MANAGING CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT

The challenge of managing corridor development and preserving right-of-way for planned roadway facilities lies in the dynamic interaction between transportation and land use. The land use plan used to predict transportation needs inevitably changes as new highways stimulate real estate speculation, rezoning, and growth. At the same time, competing demands on the corridor may damage long term transportation and development objectives. New development may foreclose opportunities to expand or interconnect roads where needed. Buildings may be constructed too close to the roadway. Thoroughfare frontage may be subdivided into small lots or strip zoned for commercial development, with little attention to access control. Poorly coordinated access systems force more trips onto the arterial, traffic conflicts multiply, and congestion increases. Road improvements are needed sooner than expected, and the cycle begins again. Transportation and land use problems are interdependent and require coordinated solutions. One solution is better collaboration between the agencies involved in transportation and development planning. Another solution is to integrate corridor management into local development planning and regulation. This paper reviews techniques local governments can use to manage corridor development and recent legislative changes to Florida's corridor management program.