FTP/SIS/FMTP Regional Workshop - Miami

Transcription

1 FTP/SIS/FMTP Regional Workshop - Miami September 24, 2015 FDOT District 6 Auditorium 1000 N.W. 111 Avenue Miami, Florida Meeting Highlights Welcome and Introductions Gus Pego, FDOT District 6 Secretary, welcomed participants to the Florida Transportation Plan (FTP), Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), and Freight Mobility and Trade Plan (FMTP) Regional Workshop. He specifically thanked the member of the Florida Transportation Commission and the two FTP/SIS Steering Committee members present for their participation in the workshop including: Alice Ancona, Florida Chamber of Commerce Ken Bryan, Rails to Trails Conservancy Florida Maurice Ferre, Florida Transportation Commission Gus introduced Carmen Monroy, FDOT Office of Policy Planning, to provide an overview of the objective of the workshop. Carmen gave a brief description of the FTP, the SIS, and the FMTP and reviewed the materials provided to participants at registration. Florida Transportation Plan (FTP) Goals Discussion Carmen provided a detailed overview of the FTP and described the FTP goal areas and supporting objectives developed based on input from the FTP/SIS Steering Committee. After reviewing the seven goal areas, Carmen asked participants to identify what, if anything, was missing from the goal areas or objectives, what could be enhanced, and if there were any concerns with what was presented. Participants offered the following questions and comments related to the seven FTP goal areas (in bold): Goal Area: Safety and security for residents, visitors, and businesses Create a network of bike lanes that is safe for users. The Greenways Vision is for the parks system and includes 500 connected miles of bicycle facilities in Miami-Dade County. Use innovative funding ideas to accelerate this vision. Goal Area: Agile, resilient, and quality transportation infrastructure We are missing some last miles connections to serve our hubs. Continue to promote regional connectedness.

2 Add to the backbone of our transportation system. The ability to account for and recover from weather events needs to be called out more in the vision. Incorporate innovative ideas, such as freight advanced traveler information systems (FRATIS), to help with environmental/weather components. Coordinate with various agencies. Goal Area: Efficient and reliable mobility for people and freight No specific comments were provided related to this goal area. Goal Area: More transportation choices for people and freight Provide connected transportation networks particularly for bikeways and trails. Goal Area: Transportation Solutions that support Florida s global economic competiveness No specific comments were provided related to this goal area. Goal Area: Transportation solutions that support quality places to live, learn, work, and play Urban places and land use are an important aspect of the vision for Florida s future. Land use does not appear in this goal area. Beef up goals and objectives to reflect this connection. Goal Area: Transportation Solutions that support Florida s environment and energy No specific comments were provided related to this goal area. General Discussion After reviewing the FTP Vision Element, it seems like corridor planning should be integrated more specifically. The US 27 corridor would be a good example to include in this document. Accelerate US 27 as an interregional corridor. Impacts counties from Miami through Palm Beach. Incorporate innovation into transportation financing. Florida s Future Corridor Planning Process has been well received. It would be good to see some equivalent for things such as transit and trails. FDOT should continue this conversation at the federal level. 2

3 Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) Policy Plan Discussion Brian Watts, FDOT Office of Policy Planning, provided a brief overview of the SIS, its purpose, and the types of facilities that qualify for SIS designation. He introduced the three objective areas that were developed based on input from by the SIS Advisory Group and the FTP/SIS Steering Committee. Participants offered the following questions and comments related to the three SIS objectives (in bold). Responses by staff are denoted in italics: SIS Objective: Increase the efficiency and reliability of connectivity between Florida s economic regions and between Florida and other states and nations FDOT should use economic regions when developing designation criteria, funding criteria rather than FDOT districts. This is a way we can more strategically orient SIS towards where we are trying to go. SIS Objective: Expand, integrate and connect transportation choices for interregional trips The SIS needs to be multimodal, it seems to be too highway focused. Consider reevaluating the interregional requirements for transit so that Metrorail qualifies for SIS designation. o Metrorail is not considered interregional because it does not cross any county boundaries. However, if Metrorail were to coordinate schedules, etc. with Tri-Rail and/or Amtrak so that these separate providers function almost like one system, SIS funding could be applied to Metrorail projects as well. Think of the Metrorail stations as hubs that connect people to the interregional systems and act as the first/last mile connectivity of the area. The SIS policy structure was originally set in Florida, especially urban areas like South Florida, has changed a lot since then so how do we ensure the SIS is still working? SIS Objective: Provide transportation systems to support Florida as a global hub for trade, tourism, talent, innovation, and investment There were no specific comments related to this objective. General Comments Transit funding requires a match but highway does not. Consider removing the constraints on transit funding. Transit stations have to meet specific criteria but highway intersections/interchanges do not. Park & Ride lots are not eligible to be designated as SIS. Traffic signals are eligible but rail signals are not. Consider making the list of eligible projects/facilities more broad to help meet FTP goals. 3

