[1. Call to Order and Recognition of Quorum]
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GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT DESPITE THE INCLEMENT WEATHER. I HOPE WE STAYED RELATIVELY DRY OUT HERE. LET'S JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO IT THEN. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND LET'S DO THE
[2. Electronic Roll Call]
ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL. SIGN IN IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE.[3. Approval of Minutes - June 24, 2026]
NEXT ITEM THEN IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 24 MEETING. YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THOSE.ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, ADDITIONS, CHANGES FOR ANYBODY? GREGORY GALE.
MR. CHAIR, YES. IF THE BODY WOULD JUST BEAR WITH ME FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, THE REASON I'M ACTUALLY ASKING FOR SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS WHEN I REVIEW THE MINUTES, THE MINUTES ARE A FRACTION OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND WE ARE A CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY APPOINTED BY EITHER ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, CITIES, ETC. BEING ON THIS COMMITTEE, I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM OTHER MEMBERS. MEMBERS HAVE BROUGHT UP INFORMATION ABOUT BUSES, WHICH I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUSES, ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF BUYING OR THE APPROPRIATENESS OF BUILDING ON FLOODPLAINS WHERE IT MIGHT NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE THING TO DO OR WE'VE REACHED OUT TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND WE'VE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MINUTES, WHEN I LOOK AT THE MINUTES, IT'S JUST BASICALLY THE FACT THAT WE VOTED.
WHEN I SPEAK TO MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY AND I ASK, SOMETIMES WE HAVE VERY LONG MEETINGS ON PARTICULAR TOPICS, ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT WHEN YOU ARE DELIBERATING ON THOSE SAME TOPICS? MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY SAID ESSENTIALLY I LOOK AT THE MINUTES AND I JUST SEE THAT YOU GUYS VOTED. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AT A MEMBER COMMENT LATER, BUT I JUST WANT FOR US TO DISCUSS WHEN WE SPEND 30 MINUTES ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC THAT IS OF INTEREST TO US, THAT THE MINUTES SHOULD IN SOME WAY REFLECT THAT DISCUSSION, ESPECIALLY AT TIMES WHEN WE HAVE BUNDLED VOTING AND WE DECIDE WE DON'T WANT TO BUNDLE THE VOTING. THOSE KIND OF THINGS I DON'T THINK ACTUALLY GET EXPRESSED IN THE MINUTES. AGAIN, I'M JUST ASKING US TO CONSIDER THAT.
AGAIN, WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION LATER ON DURING THE MEMBER COMMENTS, BUT I JUST WANT US TO HAVE THAT IN OUR MINDS WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. IT'S NOT JUST THE ACT OF VOTING, BUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE A CITIZEN ORGANIZATION, WE DO HAVE POINTS OF VIEW BECAUSE OF THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE POINTS OF VIEW BE REFLECTED IN THE MINUTES.
AGAIN, NOT AS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA, BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT A PARTICULAR TOPIC AND IF WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY OR THERE WAS SOME SORT OF SPLIT VOTE THAT AT LEAST THE BODY, THE MPO BOARD WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY THE VOTING TOOK PLACE THAT WAY. SO THAT'S MY COMMENT.
WELL TAKEN. YEAH, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT LATER ON. I THINK WE CAN GO SOMEWHERE WITH THAT.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA ABOUT ADDING NUMBER FOUR. WE DO, DON'T WE? WE NEED TO VOTE FOR THE MINUTES. SO I SEE NO OTHER COMMENTS, SO IF WE WOULD VOTE.
[4. Approval of Agenda]
THANK YOU.GOT IT. OKAY. OKAY, NOW AS FAR AS THE AMENDMENT TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AMEND IT TO INCLUDE AN ACTION ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS TO DESCRIBE THE 2027 CAC SCHEDULE. IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM THAT WE HAVE TO DO EACH YEAR. IT HASN'T CHANGED FROM LAST YEAR, BUT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STEPS. SO DO WE HAVE A, OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE AGENDA. ALL IN FAVOR, WE VOTE.
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YEAH, NO, IT'S THE SCHEDULE FOR THE CAC FOR 2027. AND REBECCA IS GOING TO GO INTO THAT SHORTLY.WHEN WE GET THE ITEM FOUR, WE'LL DO THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
[5. Public Comments Please submit to info@browardmpo.org at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.]
OKAY, WE'RE GOOD. PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE DO HAVE A PERSON WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, DALIA RODRIGUEZ FROM HALLANDALE BEACH. AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND LET'S HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.I AM ASKING THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT CONCERNS IN HALLANDALE BEACH CAN BE DOCUMENTED, FOLLOWED UP ON, AND INCORPORATED INTO THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS. ONE EXAMPLE IS THE MISSING CROSSWALK PAVEMENT MARKING AT FOSTER ROAD AND 10TH AVENUE, NORTHWEST 10TH AVENUE. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM THROUGH THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, CITY MANAGER, AND ALSO THE CITY TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY DEPARTMENT. I'VE SUBMITTED VIDEOS AND RECEIVED WRITTEN RESPONSES AND PROMISES OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE MISSING CROSSWALKS AND MARKINGS AND GIVING COMPLETION TIMEFRAMES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
AND THIS IS JUST ONE PARTICULAR CORNER. IN THE NORTHWEST CORRIDOR, THERE ARE SEVERAL NEW PAVEMENTS WITH NO CROSSINGS FOR THE SIDEWALK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY NEEDING TO. I'M NOT ASKING THE MPO TO DECIDE A CITY GOVERNMENT DISPUTE.
I'M JUST ASKING HOW RESIDENTS CAN MAKE SURE A DOCUMENTED SAFETY CONCERN DOES NOT DISAPPEAR AFTER WE SPEAK ABOUT IT. I ALSO HAVE BEEN REPORTING RECURRING PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE HALLANDALE BEACH'S MINIBUS TRANSIT SERVICE FOR ABOUT APPROXIMATELY A YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THE MPO HAS A ROLE IN REVIEWING RECURRING LOCAL TRANSIT ACCESS PROBLEMS AND, IF NOT, WHERE RESIDENTS SHOULD BRING THOSE CONCERNS UP. SO THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT CONCERNS TO THE MPO AND HOW ARE THOSE CONCERNS TRACKED AND HOW CAN RESIDENTS RECEIVE FOLLOW-UP ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER WE SUBMIT THEM.
RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO KNOW THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT OR THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY SIMPLY TO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION SAFETY OR TRANSIT CONCERN HEARD. WE ARE THE PEOPLE USING THE ROADS, THE CROSSWAYS, THE SIDEWALKS, AND TRANSIT SERVICES AND OUR EXPERIENCES SHOULD BE PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU. I THINK IN RESPONSE TO THAT, JAMES CROMAR CAN ADD TO THE ISSUE. JAMES? GOOD EVENING. JAMES CROMAR WITH THE BROWARD MPO AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. RODRIGUEZ FOR COMING IN AND SPEAKING. JUST SO YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ALSO AT OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE TOPICS AND DO SOME FOLLOW-UP. LET ME TAKE HER QUESTIONS IN REVERSE ORDER SO I CAN GIVE THE BAD NEWS FIRST AND THEN GOOD NEWS AFTER THAT. SO REGARDING THE TRANSIT ACTIVITY, I KNOW YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT NOT NECESSARILY LIKING TO BE REFERRED TO KNOW WHO THE RIGHT PERSON AND ALL THAT STUFF. THIS IS A GOOD GROUP AS A SOUNDING BOARD AND WE CAN SHED A LIGHT ON DIFFERENT ISSUES AND INFORMATION. AND YOUR PARTICULAR CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSIT THOUGH WOULD BE HANDLED BY OUR BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT PARTNERS AND I DON'T THINK ANY ARE HERE THIS EVENING. AND THEN THE CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH ALSO RUNS I BELIEVE SOME SHUTTLE CIRCULATOR SERVICES SO IT WOULD BE GOOD TO REACH OUT TO THEM BUT I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO WELCOME YOU SINCE YOU BROUGHT THIS UP THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS FOR YOU AND I THINK THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING HOW THOSE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED AND WHAT'S COME UP WITH THAT. THE SECOND ITEM THOUGH I THINK WE'RE IN A BETTER STEAD, THE ISSUES ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN HALLANDALE BEACH. THERE ARE SPECIFIC ISSUES AT THAT FOSTER AND NORTHWEST 10TH AVENUE CROSSING AND DR. JOAN SHEN WHO IS IN CHARGE OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE CITY WAS AT OUR TAC MEETING AND WE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS AFTER THAT AND SHE CONTACTED HER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, THE PREVIOUS ONE LEFT. THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT REASONS, EXCUSES, ISSUES, WHATEVER IT WAS.
BUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR NOW HAS SAID HE WILL GET BACK TO MS. RODRIGUEZ EITHER TOMORROW OR BY MONDAY. I BELIEVE THEIR OFFICES ARE CLOSED ON FRIDAY. AND SO AGAIN, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE CAN SHINE LIGHT ON THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES. ON A BIGGER PICTURE LEVEL THOUGH, NOT JUST AT THAT INTERSECTION BUT THROUGHOUT HALLANDALE BEACH, BROWARD MPO PARTNERING WITH BROWARD COUNTY WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP THE BROWARD SAFETY ACTION PLAN. AND THEN MANY OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE PURSUED FUNDING TO CREATE THEIR OWN LOCAL SAFETY PLANS. THE
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CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION AND IS HOPING TO GET FUNDING TO CREATE A SAFETY ACTION PLAN.AND WITH THAT THEN WE WILL WORK WITH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND HELP THEM AS THEY GO FORWARD WITH THEIR PLANS.
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE FUNDERS DID NOT WANT US TO DUPLICATE EFFORTS. SO ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, INCLUDING OUR SAFETY DASHBOARD AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ANALYSIS, WE WILL MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO OUR PARTNERS AND THEN THEY CAN GO IN AND LOOK AT THE SAFETY ISSUES AT A FINER GRAIN THAN WE COULD AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE COUNTY-WIDE ISSUES. MAX AND KEN WERE ON OUR COMMITTEES.
YOU'LL KNOW THAT WE HAD 338 CORRIDORS ON OUR HIGH-INJURY NETWORK AND WE WERE ABLE TO FOCUS ON 11. SO THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE. AND SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE OPPORTUNITIES, WE HOPE, IF THE CITY IS SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING THAT GRANT FUNDING.
AND EVEN IF NOT, WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP THEM GATHER INFORMATION. YOU'LL RECALL THE PRESENTATION, WAS IT THE LAST MEETING WITH THE SAFETY DASHBOARD? I LOST TRACK WITH THE SUMMER BREAK.
BUT THERE'S ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION THAT WE'VE COMPILED. AND SO OUR LOCAL PARTNERS DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION.
THEY CAN DIVE RIGHT IN AND START DOING ANALYSIS AND UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE. AND SO THAT'S A HELP. AND THEN WE ALSO MEET QUARTERLY WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE GRANTS AND THEY CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE USE OF FUNDING THERE. SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE IN TOUCH AND SHINE A LIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD OR ANY COMMENTS. MAX GOLDSTEIN. THANKS, JAMES. THIS IS JUST A QUICK FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
AND I'M KIND OF EMBARRASSED THAT I DON'T KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. SO AS WE DO OUR ANNUAL UPDATES TO THE TIP AND MMP AND ALL THESE OTHER DOCUMENTS, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE TYPICAL PROCESS IS THAT THE MPO REACHES OUT TO ALL OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES LIKE FDOT, BROWARD COUNTY AND ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES WITH A REQUEST FOR PROJECTS.
WELL, I SAY US, YOU STAFF WITH ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS THAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND THEN YOU GUYS KIND OF ORGANIZE IT ALL INTO THESE DOCUMENTS LIKE THE MMP.
WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DOES THE MPO ALSO HAVE A ROLE IN RECOMMENDING OR SUGGESTING POTENTIAL PROJECTS TO THE PARTNERS ON RIGHT OF WAYS THAT THEY OWN? SO LIKE IF THE CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH IN YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PROJECTS AND THEY TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. DO YOU ALSO SAY, WELL, ON THESE CITY OWNED STREETS, THIS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE? IS THERE THAT BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM? AND LET ME DEFER THIS OVER TO BILL TO MR. CROSS WITH THIS. BILL WILL DO. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
SO, YEAH, MAX, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE AN INTERACTIVE BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF OUR MEMBER GOVERNMENTS.
KIND OF THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THE STRUCTURED WAY THAT THAT OCCURS IS ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS WHEN WE UPDATE OUR METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE HAVE A REALLY LARGE INTAKE OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE INVITE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEIR CITY MANAGER, THEIR CITY STAFF.
WE COME IN. WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT'S IN THE PLAN THAT YOU DON'T WANT IN THE PLAN? WHAT'S IN THE PLAN OR WHAT'S NOT IN THERE THAT YOU WANT? SO THAT DOES HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, AT THAT HIGH LEVEL, THEY TEND TO BE LARGER PROJECTS, NOT THE SMALLER ONE-OFFS LIKE A CROSSWALK THAT'S MISSING. SO IT DOES OCCUR.
AND THAT THEN BECOMES THE GENESIS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU GUYS SEE HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OUR ANNUAL PROGRAM OF BRINGING TO YOU THE PRIORITY LIST, BRINGING TO YOU THE TIP, ALL OF THAT IS JUST ABOUT PUTTING FUNDING TO THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM OUR MEMBER GOVERNMENTS ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT JAMES WAS SAYING AND MAYBE TO CLOSE OUT THE RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, YOU KNOW, THE MPO'S ROLE IS LARGELY ONE OF A FACILITATOR, I WOULD SAY.
AND SO WE ARE ALWAYS HERE AND, YOU KNOW, WANT TO CONNECT PEOPLE THAT CAN GET THINGS DONE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. SO IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, WE DID CONNECT. WE HAD A TAC MEMBER FROM THE CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH. YOU KNOW, WE MADE THAT CONNECTION RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT.
BUT THAT'S OUR ROLE IS TO HELP CONNECT THESE THINGS.
