Janelle Irwin Taylor
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor released findings Friday from her Transportation Advisory Committee assembled in late June.
The recommendations include elevating and strengthening the city’s transportation functions, further developing a citywide mobility plan leveraging All For Transportation sales surtax revenue and reviewing the city’s land development code to better align land use and transportation and mobility policies.
The plan calls for establishing transportation as its own department instead of the current model that combines it with stormwater services.
“The Tampa Bay Area is very attractive to individuals, businesses and organizations across our nation. As a result, we will continue to grow exponentially and cannot look at transportation solutions as one person, one car,” Castor said. “As our city continues to grow, we need transit that can keep up because world class cities deserve world class transportation. We have the funding, we have the support and now all we have to do is execute.”
Proprieties under the advisory committee recommendations include modernizing and expanding the Tampa Streetcar, leveraging CSX rail lines, connecting Westshore, Downtown and the University of South Florida, expanding HART bus service, establishing key intermodal centers and connecting Tampa to Orlando.
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority has already proposed an initial assessment of CSX rail lines that would begin next year using All For Transportation revenue. The advisory committee suggests public engagement and technical analysis to determine the type of service that would best serve residents and visitors, any necessary land use changes to implement passenger rail and any redevelopment opportunities that exist around potential rail stations.
The connection between Westshore, downtown and USF are crucial for mobility options because they serve as the city’s three largest business corridors. HART is already studying a BRT route between downtown and USF and suggests Castor should be actively involved in that process. The advisory committee also suggests HART should begin a feasibility study to create a downtown to Westshore link for the BRT service.
Another recommendation includes bolstering Castor as a vocal champion for frequent, reliable and equitable transit to increase access to jobs, education and entertainment as well as for regional connections to better serve those traveling in any out of the city to neighboring communities.
The recommendations also call for data-driven performance goals for transit corridor planning and implementation that should be measured and reported at least annually.
The recommendations also include walkability and focus on trails and greenways as transportation options.
Under the recommendations, the city should integrate the planning and implementation for city trails and greenways into the city’s Transportation and Stormwater Services Department, update its greenways and trails map, ensure plans are focused on transportation and not just recreation and develop goals for both planning and implementation.
The advisory committee also addressed safety by including priorities for adopting a Vision Zero plan that aims to eradicate pedestrian and bicycle fatalities.
The plan also addresses parking by evaluating parking minimums and maximums and consider eliminating minimum parking space requirements for redevelopment projects in downtown. It also emphasizes better using shared parking in both current and new public and private parking areas.
