Hillsborough County TPO Board Meeting – March 11, 2026
Hillsborough County TPO Board Meeting – March 11, 2026
The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board met on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at the Hillsborough County Center in Tampa, Florida, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Chair Andrew Ross (Mayor of Temple Terrace) presided. The meeting covered routine approvals, two action items (a multimodal study and a safety evaluation), status reports on transit development and the unified planning work program, a retirement recognition, and a report on a Sunshine Law matter involving citizen volunteers.
Consent Calendar
- Committee Appointments – The Board confirmed nominees to the Citizens Advisory Committee (Jason Grundy), Technical Advisory Committee (Joel Yap, Holliston Wagner, Martha Nava Ortiz, Danny Collins), and Livable Roadways Committee (Zeina Kamal).
- Prioritization Project Pilot Program (PPPP) Consultant Negotiation – The Board authorized staff to begin agreement negotiations with Kittelson & Associates (with Benesch as backup) for the $1,056,000 grant-funded Tampa Bay Transportation Project Prioritization Initiative.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public speakers were present at the meeting. One advance comment via email from George Stokes expressed support for a Bright Line station in Tampa; a comment on X (formerly Twitter) inquired about light rail projects. These were summarized by staff.
Discussion Items
Temple Terrace Multimodal Network Connections Study (Approved)
- Chris Keller (Benesch) presented the final study, which identifies a network of low‑stress bicycle and pedestrian connections within Temple Terrace, including an 8.5‑mile primary circular route linking parks, schools, and commercial areas. The study includes a prioritization tool (tier‑based) and a high‑level cost estimate (~$18 million for all projects, not a single budget). Board members asked about school connectivity (elementary, middle, high schools), wayfinding signage, coordination with county/state roads, and implementation timeline. Mayor Ross clarified that Temple Terrace has no current plan to spend $18 million on bike trails; the study will be used as a menu of options. The Board approved the study unanimously (motion by Councilmember Clendenin, second by Commissioner Myers).
Safety Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation (Approved)
- Jennifer Musselman (Kittelson & Associates) presented the evaluation, which analyzed 14 low‑cost/high‑cost treatments and 10 case studies (five higher‑cost, five lower‑cost) in Hillsborough and neighboring counties. Key findings: higher‑cost projects (e.g., roundabouts) more consistently reduced fatal/serious injury crashes; lower‑cost projects (e.g., raised crosswalks, rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons) offered strong return for specific crash types (pedestrian, left‑turn). Dr. Wong noted the study’s limitations (small sample, three years of data) but advocated shifting strategy toward more transformative safety projects. Councilmember Clendenin expressed concern about the data’s sufficiency, but several members (Commissioner Cohen, School Board Member Gray) highlighted practical takeaways (bulb‑outs on Kennedy Boulevard, protected left‑turn signals). The Board accepted the report unanimously (motion by Commissioner Boles, second by Commissioner Cohen).
2027‑2036 Transit Development Plan (TDP) Major Update (Informational)
- Jesus Peraza Garcia (HART) presented the timeline for the state‑required 10‑year plan, due March 2027. Public outreach includes an online survey (hardvisionplan.com) and 10 vision workshops across the county (ongoing through March 2026). Commissioner Wostal praised HART’s recovery efforts and urged continued restructuring.
Draft Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for FY2026‑2028 (Informational)
- Sarah Caper (TPO staff) outlined the two‑year planning budget. Estimated funding includes $2,083,325 in federal consolidated planning grants (plus de‑obligated funds, to be approved in April) and $600,000 in Surface Transportation funds per fiscal year. The draft includes required projects (state of the system report, TIP, LRTP update) and new planning requests (safety planning, smart cities, Plant City walk‑bike plan update, business operations report). Commissioner Wostal raised concerns about US 301 corridor safety and the need for proactive planning given upcoming development. Secretary Hall confirmed FDOT is working on a revised design for US 301 and noted recent signal improvements.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Temple Terrace Multimodal Network Connections Study (vote: unanimous).
- Approved Safety Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation Report (vote: unanimous).
- Approved Consent Agenda (committee appointments and PPPP consultant negotiation) (vote: unanimous).
- Recognized retirement of TPO Assistant Director Gena Torres, effective after 36 years of service.
- Announced reclassification of Sarah Caper to Assistant Director (effective February 22, 2026).
- Reported that two citizen volunteers on an advisory committee resigned after inadvertently discussing TPO business outside a public meeting; staff will implement enhanced Sunshine Law training and annual refreshers for all volunteers.
- Next Regular Meeting: April 8, 2026.
- Action on Regional MPO Apportionment Plan: Expected to appear in May after Pasco and Pinellas boards act in April.
- Legislative Update: Regular session ends March 14; a special session likely for budget resolution; the Sun Trail Network prioritization bill has passed both chambers and awaits governor’s signature.
Meeting Transcript
Very good. Thank you, and welcome everybody to the Wednesday, March eleventh meeting of the Hillsborough County TPO. It's good to see everybody. Hard to see now, everything is calm, but right before the camera turns on, this is a boisterous crowd this morning. And so should be a lively meeting. And so if you would please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Motion by board member Stevens, seconded by is it Councilmember Clendennan? Oh, I'm sorry. Commissioner Bowles. Um, any discussion of the minutes? If not, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? No nays. Minutes are adopted. Public comment. I believe we have one person, and I don't know if he's uh made it in or not. Is uh Rick Fernandez? Are you with us this morning? Mr. Chair Rick Fernandez has not signed in yet to the meeting. Okay, very good. Thank you. So we'll move past that to committee reports and advanced comments. Uh Rick Fernandez is not here, but I understand that uh our TPO staff Sarah Capers is going to provide a CAC update. Good morning. Good morning. Sarah Caper, and I am the CAC liaison on staff. The Citizens Advisory Committee met the evening of March 4th. The CAC heard a presentation on the Temple Terrace Multimodal Connection Study. Members asked questions about roadway leases, how this would be used, and about signal timing for bicyclists. The CAC voted unanimously to recommend the TPO board accept the Temple Terrace Multimodal Connection Study. Next, the CAC received the safety treatment effectiveness evaluation presentation. CAC members noted that the written report was well done, but felt the presentation was overly simplified. Members asked questions about specific treatments at the locations, the role of law enforcement on some of the corridors, such as Bayshore Boulevard, why these projects were chosen, and how the data and report will be used. One takeaway was that was noted is the uniqueness of each location and its areas of concern. The CAC voted unanimously to recommend the TPO board accept the safety treatment effectiveness evaluation. Finally, CAC members noted the need for several planning studies. Members introduced the following ideas for planning studies. An additional bridge across the Allifier River, public transit circulator from the airport to downtown and around the proposed race stadium, a multimodal connection between McKay Bay and the Bypass Canal Trail. Coordination on the transportation impacts of the updates to the City of Tampa's land development code, and the need to look at traffic impacts around the proposed race stadium, including to nearby neighborhoods. And that is the CAC report. If there are any questions, I'm happy to take them. Thank you, Ms. Capers. Board members are there. Any questions? Good, thank you very much. Thank you.
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