The Legislature and the Department of Transportation have improved coordination of public transportation projects consistent with our 2000 report.

• The Legislature gave state agencies a stronger role in selecting seaport projects, added restrictions on future seaport bond issues, and established a funding program for high priority public transportation projects.
• The department is preparing plans for developing trade corridors and intermodal transportation systems.
• Several metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in Central and South Florida have entered into formal cooperative efforts with neighboring MPOs for better coordination of regional transportation policy and planning.

However, other OPPAGA recommendations have not been implemented. The department still needs to improve planning data, and the state has not implemented a "smart growth" alternative planning process as recommended by the Transportation and Land Use Study Committee; this alternative emphasizes unifying transportation, environmental, housing, land use, and other planning functions.

It will be important for the High-Speed Rail Authority to establish performance measures that reflect this initiative's expected benefits. The authority should also seek to maximize private financial support and coordinate planning to maximize user access to other public transportation modes.