Broward County Transportation Surtax Oversight Board Regular Meeting – February 6, 2026

The Independent Transportation Surtax Oversight Board met on February 6, 2026, at 9:30 AM in Plantation, FL. The meeting covered large capital project coordination, a comprehensive Broward County Transit update (including the Transit Forward 2040 Plan and Primo projects), the municipal surtax program, economic and small business development impacts, and a demonstration of program metrics. The board approved the minutes from December 12, 2025, and discussed future meeting agendas, including a request for pedestrian and bicycle fatality data.

Large Capital Project Coordination

• Deputy County Administrator Kevin Kelleher presented an overview of coordination for three major projects: the Airport-Seaport-Convention Center Light Rail Connector (3.5 miles, opening 2032, estimated $1.56 billion), the Automated People Mover (APM) at the airport (16,000 linear feet, six stations), and the Intermodal Center (nine levels, 7,000 parking stalls, 5.4 million sq ft). Each project has independent utility but is designed to work together. Kelleher highlighted recent successes: the convention center expansion (1.2 million sq ft, opened October 20, 2025), the bypass road (under budget and early), and the Omni-branded headquarters hotel (801 rooms, opened December 18, 2025).
• Board member Allen raised concerns about past mega-project failures (e.g., Boston Big Dig, California High-Speed Rail) and stressed the need for integration. Kelleher assured that coordination across agencies (public works, transit, aviation, ports, CVB, finance, OESBD) is ongoing. The connector light rail is slated for 2032. FEC railroad negotiations are progressing for aerial easements. Board member Coleman noted that 50% of funding is expected from federal grants, and the county must manage risks if federal priorities shift.

Broward County Transportation Department Update

• Transit Director Corey Cufflanagren reported on recent activities: a public kickoff meeting for the Airport-Seaport Connector (55 in-person, 70 online attendees); a combined graduation ceremony for 24 bus operators, 8 supervisors, and 2 bus traffic controllers; the launch of the Ride BCT app (10,000+ downloads since January 18, 2026); and a second APTA AdWheel award for workforce development. Ridership data showed a decline since 2014 attributed to ride-sharing and low gas prices. The department also created an emergency hotline (844-TOPS-911) for TOPs (Transportation Options for Seniors) and completed inspections on TOPs vehicles.
• Barney McCoy presented the Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA), rebranded as Transit Forward 2040. The plan aims to increase ridership by 68% by 2040 through 20 new microtransit zones, over 100 major route changes, and improved frequency. The 15-year implementation is phased: near-term (years 1-5), mid-term (6-10), and long-term (11-15). The estimated cost is $1.47 billion, with $801 million in capital (including a third maintenance facility). The board asked for detailed data on ridership projections, assumptions, and performance metrics.
• Abhishek Dayal provided an update on Primo projects: BCR South (commuter rail, 10.5 miles, 3 stations, $712 million, opening 2032; originally $297 million, increased due to risk assessment and access fees); BCR North (15.5 miles, $1.2 billion, PDE study later in 2026); Oakland Park Boulevard BRT (15 miles, $285 million, 100% surtax-funded, 30% design, opening 2030); and US 441/SR7 BRT (15 miles, $236 million, PDE study in 2026). Total combined capital costs for all Primo projects (light rail, commuter rail, BRT, high-frequency bus) is $5.2 billion. The board requested a breakdown of surtax share per project and noted the importance of prioritizing high-frequency bus (lowest cost, highest return).

Municipal Surtax Program Update

• Nathaniel (MAP Administrator) reported that municipalities have submitted additional applications for their FY2026 formula allocation from cost savings ($30 million). The Third Amendment requires microtransit contracts to include the county in indemnification and insurance. The board discussed the importance of ensuring smaller, historically underserved cities receive their fair share. Kelton Harvey presented municipal surtax leverage: as of September 30, 2025, municipalities contributed $87.5 million in non-surtax funding, achieving an 85.7% leverage ratio (93% from municipal funds, 6% from state/local, 1% from federal). The board asked for a city-by-city report on completed projects showing CVE attainment and types of industries and jobs created.

Office of Economic & Small Business Development Update

• Director Maribel presented CVE (Certified Vendor Enterprise) participation data: for all awarded projects, average CVE attainment is 39% (38% county, 40% municipal). For the top five completed projects, CVE attainment was 47% vs. a 36% goal, creating 92 direct jobs, with $10 million in payments and $15 million total economic impact. For all 125 awarded projects, projected impacts include 3,400 jobs, $258 million paid to CBEs, and $980 million total economic impact. A new business management system (PeopleSoft integrated) automates compliance and payment verification. The board requested future reports detailing city-level performance, types of businesses benefiting, and types of jobs created to better align workforce development.

Surtax Program Metrics & Dashboard Demonstration

• Gretchen Cassini reviewed the original programmatic promises from the October 2018 County Commission agenda. An exhibit showed categories (traffic congestion relief, improved resiliency, safety and connectivity, public transportation) with actuals vs. promises (e.g., 127,500 feet of drainage improvements completed vs. 127,000 promised; school zone projects, bicycle lanes, etc.). The Office of the County Auditor is conducting a performance audit. Alex Mayorga demonstrated a Power BI dashboard that allows filtering by project type, municipality, and funding distribution. The board discussed the need for clearer visuals and requested a toggle to exclude large Primo projects to see underlying distributions. The board also debated tracking pedestrian and bicycle fatalities as a metric; staff argued that surtax projects are not directly responsible for overall fatalities, but the board expressed interest in receiving such data to inform advocacy and future project prioritization.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to approve the minutes of December 12, 2025, was seconded and passed unanimously.
• The board asked staff to provide a city-by-city breakdown of CVE attainment and industry/job types by the April meeting.
• Staff will bring a report on pedestrian and bicycle fatality data related to surtax-funded projects and a broader context for board consideration.
• The board encouraged all members to attend pre-meeting briefings for efficiency and to take advantage of reappointment letters (terms expiring).
• The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 24, 2026, with a full agenda including low-stress multimodal master plan, bike/ped facility data visualization, independent financial audit, and more.