AND SO IF THERE'S NEEDS THAT ARE UNMET, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO TRY TO CONNECT PEOPLE.
WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE FUNDING, YOU KNOW.
BUT THAT IS PART OF OUR ROLE HERE. THANK YOU.
AND WITH THE VIEW OF THE CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT ALSO. SO AS BILL WAS MENTIONING, WE DON'T GET ALL
[00:15:01]
OF THEIR PROJECTS THAT COME IN.ONE OF OUR LOCAL CITIES, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA. THEY WOULD COME TO US WITH A PROJECT THAT WAS ALMOST DONE AND THEY NEEDED JUST SOME MONEY THIS NEXT YEAR, WHICH DOESN'T FIT INTO OUR FUNDING CYCLE. AND SO THEY WERE SO AGGRESSIVE AT GETTING THINGS DONE, WE COULDN'T NECESSARILY HELP THEM WITH OUR FUNDING SOURCES.
BUT IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING PROJECTS FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY, AS BILL WAS SAYING, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY OUR ROLE. BUT WE ARE DEVELOPING A PROJECT PRIORITIZATION PILOT PROGRAM, P4 FOR SHORT. AND WE WILL BE DEVELOPING A TOOL THAT WE WILL USE TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS FOR THE BROWARD MPO FOR OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE THAT TOOL AVAILABLE TO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD USE TO HELP THEM PRIORITIZE THEIR PROJECTS DIFFERENTLY.
SOMETIMES A PROJECT MOVES FORWARD BECAUSE A LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL WANTS THAT TO MOVE FORWARD. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT OF DATA CAN HELP ILLUMINATE SOME OF THE PRIORITIZATION AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING USEFUL. WE ANTICIPATE WE'LL HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DATA INDICATORS AND SO THEY CAN TURN THE KNOBS.
HEY, WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE SAFETY OR ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOOLS. AND SO YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE ABOUT THAT COMING UP IN THE NEXT YEAR.
I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON A LITTLE BIT WITH WHAT MAX SAID AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT KIND OF HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS AND ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO I ADDRESS THIS? SO I KNOW THAT IT TAKES OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, OUR CITIES, TO BRING FORTH A PROJECT IF THERE'S A PRIORITY RIGHT TO THE MPO TO THEN APPLY FOR FUNDING. IT'S NOT INITIATED BY THE MPO.
BUT COULD YOU JUST SPEAK? SO ARE YOU SAYING WITH THIS PROJECT PRIORITIZATION PROGRAM THAT IS THAT THE MPO WILL KIND OF IDENTIFY THINGS THAT MAYBE ARE OVERLOOKED IN A CITY WHERE MAYBE A RESIDENT ISN'T GETTING THE RESPONSE THEY WANT AND THEN ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO LOOK AT THOSE? COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO, SURE. SO THROUGH THE CHAIR, THE P4 IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE ANY OF THOSE ISSUES.
I JUST WANT TO, I REALLY WANT TO DIAL BACK THE EXPECTATIONS THAT JAMES RAISED HERE.
THE MPO'S ROLE, RIGHT, IS HELPING FACILITATE FEDERAL DOLLARS AND THE INVESTMENT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS ON TYPICALLY LARGER PROJECTS.
THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN DELIVERING PROJECTS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
THOSE PROJECTS ARE IDENTIFIED, MOST OF THE TIME FUNDED, AND PRIORITIZED THROUGH THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTION.
SO IF YOU'RE A CITY RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR MOST OF THOSE KIND OF SMALLER, REALLY LOCAL PROJECTS IS AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, NOT HERE. THE CORE PURPOSE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION IS ABLE TO PRIORITIZE THE BUCKET OF FEDERAL DOLLARS OUT.
NOW, DO WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH ALL THESE OTHER AGENCIES? ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE TO BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION IS, YOU KNOW, A DECENTRALIZED, FUNDED, AND IMPLEMENTED ACTION, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT TRANSIT, WE'VE GOT A CAR, WE'VE GOT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE'VE GOT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE'VE GOT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE'VE GOT THE ROADS, WE'VE GOT BROWARD COUNTY PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE HERE.
WE'VE GOT FDOT, AND THEN WE HAVE THE LOCAL CITIES DOING THEIR THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY PROJECT MAKES SENSE FOR US.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN AND HEARD SOME OF THAT FROM US.
AND THE REV IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
THAT'S A PROGRAM WHERE WE WANT TO SEND FEDERAL DOLLARS TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO TRY TO DO SOME LOCAL PROJECTS WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BUT EVEN THAT, WE SET BOUNDARIES OF YOU'VE GOT TO BE AT LEAST $2 MILLION OR IT'S JUST NOT WORTH, RIGHT, BECAUSE THE OVERHEAD OF FEDERALIZING A PROJECT IS SO SIGNIFICANT.
SO WE ARE ALWAYS HERE TO COMMUNICATE AND TO HELP FACILITATE ON EVERY PROJECT THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE US TO DO THAT, AND WE WILL TRY OUR BEST.
BUT BACK TO THAT PRIORITIZATION TOOL, WE ALREADY DO THAT. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT.
AND THIS MAY MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER, AND OUR SIGNIFICANT HOPE FOR THAT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT MORE TRANSPARENT SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND DO THE SAME
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ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES IN A MORE MANUAL WAY.YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TEST PROJECTS AND SEE HOW THEY ARE AND GET THAT BETTER.
BUT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING MAGIC, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE FUNDING, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE IF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT BEING RESPONSIVE TO A PUBLIC REQUEST FOR SOMETHING.
SO JUST SETTING EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE JAMES IS A BIG PICTURE GUY.
WE LOVE HIM HERE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DO, TOO.
YES, I AGREE WITH BILL. IT'S A TOOL. IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR SAFETY DASHBOARD.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WAS ASKING. IT GIVES US ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX AS REPRESENTATIVES TO SAY, HEY, MAYBE, HEY, ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THIS PLACE.
YOU CAN TRY, THOUGH. IT GIVES US JUST ANOTHER TOOL.
BUT IT'S A TOOL, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE. SO SAME WITH THE SAFETY DASHBOARD.
OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE ANALYSIS FOR THEM.
WE'VE GIVEN THEM THE INFORMATION, AND THEY CAN USE IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WILL BE THE CASE HERE.
NO, I THINK MY ANSWER TO THE QUESTION WAS ANSWERED.
I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE MPO DOES HAVE THAT SORT OF CITIES THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THOSE CAPABILITIES, FOR YOU TO RECOMMEND IDEAS WOULD NOT BE BAD.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE THE EXPERTISE.
I UNDERSTAND FOR YOU TO BE LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE PROJECTS FOR PEOPLE IS AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF WORK THAT ISN'T ON YOUR PLATE.
BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD BE NICE BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE THE EXPERTISE.
AND SOME CITIES JUST DON'T HAVE STAFF, AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO ASK FOR.
AND IF YOU COME AND TELL THEM, LOOK AT YOU, YOU HAVE THIS AREA.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GET AT.
AGAIN, THROUGH THE CHAIR IF I COULD RESPOND.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION AND A FANTASTIC POINT.
SO I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE AWARE THAT OUR MEMBER GOVERNMENTS HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CAPABILITY IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORLD.
SOME OF THE CITIES ARE QUITE SMALL.
THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE IN-HOUSE STAFF.
SO WE DO HAVE THINGS IN PLACE TO TRY TO HELP THOSE CITIES.
SO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYONE HERE WITH THE IDEA THAT WE DON'T.
EVERY YEAR WE FUND A MASTER PLAN FOR A CITY.
AND I THINK WE'RE MAYBE ON OUR FIFTH NOW OR SIXTH.
AND WE OFTEN FOCUS ON SOME OF THESE SMALLER CITIES THAT HAVE THE LEAST CAPABILITIES.
AND WE GO INTO THEIR COMMUNITY AND WE HELP THEM.
WE BRING OUR SKILLS. WE BRING OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS. AND WE HELP THEM DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN FOR TRANSPORTATION WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT MASTER PLAN IS THEN THEIR ROADMAP SO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT AND WE START OUR FIVE-YEAR MTP PROCESS, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PROCESS, AND WE GO TO THE CITIES AND SAY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? THEY GOT A MASTER PLAN NOW.
WE'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH THEM AHEAD OF TIME TO HELP THEM IDENTIFY.
AND I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT HALLANDALE BEACH, WE JUST COMPLETED THEIR TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN A MONTH AGO.
MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO WE JUST HAD THE FINAL PRESENTATION TO THEIR COMMISSION.
SO WE ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO BRING OUR KNOWLEDGE TO BEAR AND TO HELP THE CITIES.
AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD WAY TO DO IT.
THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES JAMES DOESN'T SAY IT ALL.
I CAN, BUT WE WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE EIGHT PROBABLY.
I CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY Ā NEVER MIND.
OKAY. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT HERE.
AND THIS PERSON IS ONLINE, BARNEY MCCOY.
CAN YOU PIPE HER IN, REBECCA? BARNEY.
GOOD EVENING. I'M BARNEY MCCOY.
I'M JUST RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE THERE WAS A NEED TO CONTACT BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT.
I'M THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER FOR SERVICE AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY.
EITHER REBECCA OR JAMES HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
AND IF THERE'S A QUESTION SPECIFIC TO HALLANDALE BEACH'S COMMUNITY SHUTTLE SERVICE, IN FACT, THERE WITH THAT WOULD BE MR. IGOR COLMENARES.
THROUGH THE CHAIR, IF I CAN ACKNOWLEDGE JAMES CORMAR HERE.
BARNEY, YEAH, I HAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE IGOR'S TOO, AND SO WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH MS. RODRIGUEZ HERE.
[1. MOTION TO RECOMMEND BROWARD MPO APPROVE an Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027-2031 Transportation Improvement Program: Florida Department of Transportation - Roll Forward Report With Staff Recommendations]
OKAY. THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO ON TO THE ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER ONE IS THE MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT BROWARD MPO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 TO 2031 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
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PROGRAM.FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ROLL FORWARD REPORT WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AND DR. JIHONG CHEN IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
GOOD EVENING. I'M JIHONG CHEN WITH BROWARD MPO.
IT'S TIME OF THE YEAR TO PROCESS ROLL FORWARD REPORT.
THIS IS AN ANNUAL ROUTINE PROCESS FOR THE BROWARD MPO.
THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT IS A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE NEWLY ADOPTED FISCAL YEAR 2027 TIP IN JULY.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BROWARD MPO'S CORE PRODUCTS.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE CORE PRODUCTS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS BROWARD MPO DEVELOP ROLL FORWARD REPORT.
IN MARCH OR APRIL, THE BROWARD MPO RECEIVES TIP DATABASE FROM FDOT.
THE DATABASE IS GENERATED FROM FDOT'S DRAFT ALTERNATIVE WORK PROGRAM.
FROM HERE, IT SPLITS INTO TWO PATHS.
PATHS IN BLUE INDICATE BROWARD MPO PREPARES TIP BY USING THE DATABASE.
AND THE BOARD APPROVES THE TIP IN JULY.
THE PATH IN RED INDICATES THE STATE APPROVES THE DRAFT ALTERNATIVE WORK PROGRAM ON JULY 1.
AFTER JULY 1, FDOT GENERATES ROLL FORWARD REPORT FOR EACH MPO.
PROJECTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OBLIGATED PRIOR TO JUNE 30, BUT DID NOT BECAUSE OF VARIOUS REASONS.
THOSE PROJECTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROLL FORWARD IN THE WORK PROGRAM, BUT NOT IN THE TIP.
BROWARD MPO HAS TO PROCESS THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT.
AFTER THE BOARD APPROVES THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT, PROJECTS IN THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT MERGE INTO THE NEWLY ADOPTED TIP, AND THE NEWLY ADOPTED TIP TAKES EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT FOR THIS YEAR.
THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT INCLUDES 264 PROJECTS.
TOTAL FUNDING ROLLED FORWARD IS ABOUT $440 MILLION, INCLUDING $75 MILLION IN INDIRECT COST.
INDIRECT COST IS TO SUPPORT FDOT STAFF IN-HOUSE SERVICES.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS ROLL OVER FUNDS DISTRIBUTED AMONG TRANSPORTATION MODES.
THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT INCLUDES 20 PROJECTS, CARRYING OVER $494, 000 IN MPO ATTRIBUTABLE FUNDS.
THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THOSE PROJECTS.
BROWARD MPO STAFF COORDINATED WITH PLANNING PARTNERS, IDENTIFIED PRODUCT CHANGES, ADDITIONS, AND REMOVAL.
BROWARD MPO STAFF RECOMMEND PRODUCT CHANGES TO THE FOLLOWING TWO PRODUCTS.
FIRST ONE IS BROWARD COMMUTER REEL.
THE CHANGE IS TO ADD EXTRA DESCRIPTION TO THE PRODUCT.
THE SECOND CHANGE IS TO THE SFRTA SECTION 5339 PRODUCT.
THE CHANGE IS TO ROLL FORWARD THE FTA FUNDS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2024, 2025, AND 2026 INTO FISCAL YEAR 2027, ADJUSTING THE FUNDING AMOUNT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, 2029, 2030, AND 2031, AND REMOVING THE DUPLICATE ENTRY ON PAGE 122.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHANGE, PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHMENT 2.
BROWARD MPO STAFF RECOMMEND TWO ADDITIONS.
THOSE TWO PRODUCTS, BOTH SFRTA PRODUCTS, BOTH PROJECTS ROLL
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FORWARD THE FTA FUNDS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2025, 2026 INTO FISCAL YEAR 2027.FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT, PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHMENT 2.
MPO STAFF RECOMMEND TO REMOVE ONE PROJECT, THIS ALSO SFRTA PROJECT.
THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN OBLIGATED.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO INCLUDE IN THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT AND THE TIP.
WITH THAT, MPO STAFF IS HERE TO READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ARE THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS, FEDERAL STATE DOLLARS, OR JUST STATE DOLLARS? IN THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT? YES.
AND THE FORMULA, AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, THE RATIO, IS THAT BASED ON NEED? WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL EXERCISES IN THE PAST TO DETERMINE WHERE THE DOLLARS GO.
