FDOT lays out FY27-FY31 tentative work program for Alachua County, board told to submit comments by Nov. 20

FDOT District 2 representatives on Monday walked the Gainesville MTPO board through their tentative work program for fiscal years 2027through 2031, highlighting resurfacing, pedestrian-safety, signal and sidewalk projects in Alachua County and asking the board to submit formal comments by Nov. 20.

"So this is the tentative work program for fiscal years '27 through '31 for the Gainesville MTPO," the FDOT presenter said, outlining projects in Alachua County that are slated to reach construction in 2027, including a railroad crossing rebuild on State Road 235, a new signal on State Road 200 at Southeast 57th Avenue, and upgrades on State Road 24 at State Road 121 with ADA improvements.

The presentation described categories of projects (resurfacing, preservation, bridges, capacity, traffic operations, public transportation and off-system roads) and noted many entries marked "Project Dropped" where construction is expected earlier (often in 2026) or where phases are complete. Board members pressed FDOT staff to keep safety-focused features in scope when projects move forward.

Miss Moss, MTPO staff, said the board would funnel member comments into a single letter to the district: "I will be compiling a letter," she said, asking that commissioners and city staff send project-specific suggestions for inclusion. FDOT staff gave the technical routes to comment: submissions through nflroads.com or by mail addressed to Greg Evans, District 2 secretary.

Board members and audience speakers emphasized several local priorities during the review: adding pedestrian crossings and lighting on West University Avenue (project 4355582 was cited by name), advancing safety work on University Avenue where past cost escalation pushed improvements out, and ensuring Safe Routes to School projects serve nearby elementary and middle schools. FDOT said some landscaping funds can be creatively used for lighting in limited cases but cautioned that funding categories can restrict reallocation.

FDOT also described specific sidewalk and pedestrian-safety projects, including a Safe Routes to School project serving Alachua Elementary and a shared-use path/sidewalk package for Mabay Middle School, and said several resurfacing projects would include guardrail upgrades and mid-block crossings where design allows.

The board did not take formal action on the work program at the meeting; instead staff will collect board comments and submit them to FDOT before the Nov. 20 deadline. "If there are projects that we really want to see advanced," Miss Moss told the group, "we'll include those in the letter."