NEW EXPRESSWAY OPENS TO ALL MOTORISTS
Expressway Authority Announces the Full Opening
of the SR 414 John Land Apopka Expressway
ORLANDO -- The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) will open State Road 414 John Land Apopka Expressway to all toll customers at noon on Friday, May 15, 2009. All on and off ramps of the SR 414 expressway will also open at this time. This new expressway extends from State Road 429 (Daniel Webster Western Expressway) to Maitland Boulevard at US 441. This is the first new, major Central Florida east-west corridor built in decades, and serves as a bypass around Apopka. It improves access to SR 429, Interstate 4, and employment centers such as the Maitland Center, while relieving congestion on US 441 and many local roads in the greater Apopka area.
Additionally, the SR 414 Coral Hills Main Toll Plaza and all tolled ramps on SR 414 are equipped with Express Lanes that enable E-PASS and SunPass customers to pay tolls electronically at the posted highway speed resulting in better, safer and faster travel on our system.
There will be some limited construction activities following the opening of SR 414. Motorists will be advised through signage on the roadway and alerts will continue to be sent. Final completion of the project is scheduled for early July 2009.
Portions of SR 414 opened in February to E-PASS and SunPass customers only. During this time, construction continued on the Coral Hills Main Toll Plaza and the ramp plazas and the portion of the expressway between Hiawassee Road and Maitland Boulevard at US 441.
The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, established in 1963 by the Florida Legislature, is responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a 105-mile limited-access expressway system to serve the metropolitan Orlando area. The Expressway Authority’s system includes SR 414, SR 408 (Spessard L. Holland East-West Expressway), SR 528 (Martin B. Anderson Beachline Expressway), SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) and SR 429 (Daniel Webster Western Beltway). The Expressway Authority was the first to bring Electronic Toll Collection to Florida with the inception of E-PASS in 1994. Today, there are more than 500,000 E-PASS transponders in use.
THE CITY OF APOPKA RESPONDS TO CITIZEN’S REQUEST FOR MORE RECYCLING!
The citizens of Apopka are doing their part to help reduce garbage in our landfills by increasing the amount of waste they recycle. And to help them with their efforts, the City of Apopka is responding to requests for additional recycling collections! HERE’S HOW…
The City now has available a sticker that customers can place on their regular garbage bins that indicates they are being used for recycling. This notifies the drivers to empty the recycling bins and also the garbage bins during their regular recycling collection route.
Here’s an example:
If a customer has excess recycling materials that cannot fit in their recycling bin, they can put these materials in their trash bin, place the new sticker on the trash bin and set it curbside on their scheduled recycling day along with their recycling bin. The driver will know when they see the sticker that the trash bin contains materials for recycling and they will empty it along with the recycling bin.
Garbage bins should continue to be used for regular garbage collection, but now can also serve to collect any overflow of recycling materials. Also, customers can request a larger recycling bin (95 gallon) if they currently have a smaller size. It will be delivered to their door at no additional cost.
To request a sticker, contact Public Services at 407-703-1731. A sticker will be provided at no cost.
THANK YOU CITIZENS OF APOPKA FOR DOING YOUR PART
TO HELP OUR ENVIRONMENT!!
C.S.I. Apopka Gang Awareness & Education Program
“NOT on my street, NOT in my neighborhood, NOT in Apopka”
- Who are today’s gangs?
- Why do young people become part of a gang?
- How do I know if my child is interested in or becoming part of a gang?
- What is gang graffiti?
- How do I know if there is gang activity in my neighborhood?
- What can I do to help?
A group of concerned citizens, business leaders, elected officials and religious leaders were asking the same questions…and have got together to find the answers!
Their mission is to share this information with members of our civic and religious community as well as educators, parents and school administrators to help keep our children out of gangs and safe from gang violence.
Meet C.S.I. Apopka. This stands for “Community Safety Initiative” for Apopka and represents a grass roots campaign to increase awareness and education throughout our community about gangs. Although the gang problem in Apopka is not nearly as severe as it is in major cities throughout Florida and the United States, gang members are here and pose a threat to our public safety.