SO HOW DID THAT RATIO COME INTO BEING? BECAUSE I LOVE THAT RATIO.
THAT'S REALLY THE LONG WAY OF ME SAYING THAT.
SO YOU MEAN THE TRANSPORTATION MODE, THE CHART? THE CHART, YES, THE PIE CHART.
I GUESS, MIKE, IN THE PAST WE'VE SEEN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMING, AND ONLY A SLIVER IS FOR SIDEWALKS AND THINGS THAT INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME LIKE.
INSTEAD THE BULK OF IT GOES TO HIGHWAYS.
AND SO I LOVE THIS CHART IN TERMS OF SORT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING.
SO WAS THAT SOMETHING INTERNAL OR WHAT? THAT PERCENTAGE IS NOT YOUR REFER TO PERCENTAGE? YES, EXACTLY.
NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE GENESIS.
DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE IT? OKAY, SO THROUGH THE CHAIR, BILL CROSS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, THIS RATIO IS NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS A POLICY DECISION.
SO TO YOUR POINT, THIS IS NOT AT ALL REALLY REFLECTIVE OF ANY POLICY DECISION THAT ANYBODY'S MADE.
WHAT THIS REFLECTS HERE IS THE TRANSIT AGENCIES, THEY TEND TO HAVE FEDERAL GRANT MONEY THAT COMES DOWN THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO EXPEND RIGHT AWAY.
AND SO PART OF DR. CHEN'S PRESENTATION WAS THAT FOR SOME OF SFRTA MONEY, IT'S LIKE MULTIPLE YEARS ARE ROLLING FORWARD, WHICH IS WHY THESE NUMBERS ARE SO BIG.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR DESIRE RELATED TO THESE PIE CHARTS, BUT THIS ONE IS MORE JUST RANDOM AND IT CHANGES YEAR BY YEAR JUST BASED UPON WHO HAS MONEY THAT WENT UNSPENT AND NEEDS TO GET PUSHED FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, DR.
THEY'RE ALL RELATED TO EITHER THE SFRTA OR BCR SOUTH ITEMS. WELL, FIRST IS A QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEM.
WHEN WE SEE THE ACRONYM LF IN THE DESCRIPTION OF A PROJECT, DOES THAT MEAN LOCAL FUNDS? YES.
THE FTA FORMULA FUNDS FOR SFRTA THAT ARE GETTING ROLLED OVER, ARE THOSE FOR THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUNDS? THE ROLLING STOCK? NO, THAT IS FOR GOOD REPAIR OR THEIR OPERATION.
OKAY, SO IS IT NORMAL FOR FTA FORMULA FUNDS TO GET ROLLED OVER IN THIS QUANTITY? BECAUSE THESE ARE ANNUAL FUNDING APPROPRIATIONS.
IF I COULD, I MEAN, I THINK YOU KNOW, MAX, AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU DO, THAT I USED TO WORK FOR TRIRAIL.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EDUCATED GUESS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN SFRTA REPRESENTATIVE HERE TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU THE ABSOLUTE CORRECT ANSWER.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE SOME FUNDS THAT, LIKE THE STATE OF GOOD REPAIR, WHICH IS SOME OF THE FUNDS, THEY WOULD HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN SPENT.
DURING COVID, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT CAME DOWN TO HELP KEEP, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT, TRANSIT KIND OF THE RIDERSHIP WENT
[00:35:02]
OFF A CLIFF NATIONWIDE.AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY THAT CAME IN AT THAT TIME.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY DEFERRED EXPENDITURE OF SOME OF THEIR STATE OF GOOD REPAIR FUNDS.
SO IT'S NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL IN THE TRANSIT WORLD FOR MONEY TO SIT FOR A COUPLE YEARS WHILE THEY KIND OF ACCUMULATE IT.
AND THEN THEY'LL SPEND IT ON A LARGE PROJECT. WE SEE THIS QUITE OFTEN WITH BCT AS WELL.
SO IT'S NOT AN UNCOMMON PROCESS, ALTHOUGH I THINK THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT EXAGGERATED BY THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT CAME DOWN DURING THE COVID PERIOD.
GOTCHA. YOU WON'T BE ON THE HOOK FOR THIS BECAUSE BECAUSE MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS LIKELY FOR THAT ROLLING STOCK REPLACEMENT, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE SFRTA WAS TRYING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF CHICAGO METRO'S CONTRACT FOR ROLLING STOCK.
I WANT TO KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THIS ROLLING THIS FUND, THIS AMOUNT OF FUNDING ROLLING FORWARD MULTIPLE YEARS IN A ROW.
I WANT TO KNOW IF IT WAS STILL THE PLAN TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF CHICAGO METRO IF WE WERE MAKING IT IN TIME FOR THAT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE IT WOULD TO NOT MAKE IT IN TIME FOR THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR OWN PROCESS AND WAIT ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS TO GET ROLLING STOCK MANUFACTURED FOR US.
RIGHT. SO THAT'S MORE A QUESTION FOR THE SFRTA BOARD.
I WILL SAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN COMPILING FUNDS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING THROUGH US AND OUR EFFORTS WITH BOTH PALM BEACH AND MIAMI-DADE TO BRING MONEY IN THAT THEN WAS MATCHED UP TO TRIP FUNDS.
LAST YEAR, THERE WAS SOME EXTRA MONEY. WE FOUND A FEW COINS IN THE IN THE SOFA AS IT BE.
RTA HAD IDENTIFIED SOME COST OVERRUNS WITH THE ROLLING STOCK. WE GAVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO HELP COVER THAT.
THERE WAS A VERY LARGE FEDERAL GRANT THAT CAME IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO NOW OR ALMOST 90 MILLION, I WANT TO SAY, IN THAT IN THAT RANGE TOWARDS THIS.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER.
AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT PURCHASES IS STILL EXCUSE THE I LOVE PUNS ON TRACK TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO BUT THAT'S A QUESTION, IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ASK SOMEBODY TO BE HERE AT THE NEXT MEETING AND THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY GIVE YOU SOME MORE DIRECT ANSWERS ON THAT.
THANK YOU. A LOT OF AND ONE OF THE AGENDA BACKUPS YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF MAPS FOR WHERE THE PROJECTS ARE PLANNED TO GO AND ALL THE SFRTA PROJECT MAPS ARE HIGHLIGHTING A PARCEL THAT'S JUST SOUTH OF SIMPLE ROAD ON THE RAILROAD TRACK.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THAT IS BECAUSE THAT'S SFRTA'S OFFICE AND NOT BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE AN ACTUAL PROJECT THERE.
YES, BECAUSE MOST PRODUCTS IS A FORMULA FOUND.
RIGHT. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PRODUCTS APPLY TO.
SO WE PUT THAT TO THEIR OFFICE. YEAH.
IT'S JUST THAT I SAW LIKE 10 WHERE THE MAP SHOWED THE SAME PARCEL AND I WAS LIKE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THEIR OFFICE.
I SAW AN ITEM FOR THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE FUNDING THAT WAS BEING ROLLED FORWARD AND IT WAS ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE DID PASS A BILL TO ADD TO THIS TO ADD 60 MILLION DOLLARS OF RECURRING FUNDS FOR THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE WITH THE IDEA THAT IT WOULD BE GOING TO SFRTA.
I WANT TO KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF IT'S NOT THE CASE OR IF MOST OF THAT FUNDING IS GOING THROUGH OUR PARTNERS TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH BECAUSE FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE FOR SFRTA IS NOT A BIG PART OF 60 MILLION DOLLARS.
WHICH COULD YOU SAY THE PRODUCT AGAIN? I DON'T REMEMBER THE PROJECT NUMBER SPECIFICALLY, BUT THERE WAS ONE IN ONE OF THE BACKUP ITEMS. I THINK IT WAS ATTACHMENT NUMBER TWO WHERE ONE OF IT SAID THE SOURCE OF FUNDING WAS THE F.R.E.
YEAH, THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE.
I THINK AGAIN IF I CAN SUGGEST THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO INVITE BOTH FDOT AND SFRTA TO COME AND TO TALK ABOUT AND TO GIVE CORRECT RESPONSES TO THAT.
I KNOW THE LEGISLATURE TOOK SOME ACTION.
SO SOME MONEY WAS RESTORED TO THE FLORIDA RAIL ENTERPRISE.
WHERE IT'S GOING, WHAT HAS OR HASN'T BEEN ALLOCATED, I'M NOT AWARE OF THOSE FACTS AS OF NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE ASK ONE OF OUR PARTNERS FOR THAT.
SO YOU MEAN THE FUNDING AMOUNT IS $568, 000?
[00:40:03]
YEAH, IT WAS EITHER $568, 000 OR $558, 000.COULD YOU LOOK AT THE ATTACHMENT TWO? THERE ARE TWO PROJECTS ON TWO PAGES.
LAST QUESTION, I PROMISE, AND IT'S NOT SFRTA, IT'S BCR SOUTH.
I JUST WANT A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THE UPDATED DESCRIPTION BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT IT'S CONTINGENT ON THE FTA.
WHAT'S IT CALLED? SMALL PROJECTS GRANTS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IS IT THAT THE FUNDING WAS AUTHORIZED, BUT THEN I BELIEVE THE CORRECT TERM IS ENCUMBERED BY THE ADMINISTRATION? OR WAS IT NEVER AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS IN THE FIRST PLACE? I THINK IT'S NOT AUTHORIZED.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER WITH MIAMI DADE, IT WAS AUTHORIZED, BUT THEN ENCUMBERED.
SO WE PUT ILLUSTRATIVE IN THE LANGUAGE.
SO THEY WERE GOING TO APPLY FOR A GRANT.
THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT THE MPO ADOPTS, WE'VE GOT THE COST FEASIBLE PLAN, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE PLAN, RIGHT? BUT WE ALSO HAVE UNFUNDED NEEDS, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED A MECHANISM THAT'S KIND OF IN BETWEEN, WHICH IS WHERE THIS PROJECT SITS.
AND IT'S FOR PROJECTS WHERE THE PROJECT SPONSOR HAS PULLED TOGETHER THE LOCAL FUNDING.
AND WHEN I SAY LOCAL, I MEAN NON-FEDERAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN BCR SOUTH'S CASE, THEY WERE LOOKING AT SOME SURTAX FUNDS.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT FOR RAIL ENTERPRISE.
AND SO WE AMENDED OUR MTP TO PUT THAT PROJECT IN AS AN ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT, WHICH IS A FEDERALLY ACKNOWLEDGED STATUS OF A PROJECT.
IT'S GOT THE FUNDING TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT IT'S WAITING FOR A FEDERAL GRANT AWARD.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S STILL WHERE THAT PROJECT IS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A FEDERAL GRANT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO THAT PROJECT AT THIS TIME, RIGHT? NOT YET.
AND I THINK PART OF THEIR FUNDING WAS ALSO IMPACTED BY WHAT HAPPENED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO I THINK SOME OF THAT LOCAL FUNDING IS PROBABLY NOT THERE ANYMORE THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO BROWARD COUNTY TRANSIT ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THAT, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO AMEND IT IN OUR FEBRUARY, YOU KNOW, OUR ANNUAL MTP AMENDMENT CYCLE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM A YEAR TO KIND OF GO BACK AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW TO HOW TO GET THE FUNDING BACK ON TRACK.
BUT THAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO ADD THAT ASTERISK THERE.
IT'S CLEARLY DEFINED AS A PROJECT THAT'S WAITING FOR A FEDERAL GRANT.
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE IN A FEDERAL DOCUMENT BEFORE THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE FEDERAL GRANT.
SO THERE WAS KIND OF A CATCH-22, WHICH IS WHY THERE'S THAT ILLUSTRATIVE STATUS.
I'M SORRY FOR PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSCIENTIOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL, DR.
THIS ISN'T REALLY A QUESTION, BUT IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT THAT I'VE CLICKED ON THE ROLL FORWARD REPORT THAT WAS CORE PRODUCT THAT WAS PART OF THIS AGENDA ITEM.
AND THE WAY ON 8.5 BY 11, WHICH I PRINTED A COUPLE PREVIOUSLY, I CAN'T REALLY READ THE PRINT BECAUSE IT ORIGINALLY CAME FROM A STYLE OF PRINTING THAT WAS DONE FOR LINE-TYPE PRINTERS FROM 20, 30 YEARS AGO, 30 YEARS AGO OR MORE.
AND THEY STILL KEEP THAT FONT.
AND IN ORDER TO SEE ANYTHING ELECTRONICALLY, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE PAGE AND THEN EXPAND IT,
[00:45:01]
AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE WHOLE PAGE.YOU HAVE TO SEE JUST A PORTION OF IT AND THEN ROLL AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE PRINT.
AND IT'S ONE PART, AND THEN IT'S VERY CONFUSING TO MAKE THIS CASE.
AND IF YOU CLICK ON IT, THOUGH, YOU CAN SEE THE 130 PAGES.
IT'S A VERY FINE FONT THAT'S HARDLY LEGIBLE UNLESS YOU EXPAND IT TO WHERE THE SCREEN IS ONLY SHOWING A QUARTER OF THE PAGE.
AND YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH UNTIL YOU GET THE IDEA OF WHAT'S ON THE PRINT, WHAT'S ON THE PAGE.
THE SUMMATION OF THIS IS THAT FOR A 130-PAGE REPORT WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO IN EVERY SINGLE PAGE AND READ ONE QUARTER AT A TIME, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AND CONFUSING.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I COMMENTED ON A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND IT SEEMED TO, LIKE A YEAR AGO, I THINK WE HAD A MUCH BETTER PRINT MECHANISM.
AND IT SEEMED THE FDOT OFFERING SEEMS TO HAVE REVERTED TO WHAT'S SHOWN TONIGHT IF YOU CLICK ON THAT CORE PRODUCT.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT IT'S MORE LIKE WE'RE GOING BACK IN TIME THAN GOING FORWARD.
BUT IT'S BEYOND MPO'S CONTROL, I THINK.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE POLICY OF DOT, BUT PERHAPS YOU COULD ASK THEM TO IMPROVE.
