I. Introduction: Impacts of Transportation Infrastructure on Natural and Human Habitats in the Florida Panhandle

A survey conducted by the Nature Conservancy found that the Florida Panhandle is one of the six most important places for biodiversity in the United States. In addition to being home to the three largest rivers in the state, the Panhandle is also home to the largest remaining longleaf pine forest in the world, it is a vital recharge area for the underground drinking water supply that sustains million of Floridians, and it is home to some of the highest populations of stone crabs, conchs and whelks in the Gulf of Mexico.1 At the same time, this part of the state is developing at a remarkable pace, and four of the ten fastest growing counties in Florida are located in the Panhandle.2 This rapid population growth in an area of environmentally sensitive and unique natural habitats raises obvious questions about how to best manage that growth so that natural and human habitats achieve a balance. One of the most effective tools at our disposal for managing growth is transportation planning.

Natural and human habitats are inextricably linked and should strive to achieve balance. Because transportation infrastructure affects natural and human habitats substantially, in designing this conference we have chosen not to focus solely on one at the expense of the other. For this reason, in this conference three themes will be emphasized: 1) the public's ability to access and provide input to the transportation planning process; 2) the effects of transportation planning on the natural habitat; and 3) the effects of transportation planning on the human habitat through community design or what is sometimes referred to as 'Context-Sensitive Design'.

II. The Transportation Planning Process

A. Overview

For much of the Panhandle, the transportation planning process generally begins at the regional level through governmental boards called Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). MPOs are boards of local elected officials from within the census-defined urbanized area who meet regularly to review and set priorities on transportation issues. This is done with the recognition that local transportation decisions often have region-wide impacts and should therefore be made by a regional entity.

The MPO planning process is cyclical and ongoing. However, the starting point is when the MPO updates and adopts its long-range transportation plan, also known as an Urban Area Transportation Study (UATS). The MPO's long-range plan has a 20 to 25 year planning horizon, contains major capacity road improvements, and is updated approximately every four to five years. The long-range plan consists of two parts: 1) the Needs Plan; and 2) the Cost Feasible Plan. The Needs Plan identifies all transportation improvements needed within the next 20-25 years, regardless of cost. The MPO then looks at expected available revenue over the same period of time and places projects in the Cost Feasible Plan based on affordability and priority.

Around August or September of each year, the MPO submits a prioritized list of projects from the Cost Feasible Plan to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) (along with prioritized lists of other types of road improvements like intersection improvements). FDOT funds these projects in its 5-Year Work Program based availability of funds and project priority. The draft FDOT Work Program is then used to develop the MPO's annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which identifies all projects that have been funded over the next five years. In order for a transportation project to receive state or federal funds, it must appear in the TIP. A few months after the TIP is adopted by the MPO in the late spring or early summer, the process starts all over again with the submission of another set of project priorities to FDOT.

B. Public Involvement in the MPO Planning Process

Although public involvement in MPO planning has been required by federal law for a long time, the 1991 and 1998 federal transportation bills placed much greater emphasis on public involvement than previous legislation. The specific steps taken to include the public in the process vary from MPO to MPO. The public involvement procedures documents for the Pensacola MPO, as well as for the Okaloosa/Walton and Panama City TPOs can be viewed at http://www.wfrpc.dst.fl.us under the 'Documents' link for each of these organizations. Details about the Tallahassee-Leon County MPO is available at http://talgov.com/citytlh/planning/trans/mpo1.html. For a complete description of how the public has access to the transportation decision-making process in each of these areas, please refer to these weblinks.

