Roger Roscoe | FDOT District 7 Scenic Highway Coordinator, Recipient Bill Jonson, Allison Roberts | Vice Chair of Courtney Campbell Causeway, Dean Stoddart | FDOT State Scenic Highway Coordinator, and Richard Moss | District Planning & Environmental Admin.
The Florida Scenic Highways Program has selected Bill Jonson to be this year’s recipient of the Garry Balogh Inspiring Excellence Award!
Over the last 24 years, Mr. Jonson has successfully spearheaded numerous efforts to transform the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway into an exemplary byway between Tampa and Clearwater, featuring one of the most popular pedestrian corridors in Tampa Bay.
Before that, he worked with Scenic America to reduce sign pollution in the region and helped establish Florida’s Scenic Highways Program we enjoy today.
Richard Moss | District Planning & Environmental Admin, Recipient Bill Jonson, Dean Stoddart | FDOT State Scenic Highway Coordinator, Allison Roberts | Vice Chair of Courtney Campbell Causeway, and Justin Hall, FDOT District 7 Director of Transportation Development
Bill Jonson had a Vision
Bill Jonson had a vision while crossing the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa decades ago. He looked out over Tampa Bay and was stunned by the Causeway’s ability to showcase the Bay’s scenic vistas.
From that day forward, Mr. Jonson has volunteered his time to beautify the surrounding area and help establish the Florida Scenic Highways Program. Ultimately, he led the effort that resulted in the designation and ongoing management of the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway.
Tampa Bay’s Only Byway
In October 2000, Bill Jonson established the initial advocacy group for the Courtney Campbell corridor. Between 2001 and 2003, he successfully petitioned the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council to assume the official role of the byway organization. This led to its eventual designation in 2005.
His innovative relationship with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council created a strong local perspective and voice for the byway. It helped create ongoing regional support that serves as an example to other byways (several of which have been considering a similar structure).
Evolution of the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway
Bill Jonson has served as Chairman of the byway since 2005. In 2007, under Mr. Jonson’s leadership, the byway organization worked with Florida DOT on a study to further enhance the Causeway with the addition of a recreational trail. This culminated in the construction of a 9.5-mile pedestrian trail and bridge along the Scenic Highway. The construction of this segment of trail, known as the Courtney Campbell Trail, spurred the development of an entire regional trail network made up of 70+ miles of multi-use paths for people to walk and bike throughout the region, connecting to larger networks including the Gulf Coast Trail and the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail. Before the development of the recreational trail, cyclists on the Courtney Campbell Causeway were often confined to 2-foot shoulders on the busy highway. For the last decade, the 16-foot-wide pedestrian trail averages an estimated 2,000 pedestrians each day.
Mr. Jonson recruited leadership and involvement from a who’s who of local government agencies, businesses, and citizen groups, resulting in 20+ organizations routinely involved in byway meetings or initiatives. Leveraging strong regional connections, the byway has added trail amenities, including trail shelters, improved street lighting, and landscaping.
The byway organization continues its work on initiatives impacting the byway, including:
- Work to enhance the local water quality, address erosion, and promote
- A pedestrian overpass along with other operational and safety
- A welcome/information center and trailhead
- A variety of opportunities for public involvement and
An Exemplary Volunteer
Roughly 30 years after Mr. Jonson began his work to help establish the Florida Scenic Highways Program and 25 years after Mr. Jonson set his sights on obtaining Florida’s Scenic Highway designation for the Courtney Campbell Causeway, he is still volunteering and serves as both founder and Chair of the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway Corridor Advisory Committee.
While he remains a central figure of the Causeway’s modern journey, molding it into a treasure, he has also taken the time to develop a strong network of colleagues to help keep the vision alive long into the future.
In addition to his leadership with the byway organization, Mr. Jonson has been heavily involved with other organizations to share the byway’s stories and projects with others in the region:
- Jonson has volunteered for several decades with Scenic America, now serving on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer. Scenic America is the only national nonprofit that helps citizens safeguard the scenic qualities of America’s roadways, countryside, and communities.
- For the last two and a half decades, Mr. Jonson has volunteered with Citizens for a Scenic Florida, an affiliate of Scenic America, to enhance, protect, and preserve the visual environment of Florida as mandated by the Scenic Beauty clause of the Florida Constitution. He currently serves as President of Citizens for a Scenic Florida.
- Jonson has helped promote the Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway within the Florida Scenic Highways Program, serving as host byway for the 2023 Annual Florida Scenic Highways Program Workshop in Tampa, Florida.
The Florida byway community continues to be inspired by Bill Jonson’s exemplary work as an advocate for his byway region, and for the scenic beauty of our state! We thank Bill for his service to the Florida Scenic Highways Program and are honored to present the Garry Balogh Award to such an esteemed volunteer and leader within our community!
To learn more about the byway on the Courtney Campbell page, and check out the updated FSHP Photo gallery to see the recreational and scenic resources Bill has worked to develop and preserve.
