INTERSTATE-75 CORRIDOR COUNCIL

During its 1996 session, the Florida Legislature established the Highway Beautification and Tourism Promotion Pilot Project, which required the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to prepare a program proposal for the improvement of Interstate-75 from the Georgia border to Wildwood. FDOT was also directed to report to the Legislature by January 15, 1997, with a recommended implementation plan.

Unfortunately, while FDOT completed its required tasks, the Legislature did not take further action during the 1997 session. However, the FDOT has taken a number of steps to improve the corridor under its existing authority. And, at FDOT’s request, the Federal Highway Administration has approved a pilot program to waive certain regulations dealing with the relocation and modification of outdoor advertising signs along this corridor.

The North Central Florida and Withlacoochee Regional Planning Councils (RPCs), which are made up of local elected officials and gubernatorial appointees, are involved in a number of economic development initiatives, including the promotion on tourism in the north central area under the identity of “The Original Florida”. As such, the RPCs are greatly interested in the activities FDOT has undertaken to improve the interstate corridor, and it is felt that they should be encouraged to continue this work.

To that end, both RPCs offered, and FDOT accepted, their support in carrying out many of the recommendations included in the pilot project report which FDOT may not easily accomplish alone. This support includes establishing the Interstate-75 Corridor Council. This organization is made up of local elected officials whose charge is to assist with planning for physical improvements along the corridor, to create a program for interchange maintenance, to consider uniform outdoor advertising standards, and to promote alternative advertising methods.

The Corridor Council will work directly as a partner with the FDOT District Offices II and V. The District Offices will be represented by their respective district secretary (or the secretary’s designee), and the Corridor Council is made up of one (1) elected official from each of the local government jurisdictions which encompass or abut a portion of the interstate corridor. Therefore, the counties of Alachua, Columbia, Hamilton, Marion, Sumter and Suwannee have been asked to participate, as have the cities of Alachua, Gainesville, Jennings, Lake City, Micanopy, Ocala and Wildwood.

There are also a number of non-voting, ex-officio members being appointed to assist the elected officials and the district secretaries. Included among the ex-officio members will be representatives from the outdoor advertising industry, the state garden club organization, the University of Florida Department of Landscape Architecture, the North Central Florida Economic Development Partnership, and the North Central Florida Tourism Task Force.

In addition, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be formed to develop programs and projects for consideration. The ex-officio members will be asked to serve as will representatives of the FDOT state and district offices, the regional planning councils, the metropolitan transportation organizations, and local government administrators. Other participants who are identified as being potential contributors to the process may be added as appropriate.

The initial meeting of the Corridor Council will be on October 29, 1997 from 10:30 am until 1:00 pm at the Holiday Inn West in Gainesville. Thereafter, it is expected that the Council will meet on a quarterly basis, and that the TAC will meet on a schedule dictated by the work to be accomplished. The Council and the TAC will be provided staff support by the RPCs.