Florida Department of Transportation

State transportation agency in Florida, United States

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)

Official Seal

Agency overview
Formed| 1969
Preceding agency|

* State Road Department (SRD)

Jurisdiction| Florida
Headquarters| 605 Suwannee Street, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Agency executives|

* Jared W. Perdue, Secretary of Transportation
* Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida

Website| fdot.gov

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida.[1] The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the State Road Department (SRD). The current Secretary of Transportation is Jared W. Perdue.

## History

[edit]

The State Road Department, the predecessor of today's Department of Transportation, was authorized in 1915 by the Florida Legislature. For the first two years of its existence, the department acted as an advisory body to the 52 counties in the state, helping to assemble maps and other information on roads.

The 1916 Bankhead Act passed by Congress expanded the department's responsibilities and gave it the authority to: establish a state and state-aid system of roads, engage in road construction and maintenance, acquire and own land, exercise the right of eminent domain, and accept federal or local funds for use in improving roads.

The Office of Motor Carrier Compliance created in 1980 transitioned from the Florida Department of Transportation to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) on July 1, 2011.[2] The consolidation is a result of Senate Bill 2160, passed by lawmakers during the 2011 Legislative Session, and placed the commercial vehicle licensing, registrations, fuel permits, and enforcement all under the purview of DHSMV.[3]

## Structure

[edit]

The Florida Transportation Commission, made up of nine commissioners chosen by Florida's governor and Legislature, provides oversight for the state's department of transportation (DOT).[4]

The department consists of seven geographic districts. In May 1994, an eighth district was formed for the state's Turnpike System.[5][6] In April 2002, the Turnpike district expanded as Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) and operates as the business unit for the department.[7] The FTE owns and maintains 511 miles (822 km) of toll roads.[5]

Each district is managed by a district secretary.[8] The department also owns and maintains other toll roads and bridges: the Garcon Point Bridge, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Alligator Alley, the Beachline East Expressway, the Pinellas Bayway, and the Seminole and Lake County portions of otherwise Central Florida Expressway Authority owned roads. Tolls on all department-owned facilities are collected by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. In addition, FDOT operates and manages several park-and-ride lots and Commuter Assistance Programs throughout the state. The seven districts each have a Districtwide Commuter Assistance Program.

### Districts

[edit]

Map of FDOT Districts

Florida has seven transportation districts and a separate unit for tolled facilities under Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Each district is managed by a district secretary. Each district also has major divisions for administration, planning, production, and operations.[8]

FDOT Districts Overview  District Number  | District Name  | Headquarters  | Counties

|
|
|

1  | Southwest Florida  | Bartow | Charlotte, Collier, De Soto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Polk, and Sarasota
2  | Northeast Florida  | Lake City | Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union
3  | Northwest Florida  | Chipley | Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington
4  | Southeast Florida  | Fort Lauderdale | Broward, Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie
5  | Central Florida  | DeLand | Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, Volusia
6  | South Florida  | Miami | Miami-Dade and Monroe
7  | West Central Florida  | Tampa | Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas

### Notable projects

[edit]

In 1954, the State Road Department completed the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the first fixed span to connect Saint Petersburg directly to Bradenton. This greatly shortened the travel time between the two cities, as before cars would have to either use a ferry or drive about 70 miles (110 km) around Tampa Bay. A parallel span was completed in 1971 to make the bridge Interstate standard, and it became part of I-275. After the newer, southbound span was destroyed in 1980 when the SS Summit Venture collided into it, a replacement bridge was finished in 1987.

