Explanation of Indicator
Scenic highways provide a convenient means of enjoying the natural sights Florida has to offer. They can provide diverse experiences such as the rugged Atlantic beaches of St. Johns County and Flagler County or provide views of coral reefs from the Overseas Highway. Scenic highways exist not only in natural areas like the Everglades National Park, but also in areas where development has been allowed to progress in a responsible, unobtrusive manner. Routes like the stretch of State Road A1A from West Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale may not contain vast expanses of natural vistas and scenery, but they may be considered scenic because of the many canals and large villas that border the road.
Scenic highways are important to the state and local communities for various reasons. Some scenic highways are promoted as major tourist attractions and can stimulate economic growth and development. The American Automobile Association designates a highway as “scenic” when their criteria for this classification are met. Other scenic roadways are designated for preservation purposes and subsequently become tourist attractions that are regulated and monitored to ensure preservation. In either case, designation recognizes those significant intrinsic resources within the corridor as well as the community which sought designation. Regardless of the reason for designation, a scenic highway can increase tourism and the economy while protecting the valuable qualities along a roadway.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
Data on scenic highways can be obtained from the American Automobile Association, 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, Florida 32746-5080, or at (800)-222-4357.
ACQUISITION
The information is available in hard copy format, and no cost is associated with the acquisition of the data.
COLLECTION
The American Automobile Association updates its list of the nation's scenic highways on an annual basis through surveys of its members and site visits.
Data Limitations
The primary limitation of these data is that they may contain subjective biases, since there exist no definitive criteria for scenic highways.
Data Analysis
There are 944 miles of designated scenic highways in Florida; 558 miles are in coastal counties. The longest scenic highway is the Overseas Highway connecting the Florida Keys with one another and with the mainland. The longest expanse of scenic highway is SR A1A along the east coast. The current listing of scenic highways in coastal counties is summarized in the following table.
Route Description Approximate miles S.R. A1A Fernandina Beach to Daytona Beach 105 S.R. A1A Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale 47 I-75 Tampa to Wildwood 62 U.S. 41 Tamiami Trail 82 Park Road Everglades National Park to Flamingo 36 U.S. 1 Overseas Highway 107 C.R. 30A Hollywood Beach to Santa Rosa 21 U.S. 98 Gulf Breeze to Panama City 98 Total 558