While specific measures taken to include the public in the process may vary based on the MPO, there are several points in each MPO's Planning Process where the public has an opportunity to participate. For instance, each MPO is required to have a Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC) that regularly reviews MPO agenda items prior to each MPO meeting and makes formal recommendations to the MPO regarding each agenda item. During the Pensacola MPO's long-range plan update, members of the MPO's Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC) assist with the development of the mission statement and goals and objectives of the long-range plan.3 In addition to input from the CAC, public workshops and community group meetings are also held throughout the plan update process to solicit public input. Notices are placed in local newspapers prior to the annual adoption of the MPO's Project Priority Lists and TIP each year, and the public is given an opportunity to comment. In addition, the public has access to all MPO planning documents via each MPO's webpage. The following diagram, adapted from a diagram in the Pensacola MPO's most recent Public Involvement Procedures Manual, shows how the public has access to the MPO planning process in regards to the annual development of project priorities:

C. Efficient Transportation Decision-Making (ETDM)

The Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) contained several 'Streamlining' provisions that were intended to facilitate the implementation of transportation plans without compromising quality environmental reviews. These provisions came about partly as a result of the growing concerns of citizens over how long it takes for road projects to get implemented, but also as a result of the concerns of DOT's and other agencies over the inefficiency of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews that occur in the earliest phases of project development. The length of time needed for a project to get implemented meant that these early reviews were often outdated by the time the project was ready for permitting. All of this resulted in Florida taking the lead in developing an Efficient Transportation Decision-Making (ETDM) Process.

The goal of the ETDM Process is to provide other governmental agencies, as well as the public, with early access to project plans and information about the potential effects of proposed projects on Florida's resources. Through the ETDM process, the degree of effect a project might have on these resources is documented early in the development of project plans, and the appropriate agencies prescribe the technical studies to be accomplished by FDOT. This early involvement on the part of agencies and the public is made possible through the use of the Environmental Screening Tool (EST), an internet-based GIS tool that allows agencies to review maps of proposed projects and enter comments. The public also has access to this tool for the purpose of reviewing the proposed projects.

Each of Florida's seven geographic FDOT Districts has an ETDM Team. This team consists of: 1) an FDOT ETDM Coordinator who is responsible for overall coordination within FDOT as well as with the MPOs, resource agencies and the community; 2) an MPO ETDM Coordinator who is responsible for agency and community interaction in MPO areas; 3) a Community Liaison Coordinator who is responsible for establishing a 2-way conduit of communication with the public; and 4) an Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT) made up of federal and state agency and MPO representatives. The following flowchart summarizes how each ETDM Team member fits into the overall process.4

III. Habitat

A. An Overview of Transportation Planning & Design and Ecology

In the 1930 book Roadsides, the Front Yard of the Nation, Jesse M. Bennett said, 'what is really desired…is attractive and useful roadsides which can be obtained by preserving or creating a natural or an approach to a natural condition in keeping with the adjacent or surrounding country. And the significant thing about this is that to follow a natural development is outright economy in road maintenance'. During the road construction boom of the 1950's, however, 'conservation' as a theme in U.S. road construction was replaced by the concept of 'landscaping', and the result was the displacement of many indigenous plants and animals along transportation corridors as a result of mowing and spraying. The 1970's saw the rise of the 'ecological approach' to roadside vegetation management. Essentially, this involved mowing less and only spraying herbicides in selected spots, and the result was the re-emergence of natural vegetation along transportation corridors. The 1990's saw the rise of Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM), which basically means using a combination of tools that might include mowing and spraying on a site-by-site basis. At the start of the 21st Century we are seeing what some have labeled a Conservation Approach in which rising maintenance costs and a loss of plant life diversity are underscoring the economic need to include more natural vegetation along transportation corridors.5

The effects of transportation plans, however, are not limited to plant life. Each year millions of animals are killed on U.S. roads, and slow-moving animals like turtles and salamanders are especially vulnerable. Humans, too, are at risk. Over 200 Americans are killed every year in animal collisions on roadways and many more are injured. It has been estimated that the annual cost to society of these deaths is over $200 million.

In addition to the immediate threat to individual animals that roadways represent, 'habitat fragmentation' caused by roads threatens entire species in the long-term. Habitat fragmentation occurs when plant or animal populations are sub-divided into smaller units as the result of transportation corridors that 'fragment' their natural habitat.6 This fragmentation puts entire species at greater risk of extinction. There are, however, measures that can be taken in the planning and design of roadways that can greatly minimize the impacts to human, animal and plant life. The following are examples of such measures that have been or are being taken in Florida and/or the Panhandle.

