOUTH, THREE EAST WEST, AND AGAIN THE LARGEST INVESTMENT SPACE WISE, MATERIAL IN THE COUNTY.
IT NEEDS TO CONTAIN ALL OF THESE GOLD STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR IT TO ACTUALLY WORK THE WAY WE WANT THE TRANSIT TO WORK I N BROWARD. AND TWO MORE SLIDES.
SO THIS ALL STARTS WITH OPERATIONS PLANNING.
AND I SUSPECT THAT THE CORRIDOR NETWORK DEVELOPMENT, THOSE THINGS OBVIOUSLY HAVE OCCURRED ALREADY THROUGH THE PREMO PLAN AND THE TWO YEARS THAT BCT SPENT DEVELOPING THAT PLAN. AND THEN WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO, OBVIOUSLY NEXT IS A SERVICE PLANNING AND INTEGRATING IT WITH THE LARGER FIXED ROUTE PLANNING, FIXED ROUTE SERVICE FOR THEIR BUSSES, A COMMUNICATION, MARKETING AND DEVELOPING A REALLY GREAT BRANDING STRATEGY IS PARAMOUNT.
WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.
THEIR BRT STATION, THEIR BRT SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S THE ONLY BRT IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS RECEIVED THAT INTERNATIONAL GOLD STANDARD ACHIEVEMENT.
SO IF YOU WERE TO LOOK INTO ANY WELL DEVELOPED AND WELL FUNCTIONING BRT IN THE FUTURE, LOOK TO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO AGAIN, GOVERNANCE AND FINANCING.
A LOT OF THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED ALREADY WITH THE MAP PROGRAM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DEDICATED RIGHTS OF WAY ARE PRESERVED AND THE BUS WAYS EXIST THROUGHOUT THOSE 76 MILES OF SERVICE. CORRIDOR INTEGRATION.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS THE BRT WILL CHANGE THAT IN ANY WAY.
I THINK THAT WE'LL ALWAYS CONSIDER BICYCLES, PEDESTRIANS, EQUITABLE TRANSIT, TDM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT, ALL OF THOSE WE'RE VERY GOOD AT THAT. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ANY REASON THAT BCT WON'T KEEP THOSE PARAMOUNT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? VICE MAYOR WELCH.
THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
WHEN WE WENT DOWN THERE, THEIR DEDICATED BUS WAYS.
AND SO WE HAD TO SIT IN TRAFFIC IN THE OTHER LANE.
AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF ANYBODY'S NEAR THERE BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE HOW IT WORKED.
THEIR LIGHTS CHANGED IMMEDIATELY.
[01:20:04]
YEAH. AND THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP ABOUT SCALING IT DOWN.ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE I KNOW THIS ISN'T ON ONE OF THE CURRENT ROUTES YET, BUT I KNOW WITH ATLANTIC AND DIXIE, AS WE'VE BEEN RE DOING THE WHOLE THING, THE SIGNAL, THE SIGNAL TIMING WITH THE TRAIN AND THE LIGHTS NEAR IT WAS HUGE.
SO HOW DOES A SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION, LIKE IF THE BUS COMES THROUGH AND GETS TO FORCE THE SIGNAL CHANGE, HOW DOES THAT THEN AFFECT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE SIGNALS WITH LIKE A RIPPLE EFFECT AROUND IT? WELL, I'M NOT A TRAFFIC OPS PERSON, BUT WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE A TRAFFIC OPS PERSON WITH THE BROWARD MPO, AND I MAY ASK HIM TO FILL IN THERE, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT THE INTEGRATED TIMING.
OUR EXPECTED OR ANTICIPATED GOAL IS THAT ALL OF THE FIBER WILL TRIGGER. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE A CASCADING EFFECT.
ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE TALK OF HOW MANY TRAINS WE COULD BE GETTING UP TO A DAY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T ACCIDENTALLY CAUSE CHAOS.
YEAH. MARK PLASS IS GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE HIM NEXT MONTH, BUT YOU'RE OUT.
HERE I AM. SO YES, I HAD A LENGTHY CAREER WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
I WAS A DISTRICT TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ENGINEER THERE FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
SO IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING.
SO PREEMPTION MEANS THAT THE REGULAR SIGNAL OPERATES.
SO SO IMAGINE YOU'RE ON SUNRISE BOULEVARD APPROACHING THE FEC CROSSING.
AND THE TRAIN IS COMING AND THE LIGHTS START FLASHING AND THE GATES GO DOWN.
THAT'S A PREEMPTION OPERATION.
AND HOW THAT WORKS IS THE APPROACHING TRAIN IS SENDING A SIGNAL TO THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS ON SUNRISE BOULEVARD ADJACENT TO THE CROSSING, AND IT'S TERMINATING THE OPERATION AND BASICALLY SHIFTING IT FROM GREEN IMMEDIATELY TO ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO RED.
