TPO Board Meeting February 11, 2026

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board met on February 11, 2026, from 10:00 AM to approximately 12:00 PM. The meeting covered major action items including a $32 million federal grant for HART compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and the adoption of a Traffic Signal Prioritization Study. Status reports were provided on HART's Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) service changes and Waymo's expansion (postponed). The board also discussed regional MPO merger apportionment and a newly introduced federal transportation bill.

Consent Calendar

• Committee Appointments: Confirmed Brian Nathan (Citizen at Large) and Aiah Yassin (Temple Terrace City Council) to the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), and Ron Patel (by City of Temple Terrace) to the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Committee.
• Resolution Recommending Hillsborough County as Community Transportation Coordinator: Approved a resolution recommending the Sunshine Line remain the transportation disadvantaged service provider for another five-year term. (Approved unanimously by voice vote.)
• Approval of January 14, 2026 meeting minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speakers signed up for oral comment.
• Advance comments submitted via email and social media were summarized by staff, including:
  • A letter from CAC members Christina Costa and Reva Inman expressing concerns about the Traffic Signal Prioritization Study omitting pedestrian/ADA push-button accessibility and proximity to schools, senior communities, and medical facilities.
  • A Facebook comment from Walk Tampa Bay encouraging completion of the Gulf Coast Trail.
  • A Facebook comment from Sam Bowden Akbari opposing Waymo expansion, citing negative impacts.
  • A comment from Eric Page sharing e-bike safety tips.

Action Items

TIP Amendment: HART New Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses

• Presenter: Elizabeth Watkins, TPO Staff
• HART was awarded a one-time $32 million federal grant to replace 33 aging diesel buses, with an $8 million local match for a total of $40 million. This completes HART’s transition to a 100% low-emission CNG fixed-route fleet, making HART the first transit agency in Florida to achieve this. Benefits include reduced air pollution (particulate matter), reduced maintenance costs (over $1 million/year), and improved service reliability.
• Discussion:
  • School Board Member Gray inquired about electric vs. CNG. HART’s Heather Sobush explained electric buses cost over $1 million each vs. $850,000 for CNG, require significant charging infrastructure, and HART has had CNG infrastructure since 2015.
  • Board Member Radhakrishnan asked about compatibility with renewable natural gas (RNG); HART confirmed they are actively researching RNG and the buses would be compatible.
  • Councilmember Clendenin noted that 33 buses replaced at once creates a future simultaneous end-of-life challenge. HART acknowledged the issue and stated their long-term fleet replacement plan is about 16 buses per year.
• Vote: Approved by roll call, 16-0.

Traffic Signal Prioritization Study

• Presenters: Wyatt Bowers and Travis Stewart (Atkins Realis); Wade Reynolds (TPO Staff)
• The study assessed baseline condition of over 1,200 traffic signals across Hillsborough County (including Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City, and unincorporated county) and developed a prioritization methodology for TPO funding decisions. Criteria included: age, condition, type of structure; floodplain vulnerability; controller type; evacuation routes; and High Injury Network (HIN) points.
• Discussion:
  • Councilmember Hurtak raised concerns about pedestrian/cyclist push-button accessibility and ADA compliance. Staff explained that field visits for all 1,200 signals were infeasible within the budget, but push-button evaluation will occur at the project application stage.
  • Commissioner Cohen suggested jurisdictions compile lists of known problematic intersections and create a portal for public reporting. Staff agreed to flag reported intersections in the database.
  • Board Member Gray noted the importance of school zones. Staff added points for proximity to schools (GIS-based) per board direction.
  • Commission Wostal and Cohen, after discussion, directed staff to create a separate list of signals within 500 feet of school zones. Wostal motioned to approve the study with that future addition; seconded by Cohen.
  • Additional discussion addressed emergency room pre-emption, downtown signal timing (not in scope), and standardization of data collection across jurisdictions.
• Vote: Approved (voice vote). Motion carried.

Status Reports

HART Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) Update

• Presenters: Donny Murray and Jesus Peraza Garcia, HART
• HART conducted a COA from September 15 to October 15, 2025, including 37 public engagement events (e.g., bus ride-alongs, town halls, open houses) reaching 750 people. 212 unique public comments were received.
• Proposed service changes (effective June 2026):
  • Remove routes 24 LX and 25 LX (least productive, low ridership); alternatives: Van Pool and existing route 3608 LX (extended morning hours).
  • Remove HARTflex South County (least productive route; $60 per ride average cost vs. system average $9 per ride). Alternative: Sunshine Line door-to-door service.
  • Increase frequency on Route 38 (Mango/Brandon) from hourly to every 30 minutes on weekdays (reallocating resources from removed routes).
  • On-time performance improvements for one or two of the lowest-performing routes (to be determined).
• Projected net ridership impact: 200 new daily rides vs. 178 riders impacted; 1,900 existing riders benefit from frequency/OTP improvements.

Waymo Expansion to Tampa (Postponed)

• Presentation on Waymo’s autonomous vehicle expansion was postponed because the presenter was called away on urgent business. Rescheduled for the April TPO board meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (16-0): TIP Amendment for HART CNG bus grant.
• Approved: Traffic Signal Prioritization Study, with direction to add a school-zone proximity list.
• Noted: HART service changes (COA) will be presented for formal approval at the March meeting.
• Noted: Waymo presentation rescheduled to April.
• Director's Report:
  • TMA meeting scheduled for February 13, 2026 (9:30–11:30 AM at THEA). Agenda includes a policy decision on regional MPO merger apportionment for small cities.
  • Upcoming TPO meetings: March 11, April, May, and June (TIP hearing) expected to run the full two hours.
  • Federal transportation bill (Basics Act) introduced; shifts funding from competitive discretionary grants to formula allocations and gives more flexibility to local governments. Staff will draft a potential letter of support.
• New Business: Chair Ross disclosed a written sunshine law allegation against two CAC members regarding private communication of committee business. The complaint was not read aloud; the board will investigate and provide a detailed report at the next meeting.
• Old/New Business: Discussion on regional MPO merger apportionment continued, with several board members expressing views on small-city representation. No formal decision was made; further discussion will occur at the TMA meeting on February 13.