Hillsborough TPO Meeting: Brightline Study, I-4 Express Lanes Vote, and Officer Elections – December 10, 2025

The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) held its regular meeting on December 10, 2025, from 10:00 AM to approximately 11:30 AM. Key actions included approving the Brightline Station Area Study, voting on a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendment for I-4 Express Lanes, and electing 2026 board officers. A quorum was present.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the November 10, 2025, TPO meeting unanimously.
• Approved committee appointments for the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rick Fernandez (CAC Chair, Tampa Heights) spoke in opposition to TIP Amendment 43 (I-4 Express Lanes), arguing that widening roads does not reduce congestion and that approving the amendment would lock the board into a $500 million project beyond the "point of no return."
• Dana Lazarus (North Ybor/East Tampa) opposed the amendment, citing lack of high-level need assessment, safety data, and transit envelope preservation.
• Chris Vella (33605) opposed the amendment, warning that express lanes on I-4 would set a precedent for toll lanes on federal interstates and jeopardize future transit options.
• Dr. Neil Manaymala (33629, physician) opposed the amendment, likening road widening to cosmetic surgery and urging investment in rail transit instead.

Discussion Items

Brightline Station Area Study

• Sarah Caper (TPO staff) and Stephanie McQueen (HDR) presented the study, which received 11,000–12,000 survey responses (mostly positive) and focused on multimodal connections to a future Brightline station in greater downtown Tampa.
• Board member Lynn Gray (School Board) expressed strong support for transit and requested demographic breakdowns of survey respondents. Gary Hartfield (HART) urged positioning HART as a key service provider for connections.
• Councilmember Bill Carlson (Tampa) opposed locating the station in Ybor City, citing congestion and potential harm to Tampa International Airport. He favored a multimodal center near downtown or the airport.
• Commissioner Joshua Wostal criticized the survey data as skewed toward transit activists and high-income respondents, noting high Brightline ticket costs and questioning financial feasibility.
• Councilmember Lynn Hurtak (Tampa) called the study a starting point for broader regional transit planning.
• Commissioner Harry Cohen stressed the need for a comprehensive plan to connect a Brightline station to downtown, Westshore, the airport, and beyond.
• Mayor Nate Kilton (Plant City) considered the study premature but accepted it.
• Mr. Klug (Port Tampa Bay) moved to accept rather than approve the study; the motion passed unanimously.

I-4 Express Lanes TIP Amendment (I-75 to County Line Road)

• Elizabeth Watkins (TPO staff) presented the amendment to add one express lane in each direction along a 17-mile corridor, with $3.7 million in state/federal funds for preliminary engineering. The project is part of Governor DeSantis' Moving Florida Forward initiative, accelerating construction to 2028 with an estimated $500 million total cost.
• FDOT District 7 Secretary Justin Hall answered board questions, stating that a 44-foot transit envelope is preserved per the 2019 NEPA document, that transit vehicles (including buses) can use express lanes for free, and that ingress/egress points have three to four locations (near I-75, Forbes Road, Nona Sassa, and Polk Parkway).
• Councilmember Hurtak expressed concern about preserving right-of-way for transit. Secretary Hall clarified the TIP amendment only authorizes funding and does not affect the NEPA-defined transit envelope.
• The board conducted a roll call vote; the amendment passed 13–2 (Councilmembers Hurtak and Carlson opposed).

2026 TPO Board Officers and Committee Assignments

• Chair: Mayor Andrew Ross (City of Temple Terrace) – re-elected unanimously.
• Vice Chair: Commissioner Joshua Wostal (Hillsborough County) – elected unanimously.
• Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board (TDCB) Chair: Commissioner Gwen Myers – reconfirmed.
• Livable Roadways Committee (LRC) Chair: Councilmember Lynn Hurtak – reconfirmed.
• MPOAC Alternate Representative: Mr. Anderson (Port Tampa Bay), with Mr. Klug as alternate – reconfirmed.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (unanimously): Brightline Station Area Study (accepted, not formally approved).
• Approved (13–2): TIP Amendment 43 for I-4 Express Lanes from I-75 to County Line Road.
• Elected officers and committee chairs for 2026 as above.
• Noted: Upcoming TMA/SCTPA meeting on December 12, 2025, at THEA; legislative updates on school zone/crosswalk safety bills, minimum yellow time increases, and AI signal modernization; and a presentation on Waymo autonomous rideshare planned for February 2026.