Ballot initiatives help fund future of transportation
Americans increasingly recognize that the system used to fund our transportation infrastructure is a broken one, and they’re agreeing to new taxes to address the problem.
Congestion is increasing, many transit systems are outdated and as a result are losing ridership. Many of our bridges and roads are in desperate need of repair or replacing.
So it’s no surprise that on election night, many Americans, including those in Broward County, voted to approve new taxes to help fund future investments. According to the industry trade group American Public Transportation Association, a full 83 percent of transportation initiatives on ballots across the country were approved by voters this year. That percentage matches closely to a recent HNTB America THINKS survey, which showed that 78 percent of Americans would agree to increased taxes or tolls to build and maintain a high quality, reliable and sustainable transportation system.
As officials decide how to invest those additional dollars, it’s important to focus on the future of transportation. Technologies like automated vehicles and the Smart Cities movement will create new opportunities for transportation agencies and commuters.
To be certain, Florida transportation officials are leading the way on implementing these new technologies.
Just outside of Orlando, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and the Florida Department of Transportation are teaming up on SunTrax, a dedicated two and a quarter mile proving ground aimed at testing autonomous vehicles and other new technologies to make them road-ready.
In Jacksonville and Gainesville, leaders are gathering and analyzing new types of data in Smart Cities-style projects aimed at reducing congestion and improving safety for commuters and pedestrians.
And in Tampa, the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority has launched a connected vehicles pilot project, which lets vehicles, and the roadways themselves, talk to each other digitally to warn drivers of dangers ahead.
These technologies will help transportation agencies stretch these new dollars to increase their impact and provide welcome relief to drivers here in Broward County and across the state.