JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As you get ready to pack your car with presents and holiday joy, the Florida Department of Transportation wants you to pack your patience.
“AAA has said that we’re expecting about 110 million people on the roads. That’s nationwide,” said Hampton Ray, Community Outreach Manager with FDOT.
Ray said FDOT is prepared to handle the influx of people. He said, “We are staffed 24-7 here at the traffic management center. We like to consider ourselves like traffic elves to make sure that Santa gets where he needs to go.”
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The North Florida Regional Transportation Management Center in Jacksonville is the hub where FDOT, in partnership with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida Fish and Wildlife, monitors all the traffic cameras on the interstates in our area. It’s kind of how Santa checks his list twice.
“We’re pushing information out through our apps, through FL511, you can also see our live cameras across the state at FL511.com,” said Ray. “Then that information is also aggregated through Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.”
Ray said that with so many people hitting the roads, people should prepare for some traffic shifts.
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“Plan ahead, use caution on the roadways, construction zones are always changing,” said Ray.
If your car breaks down on an interstate, Ray said drivers should take advantage of its free Road Ranger service.
“With more people on the roads, we’re expecting maybe some more breakdowns. Flat tires do occur. We’ll help you change your tire. We will even do a courtesy tow off the roadway.”
The Road Ranger service is offered throughout the entire year; however, FDOT is ramping up the number of Road Rangers it has available during the holidays.
If you do have car issues on an interstate and need to utilize the Road Rangers service, call *FHP.
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