SO THIS GETS OFF ON A SIDEBAR ISSUE.
BUS SIGNAL PRIORITY IS REALLY MORE IT'S IT'S A MORE SUBTLE APPROACH TO EXTENDING A GREEN TIME IF IT'S ALREADY IN GREEN, AS THE BUS IS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION TO ALLOW THE BUS TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
BUS SIGNAL PRIORITIES MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO KEEP THE BUSSES ON SCHEDULE, SO IT IS A MUCH LESS DISRUPTIVE FACTOR FEATURE THAN WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING WITH A RAILROAD PREEMPTION.
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BROWARD COUNTY TRAFFIC FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND BCT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING BUS SIGNAL PRIORITY INTO THE BROWARD COUNTY SIGNAL SYSTEM.
SO THE BROWARD COUNTY SIGNAL SYSTEM HAS GOT ABOUT 1800 SIGNALS.
THERE'S A LOT OF INTELLIGENCE IN THE SYSTEM.
BROWARD COUNTY IS MAKING A REAL CONCERTED EFFORT TO MODERNIZE HOW THE SIGNAL SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.
AND THE MORE MODERN VERSION OF THE SYSTEM IS BASED ON MORE ADVANCED CONTROLLERS, MORE ADVANCED SOFTWARE, AND IT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE SORTS OF BUS PRIORITY THAT IS NEEDED TO FACILITATE BUS RAPID TRANSIT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S MUCH LESS DISRUPTIVE ON TRAFFIC FLOW.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS JUST WITH THE DEDICATED LANES, WHAT STEPS DO WE TAKE TO KEEP DRIVERS FROM DECIDING THEY WANT TO BE IN THAT LANE TOO ? IT'S ALL ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, EACH INDIVIDUAL CITY DEVELOPING ITS OWN CURB MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
I'M THINKING ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA DRIVERS AND HOW MANY OF THEM DRIVE THROUGH THE POLLS ON I-95.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING.
BUT AGAIN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INVESTMENT, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MAKE IT THE GOLD STANDARD BRT, SOMETHING THAT PRESERVES THE BUS WAY.
OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
[01:25:04]
COMMISSIONER STURMAN? OKAY. HI.CAN YOU HEAR ME? MARK, DON'T GO TOO FAR, MARK.
MARK. CORRECT. YEAH, I'M GOING TO BRING YOU BACK INTO IT.
I HAVE A FEW THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS INTRIGUING TO ME.
A COUPLE VERY QUICK THINGS ON SLIDE NUMBER THREE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE $1.3 BILLION INVESTMENT.
AND YOU MENTIONED 9.7 TO 15 MILLION.
AND YOU SAID DOLLARS IS THAT I THINK IS THAT RIDERSHIP I THINK YOU MEANT I MEAN PEOPLE NOT DOLLARS.
NO. YEAH. IT'S DEFINITELY PEOPLE.
OKAY. PEOPLE I'M SORRY IF I MISSPOKE.
NO, NO. BECAUSE I THINK A COUPLE OTHER THINGS, MARK WITH THE SIGNAL WITH THE, THIS WILL BE LIKE YOU SAID, RESCUE HAS A PRIORITY WITH SIGNALS AT CERTAIN INTERSECTIONS.
IF THIS TRIGGERS A PROLONGED GREEN OR WHATEVER WITH THE BUS, WOULD IT BE IN SYNC WITH RESCUE? I DON'T WANT THIS TO TRUMP A RESCUE UNIT COMING IN HERE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BUS GETS PRIORITY OVER THE RESCUE.
IT WOULD HAVE SOMETHING BUILT IN TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND FIRE RESCUE ENTITIES HAVE DEVICES ON VEHICLES THAT WILL PREEMPT A SIGNAL. LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THERE ARE MORE ADVANCED CAPABILITIES THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED, I BELIEVE, THROUGH BROWARD SIGNAL SYSTEM, WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY INTEGRATING THE ROUTES THAT THE VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY INTO THE SYSTEM.
BUT TO YOUR QUESTION OF PRIORITY, THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE PREEMPTION ALWAYS GETS PRIORITY.
AND SO THE SYSTEM IS PROGRAMED TO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, DE-EMPHASIZE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
THE OTHER COUPLE OTHER THINGS YOU MENTIONED.
SORRY I DON'T MEAN TO BE LIKE A LIKE A CROSS-EXAMINING HERE, JUST.
BECAUSE I'M FASCINATED BY THIS.
OKAY? THE THING WITH THE HIGH CAPACITY VEHICLES, MY THOUGHT IS I SEE A LOT OF THESE HIGH CAPACITY.
THEY COULD HAVE, LIKE, TWICE AS MANY.
NOW THERE'S TWICE AS MANY EMPTY SEATS.
