The Florida Intrastate Highway System (FIHS) is a system of limited access (freeways) and controlled access (at-grade arterials) roadways adopted by the Florida Legislature to serve highspeed and high-volume traffic movement within the state. State law calls for the FIHS to be developed and managed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in accordance with specific access management and design criteria. Historically, development pressures and local regulatory practices have impeded access management on the controlled access portions of the FIHS. This paper summarizes one of several applied research projects conducted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) and sponsored by FDOT in a statewide effort to coordinate local land development practices with FDOT access management objectives for FIHS corridors. Each project involved a combination of research, education, and technical assistance, beginning with a detailed assessment of local comprehensive plan policies and land development regulations. The findings of these studies were conveyed to local and FDOT staff, as well as other interested officials, in an access management workshop. Each workshop focused on the application of access management principles to the local FIHS corridor and methods of improving coordination in land development and access decisions. Findings include a general lack of mechanisms in local plans and codes to prevent access problems on the FIHS and a widespread interest on the part of local staff and other stakeholders to upgrade local access management policies.
Abstract