January 2024 Edition

2024 Annual TPO

Call for Projects is Open

The River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is now accepting applications for projects to be added to our List of Priority Projects. These applications will be used by the TPO to qualify and prioritize proposed transportation-related projects for feasibility study and/or implementation using federal and/or state transportation funding.

The deadline for submitting project applications is

4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

All applications must be uploaded to the River to Sea TPO file transfer site:

Click This Link to Upload Your Completed Application

to the River to Sea TPO

Only applications for transportation-related projects in the following Priority Project categories will be considered at this time:

Traffic Operations, Safety, and Local Initiatives (traffic operations-focused) Projects
Bicycle/Pedestrian and B/P Local Initiatives (bicycle and pedestrian-focused) Projects
Transportation Planning Studies
Transportation Regional Incentive Program (TRIP) Eligible Projects (letter of support only)
Shared Use Non-Motorized (SUN) Trail projects (letter of support only)

Application Process Support

To help with the application process, the following items will be available for download from the River to Sea TPO’s website (2024 Call for Projects Information):

1. Memorandum Announcing River to Sea TPO’s Annual Call for Projects

2. Schedule for the 2024 Priority Project Process

3. 2023 Adopted Lists of Priority Projects

4. General Instructions for Project Applications

5. Priority Project Application for Traffic Operations, Safety, and Local Initiatives Projects

6. Priority Project Application for Bicycle/Pedestrian and B/P Local Initiatives Projects

7. Priority Project Application for Transportation Planning Studies

8. Supporting Resolutions

For questions regarding Traffic Operations, Safety, and Local Initiatives Projects, and Transportation Planning Studies, contact Colleen Nicoulin, at 386-226-0422, extension 20417.

For questions regarding Bicycle/Pedestrian and B/P Local Initiatives Projects, contact Stephan Harris, at 386-226-0422, extension 20428.

Driver Safety Education

January is a great time to focus on driver safety education, including teens, young adults, and seniors. Each age group has its own specific areas of concern when it comes to driving safely.

Teens & Young Adults:

Teen drivers aged 15-19 make up almost four percent of the overall percentage of total drivers. (U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration). In the United States, the fatal crash rate per miles driven for 16- to 19-year-olds is nearly three times the rate for drivers ages 20 and over, with the risk being the highest for ages 16 to 17. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – IIHS). Common causes of crashes include distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, drunk driving, inexperience, and peer passengers contributing to distractions.

Some steps to help keep your teen safe on the road include:

Ride along with your teen for as many hours as possible. Teens lack driving experience.
Watch closely and make suggestions on how your teen can improve.
Practice with your teen at different times of day, in different kinds of weather, and in heavy and light traffic.
Restrict your teen’s nighttime driving, and make sure your teen is off the road by 9 or 10 pm for at least the first six months they have a license.
The best practice is for your teen to have no teen or young adult passengers for at least the first six months they have a license. If that’s not possible, limit them to just one teen or young adult passenger.
Discuss your rules of the road with your teen. Create a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that puts these rules in writing to set clear expectations and limits. Don’t forget to update the agreement as your teen’s experience increases.
Require your teen to wear a seat belt on every trip.
Be a good role model for your teen and always buckle up!

For younger drivers, the National Transportation Safety Board has helpful resources on their website at NTSB Teen and Young Driver Safety.

Seniors:

Many changes occur as we age, including changes to vision, hearing, reaction times, and memory. If you want to assess whether physical abilities are impacting your driving, try an online self-assessment, such as this one from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The following are some ways to stay safe on the road and extend your driving years:

Speak with your doctor if you have any concerns about your health and driving.
Be physically active. This will help you keep and even improve your strength and flexibility, which may help your driving abilities.
Consider your car. If possible, drive a car with automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and large mirrors. Newer cars come equipped with backup cameras, which can make parking and backing up easier, as well as other sensors that can alert a driver to a nearby object or vehicle before an accident occurs.
Take care of your eyes and ears. Always wear your glasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids if you need them to see and hear clearly.
Avoid driving at certain times of the day. Cut back on or stop driving at night if you have trouble seeing in the dark. Try to avoid driving during sunrise and sunset, when the sun can be directly in your line of vision.
Check in with yourself. Don’t drive if you feel lightheaded or drowsy. Be sure to check any warnings on your medications. Try to avoid driving when you are stressed or tired.
Don’t tailgate. Leave ample space between your car and the car in front of you and start braking early when you need to stop.
Plan your timing. Avoid heavy traffic areas or rush-hour driving when you can.
Plan your route. Drive on streets you know and find a way to go that requires few or no left turns.
Wear seat belts.
Limit distractions. Eating, adjusting the radio, or chatting can all be distracting.