DO YOU NEED HIGH CAPACITY OR COULD YOU HAVE REGULAR CAPACITY JUST MORE FREQUENT? THAT MEANS DOES IT HAVE TO BE HIGH CAPACITY? WELL, BUS RAPID TRANSIT REQUIRES REALLY HIGH CAPACITY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
THE STATIONS ARE THE ALIGNMENTS ARE VERY LONG.
WITH THE BRT, IT'S TYPICALLY MORE LIKE A MILE, 1.3 MILES.
SO THE ALIGNMENT LENGTH DICTATES REALLY THE BUS CAPACITY SIZE.
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THE PREMO PLAN, WHICH IS THE HIGH FREQUENCY BUS SERVICE, WHICH IS A NUMBER OF CORRIDORS.
BUT THOSE ALIGNMENTS, THOSE CORRIDORS ARE PRIORITIZED, FOR MORE FREQUENT SERVICE.
BY ITS VERY NATURE, YOU DO HAVE FLEXIBILITY, I WOULD IMAGINE.
YEAH, YOU DO HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
BUT LET ME SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
YOUR BUS FOR YOUR VEHICLE, FOR A BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM SHOULD LOOK DIFFERENT THAN A REGULAR BUS.
THAT IS A CORE ELEMENT OF A SUCCESSFUL BRT SYSTEM.
INASMUCH AS THE, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS, YOU KNOW, A TRAIN ON RUBBER TIRES.
IT CAN HAVE THE SIMILAR NOSE TO A TRAIN.
YEAH. ACTUALLY. AND JUST SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW UP IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING IN ON BUS RAPID TRANSIT LANES THERE WITH SMALLER ELECTRIC AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE RUNNING.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY BE, YOU KNOW, 3 OR 4 YEARS BEHIND THEM ON THAT, BUT AT LEAST THAT'LL GIVE US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE TYPES, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING UP WITH SMALLER VEHICLES.
WE WERE JUST UP AT APTA AND SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE ON DISPLAY.
[01:30:09]
THAT'S KIND OF THE TYPE OF VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING OF LONG TERM THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE CITY.JUST INTERNAL CIRCULATOR AND THEN HAVE THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT THAT AMANDA IS REFERRING TO THE LARGER VEHICLES THAT ARE CARRYING YOU FROM 17TH STREET OR FROM UP IN POMPANO BEACH INTO DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE.
SO THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS.
DEFINITELY. AND ONE LAST THE LAST QUESTION, I PROMISE.
IT'S RIGHT THERE. SO FOR EVERY 3.6 MILES OF LIGHT RAIL, YOU CAN BUILD ABOUT 25 MILES OF A BRT ALIGNMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
COMMISSIONER JAFFE. THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PREVIEW HERE.
THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO MEMBER MCGEE ON THE DEDICATED LANES.
SO SPECIFICALLY, YOU'RE NOT ADDING LANES OR DELETING LANES.
IT'S A DUAL USE LANE THAT'S EXISTING.
NOW, IS THAT FOR THE DEDICATED LANE THAT THE BRT WILL BE USING? IS IT AN EXISTING LANE THERE OR ARE YOU ADDING LANES OR? OH, IT DEPENDS ON THE SERVICE PLANNING.
THOSE ARE THE CHOICES OR, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATING ON STREET PARKING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE DEDICATED BUS WAY IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT.
EAST IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT THAN WEST.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY INTERESTING DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT TOO, WHETHER IT BE RAIL OR BRT OR WHATEVER THE NEXT THING IS GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING HUMAN IMPACTS.
I GOT IT, IT'S PREDICTIVE ON WHAT THE SITUATION.
BUT AGAIN, IT PART OF ITS APPEAL, PART OF WHY IT'S BEING INSTALLED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IS THAT IT DOES HAVE FLEXIBILITY. THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN RUN IN MIXED TRAFFIC IN CERTAIN AREAS IF IT HAS TO.
THAT MAKES IT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE FLOODING.
THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME, MAYOR TRANTALIS.
THANK YOU. WE DON'T HAVE FLOODING IN FORT LAUDERDALE SO.
[LAUGHTER] NOPE, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU'RE WELCOME. JUST INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRAVELING OVERSEAS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND I WANTED TO TAKE THE BUS, AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PAY FOR IT.
OKAY. AND SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE PRE-BOARDING PAYMENT MIGHT BE CONFUSING FOR TOURISTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DOES A TOURIST KNOW HOW TO PAY FOR A BUS AND THEY END UP NOT TAKING IT? LIKE ME, I ENDED UP TAKING AN UBER BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PAY FOR THE BUS.
WELL, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT IS VERY OBVIOUS.
TICKET VENDING MACHINES ON THE STATIONS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED PAY HERE AND THEN A VERY PROMINENT TAP ON TAP OFF SYSTEM TOO, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE WITH THE TRI-RAIL.
