Vulnerabilty Assessment for Floridian Aquifer

I try not to deviate from traffic issues but today I have to make an exception and ask for your help and attendance at a very important meeting on March 31st regarding protection of our rural area.

Your attendance and support is needed at the Charter Review Commission (CRC) meeting downtown at the Orange County Chambers on 3/31/2016 at 4 pm.  The address is 201 S Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL 32801.  The chambers are on the first floor.

Even though this site is about fixing our roadways, as I learn more about our infrastructure, I find myself being pulled into advocating for the protection of our very fragile eco-system.  Increases in traffic lead back to increases in development which in turn lead back to harmful effects to our eco-system.  It is only natural that I would end up here.

I don’t consider myself an environmentalist but I am becoming a survivalist and caring for our natural resources with the most precious being water has become very important to me.  Without this most valuable natural resource life cannot be sustained.

In brief, here is our request of the Charter Review Commission (CRC).  We are asking that a referendum be placed on the ballot this year that will allow Orange County citizens to vote on this issue.  “We want a unanimous vote of the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for any re-zoning between the Econ River and the St. Johns River”.

red rose in a bed of yellow tulips

The reason is to ensure that any development in this area is met with the strictest scrutiny and is truly compatible with the area and the utmost care taken to preserve our eco-system.  I heard a gentleman say recently, “A red rose in a bed of yellow tulips is a weed”.  The rose is a beautiful suburban development but should not be placed in the tulip bed which is the rural area.  Do “Smart Development” all you want but grow tulips, not roses.

Despite huge support from the citizens, the Protection of the Rural Boundary Work Group has decided this is NOT worthy enough to be place on the ballot and has issued a report to the CRC that will be approved or disapproved on March 31st.  We do not want this decision approved.  We want the CRC to instruct the work group to take another look at the issue and find a way to get it on the ballot.

There are three reason the work group came to this decision as I perceive them.  Please understand that no explanation is given in this report:  2016-03-16 – PRB Work Group Final Report and Exhibits.  Also know that the work group consisted of only 3 members of which one was in favor of this referendum while the other 2 were not.  There is a very good chance with enough citizen support to have the CRC overturn this decision and ask the work group to review it again.  The reasons:

• The work group had an issue with the unanimous vote citing a rogue commissioner from the 80s always voted one way.
  I have to trust the commissioners to work on behalf of the citizens but if this is even an issue then if not unanimous, then what about 6-1 or 5-2.  This option was not even considered
• This is project specific (speaking of Lake Pickett South).
  Not true:  We want protection of the entire area.  There are very serious reasons cited below.
• Only one county has adopted something like this.
  We are not other counties, we are Orange County.  Other counties should not impact this decision.

In my estimation, these reasons are weak at best.

Here is my public comment on this subject:

Our aquifer is being depleted.

Here is a quote directly from the Orlando Sentinel:
“Using the most advanced databases and computing methodology yet developed for such a task, a consortium of state water managers and local utilities have calculated that the current amount of water pumped from the underground aquifer each day can be increased by only about 6 percent — which means the region is already exploiting the huge, life-sustaining aquifer for nearly every drop it can safely offer.  For the past several years, Central Florida’s demand for aquifer water by all users — homes, businesses and agriculture — has averaged 800 million gallons a day. But that demand is expected to rise during three decades to 1.1 billion gallons a day. The problem is, pumping more than 850 million gallons a day from the aquifer will inflict a significant amount of damage to wetlands, springs and rivers.”  Read the article here

When we talk about Smart Development, we aren’t kidding.  Development as usual must change or we won’t sustain our way of life or even our lives.  Rain water seeps into the ground at a certain rate.  If developments are built and this ground is concreted, less water seeps into the ground and more water goes into the storm water system reducing the level of the aquifer even farther.  The increase in runoff comes at the expense of groundwater recharge.

street run off

The rivers are being polluted by pesticide and fertilizer runoff.