I DON'T KNOW. THERE'S A POLICY FOR TAX CUTTING THAT WILL AFFECT ALL AGENCIES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AND REPORT BACK TO FDOT.
SO WE WILL SEE IF IN THE FUTURE THEY CAN IMPROVE THE DOCUMENT.
OKAY. OKAY. WE NEED TO VOTE ON THIS NOW.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS TO MAKE? CAN I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? WE HAVE THAT.
AND IF EVERYBODY WOULD ENTER YOUR VOTE.
[2. MOTION TO RECOMMEND BROWARD MPO APPROVE the Broward MPO’s Public Participation Plan]
ALL RIGHT. THE SECOND ACTION ITEM IS TO MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE BROWARD MPO APPROVAL OF THE BROWARD MPO PARTICIPATION PLAN.AND PAUL CALVARESI FROM THE STAFF HERE IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THAT.
PAUL? THANK YOU, CHAIR. PAUL CALVARESI, INTERGOVERNMENTAL MANAGER WITH BROWARD MPO.
SO HERE'S WHAT OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN, PPP, ITS PROMISE IS TO THE RESIDENTS OF BROWARD COUNTY.
THIS IS HOW WE ARE GOING TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN EVERY STEP OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS.
AND AS YOU SEE WITH THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS THE UMBRELLA THAT GUIDES ALL OF OUR OTHER CORE, THE OUTREACH FOR ALL OF OUR OTHER CORE PRODUCTS.
SO PPP IS A CORE PRODUCT. IT'S DICTATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THERE IS A 45-DAY COMMENT PERIOD. WE DID RECEIVE SOME COMMENTS AND THEY WERE EITHER INCORPORATED INTO THE DOCUMENT OR WE ADDRESSED THE COMMENT DIRECTLY WITH THE PERSON WHO SUBMITTED IT.
SO WHAT DOES IT DO? IT TALKS ABOUT WHEN PARTICIPATION HAPPENS ACROSS ALL OF OUR CORE PRODUCTS AND OUR PLANNING PROGRAMS. IT EXPLAINS HOW OUR FEEDBACK IS USED OR HOW THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK IS USED.
AND IT'S OUR PROMISE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND INCORPORATE IT INTO THE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO WHAT HAPPENED? SO THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY UPDATED FIVE YEARS AGO IN 2021. AND IF WE THINK BACK, THAT WAS A VERY CLOSE POST-COVID TIME.
SO THERE WERE SOME ASSUMPTIONS IN THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC
[00:50:02]
PARTICIPATION PLAN, WHICH HAVE NOT NECESSARILY PANNED OUT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.WE'VE ALSO UPDATED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY TO CATCH UP WITH THE CURRENT TIMES OF WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAN DO.
SO FOR INSTANCE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH GEO-TARGETING SOCIAL MEDIA ADS, BUT THAT HAD TO BE IN OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN IN ORDER FOR US TO GET REIMBURSED FROM FDOT.
WE'VE CHANGED OUR ADVERTISING POLICY, WHICH NARROWS DOWN THE NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS WE ADVERTISE IN.
ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE SEEN DIMINISHING RETURNS ON THAT, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE DATA TO BACK THAT UP.
WE'VE ALSO UPDATED GRAPHS AND TABLES. THE ENGAGEMENT METHODS BROUGHT THEM MORE UP TO DATE TO THE 21ST CENTURY AND REALLY STREAMLINED OUR GOALS.
SO WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? OKAY, LET'S MOVE ALONG THEN WITH A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND WE HAVE THAT. AND IF YOU WOULD ENTER YOUR VOTES, PLEASE.
OKAY. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY
[3. MOTION TO RECOMMEND BROWARD MPO APPROVE Updates to the Broward MPO's Title VI Program & Limited English Proficiency Plan]
AGAIN. THANK YOU.THE THIRD ACTION ITEM IS A MOTION TO RECOMMEND BROWARD MPO APPROVE THE UPDATES TO THE MPO'S TITLE VI PROGRAM AND LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PLAN.
AND CARL LIMA IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THAT.
CARL? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND CDC MEMBERS. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
SO CARL LIMA, BROWARD MPO STAFF. TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH, AS KEN MENTIONED, THE TITLE VI PROGRAM, LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PLAN.
SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, TITLE VI IS PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
IT PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
SO ANY AGENCIES RECEIVING FEDERAL DOLLARS HAVE TO HAVE A TITLE VI PROGRAM IN PLACE.
AND THE OBJECTIVES OF THAT PROGRAM ARE, AS WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN, WE PROVIDE OUR SERVICES IN A NON-DISCRIMINATORY MANNER.
WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION, REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
AND ALSO WE TRY TO ENSURE MEANINGFUL ACCESS FOR THOSE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH ABILITY.
SO TITLE VI PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. THIS IS MAYBE NOT THE MOST INTERESTING SLIDE, BUT IT ACTUALLY MIRRORS THE TITLE VI PROGRAM ITSELF.
SO IT'S WORTHWHILE TO SPEND SOME TIME HERE AND GO THROUGH IT.
HOPEFULLY, YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT BY NOW, BUT IF NOT, THIS IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN THERE.
OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM HAS TO BE UPDATED EVERY THREE YEARS. SO THE ONE WE'RE WORKING ON NOW IS DUE JANUARY 2027.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT EARLY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT OVER TO THE FDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT IF THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE, WE WANT TO GET THOSE COMMENTS EARLY AND BE ABLE TO DO THAT BEFORE IT GOES INTO EFFECT IN FEBRUARY.
SO THE PRIMARY GUIDING DOCUMENT WE USE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM IS THE FEDERAL TRANS ADMINISTRATION CIRCULAR 4702.1B.
AND THAT OUTLINES ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SO THERE'S GENERAL REQUIREMENTS, WHICH ANY AGENCY THAT'S DEVELOPING A TITLE VI PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND THEN THERE'S AGENCY-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT AGENCIES WITH, AND THOSE ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE YOU ARE.
SO STARTING WITH GENERAL REQUIREMENTS, WE HAVE OUR TITLE VI NOTICES, SO WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC OF THEIR RIGHTS UNDER TITLE VI.
WE DO THIS IN TWO PLACES. SO OUR WEBSITE, WHICH MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE INTERACTING WITH US, IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THERE.
WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S UPDATED THERE. ALSO, SAME THING WITH OUR TITLE VI COMPLAINT PROCEDURES AND FORMS. SO IF ANYONE WISHES TO MAKE A TITLE VI COMPLAINT, THEY CAN DO IT THROUGH US.
THEY CAN DO IT THROUGH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
AND THOSE PROCEDURES ARE OUTLINED IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH, AS WELL AS THE FORMS ON THE WEBSITE.
BUT AGAIN, IN THE LOBBY AS WELL, WE HAVE A PHYSICAL COPY.
IN THE EVENT SOMEONE DOES MAKE A COMPLAINT, ANY INVESTIGATIONS, COMPLAINTS, WE HAVE TO KEEP A RECORD OF THOSE WE'RE OBLIGATED TO.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THE TITLE VI PROGRAM ITSELF, BUT WE KEEP THAT INTERNALLY IN OUR RECORDS.
FORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE ENCOUNTER ALL THAT OFTEN.
THE LAST TIME WE HAD A COMPLAINT, WHICH WAS NOT EVEN DIRECTED AT THE MPO ITSELF, WAS BACK IN 2013.
BUT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND SEE IT THROUGH TO RESOLUTION WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
NEXT ONE, INTEGRATION WITH THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN, WHICH YOU JUST HEARD AND APPROVED.
WE DIDN'T PLAN THAT OUT, BUT IT WORKED OUT THAT WAY THAT PAUL WAS JUST PRESENTING AHEAD OF ME, SO YOU SAW THAT.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF COORDINATION WE DO WITH PAUL AND THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TEAM JUST BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH TITLE VI.
[00:55:03]
NEXT ONE UP IS LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEP PLAN.SO THIS IS THE OTHER HALF, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER FROM THE TITLE, THIS IS THE OTHER HALF OF THAT TITLE.
SOME FOLKS BREAK OUT THE LEP PLAN AND MAKE IT A STANDALONE DOCUMENT.
WE JUST EMBED IT INTO OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL FIND IT IN OUR DOCUMENT THERE, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE IT AS PART OF THIS UPDATE.
RACIAL COMPOSITION OF OUR NON-ELECTED BOARDS COMMITTEE.
SO YOU MIGHT REMEMBER I SENT OUT A SURVEY TO ALL OF YOU A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED.
THAT'S ANOTHER REQUIREMENT FROM THE FDA.
SO THE TABLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH THE LATEST RESULTS FROM THAT SURVEY.
SUBRECIPIENT MONITORING PROCESS.
SO ANY OF OUR SUBRECIPIENTS THAT ARE NOT THEMSELVES DIRECT RECIPIENTS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THEM AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE ADHERING TO TITLE VI REGULATIONS.
SO WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT IN THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST THING WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING TO THIS IS THE BOARD APPROVAL OF THE TITLE VI PROGRAM.
IT'LL GO TO THE BOARD NEXT MONTH.
AND AFTER THAT GETS APPROVED, WE INCLUDE EVIDENCE OF THAT.
AND THAT'LL BE REALLY THE LAST TIME WE TOUCH THIS DOCUMENT.
THAT'LL BE APPENDIX B ONCE IT'S READY.
SO THAT'S GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
MOVING OVER TO AGENCY-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.
THAT CAN BE STATES, TRANSIT AGENCIES.
ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF AGENCY.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO LOOK AT THE MPO REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE OUR OWN SECTION IN THERE.
AND IT STARTS OFF WITH A DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE EXERCISE FOR US.
THAT'S GRABBING CENSUS DATA, REFRESHING OUR TABLES, LOOKING AT TRENDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A Ā AND I DON'T KNOW THE ORDER HERE.
IT'S MAJORITY-MINORITY COUNTY OR MINORITY-MAJORITY COUNTY.
AND THE TRENDS ARE CONTINUING IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO THAT'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, REALLY EARTH-SHATTERING WHEN WE CRUNCH THE NUMBERS AND PUT THEM ALL INTO THE TABLES.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE TRENDS AND GROWTH THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO CONTINUE IN BROWARD COUNTY.
NEXT UP IS HOW WE'RE MEETING THE MOBILITY NEEDS OF MINORITY POPULATIONS.
AND SO THAT'S MOSTLY A NARRATIVE UPDATE.
WE TALK ABOUT OUR ROADS FOR ECONOMIC VITALITY PROGRAM, CSLIP USED TO BE CALLED, AND THEN THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND HOW IT ADDRESSES SOME OF THOSE NEEDS.
USUALLY THAT'S Ā WE USE A DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TOOL.
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF IT BEFORE.
IT'S CALLED THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT.
WE LOOK AT MINORITY POPULATIONS.
WE OVERLAY THAT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TRANSIT SECTION.
AND THAT SHOWS Ā THAT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES THE MAPS WE NEED THAT FTA REQUIRES FOR THIS SECTION.
FINALLY, THERE'S AN ANALYSIS THAT WE DO ON THE INVESTMENTS AND THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO PLACE.
AND WE TRY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW, UNINTENTIONAL DISPARATE IMPACTS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED.
NOW, THIS LAST PART IS, YOU COULD SAY, UNDER FIRE AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG CHANGE.
THERE'S A FINAL RULE THAT WENT INTO EFFECT FROM USDOT, JUNE 11TH, ACTUALLY.
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HAPPENING IN REAL TIME THAT BASICALLY PULLS OUT AND ELIMINATES DISPARATE IMPACT LIABILITY FROM TITLE VI IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MONITORING ACTIVELY AND KIND OF WAITING ON THE FTA.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING THE ADVICE OF OUR PEERS AT THE ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING, DON'T Ā YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR TITLE VI PROGRAM.
BUT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A Ā YOU KNOW, THERE'S CHANGING REGULATIONS NOW.
AND THE FTA CIRCULAR IS NO LONGER NECESSARILY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW FINAL RULE.
SO WE'RE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE.
THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE AN UPDATE TO THAT CIRCULAR AT SOME POINT.
AT LEAST WE'RE HOPING TO KIND OF GIVE SOME CLARITY TO ALL THE MPOS.
SO WE'RE KIND OF HOLDING OUR BREATH FOR THAT.
BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN A NUTSHELL WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IN OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM, THESE SECTIONS HERE.
SO THE DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TOOL, AGAIN, YOU MAY Ā I REFERRED TO IT ON THE LAST SLIDE.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE PRESENTED IT A YEAR OR TWO AGO TO THIS BOARD.
IT WAS CALLED THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT AT THE TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT AWARE OF WHAT IT IS, IT'S REALLY A TOOL THAT WE USE TO IDENTIFY AND MAP OUT, LIKE, PROTECTED POPULATIONS WITHIN BROWARD COUNTY.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE LEGISLATION THAT'S ON THE BOOKS.
THE AGE DISCRIMINATION ACT, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE TRY NOT TO BE, YOU KNOW, SUBJECTIVE AND JUST PICK WHAT WE WANT.
WE LOOK AT INDICATORS THAT REFLECT THAT LEGISLATION AND THE NONDISCRIMINATION GUIDANCE.
AND WE USE THOSE TO SELECT CENSUS INDICATORS.
AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ELDERLY,
[01:00:02]
YOUTH, DISABILITIES, AND, YOU KNOW, ETHNIC MINORITIES, ET CETERA.WE USE THAT TO IDENTIFY AND MAP OUT BY BLOCK GROUP AREAS IN THE COUNTY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXCEEDING, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTYWIDE AVERAGE IN THOSE AREAS.
SO IT HELPS US WITH PLANNING OUR OUTREACH AND, YOU KNOW, TARGETING OUR OUTREACH.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT HELPS OUR PLANNERS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE GOING INTO AN AREA, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOT A DEFINITIVE Ā YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE DEFINITIVE, BUT IT WILL GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN THEY'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THEIR BUDGET FOR THEIR PROJECT AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO THINK OF AND WHAT TO EXPECT THERE.
SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM, WE REALLY USE THIS TO LOOK AT MINORITY POPULATIONS SPECIFICALLY.