AGAIN, YOU GO THERE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO.
IT TELLS YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THREE TICKET VENDING MACHINES.
IT TELLS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SIGNAGE ASSOCIATED, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
AND THIS IS DIFFERENT IN THIS COUNTRY THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES, IN SOUTH AMERICA, IN EUROPE, BECAUSE THERE IS AN, YOU KNOW, A SORT OF AN UNDERSTOOD. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.
BUT THE SIGNAGE AND THE PROMINENCE OF THE TICKET VENDING MACHINES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
YEAH. SO GREG JUST MENTIONED THE DOWNTOWN ONE WAY PAIRING PROJECT THAT WE'RE HOPING TO ADVANCE.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOU DON'T YOU'RE NOT? NO. YEAH. THE 76 MILES OF BRT IN THE PREMO PLAN DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT.
[01:35:04]
THAT'S CORRECT. RIGHT. BUT IT'S NOT BEING OVERLOOKED BECAUSE OF THIS.IT'S JUST ANOTHER SEPARATE PATH THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT CORRECT, GREG.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT.
AND SHE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PREMO PLAN AND THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE MODIFICATIONS TO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HER AS WELL.
WELL, THE PREMO PLAN, AS I RECALL IT, AS IT AFFECTS THE DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE AREA, REALLY DOESN'T EVEN IMPACT THAT AREA OF TOWN.
SO I DON'T REALLY SO PERHAPS WE DO NEED TO HAVE A SIT DOWN AND SEE HOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THEN THAT THEN BEGS THE NEXT QUESTION, AS YOU HAVE EAST WEST CORRIDORS BEING DEVELOPED HERE, YOU HAVE HERE COMMERCIAL AND THEN OAKLAND PARK AND SUNRISE BOULEVARDS AS YOU COME INTO THE DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU PASS OVER, I 95, YOU KNOW, TO COMMISSIONER JAFFE'S POINT, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO BE SUPPLANTING PATHWAYS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING FOR VEHICLES, OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE ADDING TRAVEL LANES? BECAUSE WHAT ARE WE REALLY GAINING HERE IN TERMS OF CAPACITY? IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKING AWAY ROAD LANES THAT ARE USED BY CARS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE STILL QUESTIONING HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO USE IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN YOUR PICTURES AND YOUR VIDEOS, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ON THESE BUSSES.
THEY'D RATHER WAIT AN EXTRA 20-30 MINUTES IN THEIR CAR, LISTENING TO THEIR FAVORITE SONGS AND TALKING TO THEIR FRIENDS OR THEIR BROKERS RATHER THAN HAVING TO HOP ON AND HOP OFF A BUS THAT MIXES THEM WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION.
BUT I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO US TO BE CAUTIOUS GOING FORWARD IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO THE EASTERN CITIES POMPANO, FORT LAUDERDALE, HOLLYWOOD, ALL OF US.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILT ON A DIFFERENT LAYOUT THAN YOU SEE, THE MORE MODERN CITIES LIKE WESTON AND COOPER CITY AND ALL THOSE THAT HAVE MUCH WIDER ROADS AND WIDER RIDE OF WAYS, AS GREG POINTS OUT.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I WILL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION NEXT MONTH ABOUT MODERN LIGHT RAIL STREETCAR STUFF, SO IT'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE HIGHLIGHTED ON THAT SEGMENT OF THE LRT PART OF THE PREMO PLAN.
SO STAY TUNED FOR THAT NEXT MONTH.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL SERIES FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THESE TECHNOLOGIES.
AND I WILL LEAVE IT TO GREG TO SPEAK ON THAT.
AND ACTUALLY, I BECAUSE YOU WERE JUST IN AMSTERDAM AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN GOING THERE SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID, AND ACTUALLY MY FAMILY'S BEEN GOING THERE LONG BEFORE WORLD WAR ONE.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE NOW.
THEY DID HAVE THE RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT DEVELOPED OVER TIME AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF MIXED TRANSIT TRAMS. I KNOW THAT YOU SAW THEM WHILE YOU WERE OUT THERE.
BUT WE'RE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT HOPEFULLY 30, 40, 50.
I'M ALREADY TALKING 80 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE WITH SOME OF OUR PLANNING EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED TO BE DEALING WITH INTO THE FUTURE.
AND IF YOU KNOW HE HAS KIDS IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE THEY'LL DEAL WITH IT TOO.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
I DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
[01:40:01]
BUT YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT YOU LOOK AT AND SAY, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND I THINK IT'S AN EXCITING TIME.AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW DO WE DEAL WITH WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA IS AND HOW DO WE TAKE SOUTH FLORIDA FROM WHAT IT IS TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO INTO THE FUTURE? AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TIME.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOOD STUFF, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST IT'S ALL ABOUT DISCUSSIONS AND LEARNING.
I SAW YOU SNICKERING WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT BRANDING.