For more information on how to stay safe on the road as you age, the Safe Mobility for Life website has a wealth of information.

"Move Over Florida" Month

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has declared January as "Move Over Month," to help educate drivers in Florida about the importance of moving over and changing lanes when emergency, service vehicles, and disabled vehicles are stopped on the side of the road. The Move Over Law became a law in 2002 and states that vehicles must change lanes or move over as soon as they can safely do so when they see any law enforcement, emergency, or service vehicles with visible signals or signs while they are stopped on the road or side of the road. In 2014, the law became more inclusive when it added sanitation and utility vehicles (garbage trucks, tow trucks, and Road Rangers). On January 1, 2024, the law was again expanded to require vehicles to move over in the following circumstances:

For a disabled motor vehicle that is stopped and displaying warning lights or hazard lights.
A vehicle is stopped and is using emergency flares or posting emergency signage.
A vehicle is stopped, and one or more persons are visibly present.

To comply with Florida's Move Over Law:

On multi-lane roads:

You must vacate the lane closest to stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, and utility service vehicles, tow trucks or wreckers, and maintenance, construction, or disabled motor vehicles.
If you are not able to move over safely, you must slow down so that your speed is at least 20 mph slower than the posted speed limit.
Allow other drivers room who may also be attempting to change lanes.

On two-lane roads:

Slow down so that your speed is at least 20 mph slower than the posted speed limit.
If the speed limit is 20 mph or less, slow your speed to 5 mph.

Transportation Disadvantaged Legislative Awareness Day

On January 18, 2024, River to Sea TPO staff and members of the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board (TDLCB), including Volusia County Council Member Matt Reinhart, will attend Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Legislative Awareness Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee. The event is hosted by the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Members of the TDLCB will meet with Florida legislators and their aides to share what is important to them in terms of TD transportation. The event will also include TD vehicle displays and event table displays in the courtyard. For more information click here or contact Stephan Harris at SHarris@r2ctpo.org.

River to Sea TPO

January Activity Calendar

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
12/31	1/1 New Year's Day TPO Office Closed	1/2	1/3 Executive Committee Meeting** 9:00 am	1/4	1/5	1/6
1/7	1/8	1/9 Flagler Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) Meeting 9:00 am Flagler Gov't Services Bldg. #2 Bunnell	1/10 TDLCB Meeting *** 10:00 am BPAC Meeting* 2:00 pm	1/11	1/12	1/13
1/14	1/15	1/16 CAC Meeting* 1:15 pm TCC Meeting* 3:00 pm	1/17	1/18 Transport-ation Disadvant-aged Day The Florida Capitol Tallahassee	1/19	1/20
1/21	1/22	1/23	1/24 TPO Board Meeting* 9:00 am	1/25 East Volusia Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) Meeting 9:00 am Volusia County Public Works Northeast Services Facility MPOAC Meeting 1:00 pm Florida Hotel & Conference Center, Orlando	1/26	1/27
1/28	1/29	1/30	1/31	2/1	2/2	2/3

*Meeting held in the Airline Room at Daytona Beach International Airport, 700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach (parking will be validated)

**Meeting held at the River to Sea TPO office, 1 Deuce Court, Suite 100, Daytona Beach

***Meeting held at Votran, 950 Big Tree Road, South Daytona

Upcoming TPO Board

& Committee Activities

In January, the River to Sea TPO Board will be taking action on the annual FY 2022/23 TPO Independent Audit Report and Urban Area Boundary Adjustments. Discussions will occur on the 2024 TPO Transportation Safety Targets and the development of the upcoming Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP describes the planning tasks to be undertaken by the TPO during the upcoming two fiscal years and, in some cases, tracks the continuation of projects carried over from previous years. The document contains the associated costs and agency involvement required for completing each task.

Additional information on agendas for TPO Board and committee meetings is available at River to Sea TPO Agendas

Information on TPO outreach and activities is available at Outreach & Activities