stamp dollars reached $300 million a year but were subject to annual re-authorization. They lapsed entirely during the Great Recession and have since been restored only the Coast-to-Coast Connector— the regional trail through the I-4 corridor prioritized for SUN Trails dollars— came High-standard multi-use trails would now get people out of their cars. Trails would mesh with transit. Tourism could further diversify from its dependence on beach, golf, and theme park fun to an ecotourism model that supports treasured lands, clean waters, and artisanal community. the gas pedal. Climate change called for addressing culture change.
“I came over [to DOT] because of the high level of plan- ning that was going on,” says Wood, now State Transporta- tion Planning Administrator. “Projects were getting pro- grammed— going into the pipeline— not in isolation but together. Intermodal became very, very important” when in 2015 DOT added intermodal as a major division along momentum behind active transportation, especially among Millennials. They want options. That’s what’s driving this.” Wood would provide the road map for more than just
into play. That’s where we’d like to get to. We know that demand will exceed projects. That’s a good thing. It’s not just about transportation-oriented development. It’s about trail-oriented development. We’re very excited to be part of
The nonprofit drivers “Trails are driven by personalities,” said Kim DeLaney
of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, as she and fellow advocates recently rode the Tri-Rail commuter line home from a regional trails meeting in Miami. The talk was about how SUN Trails happened. It wasn’t just about Millennials. It was also about hard-driving leadership at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. its years as a low energy friends group for OGT. Allen was a retired senior vice-president of the Trust for Public Land honed in strategic thinking, coalition building, and fund- raising. He knew that only data backed up by exceptional graphics would persuade decision makers to pay attention to trails. He aimed to complete a single trail of statewide OGT’s entire 3,000-plus-mile priority network. Allen spent two years raising money. He had the con- nections from his TPL years. He gained the support of the Genesis Group for the maps and communications tool kit that conveyed the professionalism of a juggernaut endeav- DOT Secretary Ananth Prasad. Environmental and health - sion.
Where would the pilot trail be? Wood at OGT proposed seven gaps, would connect St. Petersburg with Titusville at the Space Coast. Allen saw that stakeholders in any one county knew little about trails in the next counties over. “Genesis gave me actual costs for completion and the kind of colorful, data-driven maps no one had ever seen before,” Allen said. “Harry Barley [at Metroplan Orlando] State Alliance. They got it. That’s when the magic kicked in.”
Allen had worked with former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin in getting the West Orange Trail built north through metro Orlando. “Linda said talk to Andy. Her son and his grew up together. ‘Andy’ was Senate President-elect Andy Gardiner. He wouldn’t have backed this if the MPOs and Secretary Prasad hadn’t already.” Sen. Gardiner shepherded a $50 million earmark for
A cyclist on the East Coast Greenway through St. Lucie County
trails through the 2013 Legislature that Governor Rick Scott vetoed. Recalls Allen, “Sixty days later, Secretary Prasad said he had never heard so many MPOs agree on one proj- ect.” The next year, the $125 million for SUN Trails made it through.
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