YEAH, I DID, I SAW IT AND I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH.
IT HAS TO LOOK LIKE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO GET ON.
IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL BUS IT IS. IT IS IT REALLY IS.
IMAGING, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO MAKE IT SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE TO BE ON A BUS.
OKAY. THERE'S STILL THE FEELING THAT PEOPLE FEEL THEY'RE UNSAFE.
RIGHT. AND THERE'S A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE MORE AT RISK COMMUNITY SHOULD I SAY THAT TAKE BUSSES AND SO PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO BE HANGING OUT THERE.
SO YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DO TO TRY TO MAKE THIS MORE APPEALING IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SPACED APART A MILE OR A MILE AND A HALF MORE THAN THEY ARE TODAY THROUGH MORE COMMUTER LINES, DOESN'T MEAN MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE THEM.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE CAPACITY OF 25 PEOPLE TO STAND.
I'VE NEVER IN THE 41 YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE EVER SEE ANYONE STAND ON A BUS YOU CAN LAY DOWN ON ACROSS 3 OR 4 SEATS? YEAH. WELL, I CAN HAVE A SLUMBER PARTY ON ONE OF THESE BUSSES.
I KNOW, BUT I SEE THE COUNTY SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON BUSSES.
OKAY. ELONGATED BUSSES, FANCY BUSSES.
I STILL SEE NO ONE TAKING THEM.
AND SO WITH THAT $0.01 SALES TAX, YOU KNOW, I GET THE IDEA.
ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS, AND COMMISSIONER SHUHAM ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT UP A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO.
THE USER EXPERIENCE OF WHAT HAPPENS ON A VEHICLE, IT'S RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST ABYSMAL.
AND I THINK BY WORKING WITH THEM WE'LL HELP THEM GET THERE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASKING AND SOLICITING OUR INPUT.
AND AS WE, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER EDUCATE OURSELVES.
MAYBE IF YOU SERVE CHABLIS, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T WANT TO STEAL YOUR OPTIMISM, BUT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS.
YEAH, THIS IS FOLLOWING UP ON A MEETING THAT HAPPENED, ACTUALLY IN FRONT OF MY COMMISSION, WHERE I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT REMOVING ONE OF THE THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, MAKING IT A DEDICATED LANE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE HAVE 42,000 VEHICLES A DAY GOING IN EACH DIRECTION OVER THREE LANES.
I WAS TOLD THEN, OR IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING OR I HEARD THAT'S WHAT I HEARD, THAT DON'T WORRY, WE CAN DO A SHARED LANE THERE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM TODAY'S PRESENTATION OF WE DON'T WANT TO SCALE IT DOWN.
AND SO THAT'S IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE 42,000 PEOPLE AND YOU'RE NOW DIVIDING THEM OVER TWO LANES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 20,000 A LANE THAT'S GOING TO GO, THAT'S 50% MORE TRAFFIC. IT'S GOING TO BE SLOWER.
RIGHT? I ALSO TO FROM LIKE LIKE A POLICING THING LIKE IN WILTON MANORS MATTERS.
WE HAVE BUS LANES THAT PEOPLE DRIVE THROUGH.
[01:45:03]
THEY YOU KNOW THEY'RE VIOLATED ALL THE TIME.AND THAT'S ON US IN WILTON MANORS, RIGHT.
TO POLICE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO POLICE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARE.
BUT YET ALONG OAKLAND PARK, WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM THERE.
YOU KNOW, I ALSO THE BRANDING THING AND THE USER EXPERIENCE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I AGREE 100%. BUT HERE'S WHERE THERE'S THE MISS ON THAT IS FOR RESIDENTS IN, SAY, OAKLAND PARK OR WILTON MANORS THAT ARE DEALING WITH NOW 50% SLOWER TRAVEL TIMES ON OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD. THIS IS A BUS THAT FOR THEM PRIMARILY IS GOING EAST WEST.
IT'S NOT A TRAVEL ROUTE THEY'RE LIKELY TO TAKE.
IT'S NOT GRANTED, WE NEED TO SERVE EVERYBODY, RIGHT? NOT JUST THOSE PEOPLE, BUT THE LOCAL EXPERIENCE IS THAT'S THE BUS THAT HAS SLOWED DOWN TRAFFIC FOR ME.
WE CAN'T TAKE A FOOT FROM A BUS TRAVEL LANE TO MAKE A SHOULDER FOR BIKES.
RIGHT. BUT YET PEOPLE ARE DYING EVERY YEAR, NOT EVERY YEAR, EVERY OTHER YEAR CURRENTLY ON THAT LANE.
NOT ONLY DID YOUR CAPACITY INCREASE THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH ACTUALLY INCREASED IN VEHICLES, AND WE'RE LIKE, THIS IS KIND OF A STRANGE SITUATION. IF THE CORRIDOR ON OAKLAND PARK AND THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, THERE IS SOME TRADE OFFS THAT CAN BE DONE.
