Phong T. Nguyen, the Senior Planner for the City of Palm Coast, has been certified as a Professional Transportation Planner according to a news release from the city government. Nguyen was praised in the release for attaining a somewhat certification in the field of metropolitan planning.
Nguyen’s certification was administered by the Transportation Professional Certification Board, which evaluated him as prepared to tackle complex and difficult logistical challenges in transportation, such as the ones Palm Coast faces in the present day. The city’s release claims that Nguyen’s expertise will help ensure “smarter planning and reduced delays on our streets”.
“Palm Coast is so lucky to have passionate professionals like Mr. Nguyen, who are making our city a better place to live and stay connected,” said Palm Coast Deputy Chief Development Officer Ray Tyner. “His achievement highlights his incredible expertise and reflects our city’s commitment to top-notch public service. On behalf of all of us—congratulations Phong!”
Palm Coast’s Gridlock Problem
In contrast to the affirmation of Palm Coast’s planning personnel, newly-elected Mayor Mike Norris recently wrote an open letter to the Florida Department of Transportation pleading for them to end their daytime lane closures in order to relieve traffic issues that present a legitimate safety issue. It’s not usual for Palm Coast’s elected officials to grapple with state entities in the public eye, especially as they run the risk of being fed obvious lip service in the eyes of their entire constituency. Norris’ plea was, however, met with an agreement by the FDOT to suspend daytime lane closures on SR-100 until the second week of January.
“The lane closures during the day are creating major backups and delays for residents, commuters, and emergency vehicles,” Norris said. “The current traffic issues are already concerning, and with this project expected to continue through April or later, we really need to find a solution to keep things moving as smoothly as possible.” While the management of state roads such as SR-100 aren’t so much in the purview of city staff such as Phong Nguyen, they represent one of the biggest headaches in the way they drive traffic onto arterial roads that are within the city’s control, many of which are seeing unprecedented strain in recent years.
