An Orange County transportation advisory board brought its discussion to Apopka Thursday night, when officials and board members stressed how regional systems – from highways to Orlando International Airport — are shaping mobility in northwest Orange County. 

The Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission (TransMAC), a citizen-led board created by a voter-approved charter amendment, reviews transportation spending and makes recommendations to county leaders on current and future mobility needs.  

Chair Eric Grimmer said holding the meeting in District 2, at the John H. Bridges Community Center, offered an opportunity to connect regional planning efforts to one of the county’s fastest-growing areas. Driving in on Ocoee Apopka Road, he said he could see the city’s rapid growth in expanding industrial space alongside new residential and commercial development. 

“They’re probably dealing with some of those issues that you often see when there’s rapid growth — the infrastructure trying to catch up to that growth, including the transportation,” Grimmer said. “That’s a tale as old as time, I don’t think just here, but in a lot of places.” 

District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore framed the discussion around long-term capacity challenges, citing a county study whose final page concluded that every road leaving northwest Orange County is projected to be failing within 30 years.  

“That’s a hard situation to build your way out of,” she said. “Part of what needs to happen is making sure that our citizens can stay here, work here, play here, shop here, and they don’t have to leave every day.”  

Moore pointed to regional partnerships – including the Central Florida Expressway Authority and state agencies – as critical to addressing congestion driven by population growth. 

“More and more people moved here, and we don’t even recognize that there was any relief,” she said, referring to how Wekiva Parkway and other expressways initially took pressure off U.S. 441 before growth caught up. 

The meeting also focused on the role of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which operates Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport, and how airport traffic connects to local transportation networks. 

GOAA officials said Orlando International Airport (MCO) handles tens of millions of passengers annually and draws travelers from across Central Florida, making access to and from the airport a regional issue, not just an Orlando concern.  

“As an airport, we’re essentially the front porch for our community,” GOAA Senior Vice President Brad Friel said.  

For commission members, the discussion turned to how residents – including those in Apopka – reach the airport and how that demand impacts roads and transit systems. 

“I am most concerned [about]: how are people getting to the airport, and how are people getting from the airport,” Grimmer said.  

Board member Jose M. Hoyos – a LYNX bus operator who runs airport routes and lives near Orlando International Airport – said future rail connections could fundamentally change how Apopka residents access MCO.  

“A lot of people are questioning … how does it impact the Apopka area?” Hoyos said. “Well, it impacts if somehow we have a SunRail that connects it directly to the airport.”  

He said he doesn’t want “SunRail just to be a separate rail line, commuter rail line,” but “an extension of the airport,” where people in places like Apopka or Maitland could park at local stations and ride straight to their flights instead of driving. The idea, he said, would require substantial investment.  

Noticing County Commission candidates in attendance, Hoyos noted that whoever sits on the commission will have to speak to the Florida Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration about securing funding.  

“We only need $400 million to connect SunRail … and $26 million per year to have weekend service,” Hoyos said.  

The discussion underscored a broader theme repeated throughout the meeting: transportation challenges in Apopka are closely tied to regional infrastructure and long-term planning decisions. 

“If we’re going to be successful, we really have to understand how — from city to toll roads to federal roads — how this all fits together, and it’s complex,” she said.  

The idea of rail service through Apopka is not new. Earlier proposals, including the Orange Blossom Express, envisioned a commuter line along the U.S. 441 corridor connecting Apopka to Orlando. However, funding challenges stalled the project as regional focus has since shifted toward linking SunRail to Orlando International Airport.