Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County is receiving the 1000 Friends of Florida’s "Better Community Award" for adopting and implementing an innovative plan and implementing ordinances to promote multimodal transportation and sustainable patterns of development.  The award will be presented at the May 22, 2012, Regular Meeting of the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners at 9 a.m., in room 209 of the County Administration Building (12 SE 1st Street, Gainesville). 

Alachua County adopted its Mobility Plan in January of 2010, with the goal of supporting a wider range of transportation options for residents.  The plan provides for compact mixed use areas accessible by walking, biking and bus rapid transit.  It includes provisions for transit oriented development (TOD) and traditional neighborhood development (TND), an interconnected road network, bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, and bus rapid transit.  The County followed up the adoption of the Mobility Plan with several other implementation steps over the last several years, including the adoption of an Urban Service Area and a Multi-Modal Transportation Mitigation Ordinance.

“Alachua County is taking important steps to provide a wider range of transportation options for its residents,” 1000 Friends President and CEO Charles Pattison, FAICP, explains.  “With its mobility plan, urban services area, and multimodal transportation mitigation ordinance, Alachua County has taken a significant step to promote smarter growth.”

“The Board of County Commissioners took a visionary approach and put the Mobility Plan in place,” said Steve Lachnicht, Growth Management Department Director.  “Both the development community and the general public will benefit from the steps that the County has taken.  There are many long term benefits to putting in place the land uses and transportation systems that are a part of the plan.”

1000 Friends’ Better Community Award is presented annually for plans that have been implemented and projects that are completed that use the principles of smart growth to create livable, vital environments.

Click to learn more about 1000 Friends of Florida.

For more information, contact Alachua County Growth Management Director, Steve Lachnicht at 352-374-5249.