 ROAD WORK AHEAD: Florida lawmakers have funneled more money for road building, but the cost of raw materials is rising fast. |
The Legislature has given the state's road-building program a $1.1-billion one-time boost and another $542 million in recurring revenue. "They did great stuff for us," says Doug Callaway, president of Floridians for Better Transportation, but, he says, the state still has a $23-billion "pothole" in transportation infrastructure needs.
The trick for the state Department of Transportation is managing the cost of raw materials, rising fast thanks to competing demand from China. For builders, the trick's finding workers.
Florida ports must decide how to pay for the $2.6 billion in new infrastructure that will help the state take advantage of trade opportunities worldwide. For example, delays in cargo deliveries at California ports prompted some Asian exporting nations to diversify shipping routes, says Nancy Leikauf, executive vice president, of the Florida Ports Council. Florida ports stand to capitalize on hurricane-induced trouble in New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. Manatee County, meanwhile, is hauling in the building materials business. The state's ports and state and federal governments have spent about $150 million since 9/11 on Florida port security infrastructure and operations.
Truckers, meanwhile, are driving more miles. Trucking firms will decide whether to upgrade their fleets in 2006 to get ahead of higher-priced vehicles in 2007 built to comply with new emission standards. Haulers continue to hunt for affordable drivers. Those who didn't build fuel surcharges into their contracts struggle with pump prices.
BUILDING REDUNDANCY
Edward Mierzejewski, director of the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida (cutr.usf.edu), watched the gridlock around Houston as Hurricane Rita approached and thought of how roads in Florida's metros would handle a mass exodus. "You do have to wonder if in the long run we don't need to be building in more redundancy" for evacuation routes, Mierzejewski says.
SECURITY COSTS: "Recurring operational costs to implement mandated security measures now represent as much as 25% or more of annual seaport budgets," according to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.
FUEL FACTOR: Road construction requires fuel-guzzling heavy equipment. All materials are transported, and the price of diesel has gone up more than gas. The cost of sod is insignificant compared to the cost of hauling sod, says Bob Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders' Association.Florida's transportation sector won't lack for opportunity in 2006. "A tremendous amount of work," says Bob Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders' Association.
Person to Watch
 ED IACOBUCCI |
Founder, DayJet
Delray Beach
Successful software entrepreneur Ed Iacobucci and his wife, Nancy, plan to launch service of DayJet, their on-demand business jet service, this year. The Delray Beach couple plan to use microjets from Eclipse Aviation and a high-tech scheduling system to offer a kind of air taxi service with fares priced at a modest premium to full-fare coach. Iacobucci founded Fort Lauderdale-based Citrix Systems and was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner.