The listings below highlight news articles in 2005. Please note many of the links may no longer be active.

November 23, 2005 - Freight rail a solution for Orlando gridlock. Things are not getting any better for commuters in the Orlando area. It's not only in Orlando, though. In every major city in America, commuters are spending more and more time in their cars fighting traffic. Each year, using data from the Texas Transportation Institute, I study the impact of increased freight traffic in our most congested urban areas and report on how re-directing some of this freight from trucks on the highway to freight trains could impact a typical commuter.

November 23, 2005 - Transit authority keeps options open. South Florida's transit authority is not pinning its hopes to one idea in creating a $50 million-a-year pot of money to pay for new commuter rail and bus projects. All options are on the table, including a $130 title fee on new cars, a $15 registration fee on all vehicles and a $2 rental car fee, Jack Stephens, deputy executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, told state lawmakers Tuesday during a public hearing at Florida Atlantic University.

November 22, 2005 - Commissioners worried about lost transportation money. Options to be presented today - Charlotte County officials are trying to plan their response to last week's announcement that the state has pulled about $25 million in transportation money. County Public Works Director Tom O'Kane told county commissioners he will brief them during their board meeting today on the situation. O'Kane was questioned about the unexpected loss of money Monday.

November 22, 2005 - Traffic insanity. We've seen traffic jams similar to last Tuesday evening's rush-hour nightmare on Bradenton and Palmetto streets before. But there has always been a triggering incident for it, usually an accident on I-75 or U.S. 41 that closes traffic in one direction, forcing drivers to head into town to go north or south. But there appears to have been no single catalyst for the incredible gridlock that homebound drivers faced trying to get through either downtown Nov. 15. If this is the new normal for commuters getting through Bradenton, it is unacceptable.

November 22, 2005 - Transportation. ISSUE: Congress approves funds for South Florida transit projects. South Florida learned the importance of regional clout last week when Congress gave final approval to spending millions of dollars on transportation projects for the region. A substantial portion is allocated for mass transit.

November 22, 2005 - More commuter rail funding awarded. Like the little engine that could, plans for commuter rail service linking DeBary with Orlando have kept chugging along. Now the project is more on track than ever with the help of more federal financial support -- $11 million more. "The significance of this funding is that it makes the project a reality," said U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park.

November 21, 2005 - Sunshine Skyway honors ex-governor. After the 20,000-ton freighter Summit Venture rammed the old Sunshine Skyway bridge on May 9, 1980, there was little agreement on how to rebuild the link over Tampa Bay. Some wanted to rebuild the collapsed span, the cheapest fix. Some wanted to tunnel under the bay, the most expensive possibility. Florida Gov. Bob Graham held out for a brand new bridge and, eventually, he got what he wanted. Today, the bridge that has become a symbol for the Tampa Bay area will be rededicated to carry its champion's name: the Bob Graham/Sunshine Skyway.

November 21, 2005 - Pink license plates are not such a frivolous idea. For a minute there, I thought state Sen. Mike Fasano was a guy with way too much time on his hands. Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican, is proposing a law that would require people who get restricted driving privileges after being convicted of driving under the influence to sport bright pink license plates on their vehicles. The first three characters on the plates would read "DUI."

November 18, 2005 - Road plan draws fire. Regional planning officials on Thursday lambasted the state's decision to delay or cut back on road projects in Lee and Collier counties, saying it will likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council members sharply criticized the state's tentative five-year work program. They also hammered away at the controversial "pay-as-you-grow" plan, a growth management law designed to ensure roads are growing as fast as Southwest Florida communities. "This isn't pay as you grow; it's pray as you go," said Jon Thaxton, a Sarasota County commissioner.

November 18, 2005 - Money woes delay road, bridge projects across state. Road and bridge projects may be delayed for years in Manatee County and across Florida because the state lacks money to complete them as scheduled. The tentative, five-year work plan for the Florida Department of Transportation shows construction delays for two segments of widening State Road 64 and building the Fort Hamer Bridge in East Manatee.

November 18, 2005 - 511 traffic information system expands. Need to get somewhere fast? Not sure which artery is clogged? Motorists can access more traffic information from their telephone now that state transportation officials have launched an expanded Central Florida 511 traffic information system -- just in time for the busy holiday travel period. The upgraded Central Florida 511 system includes an additional 15 major roadways.

November 17, 2005 - County enjoys bond sale windfall. Brevard County got some unexpected dollars out of its fuel-tax revenue bond sale -- about 1.6 million of them. Now, county commissioners must decide what to spend them on. They were counting on $47 million, but Tuesday's bond sale netted the county $48.66 million. The money will be paid back with revenue from the gas tax levied by the county. "We got a few more than we thought," Commission Chairman Ron Pritchard said. "I want to make sure every dime goes to transportation projects."

November 17, 2005 - TRAFFIC HEADACHE: Bradenton, Palmetto roadways increasingly congested. Road congestion, especially in and around Bradenton and Palmetto and the bridges linking them during the morning and afternoon rush hours, has gotten significantly worse in recent days. That's the reason that at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, when Grimes, Goebel, Grimes, Hawkins, Gladfelter and Galvano opened for business, Virginia Davall was not there to greet clients or answer the phone. Davall, the downtown Bradenton law firm's receptionist, was stuck in traffic and 10 minutes late for work.

November 16, 2005 - THE 511 ON TRAFFIC JAMS. With the busy holiday travel season just around the corner, motorists hitting the road in Florida will be able to get advance warning of traffic delays by dialing 511. On Thursday, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration will officially launch the statewide service.

November 16, 2005 - Housing fattens state's wallet. Even economists have a tough time explaining Florida's hard-charging housing market. But as Gov. Jeb Bush and lawmakers work on a new state budget in the coming months, they will be able to enjoy the ride. With real-estate sales continuing to soar, state economists said Tuesday that Florida will bring in about $3.2 billion more in tax dollars over a two-year period than had been predicted earlier.

November 15, 2005 - Self-propelled cars returning to Tri-Rail in 2006. Remember the bright red and yellow rail cars that ran on the Tri-Rail line last year? They should be back in service in early 2006, painted in Tri-Rail's colors with orange, green and blue stripes. The return of the self-propelled cars, a combination locomotive and passenger coach, was delayed a few months after a mishap at the manufacturing plant in Colorado.

November 15, 2005 - Public to see plans to widen interstate. Chris Michaud finds it hard enough to get onto Interstate 95, much less drive on it, when traffic's heavy. So the frequent I-95 traveler is glad to hear about continued progress on widening of the roadway -- especially in North Brevard, where he often gets on the interstate at State Road 46.

November 15, 2005 - Senator from New Port Richey proposes pink DUI plates. A Republican senator wants a law to require bright pink license plates on vehicles driven by people with restricted driving privileges due to convictions for driving under the influence. Sen. Mike Fasano, of New Port Richey, filed a bill earlier this month that requires the first three characters on the plate to read "DUI."

November 14, 2005 - State No. 1 for bicycle deaths. More bicyclists died in Florida than in any other state in 2004. According to a recently released report from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, 122 bicyclists died in the state in crashes involving a vehicle. California came in second with 110 deaths. A total of 725 people died across the country in these kinds of crashes.

November 14, 2005 - Wilma takes her toll on turnpike; $15.4 million lost when fares were suspended. Like any business, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise counts on customers -- in this case drivers paying tolls -- to keep its coffers full. But that financial spigot is shut off when tolls are lifted to ease coastal evacuations during hurricanes. The turnpike lost an estimated $15.4 million in revenue while tolls were suspended as Hurricane Wilma approached and in the days after the storm. Coupled with losses from hurricanes Dennis, Katrina and Rita earlier this year, the turnpike lost $19.1 million.

November 10, 2005 - Tri-Rail's northern expansion pushed to 2012. Commuters will have to wait another seven years before they can ditch their cars and ride a Tri-Rail train through northern Palm Beach County. Although local leaders say they have been told for years that the rail service would be extended north to Jupiter by 2008, state transportation regulators now say the extension won't happen until 2012.

November 10, 2005 - Offshore drilling plan ditched. A controversial plan to allow oil and gas drilling within 125 miles of the Florida coast was scrapped late Wednesday night by Republican leaders in the U.S. House. After months of negotiations that caused a rare rift among Florida Republicans in the House, Republican leaders decided a plan that would have allowed drilling in vast swaths of the eastern Gulf of Mexico jeopardized a larger budget bill. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, worked with House leaders late into Wednesday night to strip the drilling provision from the bill.

November 9, 2005 - GOP ponders tax breaks for gas, utility companies. Despite this year's record oil industry profits, Florida Republican leaders have begun touting tax breaks to petroleum companies, gasoline retailers and electric utilities to entice them to install backup generators at gas stations and to bury power lines.

November 9, 2005 - Area road projects to receive state funds. County Commissioners on Monday heard word that three area road projects are due funds from the Florida Department of Transportation, including money for the study and design of an Interstate 95 interchange improvement to the Matanzas Woods Parkway overpass project already under construction.

November 9, 2005 - Lawmaker works to block more drilling near Florida. The U.S. House of Representatives could vote by Thursday to allow oil and gas drilling closer to Florida, but Rep. Clay Shaw - trying to defuse a sensitive political issue - is working to kill a legislative provision that would open the door to more drilling. Shaw, a Florida Republican who faces a tough re-election race next year, said Tuesday he is negotiating with House GOP leaders to remove a provision in a $54 billion deficit reduction package that would loosen a national ban on drilling.

November 8, 2005 - CLAY-ST. JOHNS: Bypass needed soon. Question: If you take the entire population of Clay and St. Johns counties and squeeze them into the northern part of both counties, what do you get? Answer: Northern Clay and St. Johns counties in 20 years.

November 8, 2005 - Back on track. Eighteen million motor vehicles are registered in Florida, and more arrive every day. The state isn't building enough roads to keep up with demand.

November 8, 2005 - We get up to speed. Twenty-five years from now, Jane will drive to work from North Naples to Southwest Florida International Airport, possibly in half the time it takes today. Jane will have several choices to head north. She will be able to hop on Interstate 75, which could be 10 lanes wide by then. She might even pay a fee to use less busy lanes.

November 7, 2005 - Sometimes, Taxes Are Necessary. Sometimes, Taxes Are Necessary Something extraordinary happened in Colorado last week. On second thought, the voters decided that taxes are a necessary evil.

November 7, 2005 - Drilling divides Republican governor candidates. The debate over whether oil drilling rigs should be allowed within 125 miles of Florida's beaches has divided the two Republican candidates for governor. Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher sides with Gov. Jeb Bush, who supports the 125-mile compromise. Attorney General Charlie Crist, usually a reliable supporter of Bush's policies, opposes the drilling deal.

November 7, 2005 - Drilling compromise may have election ramifications. Most Florida politicians still say they're opposed to offshore drilling, but they are divided on proposed federal legislation that would allow oil and natural gas rigs 125 miles from the state's beaches. It's an issue that could have ramifications at the ballot box. Democrats and environmentalists have been quick to oppose the 125-mile compromise.

November 4, 2005 - FDOT debuts new format in latest bridge meeting. A public forum that usually erupts into an hours-long fiery debate turned into something unusual Tuesday night -- tranquility. With an entirely new format, the latest installment of St. Johns River Corridor public meetings lacked the typical ferocious attitudes, scathing comments and cutthroat arguments between area residents and the Florida Department of Transportation.

November 4, 2005 - House panel puts offshore buffer in budget reconciliation bill. A measure that would permit oil and natural gas drilling 125 miles off Florida's shores is part of a budget reconciliation bill approved Thursday by the House Budget Committee in Washington, D.C. The offshore provision endorsed by Gov. Jeb Bush is designed to give Florida's beaches long-term protection in exchange for allowing drilling closer to shore than now permitted.

November 3, 2005 - Bush: Pombo bill has more protection for state's coasts. The Oct. 27 editorial "Jeb picks the wrong ally" misrepresents my position. My commitment to permanently protecting Florida's coastal waters and natural resources from offshore development has not wavered. My position on oil drilling long has been that we must protect our coastline from the potential environmental and economic hazards of offshore drilling.

November 3, 2005 - Transportation projects get $3 billion. A wider Interstate 75 in fast-growing Southwest Florida and more lanes on Miami's eternally backed-up Palmetto Expressway. A new Panama City airport. And commuter rail along the I-4 corridor through Orlando. All would help accommodate the crush of new people moving to Florida every day, filling up the roadways.

November 2, 2005 - Airport weathers a five-month lull. Big debts, bad weather and sky-high jet fuel prices have dealt airlines some wicked hits this year, but a Tallahassee Regional Airport official said Tuesday passenger totals are up this year, despite slight declines for five months.

November 2, 2005 - Rail trail gets $2M boost from DOT. A long-planned rails-to-trails project connecting East Palatka to Interstate 95 along Florida 207 recently received an unanticipated boost when the federal government provided about $2 million for a segment in St. Johns County.

November 2, 2005 - Public transit shows an increase. With so many autos hobbled by the effects of Wilma's storm surge, many locals are looking for alternate forms of transportation.So far, Monroe County, the city of Key West and a few private organizations have begun to provide alternate means of getting to and from work or other places.The county has what it calls its paratransit service.

November 2, 2005 - Busted lights jam road. Crews in Broward County have been able to restore only about 230 -- or 17 percent -- of the county's 1,350 traffic signals -- a pace that's contributing to horrific commutes along tangled Interstate 595. By contrast, Miami-Dade County has put nearly 65 percent of the county's 2,635 traffic signals back in service -- and though bottlenecks are still cropping up in the county.

November 2, 2005 - Commuter nightmare drones on with only 13% of Broward traffic lights working. If Wilma's winds split trees and toppled power lines, the storm wreaked just as much havoc on the region's traffic lights, knocking out all but 86 in Broward County and creating a nightmare for gridlocked commuters. As of Tuesday, more than a week after the hurricane hit, only 181 of Broward's 1,350 traffic signals were working.

November 1, 2005 - Drilling can help Florida's environment, economy. Strident attacks on Gov. Jeb Bush's sensible stance in favor of allowing limited oil drilling in remote portions of the Gulf are inadvertently emerging as one of the biggest threats to Florida's environment, not to mention its economy.

November 1, 2005 - Give gas tax a chance. A proposal to raise Manatee County's gas tax by a nickel a gallon might not be as controversial as some officials have feared. At a recent transportation planning session, a clear consensus in favor of the increase emerged among the 100 or so civic leaders gathered.

November 1, 2005 - Should state law require generators at gas stations to power the pumps?. Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday he was considering whether state law should require service stations to have a power source -- like generators -- so they can continue to pump gasoline during outages such as the widespread lack of electricity that accompanied Hurricane Wilma and created miles-long gas lines.

October 31, 2005 - Guardrail work may accelerate. If Interstate 95 had median guardrails in Brevard County, 18-year-old Camellia Kay Cox might still have both legs and a roommate. "Anything would have been better than hitting an RV," said Cox, whose pickup veered across the median near State Road 520 on July 15. Cox remembers little of the accident, in which she left the road at 72 mph and skidded across the slick grass in the median.

October 31, 2005 - COUNTIES SHOULD GREEN-LIGHT NEW TRAFFIC SYSTEM. Here's another hurricane-related windmill worth tilting at, after we finish trying to browbeat profit-driven power companies to bury electrical lines underground for the public good: Let's stop restringing old-fashioned traffic lights across busy intersections and replace them with modern steel mast-arms designed to withstand Hurricane Wilma-force winds.

October 31, 2005 - It could take year to fix traffic lights broken in Palm Beach County. As workers head back to their jobs today, they will have to slog delicately through the minefields of cars and trucks at hundreds of Palm Beach County intersections with broken traffic lights.

October 28, 2005 - JTA OKs rapid transit system. Throughout Jacksonville's history, 20-year transportation plans have focused on where new highways, roads and bridges would be built. On Thursday, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority approved a long-term plan that would take the city in a different direction. The JTA board unanimously voted for the route for a 29-mile rapid transit system.

October 28, 2005 - Gas scarce, Tri-Rail idle, so many jump into the carpool. Idling and inching forward, idling and inching forward. The excruciatingly long queues of vehicles waiting for gasoline Thursday drove home the point: There may be no better time to conserve fuel and carpool, or find a way to work that does not require filling your tank.

October 28, 2005 - Generators urged for all gas stations. As South Florida's gas squeeze stretched into its fourth day Thursday, lawmakers called on the government to ensure gas stations have generators to prevent future gridlock at the pumps. But Gov. Jeb Bush and FEMA said it's not the role of the government to inject itself into private commerce, and said oil companies and small gas station owners should shoulder the cost of backup power.

October 27, 2005 - Drivers must pay to build highways. Southwest Florida is rapidly becoming a crowded metropolitan sprawl. It needs new highways, and tolls are the only way to significantly speed up their construction.

October 27, 2005 - Three largest South Florida airports now open. South Florida's three largest airports were open to commercial traffic Thursday, although officials said it could be at least another day before service returns to levels seen before Hurricane Wilma.

October 27, 2005 - Gas companies, FPL scramble to get pumps running. Availability of gas remained maddeningly tight Wednesday as motorists in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast braved hours-long lines to fill cars and gas cans to run their generators. For many stations, the problem was not a shortage of fuel but a lack of power to pump it.

October 27, 2005 - U.S. House panel OKs offshore drilling compromise. The U.S. House Resources Committee approved legislation backed by Gov. Jeb Bush that would bring oil and natural gas drilling closer to Florida's shores on a 24-16 vote Wednesday.

October 26, 2005 - Traffic relief may take toll on drivers. Drivers may have to pay tolls for expanding Interstate 75, building County Road 951 and topping Colonial Boulevard with an elevated expressway, all projects aimed at giving them some relief. Road construction costs are rising, forcing transportation officials to consider tolls as another money source.

October 26, 2005 - Without power, most gas stations can't pump. It was hit and mostly miss on Tuesday for motorists hoping to fill up their tanks at South Florida gas stations. With electricity out at most stations, gas could not be pumped from underground storage at most places. Yet those stations with power, some with back-up generators, quickly developed long lines and in some cases, limited purchases to $20 per car.

October 26, 2005 - Traffic-light repairs may take months. Drivers in Palm Beach County aren't known for being overly courteous, but they will have to change their ways for weeks, if not months, to come. That's how long it will take to fix broken traffic lights at hundreds of intersections throughout the county.

October 25, 2005 - Editorial: Transportation. A story in the Sunday, Oct. 16, edition of the Daily News gives an update on local traffic in advance of season. The report notes that while traffic is up over last year on some roads, it is down on others that are busy and where you might expect upswings. The reason: New roads, such as Collier County's Livingston Road, which becomes Imperial Street and then Three Oaks Parkway as it moves north into Lee County, are sharing the burden.

October 25, 2005 - Gov. Bush supports new plan to drill off Florida. Oil and natural gas drilling would be allowed 125 miles off Florida's shores under a proposal Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed after it was released Monday in Washington, D.C. The measure offered by U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., would put the 125-mile buffer into federal law in exchange for opening new areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico now off-limits.

October 24, 2005 - Bridging the budget gap. Senate gives up a pay raise, but pork is another thing In a rare display of frugality and self-sacrifice, the U.S. Senate voted last week to forgo an automatic 1.9 percent cost-of-living raise next year.

October 24, 2005 - Proposed car-rental tax 'not equitable'. For years, there has been much discussion about the best way to improve our region's transportation issues and deal with challenges. As a committed member of the Central Florida business community, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has a keen interest in this public policy debate. There is no doubt that enhancing our transportation infrastructure and efficiency will improve our overall quality of life.

October 24, 2005 - Fly through airport security lines in Orlando. The future of airport security isn't that far away -- about 230 miles to the north, actually. At Orlando International Airport, select passengers are having their eyeballs scanned or their fingerprints analyzed moments before breezing through security on the way to their flights. Just bought a ticket? Only flying one way? No problem.

October 21, 2005 - Lee task force charged with shortening road-building process. A new roadway management task force could save Lee County millions of dollars in coming years, or at least that's what county officials hope. About six retired residents who were leaders in their fields - engineers, accountants, politicians - will take an objective approach to the road-building process in Lee County, with hopes of shaving 12 months off a process that now takes about eight years.

October 21, 2005 - Number of Central Floridians riding Lynx buses grows. More people are taking the bus in Central Florida. Lynx said Thursday that it set another record for total riders -- a 6 percent increase this past year despite bus fares increasing 25 cents in March, to $1.50.

October 21, 2005 - Alaska bridges pegged in Congress pork cuts. Republicans in Congress say they are serious about cutting spending, but they learned Thursday to keep their hands off the "Bridge to Nowhere." Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a staunch opponent of pork-barrel spending, tried to block $453 million for two Alaska bridges that had been tucked into the recent highway bill.

October 21, 2005 - Congress proves itself unable to cut back on pork. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, vowed Thursday to resign from the Senate if his fellow lawmakers followed through on threats to cancel spending on a $230 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska that was stuck into a pork-filled highway bill earlier this year. The bridge, longer than the Golden Gate, would cross from Ketchikan (pop. 8,000) to Gravina Island (pop. 50).

October 20, 2005 - The Bridge to Nowhere: A National Embarrassment. Today, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) will offer an amendment to the Senate's appropriation bill to strike the $223 million that Congress had previously approved for a bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska. Dubbed by many the "Bridge to Nowhere," the bridge would connect the town of Ketchikan (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina (population 50) at a cost to federal taxpayers of $320 million.

October 19, 2005 - Marcus wants to 'fast track' Tri-Rail into North Palm Beach County. North Palm Beach County may not have to wait for the 2015 construction of a Tri-Rail system linking Jupiter and Miami and all points between if Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus can facilitate some "fast-tracking."

October 19, 2005 - Lee commissioners OK creation of a local I-75 authority. Lee County commissioners added their approval Tuesday to that of their Collier County counterparts, clearing the way for the creation of the Southwest Florida Expressway Authority. The unanimous vote in Lee came despite suspicions by one commissioner that building express lanes on Interstate 75 with toll money won't be feasible.

October 19, 2005 - Plan for Fort Lauderdale airport calls for third runway and more gates. Although the fate of a second major runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport remains unsettled, county officials are beginning to explore whether they eventually should build a third runway for commercial jets and add dozens of new gates.

October 19, 2005 - Give locals more say. Our position: The extra state dollars set aside for managing growth still aren't enough. There were high-fives all around this year when lawmakers passed landmark growth-management reforms, including some $5 billion over the next five years to address a backlog of needed transportation, school and water-supply improvements.

October 18, 2005 - U.S. 98 authority seeks autonomy from transportation department. The Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority has taken steps to distance itself from the Florida Department of Transportation. Authority members voted to have their board certified as a Local Agency Program and become eligible to receive federal and state money for road projects.

October 18, 2005 - Toll road could cost $2 billion. They haven't finished studying the idea, but Florida's turnpike officials said they already know two things about a potential cross-state toll road originating in Manatee County: It won't be cheap to build, and toll revenue won't pay for it all. The price tag for the conceptual, 130-mile road could top $2 billion, with tolls likely covering only a quarter to half of the bill.

October 18, 2005 - Greenspan says world will have to live with high oil prices.... US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said the world would have to learn to live with high oil prices and their negative impact on economic growth "for some time to come". "Although the global economic expansion appears to have been on a reasonably firm path through the summer months, the recent surge in energy prices will undoubtedly be a drag from now on," Greenspan told business leaders.

October 17, 2005 - Fuel price hikes spawn new business approaches. Depending on the source in Boca Raton or other parts of America, there doesn’t appear to be a direct cause and effect relationship between a reduction or increase in the overall amount of business travel. Each company has different needs, objectives and priorities. However, it’s clear when talking to local firms, everyone is affected in one way or another by dramatic fuel price hikes.

October 17, 2005 - Poll: How much is too much for gasoline?. Many motorists these days are complaining about the cost of gasoline, but what people consider a fair price varies greatly, depending on where they live. Americans angrily grit their teeth as they pump $3-per-gallon gas. They think $2 is about right. In Britain, $3 sounds fanciful - people there pay about $6.40 a gallon and think $5 would be fair.

October 14, 2005 - Estates residents upset at length of time for new exit. Golden Gate Estates residents on Thursday night expressed frustration upon learning that it could take at least a decade for a new interchange on Interstate 75 at Everglades Boulevard to be built. Several residents said the project is sorely needed now, and were disappointed to learn of the studies and hurdles that needed to be overcome for such a project to come to fruition.

October 14, 2005 - Bids for Crosstown Parkway at least $6.3 million over Port St. Lucie's budget. Three companies submitted budget-busting price quotes for the construction of the first phase of the Crosstown Parkway and city officials are scrambling to find ways to cut costs. The high bids might have been caused by the rising costs of fuel as well as steel, concrete and paving materials that are in short supply since two major hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast.

October 14, 2005 - Elevated Crosstown won't accept coins. When the elevated lanes on the Crosstown open, traffic won't stop to pay tolls. Regular commuters will have to pay in advance, most likely by using a SunPass. With a SunPass, drivers prepay using a small box attached to the windshield. Money is deducted when users zip through designated lanes.

October 14, 2005 - Highway improvements package gets green light. Brevard drivers finally will get some relief, as a $47 million bond issue to relieve congestion and improve roads was approved unanimously on Thursday by the Brevard County Commission. However, the bonds fund only about a tenth of $417 million in needed road improvements.

October 14, 2005 - Leaders consider measures to offset roads deficit. Manatee County drivers should pay more at the pump, and at the toll gate, to help reduce the county's mounting transportation deficit, local leaders said Thursday. The county should boost its gas tax by a nickel per gallon and consider charging drivers to use new lanes on Interstate 75 and several proposed bridges, a cross section of elected officials, developers, planners and residents said during a brainstorming session.

October 13, 2005 - Authority could speed I-75 addition. A plan to add four toll lanes to Interstate 75 moved forward Wednesday, as commissioners in Lee and Collier counties took another step to create an expressway authority to speed construction. The commissioners held a joint meeting in Naples to discuss the creation of the Southwest Florida Expressway Authority, an eight-member board that can expedite work to add lanes on I-75.

October 13, 2005 - DOT dollars going fast. Divvying out billions of new dollars in growth-management funds is turning into a tougher shopping spree than expected for Florida's transportation planners. Since lawmakers approved new development rules last spring and smoothed their passage with billions of dollars to fight traffic congestion, overcrowded schools and dwindling water supplies, Florida's Transportation Department has been combing the state for projects to burn the money on.

October 12, 2005 - New Citrus Connection Chief Named. Danny Ours, a retired Air Force officer and the former deputy director of the Jacksonville mass transit system, was tapped Tuesday to head the Citrus Connection and possibly take mass transit countywide.

October 12, 2005 - Since June 2004, Watson has steered Lynx toward financial health. When Linda Watson heard the top job was open at Central Florida's regional transportation authority, she was initially not interested. It's no small wonder. That was about 18 months ago when local government officials were in the midst of mopping up the very public mess created by a $22,000 trip former Lynx officials took to Las Vegas for a convention while also reorganizing its board of directors and trying to put a tourniquet on the agency's budget, which was hemorrhaging millions of dollars every year.

October 12, 2005 - Get real on roads. Hours on the road in miserable traffic bother you? Unless you're willing to demand a change, get used to it. Brevard County faces $417 million in road improvements alone, with just peanuts available to pay the bill. Rapid growth has been making the problem worse for years, with no solutions. Now citizens have a chance to make their voices heard before Brevard County commissioners.

October 11, 2005 - Commissioners expected to approve I-75 toll lane agency. The creation of an agency that could add toll lanes on Interstate 75 to relieve traffic congestion is expected to be officially approved today by Collier commissioners. The County Commission is expected to officially approve the creation of a Southwest Florida Expressway Authority.

October 11, 2005 - 'Massive projects' to improve turnpike in Broward planned. One group of commuters - those who live in southern Palm Beach County and travel into Broward County on Florida's Turnpike - have been lucky enough the past few years to avoid the construction that's choking Interstate 95 and other area roads. Their good fortune will end early next year. Construction is slated to begin in January on the first of five projects to widen the turnpike to eight lanes - four in each direction - through Broward County.

