Jesse Scheckner
Weeks into budget talks, lawmakers still haven’t agreed on funding for a handful of transportation infrastructure projects in Fort Lauderdale.
The Senate appears most intent on clearing the money. In its latest bump proposal to the House, the upper chamber offered a combined $3.5 million across all five projects in Broward County’s most populous municipality, with at least some funding set aside for each.
The House, meanwhile, wants to give less than half that sum, and only to two projects.
The projects include:
— An initiative to resurface roads, widen sidewalks, enhance landscaping, upgrade lights and install signage along Galt Ocean Drive, which request forms by independent Sen. Jason Pizzo and Republican Rep. Chip LaMarca note is also receiving $2.5 million in local funds. Pizzo and LaMarca asked for an extra $2 million. The House is offering $1 million, while the Senate moved from nothing to $500,000 in its latest offer.
— Pedestrian safety enhancements, including installation of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant upgrades, streetscape improvements, landscaping and urban design elements along Las Olas Boulevard, which requests from Pizzo and Democratic Rep. Mitch Rosenwald say will also receive $1 million in local funding. Pizzo and Rosenwald’s requests sought $1 million, the same sum the Senate wants. The House is offering half that.
— Citywide asphalt overlay, milling and resurfacing of streets with road deterioration, including potholes and uneven surfaces, which funding requests from Sen. Rosalind Osgood and Rep. Daryl Campbell say will get $750,000 from local sources. Osgood and Campbell requested a $750,000 state match to which the Senate has agreed. The House, so far, is offering nothing.
— Repair and reconstruction of 2.2 miles of damaged sidewalks in the city. In matching appropriation requests for $750,000, Osgood and Campbell, both Democrats, noted there would be a 100% local match to the state funds. The Senate is offering the full sum requested. The House’s offer: $0.
— Replacement of a bridge on Southeast 13th Street, which Pizzo and LaMarca said suffers from “extensive” structural deterioration as determined by the Florida Department of Transportation. They asked for $500,000 from the state, the same amount being set aside locally for the project. The Senate has agreed to that figure, but the House hasn’t budged from its zero offer in return.
In its 2025 report card for the nation’s infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Florida a “C” grade, which the organization said represents a mediocre standing overall.
The grades included a “B+” for solid waste; “B” for bridges; “C+” for aviation, energy and roads; “C” for drinking water, wastewater and transit; “C-” for stormwater and coastal areas (like Fort Lauderdale); and “D+” for schools, “D-” for dams.
