After reading all the columns, all the commentaries, all the sections of the Sun Sentinel, twice while holding a grande-sized ice coffee, with melted ice in one hand and in the other hand, an iPhone with 1% battery left, and going southbound on in Broward County is pretty much normal for a typical 5:45 PM Friday. Watching those pick-up trucks with teenagers sitting in the open cargo bed driving ahead of you is a great example of live entertainment to pass the time, if no newspaper in handy.
A typical commuter trip on 95 involves strikingly high numbers of accidents, over-congestion, black smog and wasteful BP premium gasoline. An unbelievable, unwanted number of dollars is gone in a split-second. All these ridiculous costs, road rage, and unsafe traffic patterns are telling us Floridians that something is missing.
Florida’s geographical longitude, latitude and its position on the Earth has so much significant natural resources that could be so advantageous and efficient. Its subtropical climate and its geological foundation, created after tropical storms and hurricanes are other unique, amazing advantages not all other states have. This is giving us a silent opportunity for a paradigm shift in enhanced, efficient transportation and land use in Florida.
Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Intra Coastal would be some of the most crucial natural resources for creating better cities and towns for the East Coast as well as the West Coast of Florida. Reviving water transportation is the key to improvement. For example, when staying at the Contemporary Hotel in Disney, the water taxi should be considered as the better method instead of standing in line with twenty other families waiting for the shuttle bus. At this particular hotel, riding the Monorail is the most lucrative, popular mode of transportation, above ground. While it reduces on-foot traffic impediments, water transportation still struggles to be the most beneficial in incorporating transit with natural resources.
Just imagine Broward County’s rush hour on 95 southbound on a Friday afternoon, knowing that a mysterious percentage of commuters and locals recently decided to hop on a water taxi at the intersection of Las Olas on A1A. After going for a nice long walk to burn off the calories from that heavy pasta dish at Timpano and soaking in some Vitamin D from the sun after a long day at work makes a young professional happy to be living in South Florida.
Design Journalist 