October 10, 2005 - Mistake leads to 29-cent gas price. One gas station manager's mistake paid off for Lincoln drivers who were in the right place at the right time Friday. For 30 to 45 minutes, three of the Kabredlo's Convenience Store's four pumps sold premium unleaded gas for 29 cents a gallon. Gas hasn't been that cheap since 1955, according to AAA Nebraska.

October 10, 2005 - State: Median guardrails on Florida's Turnpike preventing deaths. The number of fatal crossover crashes on Florida's Turnpike has dropped after an expansion of median guardrails on the toll road, officials said. State transportation officials said that between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, seven people were killed in crossover crashes, in which a vehicle left its side of the highway, crossed the median and in some cases hits a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. By comparison, 39 people died in similar accidents in the first nine months of 2004, according to statistics from Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, which manages the tollway system.

October 7, 2005 - Airports might return to private screeners. Lawmakers, upset with the performance of the Transportation Security Administration, say they hope to encourage airports to return to privately employed screeners. An agreement worked out by House and Senate negotiators shields airports from lawsuits if they switch to private screeners.

October 7, 2005 - Reject Jeb's 'compromise' on offshore oil drilling. In 2002, when Gov. Bush was up for reelection, he was "incredibly proud" of the deal he made with his brother to prevent further oil and gas drilling off the state's fragile Gulf Coast beaches. But there are no elections this year, and the governor has bowed to pressure from the White House and the energy industry.

October 7, 2005 - Jeb right to change fuel view. Good for Gov. Jeb Bush. He has shown the brains and guts to modify his position as circumstances change on the issue of oil and gas drilling off Florida's coastlines. The drilling rigs are coming, probably sooner rather than later. Bush still does not wish to see the drilling but is being realistic about the best deal Florida can get to protect its coasts.

October 6, 2005 - Orlando examining downtown traffic. If Orlando's downtown creates traffic and parking challenges today, imagine what it will be like when thousands more people move into the district, a few more office and condo towers go up, and the central shopping and entertainment spots boom in the next five years.

October 6, 2005 - Can more homes mean less traffic?. Broward County hopes new regulations will entice developments that encourage more people out of cars and onto public transportation. Hollywood might be the first to use the new rules. Hundreds of Hollywood residents packed a City Hall meeting room Wednesday night, awaiting their chance to speak against two large developments planned for the city. The projects would be the first in Broward County to take advantage of a new zoning category called ''transit-oriented development,'' which allows developers to build more housing units per acre than currently is allowed.

October 6, 2005 - Rebuilding after Katrina: Can Florida give up pork?. Ronald D. Utt Special to the Sentinel - Americans from all walks of life wasted no time in the wake of Hurricane Katrina rallying to help those who survived. American businesses stepped forward with multi-million-dollar donations, as did numerous entertainers. But there should be more -- especially from our political leaders. Lawmakers should "give up" some of the billions of dollars in frivolous pork projects designed to feather their political nests back home and redirect that money to help meet the far more pressing needs of Katrina's victims. The recently enacted highway bill was crammed with $25 billion in pork-barrel spending.

October 6, 2005 - Bush denies easing stance on oil drilling in eastern gulf. Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday strongly denied that he has backed off a longtime stance against oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A report in the Orlando Sentinel, published on the front page of Wednesday's Times-Union, spurred a flurry of e-mails, news releases and phone calls between Tallahassee and Washington, where Florida's congressional leaders are portraying a united front against drilling.

October 5, 2005 - From the Crosstown to courtroom. The government agency expanding the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway sued Tuesday to recover $120-million for repairs to the troubled elevated commuter lanes. The Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority filed a lawsuit against URS Corp., the project's general engineering consultant, after settlement talks stalled this week.

October 5, 2005 - Jeb Bush supports drilling in eastern Gulf of Mexico. Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday he supports federal legislation allowing drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico - including areas where he aggressively fought energy exploration just four years ago. Bush cited new political realities and protections he thinks he could win for the state in exchange.

October 4, 2005 - Florida offshore drilling provision withdrawn. The chairman of a key House committee announced today he was withdrawing a pending energy bill that, if enacted, would have allowed energy companies to explore for natural gas very close to Florida's beaches. Florida lawmakers declared victory.

October 4, 2005 - Fiery crash reminds residents of isolation. The fiery collision of a tanker truck and a sport utility vehicle shut down the Seven Mile Bridge on Monday night, cutting off the Lower Keys from the rest of the state in yet another reminder of how fragile the link is between the islands and the mainland.

October 3, 2005 - Poll shows worry rising with gas prices. This one shouldn't come as much of a shock to anyone who is dropping $60 a pop to fill the tank with 89 octane lo-test: Almost two-thirds of all Americans -- 64 percent -- are concerned about the financial consequences of rising fuel prices, according to a recent Associated Press/AOL News poll.

October 3, 2005 - State looks into fuel adjustment for roadside assistance trucks. The Road Rangers, those tow trucks that offer free roadside assistance to stranded motorists on South Florida's major highways, won't fall victim to increasing gas prices. At least, not yet. State officials say they're working on a solution to deal with gas prices squeezing the company that provides the service.

October 3, 2005 - A better way to use roads. Last week in the wake of Houston's evacuation gridlock, we briefly discussed Southwest Florida hurricane evacuation in this space. People watching the mess on TV wondered why Texas officials didn't open inbound lanes for outgoing traffic, a process called "contra-flow." They did, near the end of the 14-hour, 100-mile evacuation traffic jam. It sounds great. Unfortunately, it doesn't work anywhere near as well as it seems it should.

September 30, 2005 - Few attend Alligator Alley toll increase workshop. Transportation officials had their sales pitch ready to justify the proposed increase in the tolls on Alligator Alley, but very few people showed up to listen. The toll increase plan was unveiled Thursday night at a workshop at Naples Municipal Airport sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation.

September 30, 2005 - Seat belt use reaches all-time high in '05. More Americans than ever are buckling up, the government reported Friday, crediting enhanced police enforcement and a growing awareness that seat belts can save lives. The Department of Transportation said seat belt use rates reached 82 percent in 2005 nationally, an all-time high and an increase of 2 percentage points from last year, the Transportation Department said Friday.

September 29, 2005 - Georgia's monthlong break on gas prices to end. Gas prices in Georgia likely will return to about $3 a gallon again, possibly as soon as the weekend comes. That's because state gas taxes worth about 15 cents a gallon will return back to gas prices on Saturday, when the state's motor fuel tax suspension expires.

September 29, 2005 - Traffic reversal for hurricanes? Don't expect it. Less than a week after Hurricane Rita's approach turned Texas highways into massive parking lots, Florida officials gathered with Gov. Jeb Bush in a private meeting Wednesday to review the state's plans for reversing key arteries if needed for hurricane evacuations.

September 28, 2005 - Orlando's 'fast pass' security to continue. A private-sector "fast pass" airport security program at Orlando International Airport has met with overwhelming support by frequent fliers and will continue, government officials said Tuesday.

September 28, 2005 - State hopes to help I-95 Road Ranger patrols. Tow truck drivers who fix flat tires for stranded motorists and pick up debris on Interstate 95 are feeling the pinch of high gas prices and threatening to cut back patrols. The state's contract with Sunshine Towing, the Miami-based company that provides the 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week service, does not include any provisions for escalating fuel costs.

September 28, 2005 - The illusory gas-tax cut. The illusory gas-tax cut Politicians' strategy is shortsighted - Congressman Denny Rehberg probably would be of greater service to Americans right now if he were pumping their gas instead of trying to write their laws. The Montana Republican recently joined two colleagues in the House to introduce a bill that would suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax.

September 27, 2005 - In a hurricane, all our roads lead to nowhere. They were us. A hundred miles of gridlocked Texans evacuated Houston in a creeping hurricane panic, offering an apocalyptic vision of our own future. They were us. Except those Texans, fleeing Houston, were moving, ever so slowly, out of harm's way. A comparable run out of South Florida entails a 400-mile gantlet up a vulnerable peninsula. With more cars on fewer roads.

September 27, 2005 - Fuel fears. If everybody conserves fuel and resists the temptation to top off their tanks, Florida motorists can get through the coming gasoline crunch with minimum inconvenience, oil industry and state officials said Monday. Storm-strangled refineries on the Texas-Louisiana coast are getting back online.

September 27, 2005 - Creation of board could widen I-75. Interstate 75 could carry 10 lanes of traffic by 2020 if commissioners in Lee and Collier counties decide to create a governing board to oversee the congested highway. Commissioners on Wednesday will discuss creating the Southwest Florida Expressway Authority, an eight-member board that can expedite the widening of I-75 in the two counties.

September 26, 2005 - $1 billion price tag won't doom new bridge. A $1 billion price tag on any project -- even a badly needed bridge and highway -- could strike fear in the heart of any public official. But apparently that's not the reaction to the proposed St. Johns River crossing. The Florida Department of Transportation said Wednesday that a new bridge over the river linking Clay and St. Johns counties with State Road 9B would cost $1 billion.

September 23, 2005 - Lynx sets all-time monthly ridership record. LYNX saw its August ridership set an all-time record with 2,211,341 passengers, a 14.1% increase over August of 2004.

