CAPTIONING
APRIL 14, 2009
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the 
***following meeting.  It should be used for informational 
***purposes only.  This document has not been edited; 
***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words 
***that did not translate.

>> GOOD MORNING.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY METROPOLITAN 
PLANNING ORGANIZATION MEETING TO ORDER FOR APRIL 14, 2009.
WILL YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND 
BRIEF INVOCATION.
[PLEDGE OF ALLIEGANCE]
>> HEAVENLY FATHER, WE CONTINUE TO THANK YOU FOR THE MANY 
BLESSINGS THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE RETURN -- THE SAFE RETURN 
OF THOSE YOUNG MEN WHO WERE HIJACKED ON THE -- THIS PAST 
WEEKEND.
AND THEIR SAFE RETURN.
WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT ALL OF OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO 
ARE SERVING THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS.
IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
>> AMEN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE -- IS COUNCILMAN SCOTT HERE?
NO?
BUT COUNCILMAN SCOTT WILL BE ATTENDING THE MEETING TODAY.
HE IS NEWLY APPOINTED TO THE BOARD.
AND HE WILL BE REPLACING LINDA SAUL-SENA, WHICH WE WILL 
MISS.
MARK SHARPE HAD TO TAKE HIS WIFE TO THE AIRPORT DUE TO A 
DEATH IN HIS FAMILY.
HUNG MAI WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE BECAUSE OF AN ILLNESS 
AND RICK LOTT WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE BECAUSE OF AN 
IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENT.
WITH THAT WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
>> SO MOVED, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>> AND MARCH 3rd MEETING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, ALL SAY AYE.
OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE INCONSISTENT PUB LIKE WISHES TO ADDRESS THE 
COMMISSION ON ANY ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU.
FIRST, WE HAVE A REPORT FROM CAC THAT WILL BE PRESENTED BY 
GINA TORREZ IN JOE AMONDS.
>> GOOD MORNING, GINA TORREZ, MPO STAFF AND I HOPE I CAN 
REPRESENT JOE WELL WITH THIS REPORT.
THE CAC, THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING 
MARCH 11.
THE MEMBERS RECEIVED A HANDOUT REGARDING THE TRANSIT 
RIDERSHIP AND FUNDING THAT IS TRACKED NATIONALLY AND 
ALTHOUGH OUR RIDERSHIP HAS INCREASED IN TAMPA, COMPARED TO 
AROUND THE NATION, WE CONTINUE TO BE BELOW THE MEDIAN IN 
RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE AND FUNDING.
ANOTHER HANDOUT THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED CAME FROM THE 
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REGIONAL COUNCILS, AND IT WAS 
INTERESTING.
IT SHOWED A NUMBER OF THIS STATE'S POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS 
USING FEDERAL STIMULUS.
IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT OTHER STATES WERE 
SUBMITTING PROJECTS FOR.
UNDER THE ACTION ITEMS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT 
PROGRAM PRIORITIES.
THE CAC AT THEIR LAST MEETING WANTED A LITTLE MORE 
INFORMATION AND THE MPO STAFF SATISFIED THEIR REQUEST, SO 
THE COMMITTEE PASSED A MOTION IN AGREEMENT WITH THE TIP 
PRIORITY PROCESS CHANGES, AND THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE 
LOOKED AT BASED ON PRIORITIZATION.
UNDER THE NEW FREEDOM FUNDING PRIORITIES WHICH IS ANOTHER 
ACTION ITEM, WE -- THE CAC MEMBERS LEARNED OF THE TWO 
PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED NOR FUNDING, AND THEY PASSED 
A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE PROJECTS, BUT THEY WANTED TO ASK 
AND EMPHASIZE TO HART TO TRY TO PURSUE THE REMAINING 
$500,000 THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT NEW FREEDOMS FUND.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAD RECEIVED FUNDING THE FAST MOVED IT 
AROUND TO THE THREE DIFFERENT COUNTIES, BUT THE CITIZENS 
WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GO AFTER MORE MONEY.
THE LAST ACTION ITEM WAS THE RENEWAL OF THE INTERLOCAL 
AGREEMENTS THAT ARE RENEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS -- AND WE 
LOOK AT THOSE EVERY FIVE YEARS AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES 
ARE RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE AGREEMENTS AND THE COUNTY 
ATTORNEY IS LOOKING OVER THAT AS WELL AND THE CITIZENS 
ADVISORY COMMITTEE AUTHORIZE STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD TO 
AUTHORIZE THE AGREEMENTS AND GET THE SIGNATURES NECESSARY 
FOR ALL THE PARTIES OF THE AGREEMENTS.
STATUS REPORTS.
THE HART NEW STARTS WAS PRESENTED AND IT IS JUST KICKING 
OFF NOW, BUT THE HART REPRESENTATIVE TOLD BUS A TECHNICAL 
WORKING GROUP AND TECHNICAL STEERING COMMITTEE HAS BEEN 
FORMED AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE 
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS.
THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN WAS ALSO PRESENTED TO 
THE GROUP, AND A LIST OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES WAS 
DISTRIBUTED AND ASKED THAT EACH MEMBER TURN THAT IN AT THE 
END OF THE MEETING.
ENOUGH ON THAT.
THE GANDY CORRIDOR WAS A VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION AS 
WELL.
SOME STAFF FROM THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY.
