In Memoriam: Ben Watts

Former Florida DOT (FDOT) Secretary Ben Watts died June 20 in DeFuniak Springs, FL.

Watts joined FDOT in 1974 and held positions of increasing levels of responsibility in maintenance, design, and production management. In 1984, he became a deputy engineer in District Five, and in 1987 became District Five Secretary. In early 1989, he was named Assistant Secretary of Operations of FDOT’s seven districts and the Florida Turnpike, and later that year was appointed Secretary of Transportation, a position he held until 1997.

While serving as Secretary, Watts created and fostered a culture of multimodalism. He also oversaw the early development of Florida’s High-Speed Rail efforts and provided support to Tri-Rail in its initial operations.

In 1997, APTA awarded FDOT with its Government Agency Transit Achievement Award, APTA’s highest award for a non-transit agency.

APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said, “I had the privilege of working with Ben during my time in Florida as president of the Lynx system. He was a strong supporter of multimodal transportation and an extraordinary public servant. He will be missed.”