When a large development is built, homes have yards with lush green grass.  The grass has to be fertilized and the excess nutrients from all the fertilizer we use runs off into our waterways which causes algae blooms sometimes big enough to make waterways impassable. When the algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen from the water. Fish and other aquatic species can’t survive in these so-called “dead zones” and so they die or move on to greener underwater pastures.  I recently experienced this first hand when I went fishing.  The owner of the bait shop was telling me how fishing has become harder and the captains of charter boats are having a harder time finding fish.

By shear coincidence a Facebook friend posted this video showing fish being poisoned by something.   We don’t want this to happen to the Econ here as the Econ flows up through Seminole County into the St. Johns which flows all the way to Jacksonville.  Polluting the water here will affect more than just the people in Orange County, it will affect everyone downstream.

Our pets contribute waste that washes off lawns along with the fertilizers and pesticides we apply. Lesser sources include driveway coating, metal roof gutters and downspouts, and car washing.  All of these pollutants wash-off into nearby waterways with each storm that produces runoff.  As a result, runoff from our homes, streets and lawns contain a tremendous amount of pollution.

Governor Scott loosened the reins on development in 2011 when he disbanded the Department of Community Affairs (read here).  DRIs are dead.  Developments of a certain scale (otherwise known as DRIs or Developments of Regional Impact) have impacts that reach far beyond the communities they serve: environmental impacts, transportation related impacts and level of service impacts. Development comes at a cost, a cost that the taxpayer invariably shoulders in terms of supporting added infrastructure, added water management and public works.  And the cost of losing the most precious asset of all–what the land had to offer in its natural state: Its ecological character whether for wildlife habitat, water recharge or just for the value of its native beauty–wild vistas lost forever to hideous strip malls or thousand’s of acres of barrel-tile roofed homes replicated on the landscape like industrial output.

Because this protection has been stripped from us, we must take matters into our own hands to protect our most precious of all resources.

Some quotes to consider:

“There is likely no other source of aquatic resource degradation that robs more U.S. citizens of recreational opportunities than development related impacts.”

“Converting forest and farms to houses, streets, shopping centers and parking lots can greatly increase the volume of stormwater runoff as well as the quantity of pollutants entrained in runoff. Most of the impact comes from sealing the earth with impervious surfaces: asphalt, concrete, rooftops, etc. “

“During the construction phase soil erosion and mud pollution can increase by ten- to a hundred-fold. “

“Converting a forest-covered watershed to homes on ¼-acre lots can cause floodwater volumes to recur annually which were seen but once a century before development. This change threatens streamside homes, bridges and other structures. The increase in floodwater flows also causes extensive stream channel erosion.”

“An asphalt parking lot can heat to 120F° on a sunny afternoon.  Runoff from the lot absorbs a large amount of this heat to reach a temperature in excess of 90°F.   The heated runoff can then abruptly increase stream temperature by 12°F. “

“Some of our most important game fish, like trout and other salmonids, perish at a temperature in excess of 72°F.  It is not unusual for trout stream to have a temperature is the mid- to upper-60°F range.  A 12°F increase would be lethal at that time.”

I hope this video helps tip you over the edge and entices you take the plunge to get on your bike and ride to work or school.  I researched what bike is best for what distance; how to carry clothes and lunch or even groceries; what to do when it rains and what accessories are best for commuting bikes.

If more people would use bikes to commute, there would be a lot less cars on the road reducing congestion and cost.

bike-bus-car comparison

PAG Second Meeting February 23 2016 Notes FINAL Approved

This is about the same distance as our “Segment 1″ which runs from the end of the 408 to Avalon Parkway. From Avalon Parkway to 419 is about twice this distance so it would cost over 300 million for “Segment 2″ alone so a very ball part estimate puts Segment 1 and Segment 2 at about 450 million. That is a lot of money. Can CFX absorb that cost as this extension will not pay for itself for many years to come. I certainly hope CFX can work magic as we need this road desperately. Then comes “Segment 3″ which goes from 419 to 520 and is the same length as both Segment 1 and Segment 2 combined so double the amount comes out to 900 million.

My disclaimer is my estimates are based on nothing more than the cost of the elevated highway over Gandy Boulevard. We are way to early in the project for CFX to estimate the cost so don’t take these numbers as anything more than my math. They did not come from CFX. Does this seem right or am I way off base?

