October 8, 2025 (Orlando, FL) — A partnership between the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) recently received the 2025 Florida TaxWatch Government Productivity Award. The honor recognizes state employees and work units whose work significantly and measurably increases productivity and promotes innovation.
The award-winning Desk Trooper program leverages secure, cloud-based technology that enables FHP troopers to remotely connect within minutes to those involved in a minor car crash and provide detailed crash assessments and documentation. The program enables FHP troopers to clear incidents more efficiently, reducing roadside risk and minimizing disruptions for motorists across CFX’s five-county system and statewide.
In the first year of the program, Desk Troopers reduced the time it takes FHP to clear a minor crash from hours to minutes, averaging a clearance time of 24 minutes per crash. Since the beginning of CFX’s fiscal year 2026, nearly 30% qualifying crashes on CFX’s system were cleared by Desk Troopers, and statewide, more than 750 crashes have utilized the program since its launch.
“It is a privilege to partner with such an exceptional team at the Florida Highway Patrol to implement this transformative technology together for our drivers,” said Michelle Maikisch, Executive Director of CFX. “Receiving the Government Productivity Award from Florida TaxWatch is a testament to our commitment to leveraging innovative technology and partnerships to enhance our world-class mobility network. With a busy holiday travel season right around the corner, the Desk Trooper pilot program ensures traffic on our system moves safely and efficiently.”
“As leaders in traffic safety, CFX and your Florida Highway Patrol are firmly committed to advancing safety and embracing innovation,” said Colonel Gary Howze II of FHP. “Over the past year, the Desk Trooper Program has received strong public support, significantly improved efficiency by reducing the need for traditional law enforcement responses and played a key role in preventing secondary crashes.”
As Desk Trooper enters the final year of its two-year pilot, CFX and FHP continue to gather data and feedback from drivers to finetune the program moving forward.
Click the link below to learn more about the Desk Trooper Program:
https://bit.ly/desktrooperprogram_
Request CFX’s media kit here: https://bit.ly/cfx-mediakit
Access Desk Trooper media kit here: https://bit.ly/desktrooper-mediakit
About the Central Florida Expressway Authority
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is an independent agency of the State of Florida that operates and maintains a regional network of expressways for 3.5 million residents of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties and more than 80 million annual visitors to Central Florida. CFX’s 125-centerline mile, user-funded system includes 73 interchanges, 14 mainline toll plazas, 5 mainline gantries, 76 ramp toll facilities (includes six ramp gantries) and 365 bridges. On average, more than 1.6 million toll transactions are recorded daily, all of them electronically. CFX operates E-PASS, the first electronic toll collection system in Florida, with more than one million E-PASS accounts. For more information, visit CFXway.com.
FAQ:
How can I utilize Desk Trooper?
If you’re involved in a minor crash, dial *347 (*FHP) to contact a Desk Trooper. If it is determined that your crash qualifies for the program, the trooper will send you a secure link. Once you grant permission, the trooper can temporarily access your phone’s camera and location to assess the crash scene. After the session ends, access is revoked, and you will receive a Driver Exchange of Information via email.
How do I know if my crash qualifies for Desk Trooper?
Crashes eligible for Desk Trooper typically meet the following criteria:
- No injuries
- No disabling vehicle damage
- No commercial vehicles involved
- No criminal activity suspected
These are considered “short form” crashes. If your crash meets these conditions and occurs in a supported area, it may be handled by a Desk Trooper.
How long will the Desk Trooper program last?
The Desk Trooper program in the middle of a two-year pilot phase, which began in October 2024.
To learn more about the Desk Trooper Program, follow this link: https://www.cfxway.com/for-travelers/projects/desktrooperprogram/
CONTACT:
Caleb Liptak
Senior Manager of Communications
407-883-9431
Caleb.Liptak@CFXway.com