In 1974, FDOT completed Florida's Turnpike, a 312-mile (502 km) limited access toll highway that connected the panhandle area through Orlando to Miami. The turnpike is part of an initiative to finance transportation with user fees.[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Florida State Highway System

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Florida Statutes 334.044 Powers and duties of the department". Florida Statutes. Florida Legislature. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
2. ^ "Motor Carrier Compliance officers become "troopers" July 1, 2011" (PDF) (Press release). Florida Highway Patrol. June 29, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
3. ^ "SB 2160: Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles". The Florida Senate. 2011.
4. ^ "About the Commission, Florida Transportation Commission". Archived from the original on November 9, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2005.
5. ^ a b "About". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
6. ^ "Florida's Turnpike History - The 1990s: A Decade of Expansion". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
7. ^ "Florida's Turnpike History - The 2000s: Moving Into the 21st Century". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
8. ^ a b Florida Department of Transportation (2020). "Districts". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
9. ^ "Florida's Turnpike: The Less Stressway". Retrieved November 2, 2005.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Kendrick, Baynard (1964). Florida Trails to Turnpikes: 1914-1964. Gainesville: University of Florida Press.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
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Law enforcement agencies of Florida

State law enforcement agencies|

* Florida Capitol Police
* Florida Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
* Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement
* Florida Department of Environmental Protection
* Florida Department of Law Enforcement
* Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
* Florida Highway Patrol
* Florida Department of Corrections

County police departments|

* Jacksonville Duval
* Miami-Dade

County sheriff's offices|

* Alachua County
* Baker County
* Bay County
* Bradford County
* Brevard County
* Broward County
* Calhoun County
* Charlotte County
* Citrus County
* Clay County
* Collier County
* Columbia County
* DeSoto County
* Dixie County
* Escambia County
* Flagler County
* Franklin County
* Gadsden County
* Gilchrist County
* Glades County
* Gulf County
* Hamilton County
* Hardee County
* Hendry County
* Hernando County
* Highlands County
* Hillsborough County
* Holmes County
* Indian River County
* Jackson County
* Jefferson County
* Lafayette County
* Lake County
* Lee County
* Leon County
* Levy County
* Liberty County
* Madison County
* Manatee County
* Marion County
* Martin County
* Monroe County
* Nassau County
* Okaloosa County
* Okeechobee County
* Orange County
* Osceola County
* Palm Beach County
* Pasco County
* Pinellas County
* Polk County
* Putnam County
* Santa Rosa County
* Sarasota County
* Seminole County
* St. Johns County
* St. Lucie County
* Sumter County
* Suwannee County
* Taylor County
* Union County
* Volusia County
* Wakulla County
* Walton County
* Washington County

