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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | ISSUE 60
CFX wishes you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! Thank you for choosing E-PASS and driving CFX expressways. A reminder, CFX Headquarters will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1. The E-PASS Call Center and Service Center will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

CFX Welcomes New Osceola County Representative

At CFX's November Board meeting, Osceola County District 3 Commissioner Brandon Arrington was welcomed to the CFX Governing Board.

The Osceola County Commission appointed Commissioner Arrington as the county's representative on the 10-member Board.
CFX Governing Board Elections

At its December meeting, the CFX Board unanimously elected Brenda Carey as chairman, making her the first female chairman in the agency's history. Carey, Seminole County District 5 Commissioner, has served on the board of CFX since its formation in 2014.

The Board also unanimously elected City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer as vice chairman and Orange County Commissioner (District 1) Betsy VanderLey as treasurer.
Brenda Carey, Chairman
Buddy Dyer, Vice Chairman
Betsy VanderLey, Treasurer
At CFX’s November Board meeting, CFX Director of Engineering Will Hawthorne presented updates on two planned corridor studies. The first, the SR 414 Direct Connect Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study, will identify feasible options to improve mobility and address recurring traffic delays on SR 414 from US 441 to Forest City Road. The study area includes portions of Orange and Seminole Counties, as well as the cities of Altamonte Springs and Maitland. CFX will announce details on a public involvement plan at a later date.

The second corridor presented to the board was the Osceola/Brevard County Connector Concept, Feasibility & Mobility Study, which is included in the CFX Master Plan and identified by the East Central Florida Corridor Task Force as Corridor "F". This study will analyze a proposed 30-40 mile corridor that begins in Osceola County and runs eastward to Brevard County, with a possible connection to I-95. The proposed corridor will enhance regional mobility and add an alternate evacuation route from Brevard County's east coast. The project includes documenting the existing physical, natural, social and cultural environment in the proposed area, and highlighting the potential impacts of various alternatives.

Watch CFXway.com for more information to come on these studies.
BOARD APPROVES OSCEOLA PARKWAY EXTENSION ALTERNATIVE
At its Dec. 12 meeting, the CFX Governing Board approved the Recommended Preferred Alternative for the proposed Osceola Parkway Extension. The alternative would provide a new, limited access expressway from State Road 417 between Boggy Creek Road and Narcoossee Road to south of Cyrils Drive, south of the future Sunbridge community. The Board also approved right-of-way agreements and the dedication of 1,550 acres of conservation land. The conservation land is located east of the Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area.
Click here for more information.
POINCIANA PARKWAY BECOMES PART OF CFX SYSTEM
The Central Florida Expressway Authority now owns and operates the Poinciana Parkway, expanding the CFX expressway system from 118 to 125 centerline miles. CFX purchased the Parkway, also known as SR 538, from Osceola County on December 5.

The Poinciana Parkway is the second CFX expressway to feature all-electronic tolling, which requires drivers to pay with an electronic transponder, such as E-PASS, or Pay By Plate. Tolls paid on the Poinciana Parkway will soon count toward E-PASS frequency-based customer loyalty discounts. Drivers who frequent the Parkway are encouraged to get E-PASS to pay the lowest toll rate and accrue additional monthly toll discounts. 
SR 408 WIDENING PROJECT COMPLETED
The widening of more than three miles of expressway on SR 408 was completed at the end of November. This project, which began in October 2017, added a third lane in both directions for drivers traveling east of SR 417 to east of Alafaya Trail, helping to ease traffic congestion along this heavily traveled stretch.

An additional electronic toll lane was also added at the Dean Mainline Toll Plaza in both directions, as well as new and realigned ramps at Rouse Road. To learn more, you can view the project fact sheet here .
The holiday season is upon us, and that means Dashing Through the Tolls is back! Now through December 29, when you sign up for a free E-PASS account you will automatically be entered for a chance to win $100 in tolls.

Already an E-PASS customer? You can be a winner too! Simply enter to win using the online entry form . Know a friend or family member who’s been meaning to get an E-PASS? Now is the time. But hurry! The sooner you enter, the better your chances of winning.
Did you know that roadside assistance is available every day on CFX expressways? From 6 a.m-10 p.m., Road Rangers provide drivers with free assistance—including jump starts, changing flat tires, even fueling up an empty gas tank. Road Rangers are on patrol along state roads 408, 528, 417, 429 and 414. If you find yourself with car trouble on any of these expressways, dial *347 (*FHP) and ask for a Road Ranger to come to your location. 

A friendly reminder: Florida’s “Move Over” law requires you to move over one lane (when you can safely do so) for stopped emergency and law enforcement vehicles. If you can’t move over, or when you’re on a two-lane road, slow to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted speed limit. If the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less, slow down to 5 mph. You can read more about the “Move Over” law here .
PROJECT UPDATES
A new traffic pattern on northbound SR 417 marks the completion of the SR 417/408 interchange improvements project. Drivers traveling to SR 408 from northbound SR 417 will take the new ramp that opened at Exit 33, and then follow signs to merge onto westbound or eastbound SR 408.

Click here to view a map of the new configuration. 
If you've driven I-4 to and from downtown Orlando, then you've seen the changes under construction at the I-4/SR 408 interchange.

Curious to know more about the state of the interchange project? Watch a video about the progress so far by clicking here .
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AT THE FAV SUMMIT
The Seventh Annual Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit was held in Miami from Nov. 20-22. Each year, the FAV Summit brings together leaders to address technology, operations and policy issues and to showcase Florida as a key market to advance the four rising stars of mobility - Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared technology.

CFX worked with the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), and this year’s host agency, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), to bring this summit to Miami.

CFX will host the Eighth Annual FAV Summit when it travels to Orlando November 18-20, 2020. Visit FAVSummit.com to learn more.
COOKING FOR A CAUSE
CFX held its Fourth Annual Chili Cook-Off event Nov. 1, with more than 30 contestants participating. The event raised $1,200 for PACE Center for Girls - Orange County , a non-profit that empowers middle and high-school aged women to complete their education, build self-esteem and develop strong life skills. Meranda Landes ( left ), a PACE Center for Girls board member, attended the Chili Cook-off and accepted the check at CFX's Board meeting from CFX Executive Director Laura Kelley ( right ).
CFX IN THE COMMUNITY
On Nov. 20, CFX participated for the fourth time in Zellwood Elementary School's annual TeachIn event sponsored by Orange County Public Schools. CFX taught third-graders about the Wekiva Parkway and its protections for wildlife, and possible careers in road construction.

Students also appreciated wildlife coloring pages and Designated Texter T-shirts, which promote choosing a passenger to text for a driver behind the wheel. Many volunteered to be "Safety Ambassadors" to help spread the word about the importance of safe driving habits through work zones.
IN THE NEWS
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