Latest news with #BobDallari
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oviedo $21 million State Road 426, County Road 419 widening project now complete
The Brief A $21 million construction project to widen roads in Ovideo has been completed. The transformational widening project for State Road 426 and County Road 419 stretches through the historic downtown area. The project has transformed a 1.4-mile stretch of roadway from Pine Avenue to Adeline B. Tinsley Way into a modern four-lane divided corridor. The project also includes myriad other safety and efficiency improvements for bikers and walkers. OVIEDO, Fla. - A $21 million construction project to widen State Road 426 and County Road 419 through historic downtown Oviedo has been completed. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Seminole County and the City of Oviedo celebrated the completion of the transformational widening project at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 6. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured remarks from key officials, including Seminole County Commission Chairman and District Two Commissioner Jay Zembower, Seminole County District One Commissioner Bob Dallari, FDOT District Five Director of Transportation Development Jack Adkins, and City of Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek. The project has helped to transform a 1.4-mile stretch of roadway from Pine Avenue to Adeline B. Tinsley Way into a modern four-lane divided corridor. The project also includes myriad other safety and efficiency improvements for bikers and walkers. What we know Among the improvements included in this project are a 22-foot-wide raised grass median, dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the street. These upgrades provide safer and more efficient travel options for all users. Significant stormwater enhancements were also implemented to improve drainage in the area. A pedestrian hybrid beacon was also installed in February near Oviedo High School. Officials said the advanced crossing system stops traffic when activated, ensuring a safer route for students and pedestrians seeking to cross. What they're saying Officials said that the completion of the S.R. 426 and C.R. 419 widening project marks a significant investment in Oviedo's infrastructure. "Thanks to the continued support of our residents through the Penny Sales Tax, we are delivering meaningful improvements that will benefit our region for years to come," Zembower said. "Oviedo residents have been anticipating the expansion of Broadway Street for over 20 years," Sladek said. "Now that it is completed, we are excited to welcome private sector investment in this brick-lined corridor and all the vitality and economic growth that it brings." "This project really is a testament to what we can accomplish when state and local agencies work together toward a common goal," Adkins said. "By partnering with Seminole County and the City of Oviedo, we've been able to deliver infrastructure improvements that will benefit residents and visitors for years to come." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in a press release on March 7, 2025.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seminole kicks in $500K to advance SunRail toward OIA, Universal
Seminole County this week took its first financial step toward supporting a yearslong plan to connect SunRail passengers to the massive Orlando International Airport and theme park district in neighboring Orange County. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously agreed to pitch in $500,000 for a $6 million study that would delve into feasibility of the proposed Sunshine Corridor, a rail system that would allow SunRail passengers to travel from airport gates to theme parks without using the area's roads. 'I fully support this,' said Seminole Commissioner Bob Dallari, longtime advocate of the Sunshine Corridor. 'I think it's not only important but imperative that we do this.' When SunRail trains first rolled down the tracks more than a decade ago, supporters said the ultimate goal was connecting the train line — which runs 61 miles north and south through Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties — eastward to the airport, which handles more than 60 million passengers a year. At an estimated cost of $4.4 billion, the Sunshine Corridor also would extend westward to Universal Studios, the Orange County Convention Center and Disney Springs. On the Sunshine Corridor, SunRail trains would share about 12 miles of tracks with Brightline — the high-speed train which travels between Miami and the airport. Proponents say that more than 100,000 residents work in the area around the airport and theme parks near the corridor — and the project would help relieve traffic congestion in the fast-growing region. While local residents wanting to fly out of the airport would not have to search for increasingly-scarce parking spaces. What's the real cost of Florida's special legislative sessions? | Commentary 'The extension of rail to the airport and the attractions is a game changer for employers, employees, tourists and people who live here. It's a huge quality-of-life improvement in Central Florida,' said Seminole Commissioner Amy Lockhart, chair of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission Board which oversees SunRail. In 2024, SunRail had 1.2 million riders, a 12% jump from the previous year, the Florida Department of Transportation announced Wednesday. State officials credited the recent opening of the DeLand station, a new mobile ticketing app and improved ticketing system. But the first step for the Sunshine Corridor: the region must conduct a project, development and environmental study commonly known as a PD&E — before the federal government and the state of Florida agree on providing any funding for the project. Such a study would dive into projected ridership, the system's maintenance, operational costs, environmental impacts, station locations and track alignments. It could take about two years to complete. The Florida Department of Transportation — which would oversee the PD&E study — agreed last year to pay $2 million as long as governments and other private entities along the route kick in the remaining $4 million. Orlando then said it was pitching in $500,000 last fall — before Seminole agreed to the same this week. Orange County leaders have expressed support for the Sunshine Corridor and plan to vote on a contribution at a future commission meeting, according to a spokesperson. Volusia and Osceola, whose leaders have said they back the Sunshine Corridor, have yet to commit any money. In 2022, Universal donated 13 acres of land for a SunRail station at the convention center along the proposed Sunshine Corridor route. The theme park giant also partnered with the I-Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce. A year later, Orange County and the chamber approved a special taxing district for the donated Universal land to help generate funds for Sunshine Corridor. Lockhart said entities along the route contributing to the study will show the federal government the region 'has some skin in the game' and is serious about the project. 'I think Seminole County needs to step up so that we are part of the contributed column and maybe through positive peer pressure will move others,' Lockhart said in urging fellow commissioners to approve funding. 'But it's up to each individual entity to decide how much and if to contribute.'