The focus of C.S.I. Apopka is to increase awareness about who these gangs are and how to identify them, and to educate individuals on steps towards prevention, intervention and suppression. The steering committee has chosen a 3-prong initiative which they hope to unveil in the Fall of 2008. It includes:
- Speaking engagements with an in-depth power point presentation available to various groups in our community
- A guide that highlights resources available for parents, educators and citizens to take positive actions to prevent gang involvement, and;
- Community workshops with recognized gang experts.
Gangs are a very serious issue that EVERYONE needs to be aware of. Their presence not only affects our safety, but can hinder economic growth and development in our community. So NOW is the time when we must all work together to send a message to these gangs:
“NOT on my street, NOT in my neighborhood, NOT in Apopka!!”
To learn more about C.S.I. Apopka contact Commissioner Till at: kathyspud@aol.comKathy’s Vision For Apopka:
The next four years will be a very critical time for the City of Apopka. Our ever-growing community is facing many challenges, yet at the same time has many opportunities to become the premier city in Central Florida. It is vital that we have strong leadership in our government during this time.
Having worked hard to serve my constituents and my community, I am very proud of what we have accomplished in Apopka during the past four years: (For a complete list of projects, please click on the “Accomplishments” tab)
- Approved over 50 new commercial, retail and industrial projects within the city limits, including:
- VFW Post #10147/Apopka Community Center
- Lotus Yoga Center
- Chili’s at the Home Depot subdivision
- Hope Community Center
- Foster’s Corner Retail/Professional Office Center
- Improved city services throughout our community, including:
- Expansion of the Northwest Recreation Complex at Ponkan & Jason Dwelley Parkway
- Purchased new playground equipment for Kit Land Nelson Park
- Constructed a reclaimed water storage pond/aquifer-recharge facility
- Installed a lightning prediction system at all outdoor recreational facilities
- Installed automated water meter systems for ALL customers for more efficient and accurate readings
- Implemented automated garbage collection system for city residents
- Responded to citizen concerns and requests, including:
- Opened Doctors Park (new dog park) in July of 2007
- Purchased 103 acres of open space
- Implemented Wi-Fi services for city residents
- Reduced the millage rate from 3.7619 to 3.1738 for FY 2007-2008
- Introduced Volunteers in Public Service
- Implemented debit/credit card auto-pay for utilities bills through city web site
- Donated $1,000,000 to the construction of the YMCA
- Protecting our citizens:
- Installed traffic lights at the intersections of Welch & Vick Road and Ponkan & Vick Rd.
- Expanded our police force to 90 full-time officers
- Adopted Sexual Offenders & Sexual Predators Ordinance to protect our children
- Installed red light cameras at the intersections of Park Ave. & Main St. and 441 & Sheeler Rd.
A great deal has been accomplished, but there is still much more we must do to meet the challenges of our ever-growing community. That is why I am asking for your support as I pursue my candidacy for re-election as your Apopka City Commissioner, Seat 3.
I will remain diligent in supporting efforts to manage the growth of Apopka, balancing residential and commercial growth while protecting of our natural resources, so that our citizens can live, work and play within their community.
The on-going downtown revitalization project will continue to be a priority. This exciting project will bring about the balance mentioned above, and preserve the “small town charm” that Apopka is known for throughout Central Florida, while strengthening our local economy.
I also believe it is so important to become involved in the community. Pride in a city is accomplished when its residents feel a sense of ownership. So I will continue to encourage everyone to volunteer, especially our youth, by participating in community events and becoming active in keeping Apopka a safe, clean and beautiful place to live.
As I look around our wonderful city, I have such pride in all that we’ve become. But Apopka can only continue to flourish if our residents feel safe. That is why during the next four years I am going to make it my top priority to work closely with our police department to increase gang awareness and reduce crime and gang violence in our community. But this is not something that can be accomplished by one person. Apopka is YOUR city and it’s MY city. It will take all of us working together and a city of concerned citizens to make sure Apopka is safe for our families.
Kathy Till and her family came to Apopka over 12 years ago from the
Midwest. Bringing with them their hopes and dreams, the family grew
and thrived in the community, gaining many friends and business acquaintances
that have become their "extended family." Kathy has also seen
her children grow through an excellent education system, and join in
her efforts at being an active, caring member of the community.