The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board held its regular meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Hillsborough County Center. Chair Andrew Ross presided; Vice Chair Joshua Wostal took over after 11:00 a.m. The board approved the minutes from the June 10, 2026, meetings, adopted a new procurement policy with a reporting requirement, accepted an economic benefits of trails report, and received several status updates. Public comment highlighted concerns about pedestrian safety, transit service cuts, and the need for regional vision.
Thank you, and good morning, everybody. It's feel like it's been a while since we saw each other, so it's uh good to see everybody. I hope you're having a great summer. Uh, welcome to the August twelfth meeting of the Hillsborough TPO. Um, I'd like to remember to ask everybody to silence your cell phones. Um, and if we would please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right, thank you. Miss Ramos, would you please call the role? Good morning. Ross here. Well stall here. Cohen? Bowls? Here. Clinton is excused. Her tech is also excused. Here Kilton. Board Member Lynn Gray uh is running a little late today. Klug? Here. Radakriston. Slater. And Joseph. Here. You have a quorum, sir. Thank you very much, Ms. Raymo. So has everybody had an opportunity to review the minutes from two meetings on the same date, June 10th. We had a TPO board meeting and then our TIP meeting. And if everybody's reviewed the minutes, is there a motion to approve? Any corrections or amendments to the minutes? If not, all those in favor say aye. Opposed. No nays. Remotely from public comment, and that is Hong Meg. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Hong Mai. It is an honor for me to introduce myself as a member of the Product Transportation Commission, where I served, you know, since February twenty twenty-five with the particular interest in terms of patient priority and opportunity affecting FDOT district seven and Tampa Bay reason. My commitment to the public service had developed so many years and across several organizations that I play important role in saving the future of our region. I spent eight years with the basic board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. And again, the deep appreciation and relationship with the infrastructure responsibility growth, water resource, environmental sewership, and regional water supply and planning. I also served six and a half years with the Tampa Polk Authority, which gave me the invaluable insight of the critical connection between our transportation system and the Florida economy. Our port, highway, railway, airport, and local transportation network do not do not operate independently. They are interconnected, and their success depends on thoughtful planning and strong partnership at the local, regional, and the state level. Today I I am very exciting to be one of the members of the Timbo Transportation Commission. And I bring those experience together transportation, the about much more road and bridges. It's about economic opportunity, safety, mobility, quality of life, and connecting people to job, education, healthcare, business, for airport, and one in the other. They pick seven, they won up the product most dynamic reason. And with that growth come from both tremendous opportunity and significant transportation challenge. Last year, Freud legislation gave FTC another oversight task for 31 Francis Agency.