Transportation Summit Conference Friday
People can still register for an upcoming program and discussion panel on transportation.
Hosted by the non-profit Streets Alive Lee County and the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association, the Transportation Summit Con-ference will take place Friday from 8 a.m. to noon in the ballroom at the Cape Coral Yacht Club, at 5819 Driftwood Parkway. The cost is $42 per person, which includes breakfast.
“We take our transportation for granted, but it’s the framework that underlies just about anything we do outside of our homes,” Ann Pierce, education chair for Streets Alive Lee County, said on Tuesday.
The presentations and panel will focus on Complete Streets, a new thinking process going on in the transportation field. The policy and design approach requires streets to be designed, operated and maintained to enable safe and convenient travel for users, regardless of their mode of transportation.
“Streets Alive advocates for more liveable communities,” she said.
The keynote speakers will include:
n Florida Department of Trans-portation Division 1 Secretary Billy Hattaway
n Ian Lockwood, livable transportation engineer with the Toole Design Group
n Dan Burden, director of innovation and inspiration for Blue Zones
n Institute of Transportation Engineers’ International President Paula Benway
“They’re going to be conveying this big concept about Complete Streets,” Pierce said.
She noted all have worked as transportation engineers in Florida.
“Local communities need to make this transition and embrace it,” she said.
The speakers will discuss the implementation of Complete Streets in other parts of the country, its successes and its affordability. They will also talk about the statewide adoption of the program.
Following the keynote speakers, Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki Retzer and Lee County Metropoli-tan Planning Organization Transportation Planner Johnny Limbaugh will cover performance measures.
Pierce noted that they will discuss the new federal guidelines that will be rolling out.
The conference will wrap up with a panel discussion, featuring the speakers and City Manager John Szerlag, Fort Myers City Manager Saeed Kazemi, Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker and others. A moderator will deliver the transportation questions, which were previously pulled from the public.
She added that attendees should have time to ask the panel their own questions, as well.
“We can’t afford a future that’s like our past,” Pierce said.
The MPO estimates that there is a nearly $2 million unmet transportation need in Lee County.
She noted that attendees will gain a better understanding of the process.
“It’s also a time to weigh in and give voice to what they really want in their community,” Pierce said.
As of Tuesday, approximately 140 to 150 had registered.
For more information on the conference or to register, visit : transpo-summit.ezregister.com. People can also contact Ann Pierce at 757-870-9105 or by email at annpierce350@gmail.com.
Registrations can also be taken at the door, but only checks and cash will be accepted.