You hear the word “transportation” and quickly think highways, railroads, ports and airports. But the word means so much more in Florida, where it applies not only to the movement of people and products, but also to innovations that will forever change how that movement is accomplished.
Florida is quickly becoming ground zero for the emerging eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) industry. Across the state, well-funded startups are racing to be the first to send battery-powered air taxis into our skies, freeing passengers from the constraints of traditional transportation.
It may sound like the stuff of science fiction movies, but these firms are expecting to leave the ground in 2025, with predictions of accepting paying customers within four years. The state’s airports are certainly taking it seriously, with Tampa International Airport and Orlando International Airport exploring how to handle the increase in small craft traffic with the development of new vertiports.
It's not surprising that Florida would attract the interest of the industry, says Casey Barnes, client services leader for aerospace and defense markets at BRPH. The state has a rich aviation history and deep talent pool to go with it. But it also has the perfect climate and geography.
“We have ideal flying weather. We're not going to ice up. We're not going to have snow days,” Barnes says. “And we’re a very large state that is a little bit tough to get around. So it makes sense to look at ways to get around other than our old faithful vehicles.”
Florida’s goal is to see widespread use of pilotless/driverless (or autonomous) vehicles both in the sky and on the ground. Already the state is a pioneer in this arena — autonomous vehicles have been allowed on Florida’s highways for more than a dozen years.
Across the state, local governments and forward-thinking developers are incorporating the technology.
Among them:
- Jacksonville launched an autonomous shuttle service at the Florida State College at Jacksonville’s downtown campus. The service is the first phase of a 10-mile network connecting key downtown locations.
- Orlando’s Lake Nona planned community offers an autonomous shuttle service across its 17-square mile footprint.
- The solar-powered town of Babcock Ranch has an autonomous shuttle network as part of a broader plan to build a fleet of driverless cars to serve residents and, potentially, replace their privately owned vehicles.
- The state’s $150 million SunTrax Transportation Testing Center is the nation’s first large-scale test site for autonomous vehicles operating at highway speeds.
Traditional Transportation
While keeping an eye on the future, the state also remains committed to traditional transportation.
In 2018, the nation’s first privately owned intercity passenger railroad, Brightline, opened a high-speed route from Miami to Orlando. New stations are being added, with plans on the horizon to bring Tampa into a network that offers much to employers looking to expand their reach.
“The ability to go from Miami, ultimately, to Tampa is pretty powerful. It makes our state almost seem smaller,” says Bob Swindell, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. “If I can be in Orlando in three hours, it really starts to make the regional sprawl that we have much more manageable.”
Through its 15 public seaports, Florida offers easy access to commercial shipping. It is an economic development tool that continues to be cultivated, says Mike Rubin, president of the Florida Ports Council.
Consider, for example, the recent $420 million deepening of the Port of Jacksonville, the state’s largest container port. Increasing the depth to 47 feet from 40 feet better positions the port to meet the needs of larger cargo ships passing through the Suez and Panama canals.
Port Panama City built a $20 million biomass dome storage facility to increase its ability to store wood pellets for export overseas.
Ports are also looking for innovative ways to meet customer needs. The Port of Miami recently opened a shore power installation that will allow cruise ships to turn off their engines and plug into landside power while docked, reducing noise and emissions. The project was the result of a partnership between the port, its cruise partners and FPL.
Those investments illustrate one of the strengths of Florida’s economic development approach of investing in infrastructure, ahead of incentives for a single company. The infrastructure approach offers something for everyone.
“If a company goes away, where does that investment go? There’s nothing left,” Rubin says. “But if you're building a road, a warehouse or capacity at a seaport, if that company leaves, the capacity is still there. And you can use it for the next company that comes in.”
The state is also striving to make it easier and more efficient for trucks moving about the state’s highways. Current and future plans include freight signaling technology that extends green lights for trucks; technology to help drivers find parking; and weigh-in motion technology to allow drivers to bypass weigh stations.
“Efficiently transporting goods from port to porch is a critical component of this ecosystem,” says Beth Kigel, vice president for intelligent transportation and emerging mobility solutions at HNTB Corporation.
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