September 23, 2005 - Traffic barely moves along crucial Texas evacuation route. ON INTERSTATE 45 - Between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. on this stagnant highway - the main northerly evacuation route away from Hurricane Rita in Texas - traffic inched along Thursday at less than two-thirds of a mile per hour. At that rate, the thousands of cars choking every lane and often the freeway's bumpy shoulder would find it hard to make it to safety in, say, Dallas before the furious storm hit land Saturday. With 234 miles to cover and less than 48 hours in which to do it, well, you do the math.

September 23, 2005 - Rita could pose more gas problems for Florida. Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush has serious concerns about the prospect for gasoline shortages in the coming week because of Hurricane Rita's bead on Texas refineries, but urged Floridians on Thursday to conserve and not "top off every tank that they have."

September 22, 2005 - Lawmakers try to save transportation bill from Katrina cuts. U.S. House Republicans unveiled their solution to the looming budget crisis Wednesday, vowing to save the transportation bill that widens Interstate 75 in Collier County while recommending other cuts to cover the costs of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

September 22, 2005 - Gas Q&A: Why don't legislators cut the gas tax?. Q. Why don't Florida legislators help consumers and cut the gas tax? A. Last year, the Legislature approved a gasoline tax holiday to give consumers a break from high prices. The 14.3-cent-per-gallon tax was cut by 8 cents during August. This was good news for motorists, who got an 8-cent per gallon price cut, but it cost the state millions of dollars.

September 22, 2005 - Study: Taxes, fees needed to fix roads. Local government leaders should consider raising gas taxes and impact fees and take other steps to tap into much-needed funding for the county's pressing transportation needs, according to a report released Wednesday by a local think tank. The Marion County Public Policy Institute challenged elected officials to maximize funding for road improvements by imposing sales and fuel taxes.

September 21, 2005 - Ritas winds shut down Tri-Rail. Although Palm Beach County didn't experience severe wind and rain as a result of Hurricane Rita, some residents found themselves searching for another way to get around as officials shut down Tri-Rail on Tuesday.

September 21, 2005 - Cost of Katrina threat to projects. Pressure is growing to help pay for Hurricane Katrina's costs by getting members of Congress to give up the pet spending projects they've inserted into legislation for their states or districts. But some top lawmakers are decidedly unenthusiastic. "Kiss my ear!" Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, told a Fairbanks newspaper reporter when asked whether he'd return the $223 million he'd "earmarked" for a bridge in the Alaskan outback.

September 21, 2005 - Pay now, or pay later. Cutting gas tax wouldn't solve Florida's problems Gov. Jeb Bush wants the Florida Legislature to consider temporarily reducing the state's gas tax to help ease the pain at the pump. The impulse is understandable, but the proposal would do far more harm than good.

September 20, 2005 - Brent Batten: I-75 may be sacrificed for Katrina recovery. Cross hairs may not be evident on I-75. Or even, in this high-tech age, a little red laser dot. But be assured the freeway between Naples and Fort Myers is being targeted by fiscal conservatives in Washington. Cognizant of the looming fiscal impact of President Bush's pledges to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, minders of the federal purse are wondering where the money will come from.

September 20, 2005 - Time, Traffic May Hamper Hurricane Evacuation Efforts. Evacuating the Tampa Bay-area for a hurricane could be hampered by too little time and too much traffic, officials said Monday during a special meeting of emergency planners. ``The biggest problem is not readiness, it's time,'' Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Larry Gispert said. ``Time is the enemy.''

September 20, 2005 - Experts say it would take a panic to dry up supply of gasoline. Since Hurricane Katrina cut a path through Miami-Dade County on its way to devastating one of the most important energy regions in the United States, the fear of widespread gas shortages never materialized in South Florida. Indeed, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline -- which spiked above $3 a gallon at some local stations after Katrina barreled through -- has fallen back near levels before the storm.

September 19, 2005 - Energy-efficiency bandwagon sports hybrid engine. When Gov. Jeb Bush stepped out of the Capitol last week for lunch at a downtown Tallahassee restaurant, he crossed paths with Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach. Soon the pair were talking about their respective sport utility vehicles -- both fuel-efficient hybrids. Bush mentioned a few other Republican officials who also own hybrids. "I've started a trend," Bush said proudly.

September 19, 2005 - Rail Line Still Likely, Some Say. A commuter rail line through Central Florida, which appeared to die at the hands of Florida voters last fall, may be getting a new lease on life, and the project includes plans for a stop in Poinciana.

September 16, 2005 - Drilling for gulf oil gains support. Time was, the idea of loosening restrictions on offshore oil and gas exploration was tantamount to banning tarpon fishing or white sandy beaches. Politicians from Florida's West Coast just didn't do it. But facing a steady drive in Congress to lift longtime bans against drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, particularly after Hurricane Katrina wrecked oil production off Louisiana, Florida Republicans in the U.S. House are backing a deal that would relinquish some protections in exchange for permanent restrictions closer to shore.

September 16, 2005 - Traffic deaths surge in state's metro areas. Growth, drunken drivers, motorcycles and the flouting of seat belt laws could all be contributing to the rise in traffic deaths in Florida's major metropolitan areas, traffic experts say. Traffic deaths so far this year climbed more than 11 percent statewide compared to this time last year, from 2,158 to 2,401, according to numbers compiled this month by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

September 15, 2005 - Toll hike proposed for Alligator Alley. Cruising across Florida on Alligator Alley may get a bit more expensive next year. The Florida Department of Transportation is proposing a toll increase - from $1.50 to $2.50 for cars - to pay for needed maintenance and safety improvements.

September 15, 2005 - Martin Schram: In Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, please don't pass the pork. New Orleans fell victim to a perfect storm of official failures. But senators and representatives of both parties have rushed to blame blithering incompetents of the executive branch, hoping we won't remember that they just spent the summer like diners at a boardinghouse, making one request most of all: Please pass the pork.

September 14, 2005 - Manatee on the road to a 'crisis'. County commissioners got a glimpse of the future Tuesday, and what they saw wasn't pretty. Commuters were stuck in traffic from one end of the county to the other, there weren't enough north-south roads, and gated communities in East Manatee were adding local traffic to the few roads that were connected.

September 14, 2005 - Tolls could return before 2015. Would you pay a few extra dollars if it meant you could shave a few minutes during your rush hour drive time? More than a few local transportation planners are banking you would. Denise Bunnewith, executive director of the First Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization, said voluntary toll lanes could surface in and around Jacksonville in the next decade.

September 14, 2005 - Gas-spike politics advances bad ideas on a bipartisan basis. Gas-spike politics are never pretty. Motorists -- which is to say everybody between 16 and 80 -- are frustrated and angry. The crowd at the pump is getting ugly. And people are demanding action. But what kind of action would actually accomplish anything?

September 13, 2005 - Citrus planning for parkway, just in case. The state still hasn't decided whether it will extend the Suncoast Parkway into Citrus County. But in case the answer is yes, Citrus County officials want to be ready. After two years of preparation by county planners, the Citrus County Commission approved a set of standards last month that would regulate the areas around parkway interchanges.

September 13, 2005 - Disney road paves way to skip I-4, enter park. Walt Disney World is quietly building a new road onto its property that could siphon thousands of tourists a day off Interstate 4.

September 13, 2005 - Lawmakers hesitant to cut gas tax for drivers. The drive for a state gas tax cut has been parked in Tallahassee. State leaders expressed varying degrees of skepticism Monday about cutting the tax to help drivers cope with costs driven up by Hurricane Katrina. Gov. Jeb Bush, Senate President Tom Lee and a spokesman for House Speaker Allan Bense all indicated the idea is alive but not a top priority.

September 12, 2005 - A bad sign. Our position: The state DOT has undercut local governments on billboard mess. September 12, 2005 When top officials at the state Department of Transportation allowed the billboard industry to rebuild nearly two-thirds of the illegal signs knocked down by last year's hurricanes, local governments were hung out to dry.

September 12, 2005 - Report stolen SunPass transponders or pay the consequences. Like most drivers, Gary Keenan knows it's not a good idea to leave valuables like a wallet, briefcase or CDs in a car. But a $25 toll pass? Keenan and his employer discovered how expensive a stolen SunPass transponder can become after they got the credit card bill.

September 12, 2005 - Cut in gas tax likely to come up. Motorists looking to state government for relief from high gas prices shouldn't expect action any time soon. Although House committees are likely to discuss a temporary cut in gas taxes when they meet Monday for the start of the new legislative year, no formal action will be taken. The Senate, meanwhile, won't even be back in Tallahassee until Oct. 17.

September 9, 2005 - House OKs gas tax moratorium; another state eyeing freeze. A month-long moratorium on gas taxes in Georgia, placed in effect last week by Gov. Sonny Perdue, won the backing of the state House of Representatives in a special session Thursday. Meanwhile, another governor vowed to freeze gas taxes in his state.

September 9, 2005 - Gas prices holding at $3 a gallon. There seemed to be a different price Thursday at almost every area gas station. Prices varied widely, ranging from $2.90 to $3.15 for a gallon of regular. The area average Thursday was an even $3 (rounding up from $2.99 and nine-tenths), up 12 cents over last week, according to the Sun's Gas Gauge, an informal survey of prices in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, North Port and Arcadia.

September 9, 2005 - Mica: Why I blocked I-4 toll lanes. Recent Orlando Sentinel editorials have criticized me for including a provision in the new federal transportation law that prohibits tolls on Interstate 4. My opposition to adding toll lanes has been open, consistent and vocal, even before Orange County voters turned down the "Mobility 20/20" proposal.

