Broward County needs YES vote on transportation referendum

Broward County is sitting at a major crossroad. We face a choice. Will we continue on the road we are on, frustrated by the steady increase in traffic? Or will we take a new road, one that sets us on a pathway that reduces congestion and improves our mobility? By voting YES on the transportation referendum, we can transform Broward County into a “smart county” - one that is prepared to take advantage of current technologies and the innovations of the future. We can cut down on traffic congestion by state-of-the-art improvements to specific intersections, traffic signals and roadways. We can add bus routes, fill out the grid and revolutionize our public transit system. We can work together to merge and align our best ideas with the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Commitment 2045 plan, determining where to establish fixed routes and leverage these dollars for additional federal funds. A YES vote moves us forward and makes all this possible.

Why is this initiative necessary? We all depend on the movement of people, goods and services. I used to teach the subject of geography, and was constantly pointing out to my students the strengths and weaknesses of those activities in various regions of the world. Sadly, as anyone who has ever been stuck in traffic or waited too long for a bus can attest – public transportation and roadway traffic are not strengths of Broward County. As many of you know, the company Amazon is considering making our region their second home. We are now on the short list. They have, however, pointed out their concerns with our transportation system and the cost of housing. Regardless of whether Amazon chooses this region in which to locate, their critique should tell all of us that a good transportation system is one that businesses value when they are considering investing resources and jobs into a region. We have to address these concerns. A YES vote on this referendum does that.

Broward has recently invested over a billion dollars in our airport and seaport and are now reaping the benefits. This has created a booming economy and many new businesses. As a result, our local residents can now travel directly to places all over the world. The investments have led to many more jobs and given us access to more trade and products. How did we afford that? Those ports have a dedicated stream of funding thanks to the airlines and the shipping industries. This isn’t the case for the roads we use. There are some monies from the gas tax, but that money isn’t enough to sustain or improve our current system. These revenues have been declining for years because of cars getting better gas mileage. We need to do something.

We are presently having to allocate more and more money from ad valorem taxes to adjust for our rapid growth and change in demographics. There are more of us and more of us are getting older. This causes a serious impact on the cost of paratransit services which help the disabled. These are expensive services, but vital to helping many people get out of their homes and to their doctor or grocery store. This has the potential of busting the county’s budget unless there is a significant rise in the millage rate. Without a dedicated stream of money, it is near impossible to get ahead, let alone maintain the status quo.

Let’s be clear, there is no such thing as a status quo. We continue to grow by about 65 people a day. Failure to act means losing ground. That translates to more time stuck in traffic and in your car. Wayne Gretzky, commenting on the secret to his success, said, “I don’t skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going.” Our plan has to meet challenges coming our way, not just the ones that are here.

This effort envisions working with all the experts and stakeholders of the MPO on the Long Range 2045 plan to create a transportation system that the citizens of this county deserve. It has specificity where possible and flexibility where needed. Because things change – and we have to be able to change with the times.

The plan expands the public transit system with an eye toward encouraging affordable and workforce housing. They are inextricably linked and can build off the synergies that they bring to each other. That goes for expanding rapid bus routes on the major arterials as well as creating fixed routes for rail where development looks most promising, whether it’s the Tri-Rail Coastal link on the FEC corridor or along 441 or University Drive.

Beam Furr is the mayor of Broward County.