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF AND THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE PROBABLY TOLD IT'S CALLED BUS ONLY BUSINESS ACCESS.
THE BAT LANES, THEY'RE CALLED.
LOTS OF THINGS WE HAVE TO DISCUSS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO ALL THIS.
I THINK THE TRANSIT AGENCY, BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT IS GOING TO BE WILLING NORTH SOUTH, REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL, WHETHER WE DEAL WITH THE NEW RIVER AND HOW WE GET THE BRT OR THE RAIL UP INTO OAKLAND PARK.
THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR NORTH SOUTH.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER POTENTIAL NORTH SOUTH LOCATION AT THE TRI RAIL FACILITY.
HOPEFULLY THAT WE GET A STATION ON OAKLAND PARK BOULEVARD WHERE THE JUST WEST OF 95.
YOU HAVE TO START LOOKING AT YOUR NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST.
THAT MAP STARTS SHOWING YOU EVEN FURTHER NORTH SOUTH ROUTES THAT IF PEOPLE WERE GOING TO GET ON A PREMIUM TRANSIT SYSTEM, THAT THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING. A LOT OF O AND D ORIGIN AND DESTINATION STUDIES HAVE TO BE DONE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT THAT ANALYSIS.
IF YOU LOOK AT ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS FROM DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE, AS AN EXAMPLE, ALL THE APARTMENTS THAT ARE BUILT IN DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE, EVERYBODY GOES, WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING? A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS ARE OUT IN NOVA SOUTHEASTERN.
THERE ARE STUDENTS AND SO FORTH THAT ARE OUT AT NOVA.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONNECTIONS.
AND YOU KNOW THAT THIS PLAN DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADDRESS THAT.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THEM TO DO IT.
AND WE HAVE TO ALL BE TOGETHER HAVING THE DISCUSSION OR IT'S YOU KNOW, WE'LL FACE THE SAME THING.
IT'S WHAT IS IT CALLED THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY.
SO WE HAVE TO TRY TO DO SOME THINGS TOGETHER AND MAKE IT WORK.
WELL, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN THEY HAVEN'T, I THINK SIGNED EVEN AN AGREEMENT WITH A CONSULTANT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I THINK I DON'T KNOW IF BARNEY MCCOY IS BACK THERE OR NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY MOVING PARTS WITH THIS.
AND ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, AND I'VE BEEN AT THIS NOW 15 YEARS ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE, YOU KNOW WE WERE TALKING STREETCAR IN DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE 15 YEARS AGO, AND IT CHANGED AND CHANGED AGAIN.
BUT IT TAKES TIME TO DO ALL OF THIS.
IT REALLY WILL AND WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR THAT.
I KNOW IT DOES. PATIENCE IS MORE LIMITED WHEN YOU'RE YOUNGER, YOU WANT IT TOMORROW AND AS YOU GET OLDER YOU START LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE, OH OKAY, WELL THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE WAY PAST MY LIFETIME, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
COMMISSIONER SHUHAM. THANK YOU.
AMANDA, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
I JUST WASN'T GOING TO HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS EXCEPT TO SAY THAT I MEAN, FOR ME, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF MPO IS TO GET CARS OFF THE ROAD AND TO IMPROVE OUR ENVIRONMENT, REDUCE EMISSIONS AND CREATE A GREENER WORLD.
AND UNLESS WE THINK IN THESE TERMS, THAT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
[01:50:02]
SO WHILE I APPRECIATE THE NEED FOR DRIVERS TO HAVE LANES, I THINK THE OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE TO REDUCE THAT.MY FAMILY HAS GONE DOWN TO ONE CAR AND WE'RE DOING GREAT, SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS.
YOU KNOW, IN LIEU OF LIGHT RAIL, WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
I MEAN, THE COST SAVINGS LOOK INCREDIBLE.
BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY WELCOME TO MARK PLASS.
HE DID SO WITH SUCH KINDNESS AND GRACE.
AND I THINK IT'S SUCH A GET FOR THE MPO.
SO I'M THRILLED. IT IS. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
DID YOU WANT TO? NO, NO, I JUST I HAVE MY CLOSING THOUGHTS READY WHENEVER THAT IS.
AFTER ME, I CAN SAY. OKAY, I CAN'T.
GO AHEAD. NO. JUST TO TOUCH BACK AND AGREE ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID IN JUST A FEW OTHER IDEAS AS PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, IS, I FULLY AGREE, THE BRANDING, THE MARKETING, THE PRESENTATION OF IT TO GET NEW BUTTS IN SEATS IS REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
AND THEN A QUESTION IS WITH THE NEW MAP HERE ARE WE? I REMEMBER IN THE PREMO PLAN WAS PRESENTED THAT FIRST IT WAS LIGHT RAIL GOING OAKLAND AND COMMERCIAL.