WE LEARNED THAT 35% TO 40% OF THE BRIDGE TRAFFIC DOES NOT 
HAVE A DESTINATION IN THE GANDY AREA I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY 
INTERESTING.
SIX-LANE GANDY BOULEVARD IN THE PRESENTATION WOULD NOT 
ACCOMMODATE THE TRAFFIC, NOR WOULD THE COMMUNITY BE 
SUPPORTIVE OF THAT SO THE EXPRESS WAY AUTHORITY WAS 
RECOMMENDING -- PROPOSING A ELEVATED STRUCTURE ONE LANE IN 
EACH DIRECTION WITH SHOULDERS AND A BARRIER DOWN THE 
MIDDLE OF GANDY, AND THE CITIZENS SUPPORTED IT AND WERE 
VERY INTERESTED IN THAT PROJECT AND I HOPE TO BE PART OF -
- WELL, ACTUALLY SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY ON THE PROJECT 
ADVISORY GROUP, SO THAT'S WHERE CITIZENS CAN COME AND GET 
THEIR INPUT.
THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION.
DURING NEW BUSINESS, MPO STAFF BROUGHT UP THE BRUCE B. 
DOWNS PROJECTS THAT I THINK IS ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY, AND 
THERE WAS DISCUSSION AMONG THE CITIZENS ON THAT.
NO ACTION REALLY WAS TAKEN.
THE NEXT CAC MEETING IS TOMORROW AT 1:15 IN THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION BOARD ROOM.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, GINA.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT WE HAVE NED BYER, NED?
>> GOOD MORNING, NED BYER, HILLSBOROUGH PLANNING AND 
GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU -- THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO 
PRESENT THE TAC REPORT.
THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR AS CHAIRMAN AND WORKING WITH RAY, 
WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD THAT YOU ALSO RECEIVED A REPORT 
FROM THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE ARE A 19-MEMBER COMMITTEE MADE UP OF DIRECTORS OF ALL 
OF THE CITIES, THE AGENCIES, THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, 
PORT, D.O.T, AVIATION AUTHORITY AND OTHER AGENCIES.
SO WE WANT TO USE OURSELVES AS A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
WE HELD OUR MEETING ON MARCH 16, AND THERE IS ACTUALLY 
ONLY ONE ACTION ITEM I WANT TO PRESENT AND THAT IS THE NEW 
FREEDOM FUNDING PRIORITIES.
WE DID HEAR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE APPLICATIONS THAT HAD 
BEEN RECEIVED AND THE REMAINING 2008 NEW FREEDOM FUNDING 
PROGRAM, AND THE TAC PASSED A MOTION TO FORWARD THE 
FUNDING OF THE TWO PROJECTS TO THE MPO FOR YOUR REVIEW.
SO WE AGREE WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CENTER 
FOR INDEPENDENCE AND FOR THE BAY CARE ORGANIZATION.
THERE WERE SEVERAL STATUS REPORTS, PROBABLY THE MOST 
IMPORTANT BEING THE REGIONAL GOODS MOVEMENT STUDY.
YOU WILL BE PRESENTED THIS LATER IN YOUR MEETING TODAY.
WE ALSO HEARD A PRESENTATION ON THE HART NEW STARTS 
PROGRAM APPLICATION FOR 2010, AND MARY CHAVELIER OF THE 
HART STAFF MADE THAT PRESENTATION.
MARTY STONE WITH THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY PRESENTED THE 
GANDY CORRIDOR STUDY, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER FERLITA AND 
SEVERAL OF YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT EFFORT.
THERE IS A PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP MEETING THIS EVENING IN 
SOUTH TAMPA THAT I KNOW MANY OF YOU WILL BE INVOLVED WITH.
AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT, AND WE ARE REALLY -- I 
THINK THE DISCUSSION OF THE TAC MEMBERS WAS VERY POSITIVE 
TOWARDS THE PRELIMINARY OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE 
AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE EFFORT OF 
THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY OF OBTAINING SOME CONSENSUS WITH 
THE PUBLIC IN SOUTH TAMPA FOR THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.
WE ALSO HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS 
PROGRAM WHICH YOU ARE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH, AND AT SOME 
POINT IN TIME, THE D.O.T. AND THE MPO WORK PROGRAM WILL 
HAVE TO BE AMENDED TO REFLECT THESE STIMULUS PRIORITIES.
ONE ACTION ITEM WE THINK IS IMPORTANT ON THE LEGISLATIVE 
UPDATE.
WE HEARD A REPORT ABOUT A HOUSE BILL 321, WHICH IS 
REGARDING THE CHARTER COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM SURTAX, AND 
THE TAC EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE WAS SOME EARLY 
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CAP THE AMOUNT OF DISCRETIONARY 
SALES TAXES TO 1.5% FROM THE CURRENT CAP OF 2%.
AND THE REASON OUR COMMITTEE WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD 
EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO INCREASE THE 
SALES TAX TO THE 1% LEVEL THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY A 
WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE AND AGENCIES.
SO THAT'S HOUSE BILL 321 THAT WE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN 
ABOUT.
LIKE YOURSELF, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
FOR THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND IT IS 
INTERESTING GETTING A GROUP OF PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS 
TOGETHER TO SEE IF OUR GOALS AND OUR MEASURES MATCH UP 
WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEES AND FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK 
THEY DO.