BUT THIS GOES FAR BEYOND JUST THE TITLE VI PROGRAM.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE USE THIS ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE REV PROGRAM, THE MTP, THEY ALL USE THIS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND IT LOOKS AT MORE OF A Ā IT CREATES MORE OF A COMPOSITE SCORE LOOKING AT A LOT MORE GROUPS THAN JUST SIMPLY MINORITIES.
SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS AT ONE POINT KIND OF UNIQUE TO THE MPO.
AND A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES HAVE DEVELOPED SOMETHING SIMILAR NOW IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE STILL MAINTAIN IT AND, YOU KNOW, IT STILL SERVES A PURPOSE FOR US.
SO IT'S SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE THAT WE STILL DO.
SO LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PLAN, LEP PLAN.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HALF OF THE TITLE IS DEVOTED TO THE LEP PLAN.
SO I WAS GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON IT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
SO HOW WE DEVELOP OUR LEP PLAN IS BASICALLY FIRST WE START WITH WHAT'S CALLED THE FOUR-FACTOR ANALYSIS.
SO YOU SEE THE NUMBERS THERE ON THE LEFT, ONE THROUGH FOUR.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE START WITH FIRST OFF, NUMBER ONE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHO'S HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE? THAT'S CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE LEP POPULATION.
SO THAT TABLE ON THE RIGHT THERE IS WHO'S HERE, ESSENTIALLY.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO SPEAK ENGLISH LESS THAN VERY WELL.
THAT'S WHAT DEFINES THE LEP POPULATION.
SO AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, A COLUMN NEXT TO THAT OF THAT LEP POPULATION, HOW MANY SPEAK WHAT LANGUAGE, AND THEN WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, PERCENTAGE IN COMPARISON TO THE OVERALL COUNTY POPULATION.
SO THAT'S STEP ONE IS JUST WHO IS HERE.
AND REALLY THERE WERE MINOR CHANGES TO THESE NUMBERS ON THE END.
I MEAN, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MINORITY GROUPS MOVING TO THE AREA, THIS IS GOING TO BUMP UP.
BUT IT WASN'T A TREMENDOUS BUMP.
NEXT ONE IS FREQUENCY OF CONTACT.
SO NOW WE KNOW WHO'S HERE, BUT WHO DOES THE MPO INTERACT WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS? AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER FACTOR WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING OUT INTO, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AND WE'RE GETTING TRANSLATION REQUESTS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE IN OUR MINDS WHAT WE THINK IS NECESSARY BASED ON THAT FREQUENCY OF CONTACT.
SO THIS CAN CHANGE OVER TIME AND BASED ON WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
NUMBER THREE IS GOING TO BE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF ACTION TO PEOPLE'S LIVES.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD BREAK OFF FROM LIKE A TRANSIT AGENCY, TRANSIT AGENCIES OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE MORE CRITICAL THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE OPERATING A BUS OR A TRAIN OR, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SAFETY BULLETINS UP AND THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, THAT VERY DAY IF THEY CAN'T READ IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OUR STUFF, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S PAINFUL FOR MOST OF YOU, I'M SURE IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET OUR STUFF IN.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO READ THE LONG RANGE PLAN TODAY, IS IT GOING TO IMPACT YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS VERY MOMENT? PROBABLY NOT.
BUT SO WHAT WE TRY TO EMPHASIZE FOR US FOR NUMBER THREE IS, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS AND STUFF.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE BOARD MAKES A DECISION ON SOMETHING, THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A POTENTIAL IMPACT FOR YOU, MAYBE NOT TODAY, BUT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE AT SOME POINT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE LOOK AT THERE AND HOW WE DIFFER FROM LIKE A TRANSIT AGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE'RE TRANSLATING.
AND THEN NUMBER FOUR IS SIMPLE.
IT'S JUST RESOURCES. IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE? I MEAN, YOU CAN TRANSLATE EVERY DOCUMENT YOU HAVE AND HAVE NO MONEY LEFT OVER FOR PROJECTS.
SO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF YOUR RESOURCES AND WHAT MAKES SENSE TO TRANSLATE.
SO AFTER YOU DO THIS FOUR FACTOR ANALYSIS, YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE SERVICES YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE.
THESE ARE WHAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE MINOR, VERY MINOR CHANGES THAT WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, AND LOOKING AT THE TRENDS THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES THAT YOU SEE HERE.
SO SPANISH NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS, WE DO THAT FOR ALL THE CORE PRODUCTS IN THE PAPERS.
MPO WEBSITE TRANSLATION FUNCTION. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF ADA OPTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE.
THERE'S A LITTLE WIDGET IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, BUT ALSO WE HAVE A TRANSLATION FUNCTION.
AND IF YOU SQUINT AT THAT SCREENSHOT ON THE TOP RIGHT, YOU'LL FIND A DROP DOWN MENU.
AND I POPPED THAT OPEN AND COUNTED AND THERE'S 77 LANGUAGES THERE.
SO THIS IS THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MOST FOLKS, THEIR FIRST INTERACTION WITH US IS GOING TO BE ON THE WEBSITE.
[01:05:01]
AND IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE REALLY NOT HAVE A GOOD GRASP OF ENGLISH, THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO, YOU KNOW, READ PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, 90 PERCENT OF WHAT WE DO IS GOING TO BE UP THERE.IT'S NOT GOING TO TRANSLATE EVERYTHING LIKE BIG PDFS AND IMAGES, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS WE DO AT THE MPO.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO DELVE DEEPER, YOU CAN REACH OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU.
OUR PHONE LINE, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE ENGLISH MENU, TRANSLATE TRANSITIONS INTO SPANISH.
WE HAVE THE SEVEN ONE RELAY SERVICE REMINDER AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR EMAIL SIGNATURES AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, MEETING NOTICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING.
WE HAVE A LIST OF STAFF TRANSLATORS AND INTERPRETERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VARIOUS FOLKS ON STAFF WITH LANGUAGE ABILITIES AND SOME OF THEM ARE PROFICIENT ENOUGH TO THE POINT AND WHERE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, ON A LIMITED BASIS, BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FIELD QUESTIONS OVER THE PHONE, TRANSLATE DOCUMENTS, PROOFREAD THINGS IN OTHER LANGUAGES.
SO WE MAINTAIN A LIST OF THOSE LANGUAGES EVERY TIME WE UPDATE OUR TITLE VI PROGRAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY UP THERE ON THE SLIDE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD JUST SAY IS, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, ONCE PEOPLE DIP THEIR TOE IN THE WATER AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT ON THE WEBSITE, MAYBE THERE'S A NEED TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, PLAN SPECIFIC MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND WE DO KEEP A SMALL POT OF FUNDS.
WE ENCOURAGE OUR PMS, PROJECT MANAGERS FOR OUR PROJECTS, IF THEY'RE GOING TO A CERTAIN AREA, AND THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN A HAITIAN COMMUNITY, THEY ARE PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME AND THINKING ABOUT THE BUDGETS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED.
SO THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS PART OF THEIR PROJECT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN EMERGENCY POT JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE-OFF THINGS THAT HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S COMING TO A MEETING, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE DO WE DO KEEP A BUDGET FOR THAT AS WELL, FOR A LEP PLAN.
SO THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN MY WITHIN MY 10 SLIDES THAT BILL GIVES ME, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE TITLE VI PLAN AND LEP FOR YOU.
SO NEXT STEPS IS GOING TO BE TAKING THIS TO THE MPO BOARD SEPTEMBER 10TH.
SO AFTER THAT GETS APPROVED, WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT TO FDA.
I'M GOING TO INCLUDE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
IT'S ALSO IN THE DOCUMENT ITSELF IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, BUT I'M GOING TO INCLUDE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FINAL RULE THAT'S GOING ON.
WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THAT'S GOING TO PLAY OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MONITORING THE SITUATION, ARE WILLING TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, UPDATES TO THE DOCUMENT IF, YOU KNOW, IF THAT TURNS OUT TO BE WHAT'S CALLED FOR.
SO WE'LL GET BACK OUR COMMENTS FROM FDA AND THEN YOU WON'T HEAR FROM ME AGAIN UNTIL CLOSER TO JANUARY 20, 30 FOR THE NEXT TITLE VI PROGRAM.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, CHAIR REINHART.
REBECCA BRECHER HAS A QUESTION.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? I HAVE A QUESTION.
WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE FRENCH, HAITIAN, CREOLE POPULATION, BUT I DON'T SEE MUCH LEP INFORMATION WITH REGARDS TO THEM AT ALL.
THERE'S NO OUTSIDE OF THE WEBSITE TRANSLATION SERVICES LIKE ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS ARE SPANISH ONLY.
EVEN THE TRANSLATION SERVICES DON'T INCLUDE THEY INCLUDE A MANDARIN TRANSLATION SERVICE BEFORE WE CHOOSE HAVE A HAITIAN POPULATION TRANSLATION.
YEAH, I KNOW ON STAFF, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE WHO SPEAKS IT CURRENTLY.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE CASES LIKE THE EXAMPLE I BROUGHT UP.
WE HAVE WE HAVE THAT PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE PM IS AWARE OF IT, BECAUSE THAT TOOL THAT I SHOWED, THE DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS TOOL USUALLY GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF LIKE, OK, THESE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE GROUPS YOU MIGHT ENCOUNTER.
IT'S NOT BUT IT'S NOT DEFINITIVE.
SO WHEN WE DO FIELD VISITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THEY GET OUT INTO THAT COMMUNITY AND RECOGNIZE LIKE A NEED LIKE THAT, THAT'S WHERE LIKE THE PROJECT BUDGET WILL ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO HE'S ALREADY HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CONSULTANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT THERE.
SO THERE, YEAH, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE GO, THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A SPECIAL CASE FOR THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THAT.
[4. **MOTION TO APPROVE the 2027 Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC) Meetings Schedule]
THANK YOU.[01:10:20]
NO PROBLEM.SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND.
NUMBER FOUR, OUR SURPRISE AGENDA ITEM.
REBECCA WAS GOING TO INFORM HERSELF.
WALK ON ITEM OF ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS FOR THE TWENTY SEVEN CAC MEETING DATE.
I WANTED TO PRESENT THIS BECAUSE OUR NEXT AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER.
THIS IS THE ONLY ACTION ITEM ON THERE IN ORDER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT QUORUM.
I WAS HOPING TO DO THIS ITEM TODAY.
AND THEN FOR OUR MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE EITHER THREE OR FOUR NON ACTION ITEMS AND PRESENTATIONS.
BUT THE MAIN ISSUE WAS FOR QUORUM.
SO TODAY, AS ON YOUR SCREEN, IS THE TWENTY SEVEN CAC MEETING DATES IN WHICH I WILL ALSO BE SENDING THESE OUT VIA EMAIL AND ON OUTLOOK CALENDAR TO YOU AS WELL.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS ONE.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
AND THAT THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOTION SECOND AGAIN.
OK, JOHN, THEY'LL HAVE IT ON US HERE FOR A MINUTE.
IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH AN ASTERISK.
[1. Report From Partner Agency - Commute Broward - Education & Advancement Update]
IT PASSES.FIRST NON ACTION ITEM, THEN, AS A REPORT FROM OUR PARTNER AGENCY, THE KING BROWARD EDUCATION ADVANCE UPDATE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM ROBIN CHERELLA IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1992 AND FUNDED IN PART BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS BROWARD MPO.
AND WE OPERATE COMMUTE BROWARD.
AND I'M PROUD TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE TODAY ON THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE OVER THIS LAST YEAR.
SO I'LL START OFF BY TALKING FIRST ABOUT COMMUTE BROWARD'S ROLE.
BROWARD HAS A STRONG NETWORK OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND COMMUTER BENEFITS.
AND OUR ROLE IS TO CONNECT THOSE RESOURCES TO THE WORKFORCE.
OUR NICHE IS WORKING WITH LARGE EMPLOYERS.
THAT GIVES US A SCALABLE WAY TO REACH OUT TO A LOT OF COMMUTERS.
SO I LIKE TO DESCRIBE THAT APPROACH AS SHAKING AN APPLE TREE RATHER THAN SHAKING ONE INDIVIDUAL APPLE.
WORKING WITH ONE LARGE EMPLOYER GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF COMMUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT APPROACH THROUGH FLORIDA LAW.
FLORIDA STATUTE 768091 PROVIDES FOR EMPLOYER LIABILITY LIMITATIONS WHEN AN EMPLOYER PROVIDES COMMUTER INFORMATION AND INCENTIVES TO THEIR TEAM.
SO THAT ALLOWS EMPLOYERS TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN PROVIDING RIDE SHARING OPTIONS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES WITHOUT TAKING ON LIABILITY SIMPLY IF THEY'RE PROMOTING OR INCENTIVIZING THE DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
SO ULTIMATELY, THE WORK THAT COMMUTE BROWARD DOES HELPS EMPLOYERS ACCESS A LARGER WORKFORCE, HELPS EMPLOYEES FIND A NUMBER OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM, AS WELL AS ASSISTS THE REGION IN GETTING MORE VALUE FROM THE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE.
SO WITH THAT CONTEXT, LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
[01:15:09]
OVER THIS LAST YEAR.WE'VE MADE PROGRESS IN SIX MAIN AREAS, INCLUDING SECURING MAJOR EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS, BUILDING A STRONGER PIPELINE OF EMPLOYERS, DEVELOPING MATERIALS AND TOOLS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR EMPLOYERS TO UNDERSTAND AND USE COMMUTE BROWARD, EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMUNITY, INCREASING THE VISIBILITY OF OUR PROGRAM, AND FINALLY SUPPORTING BROWARD MPO AS FISCAL AGENT FOR ITS ANNUAL EVENTS.
SO I'LL TOUCH BRIEFLY ON EACH ONE OF THOSE.
SO THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT WE'VE MADE THIS YEAR IS MOVING SEVERAL EMPLOYER RELATIONSHIPS TO OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WE'VE SECURED PARTNERSHIPS WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS, THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE, AS WELL AS CONRAD FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS GROUP IS THAT IT REPRESENTS THREE DIFFERENT SECTORS, CORPORATE, PUBLIC, AS WELL AS HOSPITALITY.