Wekiva Basin Area Task Force -- The Wekiva Basin Area Task Force was created by an executive order of Governor Bush in 2002 for the purpose of "…considering, evaluating and making recommendations for the most appropriate location for an expressway that connects State Road 429 to Interstate 4 in Seminole County, and which causes the least disruption and provides the greatest protection to the Wekiva Basin ecosystem". The Wekiva River Basin Coordinating Committee was subsequently established to build upon the recommendations of the task force and to involve all interested parties in a coordinated effort to protect the river basin. The committee was also charged with producing a report, to be presented to the Governor's Office and the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) detailing how this could best be accomplished.

Among the recommendations made by the task force was a suggestion that transportation agencies adhere to a set of "Guiding Principles for the Wekiva Parkway Design Features and Construction". These principles stated, among other things, that any new expressway would be: a) limited access with interchanges; b) promote a "Parkway" look with appropriate natural buffers between the roadways and the adjacent areas; c) include bridging through important wetlands; and d) provide wildlife bridges with barriers to direct wildlife to safe crossing points. The efforts of both the task force and the coordinating committee are significant because they resulted in The Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act, landmark legislation that guides highway design in relation to wildlife and other natural habitat, considers future land acquisition needs when building roads and provides for a "Parkway" design for new roads. 7

"Land Bridge" in Marion County -- In September of 2000, the first-ever "land-bridge" in the United States was built in Marion County, Florida. This unique structure, which was designed to serve humans during the daytime and animals at night, is located on I-75 where the interstate splits the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross-Florida Greenway. The idea for a "land bridge" originated in the Netherlands where such structures are referred to as "ecoducts". Among its unique features, the Marion County land bridge contains vegetative cover that protects wildlife from traffic noise and vehicle headlight-glare when they cross over the bridge at night. The bridge also includes a built-in irrigation system and a 16-foot-wide trail for bicyclists, pedestrians, and horseback riders. As a result of this bridge, the greenway, which stretches across the state, is once again uninterrupted and deer, foxes, coyotes, possums, and other small- to medium-sized mammals can cross the highway through native vegetation and on the sandy soil they're used to.8

Bear Underpass in Lake County -- Florida's first underpass for black bears is located on a stretch of State Road 46 in Lake County, Florida. The location was chosen because bears were being hit by vehicles more often at this spot on SR 46 than at almost any other spot on the highway due to the fact that they routinely traveled across this section of the road, near County Road 433, to get to habitat within central Florida's Wekiva River Basin. To ensure bears could easily access the underpass from the south, the Fish and Wildlife Commission purchased a 40-acre tract of land in the bears' travel corridor. The two-lane road over the crossing was also elevated to give skittish animals a clear view across to the other side, and rows of pine trees were planted in the open pasture on one side of the road to guide bears to the culvert entrance. Post-project research revealed that bears plus 12 other species, including bobcats, gray foxes, and whitetail deer have used the underpass since completion of the project.9

Perdido Key Beach Mouse Habitat Restoration Project -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with FDOT to improve roadside maintenance practices on SR 292 in Perdido Key State Park. The goal is to prevent adverse impacts to the federally endangered Perdido Key beach mouse and its designated critical habitat. Issues being addressed include: roadside parking, boardwalk access, and erosion prevention; shoulder stabilization material and compatibility with beach mouse habitat; preventing migration of shoulder stabilization material into critical habitat; and restoration of impacted beach mouse habitat. This information will be used as part of a case study by FDOT Central Environmental Management Office for developing "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) for roadside maintenance in coastal areas with beach mouse habitat.10

Lake Jackson Ecopassage, Leon County -- The Lake Jackson Ecopassage Feasibility Study, funded by FDOT, was prompted by concerns regarding wildlife kills and motorist safety along the North Monroe Street Corridor between Old Bainbridge Road and Clara Kee Boulevard. Concerned citizens forwarded an initiative to Leon County leaders and FDOT, and FDOT provided funding for the study to assess the opportunities that exist within the corridor to provide a safe passage for wildlife as well as a safer environment for the traveling public. This study will provide decision-makers with information on existing environmental, wildlife and vegetative habitat, land use and public access, and roadway conditions. Other major components of the projects include public involvement, addressing permitting issues, habitat enhancement and protection alternatives, conceptual alternatives, and an implementation strategy to re-establish an ecological connection within the Lake Jackson ecosystem for areas separated by North Monroe Street (US27), and minimize the effects of the roadway on the ecosystem.