Bikes are a very convenient and economical way of commuting and in a short distance work better than cars. I should know, I have been commuting to UCF from my home every day for the past six years no matter what the weather. I am not alone. In other place, it is the preferred way of travel and if other places are successful with this, we should be too.

We not only can make this work but we must make this work.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at the Eastpoint Fellowship Church, located at 15060 Old Cheney Highway, Orlando, Florida 32828.

SR 408 PD&E Study Public Workshop

There is already a project underway between Orange County, UCF and MetroPlan focused on bike and pedestrian safety on University and Alafaya and that is wonderful. It is a great step in the right direction. I would like to take this one step farther and not only focus on those two roads but all the roads surrounding UCF. And with that enhance the roadways to provide better connectivity for bicycle commuting.

The whole purpose of this is to get people out of cars and onto bicycles. It seems monumental but I really think with a few people focused on this, it can be done. The initial focus audience would be UCF students. Can you imagine if only a fraction of the students would choose a bike over cars? It would reduce congestion on the roads as well as parking issues at UCF.

So how do we get people out of cars and onto bikes. You certainly can’t force them and there is nothing more convenient than walking out your front door, getting into your car and having the freedom to go wherever you want. In addition, it is just not considered “cool” right now to ride a bike. Why would anyone choose a bike over a car? It really makes no sense when you have the convenience of cars. The way I see it the only way to solve this problem is to make bike travel more convenient than cars.

Then another issue is where does a student who lives in an apartment put a bike. Space is a premium. Many don’t live on the first floor so they would have to carry a bike up stairs which isn’t going to happen. And if they leave the bike on a bike rack it will be stolen or parts stolen. How does this problem get solved?

Believe it or not all of these problems are solvable and have been solved in other countries and even in other states. A university setting such as ours is perfect for these innovative ideas and can pay huge dividends if implemented. We just have to roll up our sleeves and get to work. More to come on this.

408 Expansion Corridor Map

On 2/23/2016 I attended the “SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study Project Group Meeting” at the CFX headquarters downtown and had the first glimpse at what the expressway might look like when completed.  As you can see from the map to the right, this is a new expressway that goes from the end of 408 out to 520.  It is divided into 3 segments.  The purpose of the meeting was to gather ideas from traffic agencies such as FDOT, Orange County and MetroPlan as well as citizens who live in the area.  The group consisted of about 20 people.

Special announcement:  There will be a public workshop on March 8th at 5 pm where you will have an opportunity to comment on these ideas and provide input.  The format will be similar to the last meeting.  Stay tuned for more information on this meeting.

The extension consists of 3 segments:

• Segment 1: 408 to Avalon – this segment has the highest volume
• Segment 2: Avalon to 419 – this is the segment that crosses the Econ and is environmentally sensitive
• Segment 3: 419 to 520 – this segment is more rural

You will see in the pictures below that there are basically two approaches to building this expressway.

• The first approach is above Hwy 50 on an elevated roadway.
• The second approach is at the same grade as Hwy 50 either along side or between.

Here is the timeline of the project:

• March 8th:  public workshop
• August:  public hearing
• October:  completion of study
• Sometime after:  board consideration
• If board denies project:  stops
• If board passes the study:  project begins
• Design phase:  2-3 years
• Construction phase:  3-5 years
• Best case we would see a roadway in 2020-2021 which may be segmented

There are advantages and disadvantages to both ideas which were expressed in the meeting.   Here are the highlights:

Elevated Expressway

Both options were screened through an environmental process.  Because this expressway crosses the Econ there is more to consider when it comes to protecting our environment.  There are stringent regulation in place for this protection.  The best option in this case is the elevated approach.

How will this fit into the current project of widening Hwy 50 to six lanes?  The section from Dean to just past the Econ bridge will be completed this year and if “The Grow” is approved, the section of Hwy 50 from the bridge to 419 will be funded and begin.  The design study for this section (DOT Section 7) is underway and will be completed in August.

Will there be new roadway that will have to be re-worked?  If the “at grade” option is chosen it could mean that much of the widening being done now will have to be re-worked.  With the elevated approach, the road might not be impacted.  Another plus for the elevated approach.