September 8, 2005 - Aviation group relocates show to Orlando. The National Business Aviation Association's annual convention and trade show, which had been scheduled for New Orleans in mid-November, has been relocated to Orlando. Last year, the corporate-aviation trade show was in Las Vegas and drew more than 31,000 participants, a record.

September 8, 2005 - Don't cut gasoline tax. It would be popular to suspend Florida's gasoline tax as several legislators are proposing, but it would not be prudent. The unprecedented pump prices of recent days - which do seem to be easing - are not the only ill wind from Hurricane Katrina and its predecessors last year. Repairs to Florida's transportation systems will be costing an estimated $1.4-billion (so far) and the infrastructure was already billions of dollars in arrears before the storms struck.

September 8, 2005 - Gas-tax cuts may shave 20 cents. With motorists getting hammered by high gasoline prices, Florida leaders are looking to give them a tax break at the pump. Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday lawmakers could temporarily cut state gas taxes if they hold a special legislative session next month, a move that could shave as much as 20 cents off the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

September 7, 2005 - Bush urged to suspend gas tax; price gouging probed. Democratic state senators called on Gov. Jeb Bush Tuesday to suspend the Florida gas tax for at least a month to help ease the pinch for consumers at the pump. Bush later told reporters that his office was studying the issue.

September 7, 2005 - Cut gas taxes? Not so fast. Lawmakers around the country are entertaining proposals to ease the pain of soaring gas prices for consumers, considering everything from suspensions of local gas taxes to rebates for motorists. But, so far, some are reluctant to act, partly out of concern for their states' bottom lines but also because they wonder whether motorists will even notice the difference if prices continue to climb.

September 6, 2005 - End of the suburban commute?. How much more does the price of gas have to climb to end this nation's infatuation with sprawl? It's easy to blame developers for devouring as much land as possible to spread as many homes as possible across the post-World War II American landscape. But when will home buyers reject this phase of America's growth? And what does sprawl have to do with the price of a gallon of gas?

September 6, 2005 - Commuters: Carpooling never made more cents. Miami-Dade County employee Aaron Melean used to go broke driving from Weston to his job in downtown Miami, until he discovered something three years ago that saved him time and money and made going to work a social event. ''Carpooling, it's the greatest thing,'' said Melean, a computer programmer, who said he saves over $400 a month by joining three other employees every day in one car.

September 6, 2005 - Blinkers and broken windows. With increasing traffic congestion caused by an ever-growing population of residents and tourists, driving on Central Florida's roadways is bad enough without having to share the road with bad drivers. I drive on Interstate 4 every day, and I have noticed more and more people changing lanes without using their blinkers.

September 6, 2005 - Tri-Rail is broken; we need to fix it. I recently moved to the Fort Lauderdale area from Chicago. Most of my years in Chicago were spent riding mass transit as much as possible. Now with the price of gas around $3 a gallon, I thought it would be a good idea for me to ride mass transit in Florida. I gave Tri-Rail a test run for a job interview in West Palm Beach. I wish I could say I was impressed, but I was not.

September 5, 2005 - State transportation officials tout new road construction methods. It started with an 18-wheeler that crashed on Interstate 295 and barreled into the supports of a bridge in Camden County. The rush to replace one of the highway's many small, yet invaluable bridges, forced the state Department of Transportation to use newly developed, quicker construction methods.

September 5, 2005 - High-tech parking meters rake in coins for cash-strapped cities. In this seaside town, parking meters don't grant those magical few minutes on someone else's dime. Each time a car pulls away from a space, the meter automatically resets to zero. Little is left to chance in the brave new world of parking technology: Meters are triggered by remote sensors, customers pay for street time by cell phone and solar-powered vending machines create customized parking plans for the motorist.

September 5, 2005 - Rebuilding highways to cost at least $1.5B. It will cost at least $1.5 billion to rebuild highways in the Gulf Coast region that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said Sunday. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mineta said that amount would be necessary just to restore Interstate 10 and U.S. 90, two major arteries leading into New Orleans.

September 2, 2005 - Retail gas prices jump, deliveries falter. "Out of Gas" signs and yellow caution tape were draped across pumps in parts of the United States early Thursday after many retailers were overrun by panicked motorists looking to top off their tanks as prices soared past $3 per gallon and reports of shortages spread. Gas stations in and around downtown Atlanta had temporarily run out of gas.

September 2, 2005 - Commuter rail hits bumps. A proposed commuter rail system could be derailed because a new federal transportation bill prohibits toll lanes along Interstate 4. State leaders, however, say they're determined to continue fighting for the rail system to help commuters and alleviate I-4 congestion.

September 1, 2005 - Undo damage. Our position: U.S. Rep. Mica should grab chance to allow options on Interstate-4. U.S. Rep. John Mica has one last chance to loosen his vise-like grip on Central Florida's transportation options. To the astonishment and anger of many in the community, Mr. Mica quietly inserted a provision in a massive new federal transportation bill in July that precludes optional toll lanes on Interstate 4 through Central Florida.

September 1, 2005 - Sen. Nelson wants oil industry to freeze prices. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson predicted today that the oil industry and the White House will use Hurricane Katrina and $3-a-gallon gasoline prices for political leverage to open up Florida's Gulf Coast to oil exploration. In a speech to the Florida Economic Club, Nelson also said President Bush should "jawbone" with energy companies to freeze gas prices.

August 31, 2005 - County is in big rush to build roads. An aggressive road-widening program will give Osceola drivers 112 miles of new asphalt in the next five years, 10 years earlier than originally scheduled.

August 31, 2005 - Politicians take pork spending to a new high. The explosion of irresponsible federal spending is a sign of the fiscal failure of today's congressional leadership. Federal pork spending has exploded in recent years. The highway bill passed in July was bloated with 6,371 pork projects, or earmarks, inserted by members of Congress.

August 30, 2005 - Area goes shopping for roadwork bids. Governments throughout Southwest Florida, struggling to get competitive bids on road projects, are joining together to lure contractors from around the country. The first Construction Preview Conference, from 3-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, will be a one-stop shop for construction companies to view plans and sign up to bid for local road projects.

August 30, 2005 - Counties race for share of road cash. Road planners are hoping a new source of money could help bring relief to drivers trapped in traffic on the area's most bogged-down roads. County officials in Central Florida and across the state are scrambling to apply for more road-building money from the Transportation Regional Incentive Program, a fresh pot of cash set aside as part of a new state growth-management law.

August 30, 2005 - Gasoline supply good in Florida for the time being. Gasoline was in good supply Monday in Florida as Hurricane Katrina hit west of the state, but Gov. Jeb Bush and industry officials said there could be a fuel crunch in a few days if Gulf state refineries are heavily damaged.

August 30, 2005 - California Watches Hawaii's Effort to Cap Gasoline Prices. With chronically high pump prices straining its laid-back ethos, Hawaii embarks this week on a radical experiment to cap gasoline prices, a move being keenly watched nationwide by legislators and consumer groups eager to rein in record fuel costs. Interest will be especially high in California, a unique market that some experts liken to Hawaii's because of the high prices charged by gas stations and big profits reaped by a few in-state refiners.

August 29, 2005 - Traffic conditions available via cell phone. Traveling to the airport and want to make sure you're not diverted by construction? Caught up in traffic in downtown Orlando and wonder how bad Interstate 4 westbound is? Cell phone users can dial 5-1-1 and get answers.

August 29, 2005 - Need For Rail System Debated. Sam Elizondo simply could take no more. He sat down and wrote a scathing electronic message to the Hillsborough County Commission, berating commissioners for not doing their jobs. Why? A simple story about the Orange County Commission approving a resolution for a $44 million commuter rail to run along CSX Transportation tracks with stops in Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties.

August 29, 2005 - Mica: Wishing for a resort tax bill do-over. U.S. Rep. John Mica is candid about at least one mistake in his political career. The House Republican met with members of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association last week at a breakfast session to discuss his commuter rail program and how it might fit into plans for a light rail system connecting the airport and International Drive, not to mention how to pay for it.

August 29, 2005 - New Orleans told: 'This is not a test'. Highways were so jammed that it looked like the worst rush hour ever. Lines at gas stations spilled onto nearby streets and stretched for blocks. Hotels 150 miles inland were booked up. Stores shut down so workers could go home and board up houses. Hurricane Katrina was on its way.

August 26, 2005 - Highway fatality rate in Florida drops to all time low. The fatality rate on Florida's highways dropped to an all-time low of 1.66 deaths per 100 million miles of travel in 2004, the Florida Highway Patrol said Thursday. While the actual number of deaths on the highways increased in 2004, the rate per mile decreased because of the growing number of drivers on the state's roads.

August 25, 2005 - High gas prices are sparking calls for regulation. The soaring price of gasoline has rekindled debate across America over whether prices for gas should be regulated as they are for electricity and water. On Sept. 1, Hawaii will become the first state to cap the wholesale price of gasoline paid by retailers, who pass on price hikes to consumers.

August 24, 2005 - Tri-Rail plans may be back on track. The county might reboard its efforts to bring commuter rail service north from Palm Beach County. Requests for the state to determine whether Tri-Rail trains could be run north into Stuart and Indiantown have received the support of the county's transit Citizen Advisory Committee and go before the Metropolitan Planning Organization on Monday.

August 24, 2005 - New Fuel Economy Standards Proposed. The Bush administration proposed higher fuel economy standards for SUVs and minivans yesterday with a new regulatory system that sets different mileage goals for six sizes of vehicles, replacing the current single standard for all light trucks.

