Hillsborough TPO Board Meeting and TIP Public Hearing - June 10, 2026

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) held a regular board meeting and a public hearing on the FY27-31 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) on June 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Hillsborough County Center. The board addressed several action items, including the Crash Mitigation and Congestion Management Process (CMCMP), the Local Roadway Resilience Countermeasures study, and the adoption of the TIP. A key point of contention was the inclusion of the I-275 widening project (Hillsborough Avenue to Bearss Avenue) in the TIP, which led to extensive public comment and board debate.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Committee Appointments (James Wheeler to LRC, Benjamin Higham to BPAC at-large).
• Approved the Tampa Bay Transportation Project Prioritization Initiative Scope of Services Agreement with Kittelson & Associates.
• Authorized the TPO Executive Director to sign the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant agreement and the agreement with UCF.
• Approved the 2026 TRIP and Multi-Use Trails (MUT) Priority Lists.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rick Fernandez (CAC Chair): Requested the board strike I-275 widening (FPN 431821-3) from the TIP on procedural grounds (no funding, implementation beyond five years). He noted the CAC voted 13-2 (actual 14-2) to remove the project and 5-10 to recommend rejecting the entire TIP — the first such rejection in over a decade. He expressed frustration that the board does not respect the CAC's recommendations.
• Chris Vella: Criticized the board's past support for highway widening, citing safety and environmental concerns. He presented pedestrian activity data (345,000 trips in a year) and crash statistics (832 crashes, 23 fatal) to argue against the I-275 project. He also opposed I-4 widening projects pending the county's I-4 Urban Expansion Area Study.
• Michael Marino (Westshore Alliance): Supported the TIP, emphasizing the need for multimodal improvements on Dale Mabry, including safer pedestrian crossings near Raymond James Stadium. He presented traffic counts showing 31,000 pedestrians on game days.
• Dana Lazarus (CAC Vice Chair): Urged rejection of the TIP, arguing it is dominated by highway widening projects (11 widening projects totaling over $1.4 billion) that prioritize cars over safety. She noted preliminary engineering funds for these projects are less than 2% of total costs, locking communities into larger expenditures. She cited Tampa Bay's ranking as the 8th most dangerous metro for pedestrians.
• Keith Wagner (Old Seminole Heights resident): Supported the I-275 widening if it includes a safety/ noise wall to protect his home from errant vehicles crashing off the interstate. He provided photos of a May 3, 2026 crash in his backyard.
• Advanced Comments: Included support for I-275 safety walls, opposition to highway widening as a congestion solution, and requests for better public engagement on tolling and land use planning.

Discussion Items

• Crash Mitigation and Congestion Management Process (CMCMP): TPO Staff Harry Walsh presented the update, identifying congestion, safety, and resiliency hotspots on about 1,000 miles of roadway. Key findings: 169 miles of congestion hotspots, 137 miles of safety hotspots, and 113 miles of resiliency hotspots. Top combined hotspots included I-75, I-275, I-4, Hillsborough Avenue, Dale Mabry, and Bloomingdale Avenue. A toolbox of strategies was developed, focusing on low-cost, near-term improvements (e.g., signal timing). The board accepted the report. (Motion by Clendenin, seconded by Gray; unanimous.)

• Local Roadway Resilience Countermeasures: Sharon Wright (HDR) presented the study and guidebook, which provides context-sensitive countermeasures for flooding and extreme heat on local roadways. Three representative corridors were examined. The guidebook includes a diagnostic framework and solutions like green infrastructure, shade structures, and pervious surfaces. The board accepted the report. (Motion by Clendenin, seconded by Myers; unanimous.)

• FY27-31 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Public Hearing:

  • TPO Staff Elizabeth Watkins presented the $2.5 billion TIP, comprising 180 federally funded projects. Major projects include the West Shore Interchange, Suncoast Parkway widening, I-4 express lanes, and projects near Hillsborough Community College (new stadium area). The I-275 widening project (Hillsborough to Bearss) appeared as a line item with zero funding for the next five years. Staff recommended keeping it in the TIP for transparency, noting it is consistent with the long-range plan (LRTP).
  • Florida DOT Secretary Hall clarified that the project's inclusion is compliant due to its status in the Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) and that removing it would not affect the project or grant eligibility.
  • Discussion centered on whether the I-275 project meets TIP criteria (funding and implementation within five years). Board attorney noted state statute requires projects in the TIP to have "full funding reasonably anticipated" within the five-year window. Secretary Hall and Dr. Wong argued that past design funding (state, not federal) and SIS designation make it compliant.

Key Outcomes

• Crash Mitigation and Congestion Management Process: Accepted unanimously.
• Local Roadway Resilience Countermeasures Study: Accepted unanimously.
• FY27-31 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):
  • A motion to remove the I-275 widening project (FPN 431821-3) from the TIP was made by Board Member Gray, seconded by Commissioner Myers.
  • A substitute motion to approve the TIP as presented (including the I-275 project) was made by Commissioner Wostal, seconded by Mayor Kilton. The substitute motion failed by a vote of 6-8 (Wostal, Kilton, Klug, Slater, Joseph, Ross in favor; Myers, Cohen, Boles, Clendenin, Hurtak, Young, Gray, Stevens opposed).
  • The original motion to strike the I-275 project passed by a vote of 8-6 (Myers, Cohen, Boles, Clendenin, Hurtak, Young, Gray, Stevens in favor; Wostal, Kilton, Klug, Slater, Joseph, Ross opposed).
  • The amended TIP (with the I-275 project removed) was then approved by a vote of 11-3 (Wostal, Kilton, Joseph opposed). Roll-call votes were taken for each action.

Executive Director's Report

• Next regular TPO Board Meeting: August 12, 2026.
• Tri-County BOCC meeting recap (June 5, 2026): Commissions reviewed a preliminary draft interlocal agreement for a regional transportation merger; concerns raised about board size and legislative involvement.
• The Brightline Station Area Study received the One Bay Award at the TBRPC's Future of the Region Awards.
• Legislative update: The federal Build America 2050 Act was heard in committee; planning funds for MPOs are relatively stable, but a greater share of highway and transit funds would be subject to annual appropriations. Transit funding could decrease by over 20%.

Old Business & New Business

• Councilmember Hurtak requested TPO staff coordinate with FDOT on interim safety solutions for the I-275 corridor near Hillsborough Avenue (Keith Wagner's residence). Dr. Wong agreed to provide a point of contact.