As a side note, the section (DOT section 8) of Hwy 50 from 419 to 520 is scheduled to begin design and will finish around June of 2017.

Will this pay for itself?  The projections as to when this roadway will pay for itself goes all the way out to 2045 so this project will have to be sustained by the existing tollways in place now.

frogger

There were a couple of residents who live in Bithlo that were not in favor of the “at grade” option as it would divide the community and make it difficult to cross.  The thought was that pedestrians would attempt to cross both Hwy 50 and the 408 to get to the other side.  I have to admit the thought of the old game called “Frogger” entered my mind.  It does seem like a nightmare especially since the cross points would be few and far between forcing pedestrians to walk a long way out of their way to cross the street.

There was a discussion about another route that was on the original drawings that would have started just east of the Econ bridge and go south around the bottom of Bithlo and the racetrack and connect to 520.  The citizens from Bithlo were in favor of this route.  While this was an option, the right-of-way cost and environmental impact would be too great and it is not proposed on these plans.  Orange County as well as other individuals expressed concern over this route.  This route is not being considered.

My conclusion is the elevated highway is the best option however there is one big caveat and that is money.  An elevated highway like this is very expensive so that is the real fly in the ointment.  That will be up to the CFX Board to decide.  If I were on that board I would most definitely be considering cost and the expense of this elevated highway.  It would be a shame if this was the option being considered only to be denied by the board based on cost.  We need this roadway to accommodate the unsustainable trend we are on even with the 6 laning of Hwy 50.

There was a brief discussion on transit and how it plays into this expansion.  The answer I heard was the expressway can be used by Lynx as it is today.

A brief discussion that talked about purchasing land for right of way long before it is actually needed and the obvious reasons for doing so.    By planning ahead and buying undeveloped land long before it is needed would save headaches.  Headaches such as we are experiencing now with this 408 extension.  It would also save money.  But then who can foresee that far into the future.  There was talk about the 408 going south all the way from 520 to 192 and beyond.  As well as up to 46.

The pictures below are in order from west to east starting at the end of the 408 and going all the way out to 520.  Please take a close look at these pictures as you will see them again on March 8th and will have the opportunity to provide your suggestions and opinions.

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

SR 408 Eastern Extension PD&E Study

The Grow conceptual site plan

Let’s start with the project at Lake Pickett called “The Grow” which is the transmittal phase now and due to come up for an approval hearing soon.

“The Grow” is contributing 28 million in impact fees and proportional share money that will be allocated like this.  16 million will be used to advance the widening of Hwy 50 from the Econ bridge to 419.  This widening is on the FDOT long range plan but is currently unfunded.  When it does become funded and the money is allocated, the state will send the money back to Orange County, not “The Grow”  to be used somewhere on Orange County roads.  The other 12 million will be used to widen 419 from Hwy 50 to Lake Pickett Road.  This is the contribution from “The Grow” to the road issues we have in East Orange County.

What about the other county roads?

Over capacity segments in 2030

As you may know the mayor secured 300 million in bond money for Infrastructure that is under a name “INVEST in Our Home for Life” but is just called “Invest”.  200 million of this is allocated to the roadway system while the other 100 million to other infrastructure needs such as 15 million for bike and pedestrian improvements and other multi-modal transit projects.  28 million has been designated to be used in East Orange County.  Orange County is planning on widening McCulloch to 4-lanes from N. Tanner Road to Lockwood Blvd.  This will take a portion of the “Invest” money allocated to East Orange County.  The county does not currently have plans for the remainder of the funding until a traffic study is completed which is either underway now or will be underway soon.  The study is being paid for with “Invest” money.  We will not know where this money will be used or how until this study is complete.

Everything is on the table and is being considered in this traffic study but nothing is decided which includes the following:

• A bridge over the Econ at McCulloch.  Notice I did not say to 419 but is certainly being considered
• Widening Lake Pickett to 4 -lanes
• A road from Lake Pickett to Woodbury
• Widening Lake Pickett from Percival to Hwy 50
• The Richard Crotty Parkway
• Anything else that is discovered

408 Expansion Corridor Map

Let’s dispel some myths that I have heard people say are definite.  Nothing is cast is stone such as:

• Widening Lake Pickett from Percival to Hwy 50 is not cast in stone
• A road from Lake Pickett to Woodbury is not cast in stone
• A bridge over the Econ at McCulloch is not cast in stone

Let’s not forget the extension of the 408.  The second project group meeting is coming up and I will have an update in 2-3 weeks.