4 Break Are there metrics tied to the FTP Goals and Objectives as well as the SIS Objectives? Yes, there will be. We are going to identify these metrics in 2016 during the implementation process. What emphasis is put on needs involving technology to improve SIS facilities rather than increasing physical capacity? We should be looking to be innovative with technology to better move people along the corridor. Physical infrastructure can be improved by implementing technology solutions. Needs to be done at a high level, implementation at a singular level won t see the same results. There is an issue of communication. How can we use technology to effectively communicate what s out there (i.e. overhead message signs). This is probably more related to FDOT than it is to the SIS specifically. Make data available to private companies so that they can develop some of this. Freight Mobility and Trade Plan Discussion QUESTION 1: DID WE GET THE FMTP RIGHT? IS THERE ANYTHING WE MISSED? (E.g. What is working well? What s not? Anything missing? Does it support and enhance economic development?) Listening Session Comments & Suggestions FDOT has helped to create the foundation for increasing the number of inventory turns and other freight initiatives Comment Forms Consider collision avoidance warning system for US 27. Inland areas that are susceptible to shutdown due to fog. Microwave sensing/radar/audio alerts/ emergency alerts/ visual alerts. The impact of freight on livability and quality of life goals should be included in the FTP/SIS plans QUESTION 2: WHAT EMERGING TRENDS OR CHANGES MIGHT REQUIRE A COURSE CORRECTION FOR THE FMTP? (E.g. What changes are happening in the industry? What are the future projects, opportunities and challenges that should be addressed? How can the FMTP keep pace with new technologies and project needs?) 4

5 Listening Session Comments & Suggestions Strategic thinking in advance of freight fiascos. FDOT typically waits until they have a problem to mount an effort to solve it. There is need to plan for what happens when the capacity comes on line. Need some strategic thinking to support projects ahead of time to prevent freight fiascos. Improve the freight story. Bring sexy back in speaking of freight (the freight story) Bealls retailer in Sarasota- have looked at ecommerce strategy bring into Florida ports and place on freight empty space on airlines. FDOT has helped to create the foundation for increasing the number of inventory turns and other freight innovations Trucks and freight. Turnaround time for trucks at the ports is a key issue to address in terms of the capacity of the roadways. Weight and truck size is an ongoing issue. Interstate system 80K lbs. The Turnpike System have more flexibility regarding size and weight. Truck parking issue in South Florida- crucial element missing currently. Hope solutions to this are being developed. A: FDOT looking for ability to locate sites for truck parking. Pilot project in NE Florida Dist. 2- implement information technology- regarding real time info on parking spaces (through road signage and on line). Shortage of qualified truck drivers- 160K shortage. As cargo picks up in the next several years. There will be more trucks and truckers on the road. Trucker companies leaving the state. Florida trucker companies are soliciting truckers from other state. A: This is a challenging area. Won t be easy to be solved. Between 18 and 25 there is little in the way of a career path. Stealing older truckers from other companies drives up transportation costs for all. FDOT is working with Career Source and insurance industry representatives. This is being looked at the national level. Trucker hours of operation shortened by federal regulations- wait time is considered operations time. Address bulk cargo. Consider bulk cargo as part of freight? E.g. Petroleum. FDOT can help facilitate pipelines that cross DOT facilities, but limited in ways to address this. Ports and capacity for moving cargo out of urban areas. Port of Miami- deep dredging project. Freight has to get from port out of Miami- expedite bypass projects- help to alleviate. Move cargo out of urban area. Prioritizing initiatives key to economic sustainability There is a capacity issue moving freight from the ports. Encourage US 27 corridor to help with this issue. Investments made already in terms of freight. Jury is still out on what will happen when the big ships arrive. Port Everglades and Miami plans will mean much will be unloaded landside. Is there a short term strategy for preventing any failure in terms of readiness to receive and transport freight? A: Making Florida ready in anticipation of freight increase. It is a competitive issue with other ports on the eastern seaboard and west coast. Impact of land values on freight opportunities. South Florida short on reasonably priced land. 1 million an acre in Miami Dade. This leads to having look inland (Everglades in South Florida). Looking up around Lake O for opportunities to address the freight transport issue. 5

6 Collaboration with adjacent states regarding how Florida infrastructure meets up with theirs? A: Routinely work with neighbor states through several organizations ITTS, ASHTO. Work one on one with Georgia s freight planner. Georgia just completed their freight plan. Alabama and Florida- trucking issues weight/size. Stop and wait on the border. FDOT trying to resolve. Some require legislative action. Cold treatment products in Jax, Tampa Bay. Freight designated corridors would be very beneficial. US 27 and Chrome- low cost short-term solutions- facilities are there after the sun goes down. This was discussed in the MPO Freight Plan. Freight and Environmental project funding. Port Canaveral getting rail access. Issue with going into high quality environmental areas. Think about the Wekiva model as an approach. Amendment 1 dollars (SE Florida a primary source of this). Some freight projects won t have this kind of impact. But for those that do. Look to tie funding from Amendment 1 for these projects. Bring them back to the region in a coordinated way to address environmental issues on freight projects. Comment Forms- Emerging Trends In Miami-Dade County: 1) potential development of an inland port in the town of medley; 2) infrastructure needs to support planned growth; 3) need to optimize freight corridors to minimize impact to traffic at peak volume hours Growth of online purchasing requires ability to rapidly move small packages through the state, coordinate with USPS, UPS, FedEx Automating trucks and data backbone to reroute around accidents and bottlenecks Freight plan should support reduction of SOVs on roads to reduce congestion and move cargo faster and more reliably Comment Forms- General Comments Not familiar with the plan Good meeting Truck weight capacity; by-pass project on US 27; cargo vs. goods; containers vs. liquid bulk Very good attendance and cross-section of participants 6