Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Joe HendersonJune 23, 2016

An essential part of the libertarian ideal is a belief that for public services, consumers should pay as they go. The preference is user fees instead of taxes. As we well know, Gov. Rick Scott has strong libertarian leanings. Keep that in mind while considering the 12-4 vote by the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization to […]

Scott PowersJune 22, 2016

Orlando’s commuter rail service, SunRail, has its first executive director, Nicola Liquori, currently a Florida Turnpike Enterprise executive. Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold appointed Liquori to be executive director of SunRail, putting her in charge of keeping the trains running on time even as the operation expands its line to the south and […]

Staff ReportsJune 22, 2016

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Florida Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold continues to beef up his staff, now adding Frank Collins, who has been deputy chief of staff to Gov. Rick Scott. Collins will take the new job of “senior policy advisor” to Boxold, whom Scott named secretary in December 2014. Most recently as deputy CoS, Collins had overseen agencies like Space Florida, Visit Florida, […]

Joe HendersonJune 7, 2016

One of Rick Scott’s first acts as Florida’s governor was to reject Washington’s “gift” of $2.4 billion for a high-speed train running between Tampa and Orlando. Scott was panned by many for turning down the feds, but he stood firm because he said the plan could end up costing taxpayers here at least $1 billion […]

Staff ReportsApril 22, 2016

Denver Stutler, who previously served as Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Chief of Staff for former Gov. Jeb Bush, will chair the advocacy group “Floridians for Better Transportation.” FBT President Matthew Ubben made the announcement Thursday. Stutler is CEO of Polston Applied Tech and succeeds John M. Lewis, who formerly headed LYNX, […]

Guest AuthorApril 19, 2016

A quarter of a century has passed since plans were completed for the Cady Way Trail, Central Florida’s first bike trail. It took two years to turn the plan into reality, as property owners were wary of placing a bike trail on a defunct rail line near their homes. The issue dominated a neighborhood meeting […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 11, 2016

The future is here. Gone are the days when self-driving cars were just a thing of science fiction. The technology is being tested across the country; and autonomous vehicles could be hitting Florida’s roads soon, thanks in part to a transportation bill signed into law last week. Tucked into the omnibus transportation passed by the Florida […]

Ryan RayApril 4, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott gave his signature Monday to an omnibus transportation bill that makes about a dozen changes to state law regarding the Florida Department of Transportation. Scott’s final approval of HB 7027 means numerous sundry changes for FDOT, one of the largest aspects of the budget and a prominent area of policy for Floridians who travel the state’s […]

Phil AmmannMarch 7, 2016

On Monday, the Senate unanimously passed House Bill 7027, a broadly worded bill that seeks to reform several policies and programs for the Florida Department of Transportation. After senators adopted a series of amendments, LobbyTools reports the bill now returns to the House. Among the amendments were adding language to encourage the development of transportation policy for […]

Bill RuftyJanuary 6, 2016

Polk County business leaders and legislators are readying for a possible end run around the Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to postpone and perhaps even stop support for the Central Polk Parkway toll road … maybe a half-end run. Rep. John Wood, a Winter Haven Republican who has chaired the Central Polk Parkway Working Group […]

Tag: Florida Department of Transportation

Joe Henderson: Rick Scott, libertarians love TBX; everyone else can suck exhaust

Nicola Liquori named executive director of SunRail

Personnel note: Frank Collins moves from EOG to FDOT

Joe Henderson: Rick Scott may have been right rejecting high-speed rail

Personnel Note: Denver Stutler tapped to lead ‘Floridians for Better Transportation’

Bruce Stephenson: The seed of humanity in Florida’s killing fields

Open roads: Florida preparing for self-driving vehicles

Rick Scott signs omnibus FDOT bill into law

Senate unanimously passes broad transportation bill, sends to House

Maybe Polk County will build a toll road, anyway