FINALLY JUST BRUCE B. DOWNS, THAT WAS PRESENTED AN UPDATE.
AND I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE'S POSITION TODAY WAS TO 
IMPLEMENT THE MPO'S PLAN, CALLING FOR THE EIGHT-LANE 
SEGMENT IN THE MIDDLE PORTION OF BRUCE B. DOWNS.
I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE THAT MIDDLE PORTION IS ALREADY 
DESIGNED AND READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO I THINK OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE COMFORTABLE THAT 
THE EIGHT-LANE MIDDLE SEGMENT COULD PROCEED AND THEN BE 
REDESIGNED IN THE FUTURE FOR THE RAIL SYSTEM, AND THEN 
THERE IS ALSO SOME RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT WAS PART OF THAT 
DESIGN CONCEPT.
THE NEXT TAC MEETING WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 20, AND, AGAIN, 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, NED.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
YES.
>> A COMMENT IS I THINK IT WILL BE WORTH IT TO HAVE A 
FORMAL PRESENTATION FROM THE TAC AT EVERY MEETING.
IT IS NICE HAVING THEM COME TOGETHER.
IS THAT THE PLAN NOW?
>> YES.
>> THANK YOU.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I THINK THAT IS A GOOD IDEA AS LONG AS WE 
MANDATE THAT MR. BYER WEAR THAT TIE AGAIN FOR EVERY 
PRESENTATION.
>> I WILL DO THAT.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I AM SURE IT IS BY DESIGN.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  GET A TRAIN ON THAT NEXT TIME.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE CAN DO THAT.
THANK YOU.
NEXT COMMISSIONER FERLITA, POLICY COMMITTEE.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON MARCH 24, '09  IN THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION MEETING WITH NO QUORUM PRESENT.
I HAD A CONFLICT BECAUSE OF A BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER 
AND CHAIRMAN AFFRONTI TOOK THAT OVER FOR ME.
HEARD FROM STAFF ON THE NEW FREEDOM FUNDING PRIORITIES AND 
MPOs OF PINELLAS, PASCO COUNTIES SUBMITTED FOR THE 2008 
FUNDS.
TWO APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY PASCO MET THE REQUIREMENTS 
DESCRIBED IN THE TRI-COUNTY ACCESS PLAN.
THEY WERE FIRST THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENCE AND HARBOR 
BEHAVIORAL.
THESE MOVED BY CONSENSUS THE PROPOSED PROGRAM OF PROJECTS 
FROM THE NEW FREEDOM FUNDS TO THE FULL MPO BOARD FOR 
ACTION.
NEXT STAFF STATED AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS THEY MUST 
REAFFIRM THE MPO MPO'S INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS.
NO SPECIFIC CHANGES FOR CREATION OF THE MPOs AND THE 
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION AND REVIEW AND PUBLIC 
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT.
THE THIRD AGREEMENT, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR REGIONAL 
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND COORDINATION IN WEST CENTRAL 
FLORIDA HAS RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO EXTEND NONVOTING 
MEMBERSHIPS TO TBARTA.
TO CLARIFY HOW THE CHAIR IS APPOINTED AND MEETINGS 
SCHEDULED AND REMOVE REFERENCE TO THE TRANSPORTATION 
REFERENCE AREA THAT SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES ARE NOT 
PART OF.
AUTHORIZE STAFF TO HAVE NECESSARY STAFF TO THE AGREEMENT, 
THE POLICY COMMITTEE THEN HEARD FROM A STAFF 
RECOMMENDATION THAT WOULD CHANGE THE CURRENT TIP 
PRIORITIES PROCESS.
THIS CHANGE WILL MAKE THE PROJECTS PRIORITIZED THROUGH THE 
TIP DEVELOPMENT MORE CLOSELY APPLIED TO THE PRIORITIES OF 
THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND MORE STABLE FROM 
ONE TIP TO THE NEXT.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO DEVELOP THE SINGLE MULTIMODAL 
LIST OF PRIORITIES DURING THE LRPT ON CRITERIA DEVELOPED 
ON THE LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES -- 
EXCUSE ME, THE ITEM WAS APPROVED BY CONSENSUS TO FORWARD 
TO THE MPO.
THE NEXT ITEM PRESENTED WAS THE REDESIGN OPTIONS FOR THE 
BRUCE B. DOWNS PROJECT TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE RAIL FROM 
PALM SPRINGS TO PEBBLE CREEK.
SOME OF THE OPTIONS ARE BUILD SIX LANES, EXPANDABLE TO 
EIGHT WITH DESIGN TAKING EIGHT MONTHS AND COSTING 
$800,000.
NARROWING THE MEDIAN WITH A MULTIUSE TRAIL AND SHOULDERS.
REDESIGN WOULD TAKE TEN MONTHS AND COST $1 MILLION OR DO 
NOT BUILD RIGHT TURN LANES ON EAST NORTHBOUND SIDE.
REDESIGN WOULD TAKE EIGHT MONTHS AND COST $300,000.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS PROJECT OUT TO 
BID FOR 45 TEES FOR THE PORTION OF I-75 NORTH TO PALM 
SPRINGS.
THE MPO STAFF IS WORKING WITH THE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS 
STAFF TO LOOK AT THESE OPTIONS.
