Market Spotlight: Volusia County

BY THOMAS EHLERS Staff Writer

As the host city for NASCAR’s biggest race, it makes sense that Daytona Beach would be on top of its roadways.

Issues on those travelways are exactly what Tadd Kasbeer, county engineer for Volusia County Government, and other county officials have in mind with their 5-year road program as the area experiences considerable growth.

From 1990 to 2020, nearly 183,000 more individuals moved into the county, boosting the county population to over half a million and resulting in 81,000 new homes built and the production of 18.2 million gallons of water per day. This commercial and residential growth continues today, leading to overcapacity on some of the roads in northeast Volusia. This area is one point of emphasis for the future.

Groundbreaking for the SunRail Phase 2 Northern Expansion Project

Photo provided by FDOT

“The developers are paying fair share payments to offset their impacts to the road network, and now it’s on us to take that money and offset those impacts once we collect enough funds to make an improvement,” Kasbeer said. “Generating the road network to handle the capacity in the northeast quadrant is one of our continuing problem areas and one of the things we are doing our best to address.”

His team is putting in the planning and work before further issues arise in the county’s southwest communities. The cities of Deltona, DeLand and Orange City – all of which are growing – connect at a point near the Intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 472.

A map of the Howland Boulevard Roadway Project in Deltona

Photo provided by Volusia County

The county is actively working to create solutions for road overcapacity before scheduled commercial progress takes place.

‘There’s a lot of development that is potentially planned for that area,” Kasbeer said. “We’re trying to get ahead of the problem as much as we generally can, as much as our funds will allow.”

While certain portions of the county grow at different rates, Kasbeer is excited for a particular project that will expand Williamson Boulevard – a road spanning from northeast to southeast in the county and parallel reliever road to I-4 – to four lanes for much of the northeast section. The process has taken place in sections, but in time the boulevard’s entirety will be expanded, allowing greater movement.

“All of Williamson in the northeast will be four lanes,” Kasbeer said. “We’re excited about that, particularly because of the amount of traffic on that portion.”

More Than Normal Roads

Automobiles aren’t the only mode of transportation seeing emphasis from county and state officials. Area Amtrak lines will be able to take on additional lines as early as 2024, helping ease travel concerns that come with growth.

The SunRail’s Phase 2 Northern Expansion project adds an additional commuter station in DeLand and 12.2 miles of expanded service in the county. Peyten Maki, public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 5, said the $42.8 million project gives Floridians another choice for traveling through the district, which increases mobility and efficiency across our entire transportation network.

“This new station will benefit more than just commuters and congestion on our major roadways, as it allows users the chance to explore the local community of DeLand,” Maki added.

Another $1.2 million is being spent on a multi-use pathway for walking, running and bicycling. The 1.2mile stretch under construction is only a portion of the St. John River To Sea Loop Trail, which connects Volusia, St. Johns and Flagler Counties via over 260 miles of looped, multi-use paths.

Howland Boulevard

Photo provided by Volusia County

“Once it is complete, [the Sea Loop Trail] will connect the cities of Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, South Daytona, Daytona Beach and parts of unincorporated Volusia County,” Maki said. “This project will positively impact the communities and is part of FDOT’s Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail network, which prioritizes cyclist and pedestrian safety by developing and constructing paved trail corridors that are physically separated from vehicle traffic.

“Not only will this increase safety for our residents and visitors, but it will also offer additional transportation choices for them as well.”

Expansion projects to U.S. 92/FL-600 are expanding access to three abovementioned modes of travel. One project already underway between State Road A1A and the Halifax River Bridge involves resurfacing existing roadways and updating traffic lights, while adding 5-foot bicycle lanes and expanding sidewalks.

“This stretch of International Speedway Boulevard serves as the city’s main thoroughfare to the beach and is highly traveled by locals and visitors alike,” Maki said.

“The Department worked not only alongside its agency partners but this community and its stakeholders as well to develop this project, and through this partnership, it will improve safety, mobility, and access for all users that utilize this roadway.”

More Bumps In The Road

Florida registered 95,640 electric vehicles through 2021, the second-highest number in the nation according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy. As this number grows, that means fewer of the 19 million automobiles in the state are buying fuel, a key funding source for transportation projects.

“As the number of electric vehicles on our road increases, that certainly is something we’re greatly concerned about,” Kasbeer said. “Especially because we don’t have, at the local level, any authority to be able to levy a tax or do something else to make up for that lost income to offset the impact of electric vehicles on the network.”

Much of the budget for transportation and related infrastructure comes from the state’s gas tax, Kasbeer added.

As more cars and car owners go gasless, it dries the only source of funding for road projects in the area and beyond.

Regardless, county and state officials will continue to operate together – as they have in numerous current projects –in hopes of providing the best services to the area.

“We’re always excited to work with Volusia County, Daytona Beach, everybody in the county to benefit the communities and all of the users of the roadways,” Maki said.