AND THAT SHOWS THAT THIS MODEL CAN WORK ACROSS A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES AND SECTORS.
SO NOW WE'RE TAKING THOSE SECURED PARTNERSHIPS AND MOVING THEM INTO AN IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, ROLLING OUT CUSTOMIZED COMMUTER PROGRAMS FOR EACH.
AND TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF WHAT A CUSTOMIZED COMMUTER PROGRAM MIGHT INCLUDE, IT MAY BE CARPOOL AND VAMPOOL RIDE MATCHING.
IT MAY BE THE GUARANTEED RIDE HOME PROGRAM.
IT COULD BE CUSTOMIZED SURVEYS, TRANSPORTATION FARES, OR PERHAPS GUIDANCE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST WORKPLACES FOR COMMUTERS, WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE SECURED, WE'VE ALSO BUILT A STRONG EMPLOYER PIPELINE, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING BROWARD HEALTH, WESTIN FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH, PUBLIX, AMONG OTHERS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUILDING OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS TAKES TIME FROM THE INITIAL CONNECTION TO MULTIPLE MEETINGS AND FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS, ANSWERING OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO EXECUTION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH OUR NONPROFITS.
AND SOME OF THESE ARE EARLY IN CONVERSATIONS. OTHERS ARE FURTHER ALONG.
TELEPERFORMANCE, THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM, IS EXCITING BECAUSE WE JUST FINALIZED THE MOU WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE 1, 500 EMPLOYEES IN NORTH LAUDERDALE.
AND I ASKED THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, HOW MANY PEOPLE OR WHAT PERCENT OF YOUR WORKFORCE HAS A TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE AND PREVENTS FOLKS FROM COMING TO WORK ON TIME, IF AT ALL? AND THE RESPONSE WAS 15% ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO 150 PEOPLE RIGHT THERE THAT WE COULD IMPACT THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER.
SO THE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE MOVING THESE RELATIONSHIPS FORWARD THROUGH THE PROCESS, CONVERTING THE STRONGEST OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS.
WE'VE ALSO FOCUSED THIS YEAR ON MAKING THE PROGRAM EASIER FOR EMPLOYERS TO UNDERSTAND AND USE.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT BY DEVELOPING EMPLOYER-FACING TOOLS THAT SUPPORT OUR CONVERSATIONS.
AFTER THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION OR INITIAL OUTREACH WITH AN EMPLOYER, WE'VE DEVELOPED TOOLS TO ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO NOT JUST HEAR ABOUT COMMUTE BROWARD, BUT ALSO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TANGIBLE THAT THEY COULD TAKE BACK, LOOK AT, KEEP ON THEIR DESK, SHARE WITH THEIR TEAMS. SO THAT INCLUDES LEAVE BEHIND MATERIALS AS WELL AS CUSTOMIZED DIGITAL COLLATERAL THAT'S TARGETED FOR A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES.
AND WE'VE ALSO SPENT TIME POSITIONING COMMUTE BROWARD TO REACH THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMUNITY.
HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS ARE ESPECIALLY GREAT RESOURCES FOR US BECAUSE THEY HELPED US BUILD EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS.
HR FOLKS, THEY JUST IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUTER BENEFITS CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THE WORKFORCE CHALLENGES THAT ARE TYPICAL, SUCH AS RECRUITMENT, RETENTION ISSUES, EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM, RELIABILITY.
SO WE REALLY LEANED ON THE HR COMMUNITY TO EXPAND OUR REACH, AND WE'VE DONE THIS BY PRODUCING A HUMAN RESOURCES INSIGHTS WEBINAR.
WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE BEST WORKPLACES FOR COMMUTERS VIRTUAL FORUM, WHICH IS GEARED FOR EMPLOYERS AND HUMAN RESOURCES FOLKS.
AND WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED OUTREACH THROUGH JOB FAIRS AS WELL AS COMMUNICATED WITH HR-FOCUSED ORGANIZATIONS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE WOMEN DEPICTED WITH ME ON YOUR SCREEN ARE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION OF BROWARD COUNTY.
AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE BECAUSE THEY CONNECT US DIRECTLY WITH THE HR COMMUNITY AND ULTIMATELY TO THE DECISION MAKERS WHO WILL GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE COMMUTE BROWARD PROGRAM.
AND FURTHER, WE INCREASED PROGRAM VISIBILITY PRIMARILY THROUGH LINKEDIN AS WELL AS IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS.
WE'VE GENERATED OVER 14, 000 POST IMPRESSIONS AND GREW OUR LINKEDIN NETWORK BY 143%.
[01:20:03]
WE'VE ALSO USED A STRATEGY TO ENGAGE LINKEDIN AMBASSADORS THAT HAVE SHARED COMMUTE BROWARD CONTENT ACROSS THEIR NETWORKS, WHICH COLLECTIVELY HAVE ALLOWED US TO REACH OVER 77, 000 FOLLOWERS.AS AN EXAMPLE, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, LARRY LONG JR., WHO IS A WELL-KNOWN PUBLIC SPEAKER IN THE HR COMMUNITY, TOOK SOME TIME TO INTERVIEW ME.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A PICTURE OF HIM IN FRONT OF HIS COMPUTER.
AND YOU CAN SEE ME IN THE PEACH, VERY SMALL ON HIS LAPTOP.
AND APPARENTLY I LIKE PEACH BECAUSE I'M ALSO WEARING IT TONIGHT.
SO IF YOU SEE ME, I'M ALWAYS WEARING PEACH.
BUT THERE I AM IN PEACH ON HIS LAPTOP AND HE POSTED ON HIS LINKEDIN AND THAT REACHED HIS 43, 000 FOLLOWERS TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT COMMUTE BROWARD.
SO THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND OUR REACH BEYOND JUST THE TRADITIONAL TRANSPORTATION CIRCLES AND INTO THE BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN ON THE UPPER RIGHT IS A GENTLEMAN FROM MICROSOFT.
THIS IS PART OF OUR OUTREACH STRATEGY OF COLD VISITS, LITERALLY DROPPING INTO MAJOR EMPLOYERS INTRODUCING COMMUTE BROWARD.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE DROP-IN VISITS WHERE I WENT AND VISITED MICROSOFT.
SO THE GOAL ISN'T SIMPLY SOCIAL MEDIA REACH OR GROWTH.
IT'S USING STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS, MAKING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO INCREASE AWARENESS, CREATE CREDIBILITY, AS WELL AS OPEN DOORS WITH EMPLOYERS.
SO LET'S LOOK AHEAD TO ACTUALLY THIS FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 27.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE FOUNDATION THAT WE CREATED BY STRENGTHENING HOW WE REPORT OUR PERFORMANCE, MAKE TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION EASIER TO UNDERSTAND, CONTINUE EXPANDING OUR EMPLOYER OUTREACH AND PARTICIPATION, AS WELL AS DO A BETTER JOB OF DEMONSTRATING THE REGIONAL VALUE OF THE PROGRAM.
THIS YEAR, YOU'LL SEE PRACTICAL TOOLS COMING OUT OF THE PROGRAM, SUCH AS HOW-TO GUIDES, EMPLOYER FOCUS GROUPS, EMPLOYEE TRAININGS, EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS, AND AN ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT.
SO THE IDEA IS TO MAKE COMMUTE BROWARD EASIER TO EXPLAIN, EASIER TO USE, AS WELL AS EASIER TO MEASURE.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT PROGRESS FROM A FRAMEWORK OF REACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND ACTION.
SO REACH MEANING GETTING THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF FOLKS, WHETHER IT'S A WEBINAR, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH EMPLOYERS.
AND THEN ENGAGEMENT, WHERE PEOPLE GO AHEAD AND INTERACT WITH THAT INFORMATION, WHETHER THAT'S ANSWERING A SURVEY, ASKING A QUESTION OF THEIR EMPLOYER, ATTENDING A WEBINAR.
AND THEN THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS ACTION, WHERE WE WANT TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM SIMPLY SEEING AN IMPRESSION OR HEARING ABOUT A PROGRAM TO ACTUALLY ADOPTING THE PROGRAM IF THEY'RE AN EMPLOYER OR MAKING THEIR BEST COMMUTE CHOICE IF THEY'RE AN EMPLOYEE.
AND SO THAT'S THE UPDATE FOR COMMUTE BROWARD TONIGHT.
ANYBODY? WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, AND I'M IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT'S A NEED WE MAY NOT THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU'RE JUMPING IN AND ANSWERING THAT.
[2. Report From Partner Agency - Florida Department of Transportation - SR-93/I-75/Alligator Alley Master Plan]
THANK YOU.OKAY, NEXT ACTION ITEM, NON-ACTION ITEM, A REPORT FROM OUR PARTNER AGENCY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE STATE ROAD 93 I-75 ALLIGATOR ALLEY MASTER PLAN AND HAYSA SOSA, PROJECT MANAGER AT FDOT, WILL TAKE IT AWAY.
I'M THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR DISTRICT 4 HERE, AND I AM HERE TO PRESENT, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, STATE ROAD 93 I-75, WELL KNOWN AS THE ALLIGATOR ALLEY.
AND THE LIMITS OF THIS PROJECT ARE FROM THE DISTRICT 4 TOLL PLAZA ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE TO COLLIER COUNTY TOLL PLAZA.
EXCUSE ME, COULD YOU STAND A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIC? YES, I TRIED TO MOVE IT, BUT I WAS AFRAID.
[01:25:01]
SO DID YOU HEAR THAT? THE LIMITS ARE FROM THE TOLL PLAZA IN BROWARD COUNTY ALL THE WAY TO COLLIER COUNTY TOLL PLAZA, ABOUT 75 MILES.IN STUDY AND PURPOSE AND NEED, THE DEPARTMENT CONDUCTS MASTER PLANS LOOKING AT AN OUTER YEAR PLAN.
WE DID A MASTER PLAN FOR I-95, I-595, THE OTHER SEGMENT ON 75, AND FROM THOSE MASTER PLANS, THE EXPRESS LANES, MANAGED LANES, AND OTHER PROJECTS CAME ALONG.
SO NOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IDENTIFYING CURRENT AND FUTURE SAFETY OPERATIONAL NEEDS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT LONG-TERM CAPACITY NEEDS, INNOVATION, WHAT TECHNOLOGIES WE CAN BRING.
ALSO, WE DEVELOPED THE ROADMAP FOR NEAR-TERM IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE'RE NOT ONLY LOOKING AT 2050, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE UPCOMING YEARS, WHAT SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS WE CAN DO.
AND THEN FOR LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS, THAT WOULD BE A PD&E, A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT STUDY.
AND HERE WITH ME, I HAVE ALEX PARADIS.
HE IS THE CONSULTANT PROJECT MANAGER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN.
I'M THE CONSULTANT PROJECT MANAGER HELPING THE DEPARTMENT LEAD THIS EFFORT.
SO IF WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE GET INTO THE STUDY OBJECTIVES AND CONSIDERATIONS.
SO SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON IN THIS STUDY ARE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, EVACUATION AND SAFETY, FREIGHT TRUCKING NEEDS, THE TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, THE LOOKING AT THE WILDLIFE AND THE HABITATS THAT ARE OUT THERE, LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE HARDENING, MOBILITY AND TRAVEL DEMANDS, AND, OF COURSE, ULTIMATELY, THE FUNDING, PRIORITIZATION AND PHASING OF THE PROJECTS THAT COME OUT OF THE STUDY.
SO JUST A QUICK LITTLE HISTORY ON ALLIGATOR ALLEY.
IT IS A SIS FACILITY, 75 MILES, WITHIN OUR STUDY LIMITS IS 75 MILES OF LIMITED ACCESS ROADWAY.
25 OF THOSE MILES ARE IN BROWARD COUNTY, THE REMAINDER, MAJORITY OF THE PROJECTS IN COLLIER COUNTY.
IT'S A FOUR-LANE DIVIDED INTERSTATE ALL THE WAY FROM TOLL PLAZA TO TOLL PLAZA WITH A 70 MILE PER HOUR POSTED SPEED LIMIT.
AND THERE'S, OF COURSE, THE TWO TOLL PLAZAS ON EITHER END OF THE STUDY LIMITS.
WITHIN DISTRICT 4 IN BROWARD COUNTY, THERE'S 31 BRIDGES AND 80 IN DISTRICT 1 IN COLLIER COUNTY WITH OVER 40 WILDLIFE CROSSINGS THAT ARE COINCIDENT WITH SOME OF THOSE BRIDGE CROSSINGS.
THERE ARE TWO INTERCHANGES, ONE AT SNAKE ROAD AND THE OTHER ONE AT STATE ROAD 29, WITH VARIOUS PULL-OFFS AND MANAGE ACCESSES ALONG THE WAY.
THERE'S THE ONE SERVICE PLAZA, THE MICCOSUKEE PLAZA, AND THE TWO REST AREAS, ONE IN BROWARD COUNTY AND ONE IN COLLIER COUNTY.
THERE'S SEVEN RECREATION AREAS, AND ALL THESE INTERCHANGES IN THE SERVICE AREAS ALL HAVE LIMITED LIGHTING BASED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL, THE COMPLEXITIES SURROUNDING THE CORRIDOR.
SO SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THIS CORRIDOR IS UNIQUELY SURROUNDED BY EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
IT'S VERY, IT'S CRITICAL DURING THE STUDY AS WE DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES TO CONSIDER THIS.
IT'S KEY TO WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS CAN COME OUT OF THIS STUDY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE WILDLIFE CROSSINGS, THERE'S SUN TRAIL, VARIOUS PARKS AND RECREATION CENTERS.
THERE'S THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES OF WHICH THE FDOT CENTRAL OFFICE IS THE ONLY ENTITY THAT CAN DIRECTLY COORDINATE WITH THE TRIBAL, WITH THE TRIBAL NATIONS.
SO, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AT THE FOREFRONT OF ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THE STUDY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PREVIOUSLY RECORDED CULTURAL RESOURCES ALONG THE CORRIDOR IN VARIOUS SECTION 4F AND 6F PROTECTED LANDS, OF COURSE TIED TO THE TRIBAL NATIONS.