THIS ITEM WILL BE DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
STAFF UPDATED THE COMMITTEE ON ACTIVITIES AND STUDIES FOR 
THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE AND CURRENT 
LEGISLATIVE BILLS.
AS A REMINDER THE NEXT POLICY COMMITTEE SCHEDULED FOR 
APRIL 289 A.M. WILL BE IN THE MPO BOARD ROOM.
ALL MPO BOARD MEMBERS ARE CERTAINLY INVITED TO ATTEND.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN FERLITA.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SEVERAL ACTION ITEMS.
THE FIRST ITEM IS THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM 
PRIORITIES PROCESS.
WALLY BLAIN.
>> GOOD MORNING,  WALLY BLAIN, MPO STAFF.
WE ARE PRESENTING WHAT WILL BE A CHANGE TO OUR PRIORITY 
PROCESS AS QUESTION DEVELOP PRIORITIES FOR THE 
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
REAL QUICKLY, I WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON SOME OF THESE 
THINGS, WHY WE ARE DOING THIS, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS 
FOR DEVELOPING THE PRIORITIES.
WHAT IS OUR CURRENT PROCESS IN CASE YOU ARE UNAWARE OF 
THAT, HOW WE PLAN TO CHANGE IT AND WHAT THE OTHER MPOs 
AROUND THE STATE HAVE DONE AND HOW WE PLAN TO USE THOSE 
PROCESSES TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR YOU TODAY.
WE HAVE HAD ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH D.O.T.  ABOUT THE 
PRIORITY PROCESS.
THE WAY WE DEVELOP PRIORITIES IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE.
AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED THAT WE EVALUATE THAT PROCESS AND 
MAKE SOME CHANGES TO IT TO BRING IT MORE IN LINE WITH THE 
WAY SOME OTHER MPOs THROUGHOUT THE STATE DO THAT.
THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN FROM THE POLICY 
COMMITTEE AND THEY HAVE CARRIED OVER TO THE MPO MEETINGS 
AS WELL ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD 
AND JUST SOME ISSUES AND CONCERNS ABOUT PROJECTS AND THE 
WAY THEY INTERFACE IN WITH OUR PRIORITY PROCESS.
AND, OF COURSE, WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO IMPROVE WHAT WE DO 
AND PROVIDE A BETTER PRODUCT FOR EVERYONE.
THERE ARE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS THAT SAY THAT THE MPO IN A 
TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA, AND THAT -- WE MEET THAT 
REQUIREMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA AS A 
POPULATION OVER 200,000.
THAT ALL PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY 
SYSTEM OR BRIDGE PROJECTS FALL UNDER THE CONTROL OR 
PRIORITIES OF THE MPO AND THAT PROJECTS SELECTED FOR 
PROGRAMMING WOULD COME FROM THAT PRIORITY LIST.
THERE IS ALSO A STATE REQUIREMENT THEN THAT THE MPOs WOULD 
DEVELOP A LIST ANNUALLY OF PRIORITY PROJECTS, TAKE A STEP 
BACK AND REAL QUICK AND SAY THAT THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS 
FOR THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY 
SYSTEM, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS PRIMARY 
PRIORITIZATION WITH INPUT AND COORDINATION FROM THE MPO.
SO OUR CURRENT PROCESS, WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SERVICE 
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM PROJECTS AND THOSE FUNDS.
THE MPO CURRENTLY HAS A PROCESS WHERE WE OPEN AN ACTION 
PROCESS, ALLOW AGENCIES IN TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS TO 
PROVIDE APPLICATIONS TO US.
WE EVALUATE THOSE APPLICATIONS BASED ON GOALS AND MEASURES 
THAT THE MPO BOARD HAS APPROVED AND DEVELOP A LIST OF 
PRIORITIES FOR YOUR REVIEW EACH YEAR.
THOSE APPLICATIONS TYPICALLY COME IN ON A PHASE BY PHASE 
OF A PROJECT, NOT A PROJECT-BY-PROJECT LEVEL AND 
OFTENTIMES WE GET A SPECIFIC PHASE OF A PROJECT TO BE 
FUNDED AT A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT AS OUR PRIORITY.
WE USE THE SAME PROCESS FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT 
FUNDS.
AGAIN A FEDERAL FUNDING CATEGORY THAT COMES DOWN TO THE 
MPO AND AN OPEN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT WE USED IN THE 
PAST.
WE ALSO DEVELOPED A LIST EACH YEAR THAT WE TRANSMIT TO THE 
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND THAT LIST IS 
ATTACHED -- THE LIST THAT WAS SENT IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST 
YEAR IS ATTACHED IN YOUR AGENDA WRITE-UP FOR YOUR REVIEW.
IN THAT LIST IT -- IT BREAKS THINGS OUT BY FUNDING 
CATEGORIES, SO YOU WILL KNEE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM, THE 
STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM, OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS 
AND YOU WILL SEE SPECIFIC PROJECTS LISTED UNDER THOSE 
FUNDING CATEGORIES.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A LIST PRESENTLY OF SERVICE 
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM AND TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT 
PROJECTS THAT ARE TRANSMITTED, WE HAVE A LIST THAT SAYS 
THESE ARE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS IN OUR COORDINATION ROLE 
THAT WE THINK ARE PRIORITIES FOR THESE FUNDING CATEGORIES.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, CHANGE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING A TWO-
STAGED IMPLEMENTATION TO GET TO ULTIMATELY WHERE WE WANT 
TO BE IN YEAR WHAT WE ARE SAYING FOR A COUPLE OF MACHINES, 
THE FIRST BEING THAT OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN IS DUE TO BE 
UPDATED THIS YEAR, AND THE SECOND IS BECAUSE OF LAST 
YEAR'S PRIORITIES AND THE FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT 
EVERYTHING IS IN RIGHT NOW.