The end product of this project will provide the necessary documentation to the FDOT and Federal Highway Administration, that ensures this project complies with all Florida and Federal codes and regulations as they pertain to environmental, transportation, and public involvement. The project will require coordination between several Federal, State and local agencies and departments to adequately address the needs of all interested parties to the fullest extent possible.11

Northwest Florida Unpaved Roads Task Force -- Unpaved roads can deliver harmful sediment loads to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water. The PCFO, a member of the Unpaved Road Pollution Prevention Task Force, is conducting an assessment of unpaved roads and stream crossings between the Perdido and Aucilla River basins. This assessment will: inventory, screen, analyze, and prioritize unpaved road sediment sources to wetland and aquatic systems; develop field applicable assessment tools; and assist in the development of management strategies to reduce impacts to wetland and stream ecosystems. Specific tasks include development of a geographic information system database of unpaved roads, classification of sediment contributions, identification of risk to ecologically sensitive areas, and provision of a basis for informed decision-making for road management and improvement.12

Study on Effects of Crawfordville Road on Amphibians and Reptiles South of Tallahassee -- According to Dr. Bruce Means, the Executive Director of the The Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy, the location of a study pond immediately adjacent to the paved, two-lane U. S. Highway 319 south of Tallahassee has been problematic for all 26 species inhabiting the pond over the years. Road-kills of nearly all the species and other data indicate that up to 50% of the populations of most of the species move in and out of the pond along its eastern side, which lies adjacent to U. S. 319. These animals emigrate toward upland habitat east of U. S. 319 (and Florida Road 61 immediately further east) in which they spend their terrestrial life stages, then later immigrate back across U. S. Highway 319 and Florida Road 61 to complete their life cycles by breeding in the pond.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is presently upgrading U. S. 319 to a 4-lane highway and re-building the intersection of Florida Road 61 and U.S. 319 that lies east of this study pond. Clearly, a 4-lane highway and a newly designed intersection could have an increased impact upon the striped newt, gopher frog, and the 24 other vertebrates that use this pond. Moreover, vertebrates that utilize several other limesink depressions along U. S. 319 for about a mile south of this pond will also be affected.

There is a big question, however, whether populations of the striped newt, gopher frog, and the 24 other vertebrates still exist along U. S. Highway 319 in the vicinity of this pond and the other ponds south of it. Fortunately, vertebrates migrating in and out of the pond were closely monitored over the past six years. However, the study area experienced the most severe, long-term drought ever recorded in the region between 1999 and 2002. In 1999-2000 no breeding of any species took place because the pond and most of the other ponds in the region were completely dry. In 2000-2001, water returned in some ponds, but no breeding or recruitment of the striped newt, gopher frog, common newt, or mole salamander was recorded.

Dr. Means believes that while most of the species are still present in the adjacent uplands, mortality must be slowly decreasing their populations. It is, therefore, extremely important to continue monitoring the study pond and to census all the ponds when the hydroperiod returns to normal, in order to determine whether the study species have survived. Populations of the striped newt and gopher frog, for instance, surrounding certain breeding ponds may have gone locally extinct. It will be crucial in the next few years to discover whether vertebrates return to the study pond and breed there. It was highly opportune that this study established a good monitoring foundation for four years, then recorded the response to the severe drought. Now it is even more important to continue monitoring these ponds to ascertain if these species have survived and just how severely this unequalled drought has impacted them in the long-term.13