I have also heard that MetroPlan is performing a traffic study of the entire region which is a separate study from the one Orange County is performing so it will be interesting to see how that turns out.  Keep in mind these studies take time.  Many months in fact so be very patient.

It is great to see this focus and attention to our area and plans coming together to fix these roads.  But we still have a long way to go.

Richard Crotty extension

For example, the Richard Crotty Parkway, the red line on the map.  I cannot imagine the traffic studies not showing this road as a vital part of the roadway system.  We need another east-west road to move traffic.  We need connectivity from east-west to really create efficiency in our road system.  See a prior post about “Who Lives IN The DMZ Zone” and the second one called, “What is the DMZ Zone“.   Watch this video to see the DMZ Zone and connectivity.  I cannot imagine a bridge over the Econ at McCulloch unless the Richard Crotty Parkway is part of this study.  What that would do is have three east-west roads in the Rural Service Area crossing the Econ funneling down to two inside the Urban Service Area.  That would make no sense at all.  But Research Park is not too excited about the Richard Crotty Parkway and UCF is silent and neutral.

Also, Seminole County is not to thrilled with widening McCulloch or crossing the Econ at McCulloch so we will have to see how that plays out.

Sustany conceptual site plan

Let’s also not forget Lake Pickett North which was called “Sustany”.  I have heard this is coming back most likely in the the 2016 second cycle so we will have to see what that project looks like and how this will impact traffic.  The 2016 second cycle is from about September, 2016 to March, 2017 so the application will be submitted and you can expect community meetings a couple of months before September/October time frame.

But I am encouraged that we are moving in the right direction.  I have to admit I was somewhat dejected a while ago until I talked to some people recently and learned much of what I am relaying on to you.  In the world of Infrastructure wheels turn very slow and patience is all important.  All we can do is keep moving and keep coming up with ideas on how to keep this issue at the forefront in the minds of our elected officials to ensure we get the attention we deserve.

The roads around UCF are very different when it comes to the attention they get in the way of improvements. For example the main entryway to UCF is University Blvd with Alafaya Trail bordering the western end of university property. Alafaya Trail is six lanes as is University Blvd. Both sides of Alafaya and University have sidewalks and Alafaya Trail has six signal lights in a span of 2 miles. More than enough lights for pedestrians to cross.

I have to comment that for bicycle commuters, even these two roads need a lot of work. The bike lane on Alafaya Trail is narrow and only separated by a thin white line while cars whiz by at 45-50 mph. It is very disconcerting and dangerous to ride a bike on the bike lane on Alafaya Trail. And believe it or not, there is no bike lane at all on University Blvd. I am not sure what traffic planners think commuter cyclists are supposed to do, ride on the sidewalk? That just doesn’t work when a person wants to get to work or school. After all, what is the difference between a car commuter who wants to get to work as fast as possible and a bicycle commuter? They both want to commute as fast as possible. To be fair, there is a project underway right now to improve pedestrian and bicycle experience on Alafaya and University but I have no details on what the plan entails.

When it comes to other roads though, they just don’t get the same attention. I am speaking about McCulloch to the north and Tanner to the east. The only reason I can think of as to why this happens is that they are still thought of as rural and lightly traveled. I think that mindset is changing because of resident input but so far I have not seen or heard of any plans to improve them for car or cycling commuters.

All we can do as residents is continue to raise the awareness of issues on these roads with Orange and Seminole County as well as UCF and continue to offer solutions to the issues.

We have two rather large apartment complexes on McCulloch between Alafaya and Lockwood. How do some students get to school and back at UCF on a bike from Northgate Lakes apartments. Let me show you.

At the end of the video are ways to improve the experience for these bike commuters that will make it safer and easier for them to get to class as well as promote bike commuting which will help reduce traffic on these roads.

Just my humble suggestions for improvements.