Recently, I had the opportunity to present to the Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council (MPOAC), a powerful group that represents every MPO in the state. The response was equally as enthusiastic. Last fall, the MPOAC recognized our Spaceport Master Plan in a formal letter, written to the Secretary of Transportation. Among other things, this letter specifically asked for space travel to be considered as an important mode of transportation for the state of Florida. I believe this recognition is significant, in that it supports the notion that the State has a tremendous opportunity to take leadership in investing in space transportation improvements – specifically those detailed within our Spaceport Master Plan.

Meeting with Metropolitan Planning Organizations across the state is only one method of communicating the space industry’s important message here in Florida, but a critical one, nonetheless. I’m pleased to see the MPOs showing an increased and proactive interest in growing Florida’s commercial space industry at this critical time in Florida’s history.

In recent weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to brief a variety of Florida Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on Space Florida’s 2010 Spaceport Master Plan. Specifically, I’ve used these forums to discuss recommendations Space Florida has, on behalf of the State, for infrastructure projects in the coming months and years. The MPOs serve a critical function for Florida, providing recommendations to the Department of Transportation (DoT) on which proposed infrastructure projects to support.

The “Multi-Modal Hub” concept relates to linking every mode of transportation from space to sea to rail to highway.  Members were unaware of the impact of the State’s legacy space transportation system and the creative efforts being made to enhance activities for the future of the Nation’s aerospace industry.

Two things became clear during my recent briefings. (1) These groups fully understand the importance of space to the health and well-being of Florida, our nation and the world. More importantly however, (2) the MPOs clearly recognized the need for a transportation-oriented effort to ensure Florida maintains its leadership in space through space infrastructure investment opportunities. It seems as though the idea of classifying space exploration and utilization as a transportation mode hadn’t been considered previously in State funding requests.

My early-January meeting with the Central Florida MPO Alliance was a tremendous win for the Florida Space industry. The announcement that Cecil Field received their FAA/AST launch site operator license spoke volumes concerning possibilities for Florida. The CFMPOA – which is made up of city government and county commission leaders, as well as regional transportation officials – had an enthusiastic response to both the Cecil announcement, and our Spaceport Master Plan.

In Brevard County, previous meetings with the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) resulted in a letter of support for our Exploration Park initiative and even proposed Resolution 10-10, encouraging the State to fund Exploration Park infrastructure. (Click here to see letter.)