Rendering of Ft. Lauderdale’s Wave Project. Photo via Broward County.
Broward County, FL passed two items this week to increase the quality and use of the City of Ft. Lauderdale’s infrastructure. The programs will provide more transit options for residents while promoting water management strategies through the city’s infrastructure.
First, the Broward Complete Streets Program will create a cohesive transportation system that allows residents to conveniently get to their destination. And second, the Wave Streetcar Project will develop an environmentally friendly streetcar system for Downtown Fort Lauderdale adding vibrant transit between the downtown’s major destinations. The Wave, a 2.7 mile streetcar system with 10 solar powered stations, will promote livable communities by integrating land use, transportation and economic development into its planning.
Broward County Mayor Kristin Jacobs spoke of her vision for the project:
It is my view that [the Complete Streets] program will create safer streets in Broward that work towards efficiently moving all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities…. The Wave will bring new opportunity to Fort Lauderdale and South Florida as a whole and enhance Broward transportation.
Mayor Jacobs went on to say that the Wave’s passage is a “great milestone” for her county, and will enhance the functionality of Downtown Ft. Lauderdale.
Ft. Lauderdale was granted technical assistance to help develop “Green Streets” through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. A Green Streets Strategies public workshop, held this week as part of the EPA program, focused on stormwater management, reducing overflow and flooding, and decreasing stormwater pollution in waterways. The EPA’s technical assistance is intended to influence the planning process for the Broward Complete Streets Program and the Wave.
The Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program provides communities across the nation with the tools and funding they need to achieve development and sustainability goals. The EPA provides assistance through workshops and direct consultation with local authorities leading to strategic plans to implement the communities’ goals. The program is a part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the EPA.