Most of us who have encountered traffic snarls in the region have waited in the logjam wishing we had a top-down view of the situation ahead so that we could take an alternative route. Certainly a view from above would allow us to plan our trips, or whether to be on the road at all. In a strategic sense, there is an initiative to embrace this concept: taking a top-down view of the region to see what can be done about traffic and roadway improvements. It isn’t a quick fix nor is it a cheap one. But it is critically needed if the region is going to build its transportation infrastructure for the next 25 years to serve a population expected to double to over half a million people.

Ever wary of the estimated increase in the populations of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties, Okaloosa-Walton Community College President, Dr. James "Bob" Richburg has been conducting a campaign to inform business and civic leaders of the efficacy of forming an Okaloosa-Santa Rosa-Walton Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and to promote public commitment. The "authority’s" charter: oversee the completion of roadway improvements in the three-county area by 2028.

The genesis of the RTA grew out of the formation of the Strategic Partnership Initiative, a by-product of a regional planning conference hosted by Eglin Air Force Base. "As a result of that conference about 5 years ago this SPI was formed," notes Richburg. "It has representatives of the three counties as well as the three county commissions and Eglin Air Force Base."

Initially, the RTA agreement that is still in draft bears a striking resemblance to another authority.

"The RTA agreement is a localized version of the agreement that was developed between Santa Rosa and Escambia," according to Richburg. "What we have done is taken that agreement and made a draft document that should work for the three counties as they develop a regional transportation authority." He further adds, "A planning committee has been formed to figure out how we get a vehicle like this organized for the three counties."

But there are some distinct differences according to Richburg. "The composition of the RTA in terms of the governing board would be appointed officials, not elected officials," he states. "From the beginning that is controversial because elected officials are hesitant to give up authority that they feel they hold to non-elected individuals." Although he has received criticism from elected officials about this approach, Richburg cited the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority as being a successful venture governed by non-elected appointments. "They are the role-model for why this regional transportation authority needs to fly, " says Richburg. "This approach would hopefully remove some of the "hard politics" that would come to play in some of the phases of the plan and bolster the vision."

A 270-mile roadway improvement plan through 2028 for the three counties comes with a hefty price tag: $2.6 billion dollars in today’s dollars, a daunting challenge to fund. "What we are facing is a situation where there is simply not enough resources under the current funding to meet these real live needs," notes Richburg.

Representatives from the three counties have already agreed to be part of the planning team to help create the RTA. Funding for the RTA would by derived from authority to issue bonds, assess tolls and a 2 cents per gallon levy from each county.

The path to the 2028 roadway improvement plan will simply not get off the ground without public commitment according to Richburg. But in light of the present funding means - $30 million per year to the district – it will take 81 years in current dollars to complete the plan. An RTA with bond and toll authority is necessary.

Pam Tedesco, President and CEO of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the grass-roots team to explore the creation of the RTA. "We are excited to look into this idea of forming a RTA to provide us a local means by which to solve our problems and look forward to investigating its merits further," Tedesco noted. "The rate at which this region is growing far surpasses the current funding systems' ability to match the corresponding infrastructure improvement needs. While local, state and even federal dollars are available to help address some of our roadway needs, the current level of funding is merely a drop in the bucket compared to the total dollars needed to bring our roadway systems in line with the needs of our area."

Getting help at the state and federal level will benefit by a united approach according to Larry Sassano, Executive Director of the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council.

Referring to the numerous Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the region, Sassano says, "We should try to bring these MPOS together so they can all be talking from the same page and be able to prioritize what are the most significant projects and get behind them so there is a unified regional approach at getting support at the state and federal level.

Dr. Richburg concurs. "When the district (of Florida Department of Transportation) can deal with one body that represents the transportation needs for state and federal money for three counties it saves them from dealing with two other entities," states Richburg.

