At their monthly meeting this morning, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the regional Near-Term Priority and Future Priority projects for the year 2017. The projects, listed below, were selected based on specific criteria, including whether they are regionally significant, can be implemented within the next five years (Near-Term) or ten years (Future), and have support from the respective agency(ies) where the project is located.
The project lists are updated annually by TBARTA to “speak with one voice” to Washington and Tallahassee where funding is needed for transportation in the Tampa Bay region, and are part of a larger strategic investment plan spanning 25 years, to 2040. The priorities work to focus and guide the state’s limited transportation resources on the investments most significant for regional, interregional, interstate, and international travel, and to leverage the consistency between each county MPO and regional plan to enhance the possibility for federal project dollars that could advance the collective effort.
For the Near-Term Priorities, the University Parkway/I-75 Interchange project was removed, which is expected to be completed in mid-2017, in time for the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota. In place of the Interchange, two new projects were added: the DeSoto Bridge Replacement in Manatee County, and River Road Regional Interstate Connector in Sarasota County.
The Future Priority Projects, which are more transit focused, also differ from the Near-Term Priorities in that they require additional analysis to define costs, technology, alignments, and/or design. Updates include the removal of Florida Future Corridors, which included the I-75 Relief Task Force study, recently completed in September 2016, and the Hillsborough County Community Transportation Plan, better known as “Go Hillsborough.” Newly approved projects include an implementation plan for the Tampa Bay Premium Transit Feasibility study currently underway; construction of a connection between the Selmon Expressway and I-275; preservation of freight rail corridors in the Tampa Bay Region for short and long term transportation purposes, including rail, trails, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and; extending the Bartow Connector in Polk County from US 17 to SR 60.
Approved projects are not ranked.
- Near-Term Priority Projects (Approved in 2015)
- Interchange improvements at I/275, SR 60, and Memorial Highway, located near the Tampa International Airport
- Improvements to State Road 54/56 in Pasco County
- Construction of the Gateway Expressway in Pinellas County
- Replacement of the northbound Howard Frankland Bridge
- Suncoast Parkway 2 extension to connect Hernando and Citrus Counties
- Tampa Bay Express Starter Projects
- The Tampa International Airport People Mover connection to the future Westshore Intermodal Center
Near-Term Priority Projects (Approved in 2016)
- Replacement of the DeSoto Bridge, including increased north/south capacity on US 41
- Reconstruction of River Road, connecting U.S. 41 to I-75 in Sarasota County
Future Priority Projects (Approved in 2016)
- Increase capacity of 15th Street East by widening and incorporation of Complete Streets elements 2. Beach Express bus connecting Clearwater Beach to Tampa International Airport, and key destinations in-between 3. Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit from downtown St. Pete to Gulf Beaches 4. Improvements on I-275 through Pinellas County, including express lane extensions with accommodations for regional express bus and TBARTA vanpools 5. I-75/I-4 interchange and operational improvements 6. Design and constructing of multimodal corridor improvements along US 41 from 17th Street in the City of Palmetto to the Sarasota/Charlotte County Line 7. Tampa Bay Express (Ultimate) 8. Modernization of the Tampa Streetcar and extension to downtown Tampa (previously “Tampa Fixed Guideway”) 9. Regional Express Bus Pilot Project from State Road 54 in Pasco County to the Westshore area 10. Coast to Coast Trail and connections between the Cities of St. Petersburg, on the west coast, and Titusville, on the east coast of Florida.
- Southwest Coastal Regional Trail and connections from St. Pete, through Tampa, to Naples 12. Implementation of the Tampa Bay Premium Transit Feasibility Study.
- Connecting I-275 and the Selmon Expressway 14. Preservation of freight rail corridors in the Tampa Bay Region for short and long term transportation purposes, including rail, trails, and Bus Rapid Transit 15. Extending the Bartow Connector in Polk County from US 17 to SR 60.
