The Public Works Podcast: James Cromar and Christine Fanchi Episode

TITLE: Initiatives at Broward MPO: Regional Safety, Vision Zero & Turning Plans into Projects SUMMARY: In this episode, host Shane Silsby travels to Southeast Florida to sit down with James Cromar, Deputy Executive Director of the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO), and Christine Fanchi, Vice President of Transportation Planning at WSP. They discuss how a regional MPO coordinates across 31 municipalities, the ambitious Safe Streets For All initiative, and what it takes to turn transportation plans into real, funded projects on the ground. Topics include the $5 million SS4A grant, quick-build tactical urbanism, the high-injury network analysis, jurisdictional complexity of state roads running through urban areas, and the path toward Vision Zero by 2050. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro & welcome 0:50 — Meet the guests at the Broward MPO offices 2:08 — James Cromar's career journey (Denver consultant → South Florida public sector) 4:29 — Christine Fanchi's career journey (engineering → Phoenix → Fort Lauderdale → consulting) 6:31 — Working across city, county, and regional levels of government 8:35 — Broward MPO's separation from county government 9:38 — What the Broward MPO actually does 11:31 — Federal funding structure for MPOs 12:47 — Long-range transportation plan & Broward's build-out context 14:09 — Turning planning documents into built projects through collaboration 17:25 — Quick-build & tactical urbanism programs 19:30 — Winning the $5M Safe Streets For All grant 22:07 — The Safe Streets Design Manual 22:50 — NACTO Urban Street Design Guide & designing for people 24:20 — Elements of a successful grant application 27:31 — 77% of fatal/serious crashes on just 6% of streets 28:16 — High-injury network analysis & priority corridor selection 30:30 — Jurisdictional complexity: state roads through urban areas 35:03 — Lighting safety action plan findings (dusk crashes, etc.) 40:27 — What is Vision Zero? 45:19 — Public outreach: roadshows, community meetings & video campaigns 49:41 — Safety dashboard & safestreets4broward.org 50:51 — Moving from plans to funded capital projects 55:57 — Leadership, collaboration & building trust across 31 municipalities 59:12 — Career advice for young planners and engineers 63:22 — Closing & call to action 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED: Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) — https://browardmpo.org Safe Streets For Broward — safety dashboard & resources: https://safestreets4broward.org WSP (consulting firm) — https://www.wsp.com Safe Streets For All (SS4A) grant program (USDOT) Vision Zero — https://visionzeronetwork.org NACTO Urban Street Design Guide — https://nacto.org/publication/urban-s... Florida Design Manual (FDOT) Dangerous by Design report (Smart Growth America) Safe Routes to School program Surface Transportation Block Grants (federal funding) TIGER grant program Broward County Transit FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) FTA (Federal Transit Administration) ITE — Institute of Transportation Engineers 🙌 CALL TO ACTION: If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a friend who works in transportation, public works, or urban planning. Follow The Public Works Podcast on YouTube and LinkedIn for more episodes. And most importantly — thank a transportation, public works, or planning professional near you. They're doing the work you don't see until it shows up on the street. #tpwp #leadership #innovation #localgovernment #MPO #transportation #safety #mobility #federalfunding #SS4A