Lakeland, Florida

==Infrastructure==

===Transportation===
Because Lakeland is the largest city on [[Interstate 4]] between Tampa and Orlando, the city is an important transportation hub. The county nickname, Imperial Polk County, was coined because a large bond issue in 1914 enabled wide roads between the cities of Polk County.<ref name="Why Iperial Polk">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?menu_id=8&nav=res&id=122
 |title       = Why Imperial Polk
 |access-date  = September 10, 2010
 |publisher   = Polk County Website
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20101129074342/http://polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?menu_id=8&nav=res&id=122
 |archive-date = November 29, 2010
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>

The important freeways and highways in Lakeland today are:
* {{jct|state=FL|I|4}} ([[Interstate 4]]) is the main interstate in central Florida linking Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach.
* {{jct|state=FL|Toll|570}} (or [[Polk Parkway]]), is a tolled beltway around Lakeland, with both ends terminating at Interstate 4. Although its shape, location, and tolls makes it impractical as a "bypass" road, it is useful as a way of getting from part of town to another and providing access to I-4 from most parts of the city.
* {{jct|state=FL|US|92}}, following Memorial Boulevard for most of the city, was the route leading to both Tampa and Orlando before I-4 was built; US 92 is still a main road leading to Plant City going west, and Auburndale, Winter Haven, and Haines City going east.
* {{jct|state=FL|US|98}}, going south, follows Bartow Road and leads to Bartow, the county seat. Heading north out of town, it provides a route to [[Dade City, Florida|Dade City]].
* {{jct|state=FL|FL|33}}, following mostly rural land, provides access to [[Lake County, Florida|Lake County]] and the [[Florida Turnpike]].
* {{jct|state=FL|FL|37}}, following Florida Avenue, the main north–south route in Lakeland, is also the main road leading south to [[Mulberry, Florida|Mulberry]].
* {{jct|state=FL|FL|540}}, Winter-Lake Road, is in southern Lakeland, leading to Winter Haven and [[Legoland Florida]].

====Bicycle routes====
In recent years, the Lakeland area has developed a number of paved, multi-use bicycle routes including the [[Lake-To-Lakes Trail]], which runs from [[Lake Parker (Florida)|Lake Parker]] through downtown, past several lakes, ending at Lake John. Other routes include University Trail, which connects [[Polk State College]] to Florida Polytechnic University, and the [[Fort Fraser Trail]], which runs along US Highway 98 from Polk State College to Highway 60 in [[Bartow, Florida|Bartow]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Trails and Facilities|url=http://www.lakelandgov.net/bicycling/trails-facilities|access-date=April 5, 2016}}</ref>

====Public transportation====
[[File:Lakeland FL Amtrak station01.jpg|thumb|Lakeland Amtrak Station]]
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* [[Lakeland station|Lakeland Amtrak Station]]
* [[Lakeland Linder International Airport]] In 2017, Linder received its first international flight and was renamed Lakeland Linder International Airport in 2018.<ref name="LinderInternational">{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Kimberly C |title=Airport director on a mission to bring airline service to Lakeland Linder International Airport |url=http://www.theledger.com/news/20180712/airport-director-on-mission-to-bring-airline-service-to-lakeland-linder-international-airport |access-date=20 July 2018 |newspaper=Lakeland Ledger |date=12 July 2018}}</ref>
* Lakeland Greyhound Terminal
* [[Citrus Connection]] local bus service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ridecitrus.com/content/interior.asp?section=routes&body=lakeland.htm|title=Citrus Connection|work=ridecitrus.com|access-date=December 10, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215044335/http://www.ridecitrus.com/content/interior.asp?section=routes&body=lakeland.htm|archive-date=December 15, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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===Utilities===
Water and wastewater in the Lakeland area is managed by Lakeland Water Utilities, municipal water supply is treated at local water plants, T.B. Williams and C. Wayne Combee. The water is mainly supplied by wells that draw from the [[Floridan aquifer]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Water Utilities|url=https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/water-utilities/|access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref> Power is generated by a nonprofit public power utility, Lakeland Electric.<ref>{{cite web|title=More About Lakeland Electric|url=https://lakelandelectric.com/our-company|access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref>

Lakeland Electric is a municipal utility and government department of the city of Lakeland, Florida.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/00/55/46/00001/FNP%2061.pdf#page=24|title=FNP 61|date=Feb 22, 2002|website=University of Florida Libraries}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publicpower.org/public-power-florida|website=American Public Power Association|title=Public Power in Florida|access-date=2020-02-13}}</ref> Lakeland was the third city in the state of Florida to have electric lighting powered in 1891 by The Lakeland Light and Power Company after Jacksonville and Tampa. Over a decade later in 1904, citizens purchased the private light power plant for $7,500 establishing the locally owned, municipal utility known today as Lakeland Electric.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/library/lakeland-history-room/brief-history-of-lakeland/|title=Brief History of Lakeland|website=lakelandgov.net|access-date=2020-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.psc.state.fl.us/Files/PDF/Utilities/Electricgas/TenYearSitePlans/2017/Lakeland%20Electric.pdf#page=11|title=2017 Ten-Year Site Plan: City of Lakeland Historical Background|website=My Florida Public Service Commission|language=en|access-date=2020-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20040723/News/608116495/LL|title=Power Pact|website=The Ledger|language=en|access-date=2020-02-13}}</ref>

====Power plants====
Lakeland Electric powers the city of Lakeland by two power plants, C.D. McIntosh Power Plant, coal-natural gas combined cycle plant slated to phase out in 2024, and Larsen Memorial.
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z1qtvOmFnMMC&q=C.D.+McIntosh+Power+Plant+and+Larsen+Memorial&pg=PA373|title=Inventory of Power Plants in the United States|access-date=2020-02-13|website=Google Books|year=1992}}</ref> The last coal unit at C.D. McIntosh Power Plant is slated to phase out in 2024 a plan presented by the Lakeland Electric staff in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2019/05/lakeland-electric-moves-retire-last-coal-unit-cd-mcintosh-coal-burning-power|title=Lakeland Electric Moves to Retire Last Coal Unit at CD McIntosh Coal-burning Power Plant|date=May 8, 2019|website=Sierra Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-ne-lakeland-orlando-coal-retirement-20190508-xbgo5ntz2zbjhcveqnwcdu6gwu-story.html|title=Coal power plant in Lakeland, owned by OUC and Lakeland Electric, to be retired|access-date=2020-02-13|website=www.orlandosentinel.com}}</ref>