Tampa Bay TMA Federal Certification Review

Aerial of downtown Tampa at night

Published
August 20, 2025

Contact
Planner – [email protected] – 813-272-5940

Last updated
August 22, 2025

A team from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reviews the transportation planning process in the Tampa Bay area every four years. This includes the Hillsborough TPO, Forward Pinellas, and Pasco MPO. 

On January 21, 2025, the review team visited the Hillsborough TPO for the in-person part of their review. This wasn’t just a behind-the-scenes thing—there was also a public meeting where folks could share their thoughts directly with the team. And, if you couldn’t make it in person, you could provide feedback online, too! 

So, what came out of all of this? The official certification report gave a big thumbs up to the Hillsborough TPO, highlighting five noteworthy practices, three recommendations, and zero corrective actions (always a win!). Some standout practices included revising Citizens Advisory Committee membership to be more representative of Hillsborough County, freight planning, and the Access 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) development. Want the full details? Check out the CAC, TAC, and TPO agenda packets. 

The recommendations are pretty simple: examine the FDOT coordination process for the annual list of obligated projects more closely, ensure transit safety targets are up-to-date and reflected in the proper documents, and ensure all federal funding (including transit planning dollars) appears in the Unified Planning Work Program. 

Fast forward to August 13; the TPO Board gave the official green light to the 2025 Certification Report, plus they’ve authorized TPO staff to jump into action and work on the recommendations. 

We’re excited to keep pushing forward and improving our transportation planning. A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to give feedback! Stay with us as we continue to work toward bettering our region’s transportation system. 

Want to dive deeper? The full report is in the CAC, TAC, and TPO agenda packets on our website. 

Accessibility

Persons needing assistance reading or interpreting items in this document, free of charge, are encouraged to contact the ADA Coordinator at (813) 272-5940 or [email protected]. Plan Hillsborough (the Planning Commission, the Hillsborough TPO, and the Hillsborough River Board) cannot ensure accessibility for items produced by other agencies or organizations.

Nondiscrimination

Plan Hillsborough (the Planning Commission, Hillsborough TPO, and Hillsborough River Board) assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, income, religion, familial status, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination or retaliation under any agency activity or program. Learn more about our commitment to nondiscrimination and diversity. For more information contact our Civil Rights Officer at (813) 946-5334 or [email protected].

Privacy

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone at (813) 272-5940. Please note that our phone system can capture a voicemail as a recording, which if emailed may also be subject to a public-records request.

Plan Hillsborough 2026