OR THERE'S A PLAN FOR THAT. IS THIS GOING BEFORE THAT, OR IS THIS ALMOST LIKE WE CAN DO THIS FIRST AND THEN PUT LIGHT RAIL ON THOSE LANES, LIKE, BECAUSE TO ME, AGAIN, THE COST SAVING IS HUGE. AND I THINK PART OF THE SUCCESS OF US TRYING TO GET PEOPLE USING MASS TRANSIT IS THAT WE NEED CONNECTIVITY.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO WALK FIVE MILES TO THEIR DESTINATION IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.
SO THEY NEED WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THE EXTRA STUFF.
SO I ALMOST FEEL LIKE THE MORE LIGHT RAIL, THE MORE STATIONS WE CAN GET UP.
AND MAYBE I'M STILL IN THE WORLD OF I'D LIKE IT TOMORROW.
YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT THIS IS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE PREMO PLAN AS UNVEILED FROM BCT.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2023 WITH THE PREMO PLAN AND BRT.
I ALMOST EVEN CONSIDER WHAT THE MARKETING IS, NOT EVEN CALLING IT A BUS.
MAYBE LIKE SHUTTLE RAPID TRANSIT OR INVENT ANOTHER WORD RAPID TRANSIT.
AGAIN, JUST MORE ABOUT THE BRANDING AND THE MENTALITY OF I GREW UP DOWN HERE, BUT THEN I LIVED IN DC AS A PURE PEDESTRIAN FOR A FEW YEARS AND IT'S YEAH, IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MENTALITY.
YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND ALSO AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, SAFETY, BECAUSE THAT IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO GET ON THE BUSSES IS NOT JUST ON THE BUSSES THEMSELVES, BUT AT THE STATION AT THE STOPS. OH YEAH.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I MAYBE WE HAVE SORT OF LIKE WITH THE PANHANDLING KIND OF COHESIVE BROWARD IDEA OF HOW TO DO THAT, MAYBE ALMOST LIKE I'M THINKING NOW I'M JUST LIKE BRAINSTORMING LIKE AIR RANGERS ALMOST.
BUT ON BUSSES WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND IF THEY'RE EVEN THERE, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING THAT LETS PEOPLE KNOW WHO HAVE NEVER RIDDEN THE BUS BEFORE OR ARE NOW CONSIDERING USING THE BUS, THAT IT IS GOING TO BE A SAFE EXPERIENCE.
YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
AND HAVING THOSE PEOPLE ON AS YOU'RE STARTING REVENUE SERVICE, AS EVERYTHING IS STARTING, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THERE FOR THE FIRST LIKE SIX, EIGHT MONTHS ON THOSE VEHICLES AS PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE HOW THE STATIONS WORK, EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT THE INFORMATION IN THE VEHICLE MEANS TO EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE SERVICE DIFFERENCES, STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S ENDEMIC IN A LOT OF THE UNDERTAKING AND BEGINNINGS OF THESE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
RIGHT. YEAH. YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SOMEONE ON YOUR BUS.
THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR JOHNSON, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LAWRENCE MARTIN ON THE LINE.
MR. MARTIN. ARE YOU THERE? UH OH. IS HE ON MUTE? JUST SAW THE UNMUTE BUTTON POP UP.
AS LOCAL OFFICIAL IN ONE OF THE AREAS THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THIS.
[01:55:03]
I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE STANDPOINT OF RIDERSHIP CENTRAL BROWARD COUNTY, LAUDERHILL SPECIFICALLY HAS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RIDERS THAT USE THE MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM.THEY'RE ACTUALLY USING IT TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW FAR WE CAN TAKE THIS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, TIME, IS MONEY. IF YOU CAN GET PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B FASTER, GOOD JOB.
EVERY CITY SITTING IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW IS BUILDING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE HERE IN TEN YEARS, FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS.
SO GETTING AN UPDATED SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT DOES CONNECT PEOPLE.
AND I VENTURE TO CHALLENGE SOME OF THE CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE CONNECTIVITY NOW BECAUSE YOUR RESIDENTS AREN'T REALLY USED TO USING MASS TRANSIT, BUT A SAFER CLEANER AND I AGREE WITH ALL THOSE POINTS ABOUT THE ESTHETICS AND THE LOOK HAVING TO BE APPEALING TO INDIVIDUALS TO GET ON THERE.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE START TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE.
AND AGAIN, MOST TIMES IF YOU GO TO CERTAIN AREAS VIA FLIGHT INTO DC, YOU CAN EASILY TAKE THE TRAIN TO GET DOWNTOWN WITHOUT HAVING TO GET IN A CAB AND BE STUCK IN TRAFFIC. JUST COMING BACK FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, LEFT MY HOTEL, JUMPED ON A FAST LANE BUS OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, AND IT GOT ME TO THE AIRPORT.