B. Transportation Planning and the Human Habitat: A Brief History

The early 20th Century saw the establishment of streetcar lines between major cities like New York and Chicago and small, residential communities, the first suburbs, that had developed beyond the city limits. Often, the streetcar lines and the suburban communities were built by the same owner. Soon after, retail clusters started to develop close to these transit hubs in order to capitalize on the steady flow of commuters. Zoning ordinances also came about in the early 20th Century that separated different types of land uses from one another, so as to protect residents from the noise and pollution of the industrial city from which they had fled. Following World War II, as the result of a housing shortage in the U.S. as thousands returned home from the war, the federal government passed legislation that essentially made it less expensive to own a house in the suburbs than it was to rent an apartment in the city. Around this same time, federal legislation was also passed that resulted in a proliferation of new highways across the U.S. With cheap suburbs that were easy to reach by car, the full-fledged suburbanization of America had begun and it continues to this day.

Sprawling development, continued separation of land uses and automobile dependant communities have become the norm. In fact, this development pattern has eclipsed all others to a point where our options have become limited. New problems linked to sprawling patterns have become prevalent, such as wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation, isolation of segments of society (i.e., young and old), and individual obesity and chronic disease. However, in recent years community design alternatives have become an increasingly visible subject of both professional and public interest. Concepts such as Transit-Oriented Developments, New Urbanism, Neo-Traditional Design and Context-Sensitive Design have become widely used and each refers to a type of community that is designed to be less auto-dependant, as well as more compact and integrated in terms of land use, than most communities being built today. As noted, one of the main design features of such communities is their compactness and a high level of integration of land use types and transportation options and cross-linkage of roads rather than reliance on major arterials and a strictly modular, non-cross linked development pattern. Moderate to high housing densities, as opposed to sprawling, low-density development, can create more walkable communities, support mass transit, support economic vitality and preserve open space, natural habitat and agriculture.

It is the policy of the Florida Department of Transportation to consider the incorporation of Transportation Design for Livable Communities (TDLC) on the State Highway System when such features are desired, appropriate, and feasible. TDLC features shall be based upon consideration of the following principles:

• Safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transit users
• Balancing community values and mobility needs
• Efficient use of energy resources
• Protection of the natural and manmade environment
• Coordinated land use and transportation planning
• Local and state economic development goals
• Complementing and enhancing existing standards, systems, and processes

Further, to help re-introduce land use and community development options, many Florida communities have hired nationally-known experts to develop re-vitalization plans to help them better integrate land uses and become more 'pedestrian and bicycle-friendly', more 'livable' for all age groups. Some examples from the Panhandle include the City of Pensacola recently hiring noted architect/planner Ray Gindroz to develop a plan for the downtown area, and the re-design of Tallahassee's Falls Chase neighborhood according to a 'traditional' community design. Many of these efforts demonstrate that many communities are realizing that transportation and land-use patterns and the 'livability' of a community are inextricably linked. Many community design efforts are also being undertaken to capitalize on the tourist potential inherent in making a community more accessible and inviting to non-motorized forms of travel.

C. Notable Community Design Projects in Florida

Pensacola - On May 12, 2004, Ray Gindroz of Urban Design Associates presented the Historic District Master Plan to a crowd of over 250 people at the Gulf Power Corporate Office.14 The plan, which was commissioned by the University of West Florida's Institute for Machine and Human Cognition (IMHC) and the City of Pensacola in August of 2003, calls for traffic-calming features on certain streets, more pedestrian and bicycle facilities, underground utilities and new infill residential and mixed-use structures. The plan also calls for downsizing some streets and removing an interstate flyover that drops traffic into the downtown historic district.15

Tallahassee - On election day 2000, residents of Leon County voted to extend a one-cent local option sales tax to the year 2019. The majority of the revenues from this sales tax would go towards a series of critically needed community initiatives focusing on stormwater and flood control projects, greenspace acquisition and parks/recreation improvements, and additional transportation projects. These initiatives came out of a report entitled 'Blueprint 2000 and Beyond' that was developed by a group of citizens representing business and environmental interests in the community. Some of the context-sensitive design initiatives that are included in the Blueprint 2000 report include greenway linkages between Maclay Gardens, Timberlane Ravine, Goose Pond, and Tom Brown Park as well as a Capital Cascade Trail Master Plan.16

