THE PROOF IS IN THE PROJECTS: FLORIDA KEYS TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION COMMITTEE MOVES FORWARD WITH FDOT COLLABORATIONS

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County continues its commitment to address long-term transportation challenges through data-driven planning and local collaborations with its strategic partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). All improvements to US 1, the main road that runs throughout the Florida Keys, are approved by and constructed by FDOT because it is a state-owned and maintained road.

After the county spent a year developing a comprehensive strategic plan, where traffic was one of three major community concerns in 2019, the BOCC established the Florida Keys Transportation Coordination Committee (FKTCC), based on the framework requested by Commissioner David Rice, which links officials from the five cities and the county in discussions to identify important priority projects to improve safety, efficiency, and resilience on US 1 throughout the island chain. The committee ranks projects and makes recommendations to the county commission, to submit to the FDOT for its 5-Year Workplan, which the FDOT uses to study, design, and budget for the projects if it decides they can move forward with them.

“The formation of the FKTCC is about action,” said Rice. “And we’re seeing real projects and real progress.”

The Monroe County Transportation Master Plan, adopted in 2021 following a process of public engagement, technical analysis, and discussions with the municipalities and the FDOT, resulted in a list of 183 potential solutions to address existing and future transportation concerns along US 1 through the Florida Keys. The FKTCC recommended an initial list of 36 of these projects in 2022 as priority projects for the BOCC to transmit to FDOT for inclusion in the 5-Year Workplan. The FKTCC continues to evaluate projects from the master plan, as well as new ideas to improve traffic conditions in the Florida Keys, and will provide recommendations on updated priorities as projects are completed.

Since its adoption in 2021, the FDOT has addressed 75 of the projects from the master plan. A list can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/transportation.

The prioritized list helps initiate high-impact projects like:

• The Connected Vehicle Corridor MM 0 to MM 112.5: deploys vehicle communication technology, upgraded traffic signals, and real-time roadway alerts.
• Traffic signal synchronization and bus stop enhancement projects in Islamorada, Stock Island, and Marathon.
• Changed signage and pavement markings at MM 99.6/Atlantic Blvd to MM 103.2/Hialeah Lane in Key Largo perceived as clutter to minimize the number of signs installed along US 1.

In May 2024, the FKTCC started the reprioritization process again to bring a new priority list to FDOT for the next Tentative 5-Year Work Program. The draft working list can also be found at the website and is also currently being circulated through each city government to be brought back to the FKTCC to finalize for the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners to submit to the FDOT formally in August 2025. The process is and has been open to the public.

Some of the projects being considered in the upcoming priority list include evaluating the feasibility of implementing a weigh-in-motion technology upgrade instead of weigh station relocation at Snake Creek Bridge, bus stop upgrades countywide, traffic flow assessments and timing modifications to stop lights, right-turn-only studies, and a water ferry service feasibility study. To see the full list, visit the website.

“This process is designed to reflect the needs of every part of Monroe County,” said Monroe County Transit Director Richard Clark. “We appreciate the hard work of our commissioners and city partners in ensuring we’re not just talking about traffic, but we are doing something about it.”

Each city government is approving its priorities throughout May and June. Please visit their websites for the details, their meetings are tentatively scheduled:

Key Colony Beach – Completed
Key West – June 4
Layton – June 5
Marathon – June 10
Islamorada – June 10

The next FKTCC meeting will be Wednesday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the Marathon Government Center and can be attended via Zoom. Zoom details and the agenda can be found on the county calendar or at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/transportation.

---