NONE OF THOSE PRIORITIES WERE FUNDED LAST YEAR.
SO THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE THAT THIS YEAR, THE PRIORITIES 
WE TRANSMIT TO D.O.T. WOULD REMAIN THE SAME AS THEY 
REMAINED LAST YEAR.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU NOT GO AHEAD AND STAMP THOSE 
AS PRIORITIES BUT AUTHORIZE THE MPO TO CONTINUE IN THAT 
LINE.
WE WILL BRING THOSE PRIORITIES BACK TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER 
FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
SO THAT WOULD STILL BE ANOTHER TIME TO SEE THOSE 
PRIORITIES.
THE NEXT STEP IS THAT WE NO LONGER TAKE APPLICATIONS FOR 
SERVICE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM PROJECTS.
WHAT WE WOULD DO IS BASE THAT ON THE LONG-RANGE PLAN IN 
WOULD COME INTO PLAY NEXT YEAR AFTER THE LONG-RANGE PLAN 
ADOPTED AND DEVELOPED PRIORITIES THROUGH THE LONG-RANGE 
PLAN.
NEXT YEAR WHEN WE BRING TO YOU A LIST OF PRIORITIES THEY 
WILL BE BASED ON THE LONG-RANGE PLAN.
WE ARE ASKING YOU NOT TO MAKE A CHANGE AND NEVER SEE THIS 
AGAIN, BUT TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE WAY STAFF BRINGS THINGS 
BACK TO YOU.
WE WOULD STILL SEEK APPLICATIONS FOR OUR ENHANCEMENT 
PROJECTS.
WHAT WE WOULD SEEK, THOUGH, WOULD BE FOR A TOTAL PROJECT 
PRIORITIES, NOT A PROJECT PHASE PRIORITY FOR THE 
ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE, LET'S SAY, $100,000 FOR DESIGN ON THIS 
PROJECT.
IT WOULD BE THIS PROJECT IS A PRIORITY OVER THE NEXT 
PROJECT.
WE DID LOOK AT SOME OTHER MPOs NOT ONLY IN THE STATE BUT 
WE LOOKED AT SOME THROUGHOUT THE STATE -- THROUGHOUT THE 
COUNTRY IN OTHER STATES BECAUSE OF THE WAY STATES WORK AND 
INTERACT WITH THEIR MPOs AND DECIDED TO SHOW YOU WHAT SOME 
OF THE MPOs IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA DO BECAUSE THAT IS OUR 
COMMON BASIS.
ALMOST ALL OF THE -- THE MPOs AND CERTAINLY WE DO THIS AS 
WELL THROUGH THE CRITERIA TO EVALUATE APPLICATIONS, ALL OF 
THE MPOS USE THE LONG-RANGE PLAN AS A SCREENING TOOL.
WE SCREEN OUR NEEDS AND DEVELOP OUR COST AFFORDABLE 
PLANNED PRIORITIES OF FUNDING AND GOALS OF THE LONG-RANGE 
PLAN, WE TAKE THOSE LISTS TO THE COMMITTEES AND GET LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT AND COORDINATION ON THOSE PROJECTS.
THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCE HERE IS WE USE THOSE AS CRITERIA FOR 
EVALUATING THE APPLICATIONS WE GET IN.
THEY TAKE THAT AS DIRECT INPUT FROM THE LONG-RANGE PLAN.
JUST TO GIVE YOU IDEAS.
PASCO COUNTY DEVELOPS ONE LIST OF HIGHWAY PROJECTS AND ONE 
LIST OF TRANSIT PROJECTS AND THAT IS AN EXAMPLE HOW WE SAW 
NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH DO THINGS.
TO THE WEST OVER IN PINELLAS COUNTY, THEY HAVE JUST A LIST 
OF HIGHWAY PROJECTS FOR THE SERVICE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM 
THAT THEY SUBMIT.
IN METROPLAN, THIS IS THE MPO OVER IN ORLANDO, THEY ADD AN 
ADDITIONAL STEP TO THEIR PRIORITIES, AND THEY SAY THAT 
BASED ON AN ALLOCATION OF PERCENTAGE WOULD GO -- GO TO 
EACH MODE FOR THEIR PRIORITIES AND THEY DEVELOP ONE LIST 
FOR THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND ONE LIST FOR THE 
NONNATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM WITH STP FUNDS.
SO REAL QUICK, THEY HAVE A HIGHWAYS, TRANSIT, PEDESTRIAN, 
AND NATIONAL -- AND NONNATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM PROJECTS.
AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LISTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SET 
PERCENTAGES FOR SPENDING BEFORE THAT.
THE BROWARD MPO WE LOOKED AT AS WELL.
THEY HAVE DEVELOPED SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR EACH MODE, SO 
THAT WHEN EACH MODE IS EVALUATED USING THEIR CRITERIA AND 
WEIGHTED THEY AT THE END OF THE DAY END UP WITH ONE LIST 
THAT INTEGRATES THEIR DIFFERENT MODES TOGETHER SO YOU CAN 
SEE -- AND AGAIN ALL THIS INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN YOUR 
PACKET AS WELL.
PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE EASIER READ THAT WAY.
BUT THEY HAVE A MULTIMODAL LIST THAT IS DONE AT THE END OF 
THE DAY THAT THEY USE FOR THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE SERVICE 
TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM AND THE FUNDING THE TIP.
WE TALKED ABOUT USING THE LONG-RANGE PLAN AND HOW WE 
DEVELOP THE PRIORITIES, THERE IS ALSO AN EXAMPLE IN YOUR 
HANDOUTS ABOUT FIRST COAST, WHICH IS A JACKSONVILLE MPO.
THEY ARE A YEAR AHEAD OF US ON THEIR UPDATE CYCLE FOR 
THEIR LONG-RANGE PLAN.
AND THEY HAVE TIED SPECIFICALLY TO THE GOALS AND 
OBJECTIVES PERFORMANCE MEASURES THEY WILL USE TO EVALUATE 
-- THEY DID USE TO EVALUATE THEIR PROJECTS.
THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WILL USE -- CERTAINLY WE ARE 
GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS NOW HOW WE WILL USE THE LONG-
RANGE PLAN TO DEVELOP CRITERIA TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN THE 
LONG-RANGE PLAN SO WE CAN COME BACK AND USE FOR THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TIP PRIORITIES.
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS THAT WE WOULD 
FOLLOW THE LONG-RANGE PLAN PRIORITIES AND WE WOULD DEVELOP 
TWO LISTS THAT WOULD BE IN THE TIP AS FAR AS OUR 
PRIORITIES GO.
ONE WOULD BE FOR THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
THIS WILL BE A PROJECT THAT WE WILL SAY WE ARE DIRECTLY 
COORDINATING WITH D.O.T.  FOR THOSE PROJECTS ON THE 
NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM, AND THEN A MULTIMODAL PROJECT 
LIST OF ALL NONNATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO GET AT INTEGRATING A LIST OF 
TRANSIT PROJECTS, BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS, HIGHWAY 
PROJECTS IN ONE LIST THAT WILL GO AND BE THE -- THE GOAL 
FOR PROGRAMMING PROJECTS IN.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HEARD AS STAFF AS 
WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEES IS MAKING SURE THAT 
THE PROJECTS WE CURRENTLY FUND OUT OF THE HIGHWAY DOLLARS 
FOR TRANSIT AND ALSO THE TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES, THE TDM ACTIVITIES HAVE MAKING SURE THOSE 
REMAIN HIGH PRIORITIES FOR THE MPO AND MAKING SURE THOSE 
PROJECTS ARE STILL COMPETITIVE IN GETTING FUNDED.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED, THE FLORIDA 
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION EACH YEAR PRODUCES A REPORT 
WHICH IS AN EVALUATION OF THE DOT'S WORK PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THEY ASKED IS HOW ARE THOSE FEDERAL 
HIGHWAY DOLLARS BEING FLEXED OR BEING TRANSFERRED OVER FOR 
USE IN TRANSIT PROJECTS.
IN LOOKING THROUGH THAT AND WHAT IS PROGRAMMED IN THE NEXT 
FIVE YEARS, OF THE MONEY THAT IS PLANNED IN THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA TO BE FLEXED TO TRANSIT AGENCIES, ABOUT 20% -- 
ABOUT 15% TO 20% OF THAT IS MONEY THAT THIS MPO HAS FLEXED 
TO HARTLINE.
SO THIS MPO HAS A HISTORY OF DOING THAT, AND WE PLAN FOR 
STAFF TO CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR 
LONG-RANGE PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROJECTS REMAIN 
COMPETITIVE AND ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE FUNDS TO CONTINUE 
THEIR PROJECTS.
SO THE ACTION THAT WE ARE PROPOSING OR ASKING THE MPO TO 
IMPROVE TODAY THAT THE MPO WOULD APPROVE THE CHANGE IN THE 
PROCESS THAT WE USE TO DEVELOP PRIORITIES FOR THE 
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WITH THAT --
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, WALLY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
YES, MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE -- THE PRESENTATION WAS INTERESTING.
THE -- ORLANDO-ORANGE COUNTY APPROACH HAD SOME APPEAL TO 
IT IN TERMS OF THEY DESIGNATED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE FOR 
EACH TYPE OF MODE.
SO I -- I MEAN, NOT KNOWING TOO MUCH ABOUT IT, IT JUST -- 
I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTERESTING WAY TO DO IT TO SORT OF 
FURTHER OUR POLICIES IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THE 
VARIOUS MODES ARE -- ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL-FUNDED OR 
ADEQUATELY FUNDED PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, WHILE AT THE SAME 
TIME MEETING THESE OTHER GOALS THAT THE D.O.T.  AND -- AND 
STAFF IS LOOKING FOR.
DID WE EXPLORE -- BEYOND JUST LOOKING AT IT, DID WE 
EXPLORE THE ORANGE COUNTY MODEL AND WHY IS IT WE ARE NOT 
RECOMMENDING THAT?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALIZED INTO IT PERCENTAGES -- 
THEY HAVE TO BE CLOSELY TIED TO POLICIES IN THE PLAN AND 
GOALS IN THE PLAN.
