The Rewind: March & April TPO Board Meeting recap

At the March meeting, the TPO Board approved the I-4 Truck Parking Facility TIP Amendment. This TIP Amendment will include the construction of 120 parking spaces, six electric hookups for refrigerated trucks, road ramp enhancements, and pedestrian infrastructure. Prior to motioning to approve the TIP Amendment, Mayor Kilton expressed his gratitude to the Florida Department of Transportation District 7 for considering how this project will help to help address stormwater drainage in Plant City. Board members also inquired on the possibility of expansion to provide more electric hookups and suggested providing a roofing structure and solar panels to further accommodate trucking needs.

In addition to the approval of the I-4 Truck Parking Facility TIP Amendment, the TPO Board also had an engaging conversation regarding representation of the Airport and Port Tampa Bay when considering the possibility of a merged Metropolitan Planning Organization. This discussion follows the February meeting of the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area Leadership Working Group (TMA) in which representatives from each of the MPOs serving Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties discussed the role of regional transportation operators on a merged board. Ultimately the discussion concluded with the TPO Board authorizing the TPO staff to prepare and distribute a memo to the Pasco and Pinellas MPOs specifying preference on Airport and Port Tampa Bay representation being staff rather than elected officials.

In the theme of spring renewal, the TPO approved the Annual Certification of Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process at the TPO Board’s April meeting. The Fiscal Year 2024 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Amendment with Deobligation and Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 Unified Planning Work Program Development was also approved. The UPWP is a required TPO document that shows the work the TPO will be conducting in a two-year period following the state fiscal year (FY), along with the corresponding funding. The TPO periodically processes amendments to the UPWP. When funds are in one UPWP cycle and are needed for the next, they are deobligated and rolled into the next UPWP.

Status reports were also presented on the Access 2050 Plan Needs Assessment for Major Projects and the Community Air Monitoring Network. Many Board members expressed interest in the Community Air Monitoring Network and are eager to see how its development can help inform future transportation plans. Currently, the project is primarily focused on monitoring areas located near the interstates that house underserved communities, but a suggestion was made to expand the project to canvas other major transportation corridors in the county such as Dale Mabry.

Following the status reports, the TPO Board had a robust discussion surrounding the Hillsborough County’s Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) Priority Letter regarding reprioritizing the transportation investment decisions to be more focused on the East and South areas of the County. This comes as a response to the Planning Commission’s work on the expanded Urban Service Area and the anticipated growth that Hillsborough County will experience in the upcoming years. To mitigate transportation issues from arising, the suggestion was that by taking measures to invest in those areas now, it will in return reduce difficulties that other areas in the county have experienced due to growth. Given the complexity of the topic, it will require all stakeholders working together to formulate workable solutions to accommodate growth.

If you are interested in reviewing the entire proceedings, recordings of the TPO Board Meetings can be found on our YouTube channel: Transportation Planning Organization – YouTube.