Panacea - The small, rural town of Panacea in Wakulla County recently hired Mr. Dan Burden, Executive Director of Walkable Communities, Inc., to assist them in defining a vision of what they what they want their community to look like. Panacea is located along US98 just before it crosses Ocklocknee Bay into Franklin County. Mr. Burden and a group of interested citizens sat down to discuss what makes a community "walkable" and what the natural assets are in Panacea that can be taken advantage of in terms of community design. Mr. Burden then led the group of citizens on a walking tour of the town to visually identify those assets as well as to identify problem areas such as terminating vistas that terminate at trash dumpsters. As a result of this visioning meeting, the citizens of Panacea are better aware of their options and are on their way towards creating the future they want for their community. Also, as in many Panhandle communities, a major traffic arterial is prominent to the current contextual design.

West Palm Beach - The City of West Palm Beach successfully used traffic calming techniques as a tool for the economic re-vitalization of its declining downtown. The first of these techniques was implemented along Clematis Street, a once thriving thoroughfare along which property values had plummeted and only 30% of the building space was occupied by 1993. The traffic-calming efforts included narrowing the street at certain locations, turning it from a one-way to a two-way facility, raising the intersections, bulbing-out curbs and restoring key buildings. The result of these efforts was a more than doubling of the property values by 1998, and similar efforts were implemented with similar results in other downtown neighborhoods.17

D. Some Definitions

Community Impact Assessments (CIA)- A Community Impact Assessment (CIA) is a process by which an analyst assesses the impacts that a particular transportation project will have on the life of one or more communities. The analyst looks at a broad range of impacts that include social/psychological, physical, visual and economic impacts. Will the project cause a redistribution of the population or an influx or loss of population? Is a wall or barrier effect created (such as from noise walls or fencing)? Is the project consistent with local land use plans and zoning regulations? Will the proposed action encourage businesses to move to the area, relocate to other locations within the area, or move from the area?18 When adverse impacts are identified, analysts should identify potential methods to address them. During the community impact assessment process, public involvement can serve as a source of information to identify community values and needs, to explore the importance of community facilities and resources, to identify those facilities not previously noted, and to validate information collected from other sources.18

Context-Sensitive Design (CSD) - Also sometimes known as Context-Sensitive Solutions (CSS), this is a process for implementing transportation projects that seeks to balance safety and mobility with scenic, aesthetic, historic, environmental and community values to produce the best final project possible. Major characteristics of CSD include: 1) early and continuous public involvement; 2) designs that blend with the natural environment; 3) designs that blend with the cultural environment; 4) designs that satisfy safety, mobility and accessibility needs. The concept initially emerged from a Federal Highway Administration/Maryland DOT conference on flexibility in highway design, and since that time FHWA has funded CSD pilot programs in Minnesota, Utah, Connecticut, Kentucky and Maryland.19

Walkable Communities - This concept, which has been notably championed by Florida's Dan Burden of Walkable Communities, Inc., refers to communities that are characterized by ample sidewalks and bicycle facilities, public spaces that serve as destinations for pedestrians and bicyclists, a mix of land uses, and narrow streets that discourage high-speed automobile travel. In some cases a community may already have many of these characteristics and may be interested in preserving them as new roads are planned or road widening is contemplated. Other times a community may want to retrofit itself to become more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. In either case, it is the belief of Walkable Communities, Inc. that "walkable communities put urban environments back on a scale for sustainability of resources (both natural and economic) and lead to more social interaction, physical fitness and diminished crime and other social problems."20

New Urbanism - New Urbanism is "an urban design movement that burst onto the scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. New Urbanists aim to reform all aspects of community design and development. Their work affects regional and local plans. They are involved in new development, urban retrofits, and suburban infill. In all cases, New Urbanist neighborhoods are walkable, and contain a diverse range of housing and jobs. New Urbanists support regional planning for open space, appropriate architecture and planning, and the balanced development of jobs and housing. They believe these strategies are the best way to reduce how long people spend in traffic, increase community involvement and reduce age-based isolation, increase the supply of affordable housing, and rein in urban sprawl. Many other issues, such as historic restoration, safe streets, and green building are also covered in the Charter of the New Urbanism, the movement's seminal document."21