THEY CAN'T BE SOMEWHAT ARBITRARY AND THAT IS IN THE 
FEDERAL WRITES THAT WAY.
WE DID LOOK AT THAT, BUT WE LOOKED AT THE BROWARD EXAMPLE 
OF HAVING ONE LIST TOGETHER.
AND AT A STAFF LEVEL, THAT WAS MORE APPEALING AS FAR AS 
HAVING THE ONE LIST OF MULTIMODAL PROJECTS TOGETHER RATHER 
THAN HAVING SEPARATE LISTS THAT WAY.
WE DID TAKE FROM THE ORLANDO EXAMPLE HAVING ONE -- HAVING 
THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM PROJECTS SEPARATED OUT FROM 
EVERYTHING ELSE.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I GUESS MY CONCERN IS -- IT IS 
PROBABLY OBVIOUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY AFTER YOU 
WOULD DO THIS FOR A FEW YEARS, THAT ESPECIALLY AS MONEY 
GETS TIGHTER AND TIGHTER THAT ROADS WILL JUMP TO THE TOP 
OF THE PRIORITY LIST AND THE OTHER MODES WILL SLIP EVEN 
THOUGH WE ARE ALL WELL INTENTIONED TO DO OTHERWISE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I -- I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR 
SOME OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT -- ON THAT ORANGE COUNTY 
APPROACH.
>> WELL, ONE THING I WANTED TO SAY THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY 
THE END OF WHERE WE ARE GOING WITH THIS.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED TO DO THIS YEAR.
ONCE WE HAVE OUR NEW PLAN IN PLACE AND NEW POLICIES THAT 
ARE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF TRANSIT, WE CAN REVISIT THIS WHICH 
WE PLANNED TO DO ANYWAY AND POSSIBLY EVOLVE IT, BUT 
REMEMBER WE ARE BASING IT ON OUR OLD PLAN WHICH IS ABOUT 
FIVE YEARS OLD NOW.
OUR NEW PLAN GOES INTO EFFECT INTO NOVEMBER.
AS WE CHANGE THIS SYSTEM, WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE POLICIES 
AND TIE THEM TOGETHER AS WALLY SAID.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  WHEN IS THIS TIP PROCESS GOING INTO 
EFFECT?
>> WHAT WE WOULD DO IS THIS YEAR -- OF COURSE IN SEPTEMBER 
IS WHEN WE BRING THE PRIORITIES FOR APPROVAL AND TRANSMIT 
IN OCTOBER FOR THE DOT.
>> THOSE HAVE NOT CHANGED.
THOSE ARE THE ONES ALREADY PICKED NOT FUNDED FOR LAST 
YEAR.
THIS YEAR STAYS THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN.
>> THIS YEAR WE WILL BRING FORWARD THE SAME PRIORITIES.
IT WOULD BE OUR INTENT TO BRING FORWARD THOSE PRIORITIES 
FOR THE MPO REVIEW, CHANGE OUR APPROVAL.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR AS WE DEVELOP THE PRIORITIES THROUGH 
THE SPRING AND DURING THE SUMMER WE WOULD BRING TO YOU 
NEXT SEPTEMBER A NEW HISS OF PRIORITIES BASED ON THE 
UPDATED LONG-RANGE PLAN.
ONE THING I WANT TO ADD ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
METROPLAN, WHAT THEY DID IN ORLANDO AND WHAT THEY DID IN 
BROWARD.
BROWARD SPECIFICALLY HAS DIFFERENT CRITERIA FOR EACH MODE.
THEY HAVE CRITERIA THEY USE TO EVALUATE TRANSIT PROJECTS 
FROM CRITERIA TO EVALUATE HIGHWAY PROJECTS.
AFTER THAT IS DONE, THEY WEIGHT EACH MODE INDIVIDUALLY SO 
THEY ARE ALL ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AND WE TOOK INTO 
THAT CONSIDERATION WHEN WE LOOKED THAT THE AS WELL.
METROPLAN IS LOOKING AT PERCENTING OUT THE DOLLARS.
BROWARD IS LOOKING AT EVALUATING ALL THE PROJECTS ON 
SOMEWHAT OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD TO THE WAY THAT THEY 
SHAKE OUT IS MORE COMPARABLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GUESS WE COULD LOOK AT IF WE 
LIMIT THINGS TO A PERCENTAGE WE WOULD NEVER GET MORE THAN 
THAT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION WAS -- DOES 
YOUR PERCENTAGE HAS TO BE PRECISE OR CAN IT BE ARRANGED, 
YOU KNOW -- A RANGE 25% TO 30%.
>> I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE STRINGENT ON THAT IF WE WENT 
TO A PERCENTAGE BASIS WHERE IT HAD TO THAT BE PERCENTAGE 
EVERY YEAR.
D.O.T. AND THEY EVALUATE THEIR WORK PROGRAM THEY LOOK AT 
EQUITY AND BALANCE OVER A LONGER PERIOD, 5 TO 15 YEARS I 
THINK IS THEIR -- SO THEY MAKE SURE -- IT DOESN'T HAVE TO 
BE EVERY YEAR 5% GOING TO MODE A AND ONLY GETTING HALF OF 
A PROJECT DONE.
THEY LOOK TO HAVE EQUITY SO SOME YEARS IT MAY BE OVER, 
SOME YEARS IT MAY BE UNDER.
