OKALOOSA ISLAND — Politicians, business owners, economists and urban planners will gather Wednesday for the first Emerald Coast Transportation Symposium.
The one-day summit at the Emerald Coast Convention Center is a joint effort of the Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the West Florida Regional Planning Council.
The symposium, which runs from at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is open to the public. Ananth Prasad, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, will deliver the keynote speech “Florida’s Vision” at 11 a.m.
Organizers say the event signals a new, regional approach to transportation that hasn’t been tried before. The idea is to bring together groups from Escambia to Bay counties to discuss how to finance the transportation network in Northwest Florida.
“This is the first one of these we’ve had,” said Destin City Councilman Jim Wood, chairman of the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization. “I’m anxious to see what comes out of it. If we always talk about the same old things, we’re never going to get anywhere. … If all we do is identify one thing different, that’s a success for me.”
Wood, who will moderate a panel on building partnerships between counties, said regionalism can make some officials uncomfortable.
“It’s kind of a dangerous word,” he said. “Nobody wants to give up their uniqueness or their ability to make their own decisions.”
But transportation problems that affect several areas often are more easily solved when communities join forces, Wood said.
He cited the limitations of U.S. Highway 98 as a prime example.
“You’ve got this Highway 98 that runs through all of our Northwest Florida counties,” he said. “It’s the main street of many communities like Destin. … So can any one community attack Highway 98 at one time and fix it? No, probably not.”
Wood said he would like to hear discussions on how to divert through-traffic from U.S. 98, how better to accommodate tourist traffic and how to find creative ways to pay for important projects.
Another discussion will focus on transportation’s impact on the regional economy. The panel will feature Chris Long, president of Pensacola Shipyard; Jason Peters, director of development for the DOT’s Northwest Florida district; and Jorge Gonzalez, senior vice president of development for The St. Joe Company.
Wood said the symposium has a good mix of participants from the public and private sectors.
“We’ve got a core of folks here along our corridor who are capable of getting something done if we can find something that will work,” he said. “You’ve got to find something that will benefit all the (communities) involved.”
Walton County Commissioner Bill Chapman said he’s eager to see what issues are introduced.
“I’m going in there with open eyes to try and glean what the mission is,” he said.
Chapman said he is concerned about the increased traffic on U.S. 98 through Walton County. Strong tourist activity since the April 2010 oil spill has brought much needed money — and major congestion.
“It’s complex. At some point in time, you overtax your infrastructure,” he said. “If the infrastructure doesn’t improve … then people say, ‘I’m tired of fighting two hours of traffic jams’ and they stop coming here.”
Santa Rosa County Commissioner Lane Lynchard said discussion also must extend beyond U.S. 98 to include the region’s ports and military installations.
Lynchard will moderate an afternoon panel on financing future infrastructure.
“It’s a discussion that’s past due, really,” he said. “It’s an excellent opportunity for the community to come together. (Transportation) is really of the utmost importance, not only to our residents but to our businesses and future industries.”
WANT TO ATTEND? The Emerald Coast Transportation Symposium will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Emerald Coast Convention Center.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.