ORLANDO

2013-04-02: Orlando Sentinel readers were told this morning that local toll authority officials were "fretting" over possible train wrecks on the FL528 Beachline Expressway. "Expressway frets over wrecks with proposed Miami-to-Orlando train" reads the headline in the major area newspaper.

2013-02-24: Orlando's expressway standard highways are all tolled with the exception of the busiest - the I-4 that wends its way southwest to northeast though the middle of the metro area going right by the central business district.

A number of readers have asked whether I'll be at the IBTTA's annual meeting in Orlando Sept 9 thru 12.

No, because IBTTA maintains its anti-media policy that media people may attend "sessions only" which in Atlanta led to us being confronted twice by IBTTA's chief executive Pat Jones and prevented from continuing conversations at an after-session drinks event.  

Max Crummit the temporary CEO at Orlando's toll authority (OOCEA) Orange County will go back to the private sector in the fall, local reports say.

Expressway authority chairman Walter Ketcham and other board members tried to induce him to stay offering him a raise from his $180k to $230k.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that interim chief executive of the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) Max Crumit has been offered the job as a permanent position. But he's said "No thanks" because he doesn't like being in the public limelight.

Board chairmanWalter Ketcham says Crumit has been doing a "fabulous job."

Who is least corruptible - appointees of elected officials, or elected officials themselves? That's the issue being discussed in Florida in the context of a tussle at the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA).

Before the end of March the Orlando area Expressway Authority (OOCEA) will be opening a new toll plaza on its very first expressway, known now as the Beachline, but back then as the Beeline Expressway. It was so named because it made a "bee line" from Orlando airport to the Atlantic coast at Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. The 15 miles stretch between SR417 and FL520 runs the whole distance across flat scrub and swampland in a perfectly straight line.

Two board members of the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority's board are demand from staff details of contributions to a business group, plus justification. One is Theresa Jacobs county mayor. The group in question is the Central Florida Partnership. The other is an attorney Frank Kruppenbacher.

TOLLROADSnews 2012-02-29

There may be lack of agreement in central Florida on construction of the Wekiva Parkway but there's no lack of agreements. Or of 'aggressive timelines.' Agreement after agreement, year after year. And they each stress their aggressive timelines.

The regional planning organization of the Orlando area termed MetroPlan has approved the new Wekiva Parkway tollroad. Approval was regarded as more than a formality since the project was seen by some as taking money that has better uses. However the vote in favor was 17 to 2 according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The project is in a lightly developed northern section of the metro area but it will complete  belt route add well as providing improved mobility east-west across the north of the built-up area.

All at a high cost however of $1.7b for 25 miles.