Challenge
The Southeast Florida region serves over five million residents in three counties and consists of a multi-agency governed transportation system that is responsible for the planning, funding, and operations of the transportation network. In the past, there has been little formal coordination between the various organizations. This has created challenges in competing for federal funding and in engaging with the general public, who rarely recognize the political boundaries as they cross between and through the three counties for work, education, recreation, and other daily needs.
Solution
As lead regional consultant since 2008, Kittelson has helped the region in developing multiple regional-level tools and products, including the Southeast Florida 2035 and 2040 Regional Transportation Plans (RTP), jointly funded by the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization and the Broward and Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organizations. In order to bring the region’s various governing, funding, and plan-making bodies together, Kittelson facilitated the Southeast Florida Transportation Council’s meetings. Within this role, Kittelson successfully facilitated working sessions with dozens of transportation partnering agencies, while also maintaining a public website and social media outreach for general public interaction and engagement.
The Outcome
Dozens of Agencies, One Regional Transportation Vision
As a result of these efforts led by Kittelson, the Southeast Florida region adopted their first Regional Long-Range Transportation Plan in the spring of 2010. The 2035 plan created a regional vision that united three individual MPO long-range plans into one, and allowed the region to be better prepared for receiving and applying funds to regionally significant highway and transit facilities. In the 2040 Plan, the regional vision was taken further and resulted in the adoption of the region’s first transit system vision and non-motorized plan, with a focus on first- and last-mile areas.