Neo-Traditional Design - This term generally refers to a type of architectural design that harkens back to the design principles of the early 20th Century and earlier: homes built close to one another and close to the street (which is narrow) with porches on the front and garages at the rear of the dwelling. In the 1990's this term was often applied to New Urbanist design. However, the website for the Congress for New Urbanism points out that "this is a misnomer. As the New Urbanism evolved, its proponents recognized that good urbanism is possible with many types of architecture, town layouts and densities".22

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) - According to the California Department of Transportation, a transit-oriented development is a "moderate to higher density development, located within an easy walk of a major transit stop, generally with a mix of residential, employment, and shopping opportunities designed for pedestrians without excluding the auto. TOD can be new construction or redevelopment of one or more buildings whose design and orientation facilitate transit use."23

IV. Conclusion

Transportation planning processes in Florida and elsewhere are changing. The importance of public involvement and inter-agency coordination in roadway design has made its way onto public policy board agendas across the state, and new initiatives like ETDM promise to change the way transportation planning is done. A heightened understanding of the need to design transportation infrastructure within the context of specific human and natural habitats is also being realized in the transportation planning profession. This new level of understanding can be seen in the many innovative community visioning processes and ecologically-friendly transportation design projects referenced in this document.

Transportation and natural and human habitats are inextricably linked, and our transportation planning, design and construction processes should work to protect and enhance these living environments. Over-dependence on sprawl-inducing transportation spending and the limiting of options within the context of available transportation and community design approaches is neither healthy nor sustainable. Many in the transportation and community planning and design fields recognize the need to expand the options and are working to re-direct funds and thinking to encourage projects that incorporate rational, healthy natural and community design features. Through workshops such as this, we hope to shed light on how transportation infrastructure and human and natural habitats affect, and are affected by, one another. The ultimate aim is to educate the participants on the differing transportation design options and the planning and decision processes wherein actual projects are selected and funded.

V. Sources

1. Saving Special Places: A Citizen's Guide to Protecting Natural Resources in Florida's Panhandle. A Special Report by 1,000 Friends of Florida, Feb. 2004.
2. Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov.
3. Public Involvement Procedures of the Pensacola Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2004. http://www.wfrpc.dst.fl.us.
4. Taken from an article that was adapted from a paper presented by Thomas H. Turton, P.E. to the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation held in Lake Placid, NY, August 2003.
5. U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration. The Nature of Roadsides and the Tools to Work With It, 2003.
6. Critter Crossings: Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/index.htm
7. Wekiva River Basin Coordinating Committee Final Report, 2004. http://www.wekivacommittee.org
8. Critter Crossings: Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/index.htm
9. Critter Crossings: Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/index.htm
10. Provided by Florida Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS).
11. Metro, Newsletter of the Tallahassee-Leon County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Spring 2004.
12. Provided by Florida Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS).
13. Provided by Dr. Bruce Means.
14. City of Pensacola Website, http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us.
15. Pensacola News Journal, May 12, 2004, http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com.
16. Blueprint 2000. http:// www.blueprint2000.org.
17. Local Government Commission, Center for Livable Communities. The Economic Benefits of Walkable Communities. http://www.lgc.com.
18. Federal Highway Administration. Community Impact Assessment: A Quick Reference for Transportation. http://www.ciatrans.net/CHAP2.html.
19. Federal Highway Administration. Greener Roadsides, Vol. 10, Fall 2003.
20. Walkable Communities, Inc. http://www.walkable.org.
21. Congress for New Urbanism. http://www.cnu.org.
22. Congress for New Urbanism. http://www.cnu.org.
23. California Department of Transportation. http://transitorienteddevelopment.dot.ca.gov/miscellaneous/NewWhatisTOD.htm