(1) The prevailing principles to be considered in planning and developing an integrated, balanced statewide transportation system are: preserving the existing transportation infrastructure; enhancing Florida’s economic competitiveness; and improving travel choices to ensure mobility.
(2) The mission of the Department of Transportation shall be to provide a safe statewide transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and goods, enhances economic prosperity, and preserves the quality of our environment and communities.
(3) The department shall document in the Florida Transportation Plan, in accordance with s. 339.155 and based upon the prevailing principles of preserving the existing transportation infrastructure, enhancing Florida’s economic competitiveness, and improving travel choices to ensure mobility, the goals and objectives that provide statewide policy guidance for accomplishing the department’s mission. (4) At a minimum, the department’s goals shall address the following prevailing principles.(a) Preservation.—Protecting the state’s transportation infrastructure investment. Preservation includes:1. Ensuring that 80 percent of the pavement on the State Highway System meets department standards;
2. Ensuring that 90 percent of department-maintained bridges meet department standards; and
3. Ensuring that the department achieves 100 percent of the acceptable maintenance standard on the state highway system.
(b) Economic competitiveness.—Ensuring that the state has a clear understanding of the economic consequences of transportation investments, and how such investments affect the state’s economic competitiveness. The department must develop a macroeconomic analysis of the linkages between transportation investment and economic performance, as well as a method to quantifiably measure the economic benefits of the district-work-program investments. Such an analysis must analyze:1. The state’s and district’s economic performance relative to the competition.
2. The business environment as viewed from the perspective of companies evaluating the state as a place in which to do business.
3. The state’s capacity to sustain long-term growth.
(c) Mobility.—Ensuring a cost-effective, statewide, interconnected transportation system.