Municipal police departments|

* Alachua
* Altamonte Springs
* Altha
* Apalachicola
* Apopka
* Arcadia
* Astatula
* Atlantic Beach
* Atlantis
* Auburndale
* Aventura
* Avon Park
* Bal Harbour
* Bartow
* Bay Harbor Islands
* Belle Isle
* Belleair
* Belleview
* Biscayne Park
* Blountstown
* Boca Raton
* Bonifay
* Bowling Green
* Boynton Beach
* Bradenton Beach
* Bradenton
* Brooksville
* Bunnell
* Bushnell
* Cape Coral
* Carrabelle
* Casselberry
* Cedar Key
* Center Hill
* Chattahoochee
* Chiefland
* Chipley
* Clearwater
* Clermont
* Clewiston
* Cocoa
* Cocoa Beach
* Coconut Creek
* Coleman
* Coral Gables
* Coral Springs
* Cottondale
* Crescent City
* Crestview
* Cross City
* Dade City
* Davenport
* Davie
* Daytona Beach
* Daytona Beach Shores
* DeFuniak Springs
* DeLand
* Delray Beach
* Doral
* Dunnellon
* Eatonville
* Edgewater
* Edgewood
* El Portal
* Eustis
* Fellesmere
* Fernandina Beach
* Flagler Beach
* Florida City
* Fort Lauderdale
* Fort Myers
* Fort Pierce
* Fort Walton Beach
* Fruitland Park
* Gainesville
* Golden Beach
* Graceville
* Green Cove Springs
* Greenacres
* Gretna
* Groveland
* Gulf Breeze
* Gulf Stream
* Gulfport
* Haines City
* Hallandale Beach
* Havana
* Hialeah
* Hialeah Gardens
* High Springs
* Highland Beach
* Hillsboro Beach
* Holly Hill
* Hollywood
* Holmes Beach
* Homestead
* Howey-in-the-Hills
* Indian Creek
* Indian Harbour Beach
* Indian River Shores
* Indian Shores
* Indiatlantic
* Interlachen
* Jacksonville Beach
* Jasper
* Jennings
* Juno Beach
* Jupiter
* Jupiter Inlet Colony
* Jupiter Island
* Kenneth City
* Key Biscayne
* Key Colony Beach
* Key West
* Kissimmee
* Lady Lake
* Lake Alfred
* Lake City
* Lake Clarke Shores
* Lake Hamilton
* Lake Helen
* Lake Mary
* Lake Placid
* Lake Wales
* Lakeland
* Lantana
* Largo
* Lauderhill
* Lawtey
* Leesburg
* Lighthouse Point
* Live Oak
* Longboat Key
* Longwood
* Lynn Haven
* Madison
* Maitland
* Manalapan
* Marco Island
* Margate
* Marianna
* Mascotte
* Medley
* Melbourne
* Melbourne Beach
* Melbourne Village
* Mexico Beach
* Miami
* Miami Beach
* Miami Gardens
* Miami Shores
* Miami Springs
* Midway
* Milton
* Miramar
* Monticello
* Mount Dora
* Naples
* Neptune Beach
* New Port Richey
* New Smyrna Beach
* Niceville
* North Bay Village
* North Miami
* North Miami Beach
* North Palm Beach
* North Port
* Oakland
* Ocala
* Ocean Ridge
* Ocoee
* Okeechobee
* Opa-locka
* Orange City
* Orange Park
* Orchid
* Orlando
* Ormond Beach
* Oviedo
* Palatka
* Palm Bay
* Palm Beach
* Palm Beach Gardens
* Palm Beach Shores
* Palm Springs
* Palmetto
* Panama City
* Panama City Beach
* Parker
* Pembroke Pines
* Pensacola
* Perry
* Pinecrest
* Pinellas Park
* Plant City
* Plantation
* Ponce Inlet
* Port Orange
* Port Richey
* Port St. Joe
* Port St. Lucie
* Punta Gorda
* Quincy
* Riviera Beach
* Rockledge
* Sanford
* Sanibel
* Sarasota
* Satellite Beach
* Sea Ranch Lakes
* Sebastian
* Sebring
* Sewall's Point
* Shalimar
* Sneads
* South Daytona
* South Miami
* South Palm Beach
* Springfield
* St. Augustine
* St. Augustine Beach
* St. Cloud
* St. Petersburg
* Stuart
* Sunny Isles Beach
* Sunrise
* Surfside
* Sweetwater
* Tallahassee
* Tamarac
* Tampa
* Tarpon Springs
* Tavares
* Temple Terrace
* Tequesta
* Titusville
* Treasure Island
* Trenton
* Umatilla
* Valparaiso
* Venice
* Vero Beach
* Virginia Gardens
* Waldo
* Wauchula
* Webster
* Welaka
* West Melbourne
* West Miami
* West Palm Beach
* White Springs
* Wildwood
* Williston
* Wilton Manors
* Windermere
* Winter Garden
* Winter Haven
* Winter Park

School and university police|

* Duval County School District
* Florida Atlantic University
* Florida A & M University
* Florida Gulf Coast University
* Florida International University
* Florida School for the Deaf & Blind
* Florida State University
* Miami-Dade County Public Schools
* New College of Florida
* Pinellas County Schools
* Tallahassee Community College
* University of Central Florida
* University of Florida
* University of Miami
* University of North Florida
* University of South Florida
* University of West Florida

Other specialist agencies|

* CSX Railroad
* Escambia County Environmental Enforcement Office
* Florida East Coast Railroad
* Jacksonville Aviation Authority
* Lee County Port Authority
* Melbourne International Airport
* Miccosukee Tribe of Florida
* Okaloosa County Airports
* Panama City Airport
* Port Canaveral
* Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
* Seminole Gulf Railway
* Seminole Tribe of Florida
* Tampa International Airport
* Volusia County Beach Patrol

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State, territory, and insular area departments of transportation in the United States

States|

* Alabama
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* New Hampshire
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* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Other areas|

* District of Columbia
* Puerto Rico

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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