August 23, 2005 - Palm Bay faces bond choices. Palm Bay voters will get a chance to vote on two different bonds come Nov. 8. The first is for $58.7 million and would pay for transportation needs, including road and drainage projects and public safety buildings.

August 23, 2005 - Challenge of U.S. 98. Legislators this spring created the Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority. Gov. Jeb Bush appointed the members last week. What is the authority? That depends on the leadership emerging from within, and on state Rep. Ray Sansom of Destin.

August 23, 2005 - Repeal of gas price law sought. With gas prices nearing the $3 mark in Florida, one state legislator wants to take on the state's gas retailers and convenience store owners and repeal a 20-year-old law that prohibits companies from selling gas at prices below their cost.

August 22, 2005 - More opt to use cars less often. With a tank of gas costing slightly less than a used car these days, we're seeing more people turn to alternatives to the traditional one-occupant automobile. LeeTran reports that bus ridership is way up, and we're seeing more people who can walk or ride bikes to work doing so.

August 22, 2005 - A Florida win? Jury still out on road bill. U.S. Congressman John Mica (R-7th district) has a lot to be proud of lately. Thanks to Mica's two years of work on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Florida will get $2.2 billion more than it did when the federal highway bill was reauthorized in 1998.

August 19, 2005 - Mass transit rolls out TV, tunnel ads. On a fast moving subway train in downtown Chicago, passengers stare out the window at an otherwise dark subway wall that briefly glows red with a filmstrip-like advertisement from Target Corp. In New York, companies such as Cingular Wireless and the maker of Captain Morgan's rum pay handsomely for the exclusive right to plaster ads all over sections of Penn Station and other high-profile subway stops.

August 19, 2005 - Politicians Have Little to Offer To Ease Anguish of Gas Prices. President Bush and members of Congress are facing an uncomfortable political reality this summer: They have little to offer Americans to ease their pain at the pump.

August 18, 2005 - Opinions differ on expressway personnel. Five Republican state representatives from West Miami-Dade are pushing legislation to replace the 13 volunteer appointees to the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority with five local elected officials and two gubernatorial appointees.

August 17, 2005 - Questions abound on rising gas prices. Soaring gas prices are threatening to produce political headaches and dampen the nation's economic recovery, but neither the White House nor Congress seems inclined - or able - to intervene.

August 17, 2005 - More funding found for interstate. The $286.4 billion federal transportation bill signed last week by President Bush includes $91.1 million for the upcoming Interstate 75 widening project in Lee and Collier counties. Lawmakers had said previously that the bill would include $81.1 million for the project, which will widen the interstate from four lanes to six and is scheduled to begin in 2008.

August 16, 2005 - Editorial: Bush gives in on highway bill. As President Bush signed the massive highway bill last week, he may well have thought to himself, "Thank heaven, I'll never have to do this again." When the six-year bill comes up for its next renewal, he'll be an ex-president on his ranch in Texas.

August 16, 2005 - Gas prices peak; we still pump. Soaring gasoline prices are getting a rise out of many U.S. motorists, but by and large, they're not getting in the way of summer vacations, commuting habits or SUV sales.

August 16, 2005 - Bipartisan bridge. A Republican state senator introduced a bill in April that was approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Florida's Republican governor. As a result, the name of a Democrat, Bob Graham, could soon be attached to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

August 16, 2005 - Bush sees bumps ahead. Training and traffic are the biggest threats to Florida's $57 billion tourism juggernaut, Gov. Jeb Bush said at an industry gathering in Hollywood on Monday. "We have to address the traffic in our major urban areas or our visitors aren't going to be able to get to our properties," Bush told an audience of about 900 at the Governor's Conference on Tourism at the Westin Diplomat Resort.

August 15, 2005 - Florida likely to toughen driving laws. Expect state legislatures, including Florida's, to enact more restrictive driving rules for teenagers now that several studies have shown the tougher requirements really work. Florida actually was the first state to enact "graduated driver's licenses" for new, young drivers in 1996, starting a trend that has extended to nearly all the states.

August 15, 2005 - Forget light rail: Use buses instead. A large-scale express commuter bus system would be far more practical for the metro Orlando area than the proposed rail system. A commuter bus system could be brought online and be made operational within a matter of months and could be done at a fraction of the cost of the rail route.

August 15, 2005 - U-TURN IS MADE ON HOV CHANGES. Stash those torches, nooses and pitchforks back in the barn. The Interstate 95 HOV lynch mob has been called off. Late last week, state transportation officials caved to political pressure and backed away from their wildly unpopular plan to expand high-occupancy vehicle operating hours on I-95 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

August 15, 2005 - Giddy spending at TEA party. President Bush, I am afraid, got rolled by his Congress again. The man who keeps repeating that terrorists should never doubt his resolve went all wobbly last week and signed the energy and highway bills.

August 5, 2005 - Mica's folly. With congressional approval of a new, multiyear transportation bill, the traffic noose strangling Central Florida was yanked a notch tighter. And it was on the political whim of a single lawmaker. U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park may not like the notion of special toll lanes on Interstate 4. But he had no business secretly imposing his personal will on the entire region, scuttling a reasonable state plan to create the lanes on the region's heavily congested thoroughfare.

August 5, 2005 - Orange weighs position on train. Orange County commissioners might seek more public input before considering a deal for a Central Florida commuter train, but state officials say a delay now could put at risk hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal money -- and the train itself.

August 5, 2005 - Funds tied to seat-belt use. Florida could be in line for an extra $35 million in highway money if state lawmakers pass a bill requiring all motorists to wear seat belts. A new federal transportation bill containing the funding says the state also could get the money if it has 85 percent compliance with seat-belt use a rate that is now between 65 and 75 percent, the AAA Auto Club and lawmakers said.

August 5, 2005 - Honk If You Hate Highway Bill And How It Fleeces Florida. Florida gets to keep a few pennies more of its federal gasoline taxes under the new spending plan approved by Congress, but motorists have a right to be mad about the deep skimming that continues. Florida drivers are forced to send about 10 percent of their much-needed tax dollars to other states. What's most irking is that much of the money isn't even spent on urgent priorities.

August 4, 2005 - Broward officials threaten action against FAA for using runway at Lauderdale airport. A Delta-Song Boeing 757 took off from Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday into a smooth, sunny sky -- and created angry turbulence on the ground. The jet was the first of eight aircraft to depart from the diagonal runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport between 10:06 and 10:23 a.m. The control tower instructed them to do so to ease delays on the main east-west runway. That prompted Broward County officials to cry foul.

August 3, 2005 - Orlando-area roads among nation's most deadly. In 2003, metro Orlando had a rate of 17.6 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents, a survey finds. Experts say simple and cheap fixes can alleviate deadly problems on urban roads.

August 3, 2005 - Bill has record number of lawmaker-requested projects. When President Eisenhower proposed the first national highway bill, there were two projects singled out for funding. The latest version has, by one estimate, 6,371 of these special projects, a record that some say politicians should be ashamed of.

August 2, 2005 - Parents want to know. . . HOW'S MY TEEN DRIVING?. Erin Henochowicz was driving down the street last year when she spotted a commercial vehicle with a bumper sticker that read: "How's My Driving?" The idea hit her. Her soon-to-be 16-year-old son, Robert, was about to get his license. Wouldn't it be great if other drivers knew he was a beginner and could let her know how he was doing?

August 2, 2005 - Expressway planned through Cape, Fort Myers, Lehigh. An L-shaped expressway possibly charging tolls would connect Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres under an ambitious proposal unveiled Monday.

August 2, 2005 - GROWTH: So many questions. When it comes to managing growth, Jacksonville residents do not have to look far for negative examples: the boom areas of South Florida and Atlanta. Now Jacksonville is experiencing rapid growth. New homes, stores and offices are gobbling up vacant land at a whirlwind pace. What might be a surprise is what various local growth experts see on the horizon.

August 2, 2005 - Alcohol-related deaths on highways fall. The number of alcohol-related fatalities on U.S. highways dropped for a second straight year, as did traffic deaths overall, the government reported Monday.

August 1, 2005 - Miami-Dade Transit leaves riders on a new route clueless. There's a postscript to last week's report on Pembroke Lakes Mall refusing to let Miami-Dade Transit run a new express bus onto the mall property. By the time you read this, the new Northwest Dade Express (Route 175) should be kicking off its inaugural runs between Pembroke Pines and the Palmetto Metrorail station.

July 29, 2005 - U.S. House, Senate agree to authorize $81.1 million for I-75 expansion. Interstate 75 between Naples and Fort Myers was on the verge of getting widened - with the help of more than $80 million in federal funding - under a bill moving toward final congressional passage late Thursday.

July 29, 2005 - Congress Ready to Send Bush Highway Bill. Two years behind schedule, Congress is completing work on a $286.4 billion, jobs-creating highway and mass transit bill that will help states fill potholes, repair bridges and make driving a little safer and less congested.

July 28, 2005 - Senators propose restructuring plan for Amtrak. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., joined two influential Republican conservatives Wednesday in proposing an Amtrak restructuring plan that would permit it to borrow money to repair poorly maintained tracks and bridges and allow private freight lines to take over long-distance passenger service.

July 28, 2005 - Politician rose to power then fell from grace. An imposing, brilliant and canny figure in Miami's sharp-elbowed political scene, Arthur E. Teele Jr. landed in Miami with aplomb, pledging to be the voice of the city's poor. But he frequently found himself at the center of a maelstrom of controversy. The one-time Reagan-era appointee at the U.S. Department of Transportation won two terms on the Dade County Commission in the 1990s..