Edward Prescott is the District Three Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation for Northwest Florida and finds the notion of an RTA to be appealing. "I am always interested in

transportation issues and any ideas to provide a safe and efficient transportation system for our area and Florida," he states. "Although several transportation authorities exist in Northwest Florida, they have been utilized to develop specific transportation projects in a specific area. The creation of such an authority would need to be locally based and supported with innovative ideas for financing their projects."

Fort Walton Beach attorney Will Nelson is a member of the RTA planning committee and Chairman of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee. "One of our primary concerns is that whatever transportation planning we have does not impact the missions for any of our local bases," Nelson warns. "That has been a stopping point for us in the past. Essentially what the Air Force has said is that until we can work together as a community they have some real concerns about how our planning will effect what they do. So part of the goal of regionalizing this planning is to make certain that we take into account how the three counties planning will effect what happens to the Air Force and will not jeopardize our keeping our bases open and viable."

In the context of preserving the military value of Eglin and its 724 square mile reservation, Eglin favors a regional approach to transportation issues, according to Mr. Bob Arnold of Eglin’s 46^th Test Wing. Arnold is the Chairman of the Eglin Encroachment Committee. "If the RTA can bring new funds to accelerate road construction, our entire community will benefit," says Arnold.  "Eglin is always willing to partner on plans/initiatives that help relieve problems and enhance the quality of life of our citizens, as long as the projects do not decrease the military value of Eglin Air Force Base."

Nelson noted the planning challenges based on the distinct character of the region with its tourism, growing population, inland waterways, military reservations and general interdependency. "These common factors are pretty important and something that makes our planning unique and if we try to solve a problem as any one county and that solution ends at the county line it is not going to solve the problem," Nelson observes. "We have seen that with the lawsuit between Okaloosa and Walton counties. It’s clear that if we are suing each other we’re not looking at the broader issue. And today we have to move cars both for business purposes and for quality of life."

In Santa Rosa they are definitely feeling the squeeze between the Okaloosa Sound inland waterway and the military reservation. "In Navarre we are currently sandwiched in between the Eglin reservation and the water, says Phil Babiak of the Navarre Beach Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of its transportation committee. "Our interest in the project is establishment of an alternate to Highway 98, which would give us another east-west corridor," he says. "We feel that the RTA is probably the only life on the horizon to fund such a thing. The population increase along the coast is putting a tremendous burden on 98." Babiak further notes that a good portion of residents moving into Santa Rosa County are actually employed by the military either at Hurlburt or Eglin.

Dr. Richburg quickly recognizes the best example of a lack of a regional transportation perspective. "Your example is right here." On the other side of the coin he points to Orlando’s regional transportation authority as a model that is working. The region adapted its needs to the surge of growth after the building of the Walt Disney World.

Although the merits of a RTA are apparent, getting a regional forum can be a tricky process as noted by Destin Mayor, Craig Barker, when in 1999 the city invited mayors to participate in a series of workshops to develop a unified traffic solution for coastal cities. "The series of workshops was well attended and at the time there was a general consensus by the mayors to support a regional approach," Barker recalled. But since the cities had already invested in their own solutions the process broke down. "Each city had spent countless hours devoted to planning the absolute best roadway alternative to match their community’s vision for the future. Therefore, when it came time to discuss specific traffic solutions, support waned as the solutions being contemplated by the group weren’t always consistent with a particular community’s aspirations."

What if we do nothing? "We can do nothing and we will continue grow - growth is coming," notes Richburg, "but we just bog down," he warns. "In terms of movement we become slower and slower and at some point that slowness is going to impact us."

• US 98 Four and six lane from Gulf Breeze to Bay County
• SR 20 Four lane from Rocky Bayou Bridge to US 331
• Niceville Bypass White Point Road to Mary Esther (to US 98)
• SR 285 Four lane from Niceville to US 90
• Crestview Bypass
• US 85 Four lane from Crestview to Alabama
• US 90 Four lane from Defuniak Springs to Milton
• US 331 Four lane from Alabama to US 98 (realign in Freeport)
• SR 87 Four lane from 98 to Alabama
• Connector to I-65