YOU KNOW, A LOT DOLLAR SAVINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE TIME WASN'T BAD.
SO I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY IS NOW TO START LOOKING AT THIS TYPE OF STUFF, BECAUSE WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO OUTBUILD OURSELVES FOR ROADS FOR THE AMOUNT OF CARS THAT WILL BE NEEDED BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE, AND THEN FOR ALL THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS ON TOP OF THAT.
SO. JUST A CENTRAL BROWARD INPUT.
KNOWING THAT WE HAVE PROBABLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST RIDERSHIPS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL BE DEFINITELY HEAVILY IMPACTED BY WHAT GETS DONE GOING FORWARD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE'S NO MORE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE.
SO YEAH, IT'S NOT SHOWING UP HERE THOUGH.
DID YOU PUT IT OVER HERE. BUT IT HAS TO BE HERE FOR ME TO.
I HAVE. AND YOU'RE SPEAKING NOW? I'M OUT OF THE QUEUE.
OKAY. TWO QUICK THINGS IS THIS.
WILL THIS SYSTEM BE, I THINK THE LACK OF A BETTER WORD INTERNALLY INTERCONNECTED, LIKE SOMEBODY GOING EAST SOUTH IS THERE WITHOUT HAVING TO COME OUT OF THE SYSTEM GO NORTH SOUTH, CATCH A HUB, SO TO SPEAK, LIKE, WELL, SUNRISE BOULEVARD, AND THEN CATCH THE ONE GOING NORTH, GOING EAST, WEST TO CATCH A HUB.
ABSOLUTELY. HAVING TO FEEL THAT THEY'RE LEAVING THE SYSTEM NOW.
THE LAST THING IN REFERENCE TO MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND AND BIRTHDAY BOY, MAYOR DEAN TRANTALIS, THIS BEGS THE QUESTION, IF YOU LOOK AT DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING NOT TO HAVE A CAR AND IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND GOING EAST WEST AS WELL AS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, COMING DOWN TO WORK AND ISSUES WITH TRAFFIC AND PARKING DOWNTOWN, WAS A CONSIDERATION EVER GIVEN TO A BROWARD EAST WEST LINE, BROWARD BOULEVARD.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A BROWARD BOULEVARD LIGHT RAIL THAT IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
OKAY. THAT'S PART OF THE PREMO PLAN.
YEAH, THAT'S I MEAN, THAT AREA IS DEDICATED.
THE NUMBER OF TRIPS ON THAT PARTICULAR CORRIDOR EAST WEST COMING OUT OF LAUDERHILL IN PARTICULAR, IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BIGGER ROUTES THAT BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT CURRENTLY OPERATES. AND WE SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL GROWTH THERE BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH IN DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, REAL PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY WITH THAT.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD, MR. MCCOY WHISPERED IN MY EAR, HE'S WITH BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT, THAT OAKLAND PARK, THE BRT FOR OAKLAND PARK IS CURRENTLY UNDER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. AND ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, THE STATEMENTS THAT YOU ARE BEING INCLUDED IN THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
NOW WE HAVE NO MORE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE.
SO DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE YOU WANTED TO SUMMARIZE OR.
[02:00:02]
WELL, THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING, WHICH IS THE BENEFITS OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT ARE SIMILAR TO LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT IN THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME TYPES OF TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS.AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S TOO BAD THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT OBVIOUSLY SPARKS SO MUCH INTEREST, AND EVERYBODY'S GONE WHEN WE HAVE THEM AT THIS PART OF TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD EVER FIGURE OUT IF SOMETHING'S SO IMPORTANT WE COULD MOVE IT UP.
BUT, I MEAN, THIS SEEMED LIKE IT TRIGGERED ALL KINDS OF COMMENTS.
AND THERE'S A HANDFUL OF US LEFT.
AND THIS IS ALL FOR THOUGHT PROVOKING, YOU KNOW, TO GET YOU THINKING, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS NOW FOR THE NEXT PROBABLY DECADE LONGER THAN I'M GOING TO BE SITTING HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING AND YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
AGENDA WISE, I MEAN, WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF ITEMS TODAY.
AND YET WE FIND OURSELVES HERE SO THAT YOU ALL HAVE CONTROL OVER I DON'T I CAN JUST PUT THINGS UP.
SO WITH THAT I THINK WE'RE DONE, MADAM CHAIR.
THE PARTNER AGENCY, UNITED WAY.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE REPRESENTATIVE IS HERE.
SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE REST OF THE ITEMS, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I THINK YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN.
WON'T LET ME. WON'T LET YOU, CAN WE? THERE YOU GO. CAN WE JUST ASSUME.
YEAH. LET'S ASSUME IT IS ADJOURNED.
OKAY. AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER 2ND.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.