Florida Secretary of Transportation Shares Success Formula

What happened: In a keynote presentation Sept. 23, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue shared his insights into the Sunshine State’s approach to managing transportation infrastructure assets and the role of federal investment. Among the highlights:

• “Federal policy is a very big deal for every single state,” Perdue said, while acknowledging that with federal policy comes rules, red tape and bureaucracy. “We can move projects forward, though, if we stay  diversified and spread those funds out.”
• Perdue said partnering with industry has been key to addressing Florida’s population growth, noting the state is using a Modified Phase Design-Build procurement model on two current mega-projects. He said this innovative approach was a product of “open, transparent dialogue” with industry partners on how to best allocate risk overtime.
• The Secretary also credited industry collaboration with helping tackle workforce challenges and increasing work zone safety. “Strong partnerships with industry mean we can get from concept to implementation at the speed of light – not at the speed of government,” he noted.

Why it matters: Florida’s transportation construction market is in high gear as the state accommodates what Perdue calls “exponential population growth.” Florida DOT’s five-year work plan calls for $65.8 billion in transportation improvements, while a new initiative called Moving Florida Forward provides $4 billion in state surplus to leverage a total of $7 billion in investment needed to expedite 20 projects aimed at alleviating congestion in rapidly growing areas.