Making two stops in Tallahassee, Fla., the GROW AMERICA Express will include visits to universities, manufacturers, bridges, freight facilities and highway projects in an effort to raise awareness of America’s infrastructure deficit.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum at the proposed SR 263 Capital Circle Southwest Project and pointed to Tallahassee’s efforts to promote economic development. Foxx also made a second stop to meet with students at Florida A&M University.
His visits are part of a four-day, five state bus tour, The GROW AMERICA Express, highlighting the importance of investing in America’s infrastructure and to encourage Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill.
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"I kicked off this bus tour with two stops in Tallahassee, one was a great sendoff by the students of FAMU, which begs the question of what kind of country we want to leave future generations,” Foxx said. “Right now, we’ve got a lot of work to do rebuilding America’s infrastructure and young people all across this country deserve more than a patchwork of promises from Congress and a future of short-term fixes. Congress needs to pass a long-term transportation bill like our GROW AMERICA Act to put us on a more competitive path.”
The estimated cost to complete the Capital Circle Southwest Project is $120 million — $111 million of which still needs to be found for the project to go to construction. When completed, this 6.7-mile-long project will widen SR 263 from two lanes to six, and add sidewalks and bicycle accommodations. It will upgrade intersections, provide an enhanced highway for cars, buses and pedestrians, and improve access to Tallahassee Regional Airport and Florida State University.
Earlier this month, the Obama Administration announced a plan to address the infrastructure deficit with a $478 billion, six-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal, building on the GROW AMERICA Act, which the Administration first released last year. The plan makes critical investments in infrastructure needed to promote long-term economic growth, enhance safety and efficiency, and support jobs for the 21st century.
The GROW AMERICA Express will include visits to universities, manufacturers, bridges, freight facilities and highway projects in an effort to raise awareness of America’s infrastructure deficit. Secretary Foxx will visit with students, business leaders, transportation stakeholders and community residents to discuss the projects that work, projects that are needed and to ask them to commit to standing up for a future with an American transportation system that is second-to-none.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