July 28, 2005 - Champion of Jacksonville's Skyway commits suicide. Former Miami City Commissioner Arthur E. Teele Jr., and a champion of Jacksonville's Skyway while serving in President Ronald Reagan's administration, died after shooting himself in the lobby of The Miami Herald building , authorities said.

July 27, 2005 - Road work on hold after sales tax vote. The death of a proposal to increase the sales tax will push a number of traffic congestion relief projects back a few years.

July 27, 2005 - Seminole demands terms for train line. Seminole County could jeopardize regional plans for a commuter rail, insisting Tuesday that government own the tracks or it won't help fund the high-tech train system.

July 26, 2005 - The 411 on the 511 Navigation System. Whenever Robert Schaller wonders about traffic conditions ahead, he punches 511 on his cellphone. A free, voice-activated system answers, offering the latest information on "even the most obscure highway I plan to drive on," said Mr. Schaller, a program specialist for the Defensive Driving Program of the Arizona Supreme Court.

July 26, 2005 - Martin abandons special fall vote for sales tax. With resistance to a proposed sales tax mounting on all fronts, Martin County officials have killed plans for a fall vote on the issue. Three county commissioners who initially favored the penny tax to pay for roads, conservation land and other projects reversed their positions Monday after local business groups indicated they wouldn't support the Nov. 1 ballot issue.

July 26, 2005 - 6 MPO projects await funding. The Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization on Monday finalized a list of six local transportation projects. But those six projects have a long road ahead before the dollars meet the asphalt. They will have to compete with projects in 10 other counties for $31 million in funding.

July 25, 2005 - SunPass saves. Passing through a toll gate only once or twice a week, I never felt the need for SunPass. I usually waited about seven minutes to pay the $1.25 toll and get a receipt. I finally got a SunPass transponder, available for about $26 at Publix and other locations. I will save the cost of the transponder in less than a year, as the cost of each toll is 25 cents less than regular tolls.

July 25, 2005 - New express bus service connects Broward, Dade. Miami-Dade Transit is preparing to kick off a new express bus service on Aug. 1 that could be a boon to commuters in Northwest Miami-Dade and Southwest Broward. But Transit officials aren't getting any help from General Growth Properties, the Chicago-based owners of Pembroke Lakes Mall.

July 25, 2005 - County Will Look Nationwide for Transit Director. The new director of the Citrus Connection must be a nationally experienced transit executive who can take the system into a countywide bus system, a Lakeland Area Mass Transit Authority member said.

July 25, 2005 - Cameras not likely to be used. Florida cities that want to put up cameras to catch motorists running red lights wouldn't be able to fine them for the infraction unless state law is changed, state Attorney General Charlie Crist says.

July 25, 2005 - Melbourne tax debate starts. Which would city residents prefer to pay -- a 1-cent sales tax, an extra local option gas tax or a 1-mill property tax increase? All are listed as "likely prospects" for a future referendum in Melbourne's proposed $119 million-plus annual budget, set for its first public discussion today during a City Hall workshop.

July 22, 2005 - Dogs dispel bomb scare on Tri-Rail. Concerns about a silver box left on board a southbound Tri-Rail train caused transit officials to evacuate passengers at the Golden Glades station Thursday evening and call in investigators with bomb-sniffing dogs from the federal Transportation Security Administration. The package turned out to be an electrical circuit breaker box.

July 22, 2005 - Lynx buses prove popular. More and more people are riding Lynx buses, but the agency hasn't added any new routes -- leading to crowded buses that sometimes must skip stops because they are full.

July 22, 2005 - A $5.5 million lesson in public contracting. Florida Department of Transportation officials responsible for building the $1.4 billion Miami Intermodal Center learned important lessons from a project manager who botched his job. Unfortunately, the lessons cost taxpayers $5.5 million in overpayments to a contractor who should have been stopped much sooner.

July 22, 2005 - Panel bucks Bush on spending. In the latest evidence that Congress is chafing at President Bush's limits on spending, a Senate panel Thursday rejected cuts to Amtrak and voted to significantly increase spending for highways, airport construction and community development grants.

July 22, 2005 - Congress still at odds on highway bill. House and Senate negotiators were still at odds Thursday over how billions of dollars in federal highway money should be divided among the states, prolonging talks on a long-delayed surface transportation bill. With a compromise still beyond their grasp, the House and Senate were forced to enact the tenth extension of the old six-year highway law that expired in September 2003.

July 21, 2005 - Paint Complaints Could Take A Toll. Repair bills are piling up at the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, where toll road drivers continue to complain about an unexpected spray splattering and staining their cars. An authority official on Wednesday said about 15 calls have been added to the 50 complaints about a mildew-resistant sealant being sprayed on elevated lanes being built along the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

July 21, 2005 - Guest editorial: Modest changes could greatly improve airport security. A government report suggests that modest changes could greatly improve security at America's airports. Though they would somewhat increase costs, most of the changes seem worthwhile. The bombings in London underscored the wisdom of taking all reasonable precautions against terrorism.

July 20, 2005 - TRAFFIC: Going slow. If you think Jacksonville's traffic problems are getting worse, it isn't your imagination. The average local traveler was delayed eight hours because of congested roadways during peak traffic periods in 1982, according to a nationwide "urban mobility" study recently completed by the Texas Transportation Institute. By 2003, the last year for which figures were available, it was up to 34 hours -- more than four times as long.

July 20, 2005 - Highway bill agreement eludes Congress. A two-year struggle to come up with a new federal highway spending bill was being extended for two days Tuesday as an agreement continued to elude House and Senate negotiators. For the ninth time since the old six-year law expired in September 2003, the Congress was to approve a stopgap extension Tuesday night - when the eighth, 19-day extension was set to expire.

July 19, 2005 - Report: Bills for transit center inflated. Sweeping mismanagement of a demolition contract at the Miami Intermodal Center cost taxpayers an estimated $5.5 million in excessive payments, according to a recent investigation.

July 18, 2005 - Growth may force Floridians to live differently. Robert Sheriff's 15-mile commute to work takes him 45 minutes - on a good day. When hotel guests ask the front-desk clerk when the stop-and-go-traffic on the beach town's one main road lets up, he tells them the truth: It doesn't.

July 18, 2005 - Registered Traveler program hits road. What do money and fingerprints have in common? For the next couple of weeks you'll be able to deposit both at SunTrust Bank in downtown Orlando. The folks running the recently launched Registered Traveler program at Orlando International Airport are setting up a temporary, ATM-style kiosk at the bank that will take the fingerprint and iris information needed to complete the application process for a Clear Card, allowing you to breeze through airport security for $79.95 a year.

July 18, 2005 - Commuter rail service boon for Central Florida. The Silver Star rolls on, passing woods and lakes, industrial plants and rooftops reminiscent of prefab hills. It glides low over the St. Johns River on its way from DeLand to Orlando and points beyond. The Amtrak train isn't a commuter train, but in a few years one could run along these same tracks, leaving from DeBary and arriving in downtown Orlando in less than 45 minutes. The Volusia County Council recently approved its $11.7 million share of the $474 million project.

July 12, 2005 - Drivers feel pinch of rising gas prices. Driver Christopher Coles jokes that topping off the fuel tank of his van not only costs a lot more now, it also takes longer. "We have to look around for the mortgage department at the gas station before we can pay," he said. Consumers complained of gouging as Hurricane Dennis approached and the state is investigating those complaints.

July 12, 2005 - Drivers on cell phone more likely to crash. Drivers using cellular phones are four times as likely to get into a crash that can cause injuries serious enough to send them to the hospital, said an insurance study released Tuesday.

July 12, 2005 - TRAFFIC: Express lanes?. Toll. It's a four-letter word in Jacksonville. Residents felt so strongly about paying them that they voted for a half-cent sales tax to remove tolls. Now it is becoming increasingly clear that Jacksonville will not be able to build its way out of traffic jams. Growth is coming too fast. And the expense of building roads and paying for right of way has increased faster than even the most skeptical imagined.

July 12, 2005 - County ponders tax to finance projects. Charlotte County commissioners could impose an increase of 0.6 in property tax millage rates to finance nearly $36 million in projects over the next four years. Even with the proposed increase, the county's five-year capital improvement program still has an estimated $100 million deficit -- including $79 million in planned, but "unfunded" road projects.

July 12, 2005 - Work begins again to repair U.S. Highway 98. Motorists could be crossing Okaloosa Island again as early as Wednesday, according to the state Department of Transportation. DOT crews were hustling Monday to rebuild sections of U.S. Highway 98 that had been washed out Sunday by Hurricane Dennis.

July 11, 2005 - Ruling may open more meetings. From now on, everything that a group of representatives from several national, state and local government agencies does when it discusses the possible Suncoast Parkway extension through Citrus County must be done in public.

July 11, 2005 - Tunnel for port gets new backing. New moves are afoot to build community support for what would likely be one of the most expensive public works projects on a per-mile basis in Miami's brief history: a tunnel for the Port of Miami-Dade. The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the port, cargo carriers and a handful of local politicians are gearing up for another run at the alternative route for trucks beneath Government Cut.

July 8, 2005 - Pay for roads now, or pay more later. Some ideas for financing sorely-needed road construction in Marion County have been announced. Most of them sound like a good start on problems that are not going away if the area continues with its growth spurt.

July 8, 2005 - Hybrid Vehicles Threaten Commuters' Trip. Instead of crawling out of bed at 4 a.m. to beat the morning r