SO HAVING A CLEAR AWARENESS OF ALL THESE IS VERY CRITICAL TO THIS STUDY.
EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS HAVING A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERMITTING COMPLEXITIES HERE, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF THE PERMITTING JURISDICTIONS, WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, MAINTAINING AGENCIES.
WE HAVE TO KEEP A FOCUS ON MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY AND MAINTAINING LIKE THE HYDROLOGIC PATTERNS OUT THERE THAT MAINTAINING THE DRAINAGE FLOWS WITH ANY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WILL BE DOCUMENTED IN THE MASTER PLAN.
[01:30:01]
SO THERE ARE SOME ONGOING AND PLANNED PROJECTS AROUND THE AREA.WE HAVE THE BROWARD COUNTY ONES ON THE LEFT.
THE CORRIDOR IS MUCH SHORTER ON THE BROWARD COUNTY SIDE, A LOT LESS DEVELOPMENT THERE, BUT WE DO HAVE THE I-75.
THIS MASTER PLAN IS PART OF, IT SHOWS UP IN YOUR 2050 MTP AS WELL AS VARIOUS PROJECTS, STUDIES ON US-27.
US-27 IS AN ADJACENT PROJECT, SO IT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR STUDY LIMITS.
THERE'S ALL THE OTHER FTOT PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING, THE I-75, AND SOME OF THOSE ALSO SHOW UP ON THE MTP AS WELL.
THE I-75 ITS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS A DESIGN PROJECT THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW.
AS WELL AS THE I-75 EVERGLADES TOLL PLAZA, ALL ELECTRONIC TOLLING CONVERSION, WHICH IS TOLL PLAZA HERE ON THE EAST SIDE THAT'S GETTING CONVERTED TO ALL ELECTRONIC TOLLING.
SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A BOOST TO STOP THAT.
IF YOU'LL NOTICE HERE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT COLUMN, THE PLANNED AND ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS IN COLLIER COUNTY, THERE ARE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON OVER THERE.
ONE OF WHICH, IN PARTICULAR, IS THE AVE MARIA. IT'S A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, AND THE OTHERS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE START TO LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS OUT THERE.
THERE'S BILLBOARDS OUT HERE ON 595 ON THE WEST END THAT ARE PROMOTING PEOPLE MOVING OUT TO THIS COMMUNITY AND COMMUTING BACK OVER.
THAT IS GOING TO GENERATE A LOT OF TRIPS. IT'S SOMETHING WE WILL, OF COURSE, BE LOOKING AT THAT AS WE RUN OUR TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS.
ULTIMATELY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN HERE IS TO TAKE IN THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, EVALUATE THE BENEFITS AND COSTS BETWEEN ALL THE VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS, AND LOOKING AT ALL THAT AND HOW CAN WE SEGMENT IT AND PHASE IT SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE VALUABLE BENEFITS IN SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN DO IMMEDIATELY OR SOME THAT ARE GOING TO ROLL INTO FUTURE PD&E STUDIES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, IT'S UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDING.
AND ALL OF THAT IS TO, IT COMES TOGETHER SO THAT FDOT AND THE MPO CAN PRIORITIZE AND PHASE AND PROGRAM THESE PROJECTS.
SO THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT, OF THE STUDY, IS WE'VE COMPLETED THE DATA COLLECTION PHASE.
SO WE GATHERED ALL THE GIS AND THE ASPIL TO TAKE SOME PROJECT INFORMATION AND THE TRAFFIC COUNTS, ASSESS THE CRASH DATA, AND WE PREPARED THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN.
AND WE HAVE A WEBSITE NOW THAT'S LIVE. I DON'T HAVE THAT WEB ADDRESS HERE.
IT'S W.ALLIGATORALLEYMASTERPLAN.COM.
I'LL GET WITH THE FDOT MPO LIAISON.
WE CAN SEND THAT OUT TO YOU ALL.
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE UP AND COMING ARE, LIKE I SAID, THE TRAVEL DEMAND AND OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS, THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION.
ONE THING TO NOTE THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING OUT OF THE TRAFFIC COUNTS IS THERE ARE SEVERAL HIGH CRASH LOCATIONS, IF SOME MAY BE AWARE.
THERE'S AN AVERAGE OF 400 CRASHES PER YEAR ON THE ALLEY.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST, LIKE, THE FIVE-YEAR, THE LATEST DOCUMENTATION, THERE'S BEEN 27 FATALITIES OVER THE, THAT'S FROM 2020 TO 2025.
SO THAT'S, OF COURSE, LIKE THE SAFETY IS ONE OF THE KEY AREAS OF FOCUS THAT WE HAVE ON EVALUATING ANYTHING ON THIS CORRIDOR, IN ANY CORRIDOR, FOR THAT MATTER.
IT IS AN UNUSUAL CORRIDOR IN THAT THE PEAK TRAFFIC IS FOUND ON THE WEEKENDS AND NOT THE WEEKDAYS ON THE ALLEY.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR TRAVEL MODELING AND PROJECTIONS, WE ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSING A LOT ON THAT WEEKEND, THOSE WEEKEND NUMBERS.
AND WITH REGARD TO FUNDING, THE DEPARTMENT HAS SOME PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING FUNDS AVAILABLE IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
THAT'S THE $3.9 MILLION WITH CONSTRUCTION FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR 32 OF $13.9 MILLION.
AND THOSE ARE INTENDED TO INITIATE SOME OF THESE NEAR-TERM IMPROVEMENTS, SOME OF THESE LOCALIZED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO GO THROUGH A FULL PD&E PROCESS.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE PROJECT SCHEDULE, WE ARE IN THE, NEARING THE MIDPOINT OF THE STUDY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE BEGINNING OF THIS, WITHIN THIS TIMEFRAME, IT'S REALLY, IT'S ALL LIKE THE DATA COLLECTION THAT HAPPENS.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, STARTING NEXT MONTH IS WHERE WE REALLY START TO GET INTO THE, ALL THE PROJECTIONS, THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS, LOOKING AT WHAT'S COMING IN THE FUTURE.
WE, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE MPO PRESENTATIONS.
FOLLOWING THIS, WE'LL BE CREATING A TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'LL BE HAVING A MEETING COMING UP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, FOLLOWED BY A FOLLOW-UP PRESENTATION TO THE MPOS.
[01:35:01]
ANOTHER TRC MEETING AS WE ADVANCE THE PROJECT AND PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE GROUP AND GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.AND THEN AS THE, AS THE STUDY WRAPS UP, WE WILL HAVE OUR FINAL MPO PRESENTATION.
AND WITH THAT, THAT'S THE HIGH-LEVEL INTRODUCTION FOR YOU ALL TO THE STUDY.
I WELCOME ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK.
OKAY, THANK YOU. YEAH, WE HAVE A QUESTION.
THIS WAS, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION AND I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I'D LOVE TO ASK ON SLIDE SIX.
DOES THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OWN ALL THE ROADWAY INTERSTATE 75 OR DO WE SHARE IT WITH THE, WITH THE NATION? FOR THE CORRIDOR, RIGHT, WE, THE DEPARTMENT OWNS THE CORRIDOR WITHIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
OF COURSE, ANYTHING BEYOND THE RIGHT-OF-WAY IS NOT OURS.
YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THIS THINKING THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IT SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT 2050, THAT WE COULD USE THIS.
I DON'T LIKE DRIVING ON THIS HIGHWAY.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A SCARY HIGHWAY.
PEOPLE DON'T OBEY THE SPEED AND IT'S JUST, FOR ME, A VERY UNSAFE HIGHWAY.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SAFETY, SO SEVERAL THINGS I HAD CONCERNING THIS UPGRADE, ARE WE LOOKING AT MAKING THIS A SMARTER HIGHWAY IN THE SENSE THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES ON THIS HIGHWAY IS CONNECTIVITY? YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY YOU'RE ON THERE AND YOU LOSE SIGNAL.
ANOTHER CONCERN, YOU TALKED ABOUT FATALITY.
I'VE BEEN THERE WHERE YOU'VE BEEN BLOCKED BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT.
AND SO OUR FEAR I HAVE IS THE TIME IT TAKES FOR RESCUERS TO ACTUALLY GET TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S THERE.
AND SO I THOUGHT WITH THIS NEW SORT OF REVIEW, THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOME FACILITY, SOME SORT OF CAPACITY THAT YOU WOULD BUILD.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WAIT ON AN AMBULANCE TO COME FROM EITHER BROWARD OR NAPLES TO COME.
AND I DON'T SEE, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO BUILD, I DON'T KNOW, A HELIPORT WHERE HELICOPTERS CAN COME AND FIND THAT? I KNOW WE, WE, MANY YEARS AGO WE HAD A DISCUSSION.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU ALL MY QUESTIONS SO I CAN GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY.
WE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR EV CHARGERS.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS A VERY LONG DISCUSSION CONCERNING BUILDING, USING FEDERAL DOLLARS TO PUT AN EV CHARGER ON NONPUBLIC LAND.
AND I KNOW THERE'S ONLY ONE THERE ON THE SERVICE.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, ARE WE LOOKING AT ADDING MORE CHARGERS SINCE WE ARE LOOKING AT 2050 AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE USING EVS TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT ON THE HIGHWAY? AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU THOSE FOUR THINGS.
SO I'M GOING TO START WITH THE LAST ONE FIRST.
THERE WERE SOME PROJECTS, SOME INITIAL PHASING PROGRAMS FOR LOOKING AT THE EV CHARGERS.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THOSE ARE, THOSE WERE DROPPED IN THE, IN, THOSE WERE LIKE NEAR TERM PROJECTS.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY NEW PROJECTS.
FLORIDA HAS NOT ASKED FOR FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO I'M ASSUMING WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE BUILDING ANYTHING IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THERE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ANY EV CHARGERS PROGRAMS ALONG THIS CORRIDOR.
THAT SAID, THINGS MAY CHANGE IN THE UPCOMING YEARS.
AND PRIORITIES MAY CHANGE AT RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT'LL COME OUT OF THE COOK.
THAT'LL COME OUT OF THE STUDY.
LIKE YOU MENTIONED WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT CAN BE DONE OUT THERE.
IT'S THAT ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, CONNECTED VEHICLES AND THE EARLY DETECTION FOR INCIDENCES.
SO LIKE ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, AI TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, LIKE ALL OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE RESEARCHING AND LOOKING INTO AND HOW WE CAN, BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING, RIGHT? THE, THIS IS LIKE, IT'S AN EVACUATION ROUTE.
THERE'S, THERE'S WILDFIRES OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE, THE BROWARD REST THERE WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, FIRE DEPARTMENT THERE.
THEY'RE VERY SPREAD OUT AND EVEN COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TWO ON LIKE WHO RESPONDS TO WHAT INCIDENT, WHO CAN GET THERE FASTER.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT EVEN LIKE MINIMAL THINGS THAT ARE MORE NEAR TERM, LIKE PROVIDING MORE EMERGENCY CROSSOVERS,
[01:40:02]
FOR EXAMPLE, OR POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING WIDER SHOULDER.YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SHOULDER USE FACILITY FOR THE EVACUATION.
SO IT'S LIKE, CAN WE EXPAND THE SHOULDER SOME SO THAT IN, IF THERE IS AN INCIDENT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE VEHICLES CAN GET THERE FASTER OR WE CAN LIKE CLEAR TO KEEP THE ROADS SAFE IF THERE IS AN INCIDENT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, YOU TOUCHED ON THERE.
IT IS, IT'S THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN THE TIME.
AND EVEN WHEN DRIVERS ARE THERE TO ALERT THEM TO THINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING, THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL WITHOUT HAVING A LARGE ENVIRONMENTAL NEGATIVE IMPACT FOR THEM TO BE THERE.
HAVE YOU GUYS CONSIDERED MAYBE AN APP THAT WOULD ALERT PEOPLE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT CORRIDOR? SO, AGAIN, PEOPLE CAN MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING, DO I GO THERE OR DO NORTH, ET CETERA? YEAH.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE ALL, THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS.
ALL THAT, THE TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY, RIGHT? LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
AND ONE FINAL QUESTION CONCERNING THE CONNECTIVITY PART.
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE TECH COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE, TO MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CELL PHONES HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET ALERTS? YEAH.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES ON THE ALLEY IS THAT GIVEN THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL AREA, RIGHT, THERE'S RESTRICTIONS ON HAVING CELL TOWERS AND WHATEVER.
SO THOSE ARE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THESE, THE TECHNOLOGY FACTOR OF THIS STUDY THAT'S GOING TO COME INTO PLAY.
IT'S LIKE HOW WE HAVE, BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS A CONCERN, RIGHT? THERE'S LIKE, THERE'S DEAD ZONES OUT THERE.
I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN BROWARD COUNTY SINCE I WAS THREE YEARS OLD.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AND EVALUATING AND REACHING OUT TO THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND SEEING LIKE WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT'S COMING, RIGHT? AGAIN, THIS IS A, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT TO DO NOW.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROJECT THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE I-75 ITS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT THAT'S UNDER DESIGN NOW IS GOING TO BE SUPPLEMENTING THE INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS OUT THERE AND PROVIDING, IT'S CONVERTING LIKE THE SOLAR POWER TO, THEY'RE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND POWER TO, SO WE DON'T LOSE, YOU KNOW, CONNECTIVITY TO THESE, TO THE ITS DEVICES, TO THE SIGNS THAT ALERT THE TRAFFIC.
THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE OF THOSE IN PLACE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT THERE'S LIKE ALERTS WHEN THERE'S WET WEATHER AHEAD AND LIKE THE PAVEMENT'S WET.
SO THERE'S SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE NOW IS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, LIKE WHAT ELSE IS THERE? YEAH, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THE CARRIERS WHEN THERE ARE LARGE EVENTS IN WHEREVER, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE MOBILE UNITS THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE INCREASED TRAFFIC.
AND SO WITHOUT HAVING, BEING VERY SENSITIVE TO THE AREA, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER HAVING MOBILE UNITS ALONG THE CORRIDOR AT WEEKENDS, WHICH IS WHEN MOST TIMES PEOPLE ARE USING THAT CORRIDOR OR WHENEVER.
