By: Sharon Aron Baron
The Penny for Transportation initiative residents voted for in 2018 has begun to pay out for Tamarac residents.
The city just received approval for approximately $4 million in funding for projects throughout the community.
The independent oversight board that evaluates and recommends projects recently assessed its first cycle of funding, giving the green light to five Tamarac projects. Those approved projects received final approval from the Broward County Commission on June 18.
Mayor Michelle Gomez said alleviating traffic congestion is a high priority in Tamarac.
“These funds will be used to address immediate needs, identify concerns, and plan for the future,” she said.
The largest City of Tamarac project up for approval was the approximately $2.8 million Mainlands 1 – 5 Rehabilitation and Maintenance (R&M) project.
Because it’s an R&M project, it required Tamarac’s City Commission to pass a resolution of support — which it did with a unanimous vote.
The project encompasses removing the existing asphalt and providing new asphalt for deteriorating roadways in the Mainlands 1-5 communities as well as ADA curbing, concrete removal, the maintenance of traffic and pavement markings, and restoration.
“The Mainlands communities are some of our oldest and most charming communities, and they need to be kept up,” said Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton, who represents Tamarac’s District 1 where the Mainlands communities are located.
“I am very pleased to see them among the first to benefit from the surtax,” he said.
The city also requested $528,902 to install traffic calming devices in various neighborhoods throughout Tamarac, $445,817 for an emergency traffic control device in front of Fire Station 15 on Hiatus Road, $135,000 for bicycle safety and connectivity projects and $120,000 for a multi-modal planning study.
This study will analyze existing transportation data system deficiencies within the city’s transportation network to recommend strategies to resolve or mitigate these issues. It will also address congestion issues and provide the framework for a comprehensive vision for Tamarac’s transportation system.
Funding for the Broward Prioritized Capital Projects is through a 1 percent sales surtax that Broward County residents voted on to upgrade public transportation and infrastructure throughout the state in 2018.
Mayor Gomez said, “In light of today’s economic concerns and the effect of the pandemic on the city’s budget, we want to do all we can to maximize the value that our residents receive from their investment into this county initiative.”
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