The socio-economic data and highway network changes made in the SR 70 Traffic Forecast Modeling Technical Memorandum and US 98 Project Development and Environment Study are incorporated in the No-Build Alternative. The potential developments (not incorporated in current version of D1RPM), received from the Highlands County and D1 office (https://arcg.is/1r5GvC) were also included. Traffic in the northeast Polk County of the D1RPM includes the flow to/from the Central Florida Regional Planning Model (CFRPM7) while maintaining previous agreements with the Polk County TPO as to external station volumes. Known Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) or other significant developments within this area were closely analyzed to make sure they were properly accounted for based on their build-out capacities and dates, resulting in some adjustments to total population and employment at the county level.
The 2045 socioeconomic data in the D1RPM is compared with BEBR (2015) medium-level population projections for 2045 and employment projections from InfoUSA. Table 8-1 shows the total from the BEBR and the D1RPM for Highlands County. The TAZs within the land use study area were reviewed and updated, as needed, to reflect projected 2045 conditions. Table 8.2 presents the potential growth added to each TAZs in addition to the developments in D1RPM. Figures 8-1 and Figure 8-2 graphically display the population and employment growth, respectively, by TAZ, between 2017 and 2045.
Table 8-1 - 2045 Socioeconomic Data - Total Population for Highlands County
| Data Source | Total Population | Total Employment | % Growth from Validated 2015 to 2045 in D1RPM2 | % Growth Heartland TPO 2045 LRTP (2019-2045) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEBR Totals1 | Medium 122,500 | High 147,300 | - | ||
| Highlands County Population | D1RPM:148,814 | - | 54% | 23% | |
| Highlands County Employment | - | D1RPM: 49,408 | 37% | 15% | |
1. Bureau of Economics and Business Research, Florida Population Studies, Bulletin 174 https://www.bebr.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/Research%20Reports/projections_2016.pdf
2. HRTPO 2045 LRTP Adopted March 10, 2021: The employment projections were derived from using regional economic forecasting software (REMI PI+).