IT IS VERY SCARY TO DRIVE THIS ROADWAY.
I'VE HAD TO DO IT A COUPLE OF TIMES RECENTLY DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A SLIDE HERE WHERE YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S LIMITED LIGHTING ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
THERE ARE SOME LARGE SEGMENTS THAT ARE PITCH BLACK, LIKE THERE IS NO LIGHTING THERE.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING 80, 90, 100 MILES AN HOUR, YOU LITERALLY CANNOT REACT IN TIME TO AVOID ANYTHING.
I KNOW THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO INSTALL MORE LIGHTING BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I DON'T ENVY YOUR POSITION OF HAVING TO WEIGH THOSE OPTIONS.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE LIGHTING, ESPECIALLY IN SOME KEY PARTS OF THE CORRIDOR.
THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTIVE STRIPES AND WHATNOT, THINGS THAT MAYBE STAND OUT A LITTLE BIT BRIGHTER.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO WEIGH THE IMPACT TO THE WILDLIFE WITH ANYTHING THAT REFLECTS LIGHT.
BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IN MORE DETAIL.
YOU CAN'T HAVE LIGHTS EVERYWHERE.
I CAN'T SAY THAT IT CAN OR CAN'T HAPPEN, BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING.
AND THERE'S A REASON WHY THERE'S NOT LIGHTS OUT THERE TODAY, AS YOU KNOW.
GREAT PRESENTATION, BY THE WAY.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT COULD YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT THE ALTERNATIVES MIGHT LOOK LIKE? IT MIGHT BE EARLY IN THE PROJECT SINCE YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS SO FAR.
BUT DOES THIS INCLUDE MAYBE ADDING ONE MORE LANE TO THE ROADWAY, ANY MULTIMODAL
[01:45:03]
FACILITIES OR RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE CORRIDOR? SURE.SO THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST STUDY OF ITS KIND ON ALLIGATOR ALLEYS, SO INITIALLY IT'S VERY HIGH LEVEL.
SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF IT THAT ARE MORE LIKE THOSE NEAR-TERM, THAT CAN BE DONE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WITH THAT FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, ARE SOME OF THESE WHERE MAYBE YOU'RE EXTENDING AN ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION LANE AT THESE VARIOUS ACCESS POINTS, LIKE AT THE REST STOPS OR LIKE THE RECREATION CENTERS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICTS THERE.
IT'S EVALUATING WHERE THESE HIGH CRASH AREAS ARE, PROVIDING SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM PROBABLY OCCUR LIKE IN THE CURVED PORTIONS OF THE ALLEY.
CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT, THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THE TRAFFIC DEMAND MODELS AND THE PROJECTIONS, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT, IS THERE ENOUGH VOLUME ON THE ALLEY COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS OR FURTHER DOWN THAT'S GOING TO WARRANT SIX LANES IN THE ALLEY? SO YEAH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT.
I THINK OTHER THINGS, LIKE I MENTIONED, THERE'S PROVIDING SOME EMERGENCY REFUGE AREAS.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED? LIKE MULTIMODAL, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SUN TRAIL, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF...
THERE'S A TRAIL, I THINK IT GOES UP AND DOWN.
I THINK IT'S STATE ROAD 29, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
IT DOESN'T ACCESS THE ALLEY, BUT IT LIKE ABUTS IT AT THE RIGHT AWAY.
SO YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT MULTIMODAL AND TRANSIT AND ALL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS BUS SERVICE, ALL OF THE CONNECTIVES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN EXPRESS LANE PROJECT GOING ON I-75 IN DISTRICT 1 OF COLLIER COUNTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW ARE THOSE EXPRESS LANES GOING TO FEED INTO THE ALLEY IN THE FUTURE? SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND EVALUATING FOR THE STUDY.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THIS STUDY IS VERY NECESSARY FOR THIS AREA, SO WE APPRECIATE IT.
QUESTION THOUGH, IN TERMS OF THE STUDY AS ITSELF, IT'S DUE TO BUILD LIKE A LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE NEXT 24 YEARS OVER THERE.
WHAT IF SOME OF THE THINGS AND THE CONCERNS ARE NOT PICKED UP WITHIN THE STUDY? LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS MAX MENTIONED OR HE JUST MENTIONED, ARE WE NOT TO CONSIDER THOSE THINGS AGAIN UNTIL 2050? HOW DOES THAT LOOK? LIKE HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BRING ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE REFERENCED IN THE STUDY WHEN IT'S DONE IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF? SO OUR GOAL WITH THE MEETINGS WITH YOU ALL IS TO TAKE THESE COMMENTS AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE STUDY.
SO WE'LL GATHER THEM UP, WE DOCUMENT THIS INFORMATION AND WE CAN SPEAK TO IT IN THE STUDY, WHETHER IT CAN ROLL INTO SOMETHING THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED NEAR TERM, SOMETHING LIKE THESE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE BENEFIT AND VALUE OR OTHER THINGS THAT WARRANT FURTHER STUDY.
LIKE THE EASIEST ONE IN MY MIND THAT WARRANTS LIKE A FURTHER STUDY IS THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, LIKE SIX-LANE IN THE ALLEY, RIGHT? SO IT'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT FEATURES THAT ARE GOING TO BE IDENTIFIED AND WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OR ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE STUDIED IN MORE DETAIL, SO THAT THEN DEVELOP INTO A CONSTRUCTABLE PROJECT.
OKAY, I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR OUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
[1. Member Comments]
HEARING MORE AS YOU GO ALONG.MEMBER COMMENTS OR ISSUES THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED VIA THE AGENDA.
AND MR. GALE, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION I STARTED THIS MORNING OR THIS MORNING.
THAT I WOULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF EXPERTISE.
AND MAX, AGAIN, I THINK UNDERSCORED WHAT I WAS JUST SAYING.
THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ASK CONCERNING THAT, THAT'S JUST WONDERFUL.
AND FOR ME, WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND SOMETIMES IT DOES TAKE 20, 30, 40 MINUTES, I THINK WE HAVE TO REFLECT THAT SOMEHOW WITHIN OUR MINUTES.
AGAIN, NOT TO SAY HE SAY SHE SAID.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE AN ADVISORY BOARD AND THE NEXT LEVEL, WE CAN'T STOP THINGS.
BUT IF THE NEXT LEVEL IS THE BOARD AND MY HOPE IS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT EITHER THE TAC OR THE CAC HAVE DONE, THAT THEY CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS ISSUE, YOU KNOW, CONSUMED A LOT OF TIME BECAUSE
[01:50:03]
CITIZENS WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE SORT OF BUSES THAT WE BOUGHT OR THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING ON LAND THAT'S GOING TO BE FLOODED.OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT US.
THAT KIND OF ISSUE, I THINK, NEEDS TO BE IN THE MINUTES BECAUSE WHEN THEY GET IT AND ALL IT SAYS WAS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST VOTED AND IT WAS 18 TO ZERO OR WHATEVER, IT DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT.
NOW, THERE IS A VIDEO, BUT THE IDEA OF HAVING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL STOP WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND GO FIND THE VIDEO AND WATCH THAT, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THE IDEA IS JUST TO HAVE INFORMATION, AGAIN, NOT AN ENCYCLOPEDIA, NOT, YOU KNOW, 14 PAGES, FOUR MINUTES, BUT TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AS CITIZENS, WE DID HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT A PARTICULAR ISSUE AND IT DID CONSUME OUR TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE NEXT BODY, THE BOARD TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A CONCERN FOR US.
ALL RIGHT, THEN, MICHAEL SMITH.
QUICKLY, WE HAVE AN UPCOMING BALLOT WHERE TAX INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE VOTED ON.
AND IT'S THE FINANCIAL SORT OF DEMOCLES ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO, IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO CUT BUDGETS, LET'S NOT START WITH TRANSIT, WHETHER IT'S BUS OR RAIL.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THESE LINES OF TRANSIT OPEN AND INCLUDES THE COMMUTER TRAINS.
AND IT'S NOT A LUXURY, IT'S PART OF THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE SOUTH FLORIDA REGION.
IT GOES FOR ALL THREE COUNTIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA OF POPULATION, A GREAT POPULATION SIZE, MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD, AND WEST PALM, PALM BEACH COUNTY.
SO, AGAIN, THE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE ON WHAT'S NECESSARY, BUT AGAIN, NOT TO CUT TRANSIT OR RAIL TRANSPORTATION FOR PASSENGERS AS A LUXURY.
I'D LIKE TO ADD ON TO WHAT MICHAEL WAS SAYING.
I ATTENDED A CORAL SPRINGS TOWN HALL ON THE AMENDMENT LAST NIGHT, AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEMSELVES IN GREAT VOLUME ON PASSING THE THING.
BUT THE CITY SAID, HERE ARE ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO IN THE CITIES.
WHICH ONES WOULD YOU TAKE A HIT ON, OR WHICH WOULD YOU WANT TO KEEP? AND THEY HAD A LITTLE, IT WASN'T SLIDO, BUT IT WAS ANOTHER APP LIKE THAT WHERE PEOPLE COULD CHOOSE ONE, TWO, OR THREE, OR ALL, OR NONE.
AND IT WAS VERY GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT WHEN IT CAME TO TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, MAINTENANCE, THEY JUST SAID, YOU HAVE TO KEEP THOSE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A STRONG SENTIMENT OUT HERE IN PUBLIC, EVEN FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, MAKING THAT COMMENT, THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT, THE SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
REBECCA? I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TAPER OFF OF THE MEETING MINUTES THING.
I THINK IT'S A NECESSARY THING, IN MY OPINION, VERY NECESSARY.
IT'S THE CHECKS AND BALANCES AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.
SO NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT FOR THE CITIZENS THAT WE REPRESENT, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
FOR ME, JUST CHECKS AND BALANCES.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO REFRESH WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST MEETING, SINCE WE ONLY DO THIS ONCE A MONTH.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T MAKE IT HERE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, AND TRANSPORTATION MAY BE A BARRIER TO WHY PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE IT HERE.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR MINUTES AND SEE THAT WE DISCUSSED A TOPIC THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM AND KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT TOPIC WAS OR THAT IT EVEN CAME UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IF THEY CAN'T MAKE IT HERE OR LOG IN TO WATCH OR WHATEVER MAY BE THE CASE.
BUT I THINK IT HOLDS CHECKS AND BALANCES TO SHOW THEM THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING THEM APPROPRIATELY.
IF I COULD, CHAIR? SO BILL CROSS, BROWARD MPO,
[01:55:01]
THROUGH THE CHAIR.AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS ON THE MEETING MINUTES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AS A TEAM AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH WHAT WE'RE DOING AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S MORE SATISFACTORY.
I MEAN, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MEETING MINUTES HAVE KIND OF EBBED AND FLOW OVER THE YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE HIRED A PERSON TO BE HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT VERY VOLUMINOUS MINUTES.
WELL, I SAID THIS, I USE THIS WORD, NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE THAT WAS TOO MUCH.
NOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WE'VE GOT MORE OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM.
WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS ON LIKE WHAT WE THINK WE CAN PRACTICALLY DO FOR YOU.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU GUYS DO HAVE A ROLE WITH THE MINUTES AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT FORWARD TO US BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED BY YOU.
WE SEND THEM OUT TO YOU AHEAD OF TIME.
YOU HAVE THINGS THAT WERE SAID THAT WE MISSED AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
I CAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOOD AS STAFF, BUT WE'RE NOT PERFECT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MISS SOME THINGS SOMETIMES.
SO PLEASE ALSO, WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO DO BETTER AND WE'LL BRING YOU SOME IDEAS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE THE NEXT MEETING, BUT, YOU KNOW, BE THE ONE AFTER FOR SURE.
BUT ALSO, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE TIME TO READ THOSE THINGS.
LET US KNOW BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS MORE THAN HAPPY TO EDIT THE MINUTES AND TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO.
I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO CONTRADICT YOU.
WE DO THINK YOU GUYS ARE PERFECT.
SO AND I'D LIKE THAT TO BE IN THE MINUTES.
THANK YOU. WE'D BE GLAD TO PUT THAT IN THE MINUTES.
OK, WE DO HAVE ONE NEW MEMBER TODAY, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND LET US KNOW WHO YOU'RE REPRESENTING HERE.
THAT'S HOW YOU CAN TELL THAT IT'S MY FIRST DAY.
AND BEN SORENSEN APPOINTED ME.
MY BACKGROUND IS IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
I'M A CONSULTANT WITH URBAN CONCEPTS AND WE DO MOBILITY PLANS AND MOBILITY FEES ACROSS THE STATE.
I'M GOING INTO MY NINTH YEAR IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
SO I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT IT.
I'M VERY INTO INCREASING MULTIMODAL ACCESS, WHETHER THAT'S WALKING OR BIKING OR TAKING A BUS OVER OUR UNFORTUNATE OVER RELIANCE ON THE PRIVATE CAR.
SO ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH IMPROVING THAT REALLY EXCITES ME.
AND COINCIDENTALLY, I'VE WORKED ON THE.
SAFE SS FOR A PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED, I THINK, EITHER LATE LAST YEAR OR EARLY THIS YEAR.
WORKED A LITTLE BIT ON THE SAFE ACCESS TO SCHOOLS AND PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND FUN TO DO AND REWARDING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ME, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GOOD ENOUGH BACKGROUND.
IT'S NOT GOOD TO ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF GOOD EXPERIENCE AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO USING THAT.
I THINK NO NEED TO BE BASHFUL HERE.
[02:00:01]
ALL RIGHT.THERE'S ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD.
JUST A REMINDER THAT JANUARY WE HAVE THAT AIRPORT TOUR SCHEDULED AND TO SPEAK
[ NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 *MOTION TO ADJOURN ___________________ * Motion Requested]
OF THE DEVIL.SO JUST ANOTHER REMINDER AS THE TIME CREEPS UP.
MAKE SURE THAT'S ON YOUR CALENDAR THEN.
ON THAT CHEERFUL NOTE, I THINK I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AND WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.