Study underway to ease traffic from Seminole County to OIA

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Central Florida leaders are pushing for changes along one of the area's busiest roadways.

A $1.2 million study is underway to look at possible improvements along State Road 436 between Orlando International Airport and Altamonte Springs.

The area sees more than 65,000 vehicles per day.

Drivers told Channel 9's Len Kiese the traffic is a mess.

“It’s awful. It’s horrendous,” Suzanne Bywater, who has lived in the area for two decades said. “You’re waiting so long at lights now. You can see it turn to green and you’re still stuck in traffic way back.”

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Traffic is one of the issues being looked at as several area agencies study 21 miles of SR 436 between the south terminal at Orlando International Airport and SR 434 in Altamonte Springs.

"We are at the center of everything,” Ortiz said.

Orlando City Commissioner Tony Ortiz said the corridor has seen improvements over the years, but transportation hasn't caught up with the times.

“We have over 18,000 people that work at the airport and most of them live in the area. So this is an area that requires the attention that we're providing,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz has tossed around the idea of a light rail or train system that would transport people from the airport, along SR 436 to Altamonte Springs. But Ortiz admits it would take lots of money and time.

So for now, he said the focus will be on a bus rapid transit system that would pick people up from stations along SR 436, every 10-15 minutes.

"For beginners, you know, until we get the system going. But eventually I dream or I envision us going to a more sophisticated system,” Ortiz said.

The 436 transit corridor will take about another year to complete.

Cox Media Group