Lake County Comprehensive Plan Evaluation & Appraisal Report ...

Since 1993, when its Comprehensive Plan was found to be consistent, Lake County hasassembled baseline data and identified traffic circulation conditions. Advancements intechnology, federal regulations, and the creation of the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan PlanningOrganization in 2004 have facilitated transportation planning and analysis so the County shouldbe able to manage growth with fewer traffic circulation problems.Planning Horizon 2025 includes minimum level of service standards as well as continuing torequire the acquisition of traffic data and traffic concurrency. The new plan emphasizescoordination and collaboration as transportation usually occurs across jurisdictional lines and itis vital that limited resources are maximized.Mass Transit ElementMass transit is an evolving goal for Lake County. In 1990, there was no mass transit in LakeCounty and no plans to provide mass transit. Lake County began the fixed-route service,LakeXpress, on May 21, 2007. The bus service runs every hour from The Villages to Eustis withcirculator routes in the cities of Leesburg and Mount Dora (beginning in 2008). Primarily,LakeXpress provides public transportation along the U.S. Highway 441 corridor, including themunicipalities of Eustis, Fruitland Park, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mount Dora, and Tavares. In yearsto come, the service will be expanded to other urban areas of the County.In addition, Lynx, the public bus system serving metropolitan Orlando has expanded withlimited service in Lake County. The City of Tavares has also purchased water taxis for useduring festivals.Mass Transit is being eliminated as a separate element and combined with traffic circulation,aviation, and rails as part of the Transportation Element in Planning Horizon 2025 in a multimodaland comprehensive way. As a long-term strategy, the County intends to protect its railcorridors to preserve the possibilities of conversion to regional commuter rail, light railfacilities, or trails.Aviation and Rails ElementAviation FacilitiesThere are no commercial service airports, or commercial seaport facilities within the County.Commercial air carrier service is available at the Orlando International Airport in OrangeCounty, and the Orlando Sanford Airport in Seminole County. At the present time, Lake Countyhas nineteen FAA Landing Facilities, three (3) public, thirteen (13) private airports, and three (3)heliports, one each at the Leesburg Regional Medical Center, Waterman Hospital in Eustis andSouth Lake Hospital in Clermont. 66 http://www.dot.state.fl.us/aviation2008 Evaluation and Appraisal Report – Lake County, FloridaSeptember 23, 2008 12