| Posted by Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau
Last week, the Federal Highway Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation made history. Specifically, we jointly executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the FHWA and the Florida DOT concerning the State of Florida's participation in the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. More simply, we formalized a new relationship that embodies the principles of Every Day Counts initiatives. By assigning FHWA's responsibilities for federally funded highway projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to the Florida DOT, the Environmental Review Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that I signed with Florida DOT Secretary Jim Boxold will save time and money on highway projects throughout the Sunshine State and save taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
At our latest Every Day Counts summit, held last Wednesday in Orlando, Fla., we extended the era of better, more cost-effective government. The MOU we signed is a symbol of the innovative partnership we are building with the Florida DOT, and serves as an important tool to give states more responsibility without sacrificing federal oversight responsibilities for the environment. In this arrangement, Florida DOT will be legally responsible for ensuring that all federally funded highway projects comply with all aspects of NEPA prior to approving any environmental documents.
Click here to continue reading FHWA's 'Every Day Counts' Initiative is Empowering States
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