Transportation Information

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Floridians for Better Transportation is a great source of information on highway funding and transportation issues and initiatives in Florida.

 

Statistics & Information:   

 

Motor Fuel Taxes:

  • Federal Gas 13.0/gal Diesel 24.4/gal 
  • State all fuels 9.1/gal

 

Trust funded by user fees:

  • $3.8 billion in fiscal year 1998/1999 budget
  • $18.5 billion in the five-year work program
  • $1 billion average contract lettings for the past five years
  • FDOT employs over 10,000 employees statewide

 

Facts about Florida's Transportation System:

  • $1.00 invested in transportation = $2.86 in user benefits
  • State Highway System has 39,066 lane miles and 6,199 bridges
  • 760 aviation facilities (128 are public of which 19 have scheduled service)
  • 23 bus systems
  • 14 seaports
  • 2,888 railway miles

 

Demand for Transportation:

  • Florida's population has more than doubled since 1970 to about 15 million today, and we expect to grow to about 20 million by 2020.
  • The number of annual visitors has grown from 20 million in 1980 to 47 million in 1997, and may reach 100 million by 2020.
  • Florida's economic growth has outstripped the nation's as a whole in the 1990s and shows few signs of abating. The Florida Chamber Foundation's Transportation Cornerstone and International Cornerstone studies concluded that Florida is poised for continued growth in three areas: as a pivotal "crossroads" economy (for trade among the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean), as part of the next generation of global high-tech centers, and as one of the world's leading tourist and convention destinations.
  • The Transportation and Land Use Study Committee, authorized by the 1998 Legislature, concluded that, despite much well intended work and effort, Florida's land use and transportation system is failing many Floridians and visitors. The committee made these observations: heavy peak hour congestion is the norm in most urban areas; few communities offer viable alternatives to the automobile; Florida leads the nation in automobile-related deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists; elders over 75, our fastest growing population group, are becoming increasingly dependent on alternative forms of transportation; lower income persons unable to afford a car are increasingly isolated from entry level jobs and economic opportunities; and the cost of automobile dependency is increasing.

 

Transportation Supply:

  • The major assets of Florida's transportation system are 114,000 miles of roads including about 12,000 miles of state highways, 2,900 miles of railroad trackage, public transit systems serving 22 communities, 14 seaports, 19 commercial service airports and a spaceport.
  • Between 1980 and 1997, total vehicle-miles traveled increased 69 percent, but highway lane-miles rose only 20 percent.
  • Over 65 percent of urban freeway miles are moderately or severely congested.
  • Florida's Strategic Plan for Public Transportation concluded that the level of transit service for most Floridians is inadequate and will worsen given current trends.
  • Florida's seaports will need about $1.3 billion to accommodate anticipated growth over the next five years.