BUT EQUITY OVER A LONGER PERIOD.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, THE POLICY COMMITTEE APPROVED IT.
IT BRING IT FORWARD TO THE FULL MPO BOARD, THE CITIZENS 
ADVISORY BOARD APPROVED IT TO MOVE IT FORWARD ON MARCH 11.
AND THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD APPROVED IT ON FEBRUARY 
16 TO FORWARD TO THE FULL MPO.
>> I WOULD MOVE THAT WE APPROVE IT BUT I AGREE WE SHOULD 
CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT IN THE FUTURE OF HOW WE DO THINGS 
AND IT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK ON THIS AND I APPRECIATE 
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
A GREAT CHANCE -- AND I MOVE APPROVAL OF STAFF'S 
RECOMMENDATION.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE, OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU, WALLY.
GREAT JOB.
THE HART APPROPRIATIONS ASK FOR 2010.
>> OKAY.
WE -- THIS IS THE FIRST OF A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS GOING 
ON.
THIS IS REGARDING APPROPRIATIONS THAT HART IS ASKING FOR 
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I SENT A LETTER OF SUPPORT AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND 
WE WANTED THE BOARD TO AUTHORIZE MAYOR AFFRONTI OF 
CHAIRMAN OF THE MPO TO SEND A SIMILAR LETTER THAT YOU HAVE 
IN YOUR PACKET TO CONGRESSMAN CASTOR FOR FUNDS HART FOR A 
STUDY ON THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, RAY.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH, I WILL MOVE APPROVAL ON THAT ITEM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE THIRD ITEM IS THE RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR CENTRAL 
FLORIDA COMMUTER RAIL, SunRail.
MR. CHIARAMONTE.
>> THANK YOU IN IS A RESOLUTION AND SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS 
ADOPTED BY TBARTA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THE 
EFFORTS OF ORLANDO COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM.
THE REASON THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE ISSUES BE RESOLVED AT THE STATE 
LEVEL REGARDING CSX AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
RIGHT NOW TRIRAIL IS THE ONLY AREA THAT HAS A SIMILAR 
AGREEMENT THAT THIS WOULD BE A STATEWIDE VERSION OF THAT.
WHILE NOT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT, THE 
IMPORTANT THING IS WE DO NEED SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT FOR 
US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE AHEAD WITH OUR SYSTEM HERE, SO IT IS 
IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT ORLANDO'S EFFORTS IN THIS 
MANNER.
WHAT I'VE DONE IS I HAVE COMPOSED A RESOLUTION THAT IS 
SOMEWHAT GENERAL, NOT GETTING INTO THE ACTUAL DETAILS OF 
IT, BUT MORE TOWARD THE IDEA OF RESOLVING THE ISSUE OF HOW 
-- HOW THESE ISSUES ARE DEALT WITH ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL 
RATHER THAN HAVING INDIVIDUAL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO 
DEAL WITH IT INDIVIDUALLY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES.
MARY?
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
YOU KNOW IN THEORY IT WOULD BE NICE TO SUPPORT THIS, BUT I 
HAVE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE 
FEATURES OF THEIR BROCHURE FOR THIS IS THE -- THE STATE, 
THE CITIZENS ASSUMING ALL LIABILITY FOR CSX, AND I CAN'T 
SUPPORT IT BECAUSE OF THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I THINK WHAT WE ARE SAYING, MARY, WE 
WOULD JUST LIKE TO TELL THEM THAT WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO 
GET THIS THING DONE, AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK 
OUT THE DETAILS ON THE LIABILITY.
WE ARE NOT TELLING THEM TO ACCEPT THE POSITION OF THE 
LIABILITY FOR ANYTHING.
WE ARE JUST SAYING LET'S GET IT DONE SOMEHOW.
AND IT IS UP TO THEM TO DO IT.
SO -- YES, MR. SKELETON.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
LET ME CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
THE POSITION IS NOT THAT THE STATE ASSUMES 100% OF THE 
LIABILITY FOR EVERYTHING IN THE CORRIDOR.
IT IS A SHARED LIABILITY BETWEEN CSX AND THE DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORTATION.
VERY SIMILAR TO THE AGREEMENT THAT IS IN PLACE IN TRIRAIL 
AND IN MOST PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND SO IF THIS AREA IS GOING TO BE LOOKING TO UTILIZE THE 
CSX CORRIDOR FOR TRANSIT, IT WOULD BE A SIMILAR SITUATION.
IF NOT FOR COMMUTER RAIL, THE PEOPLE AND THE COMMUTER 
TRAINS WOULD NOT BE IN THE CORRIDOR.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT THE LIABILITY ISSUES ARE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  BUT SO FAR WHAT I HAVE HEARD I AM NOT IN 
SUPPORT OF THE DEAL THEY ARE CUTTING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
DON, DOES IT -- WITH REGARD TO THE STATE LIABILITY, DOES 
IT PRESERVE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY IN TERMS OF 100,000, 
200,000 --
>> YOU START TO VENTURE INTO LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS THAT I AM 
NOT FULLY --
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  JUST TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
WE WON'T HOLD IT TO YOU.
>> THE STATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE SOME INSURANCE, 
LIABLE INSURANCE, I THINK $200 MILLION POLICY WITHIN THE 
CORRIDOR BUT SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY STILL APPLIES TO THE 
STATE.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I SEE.
SO WE'RE -- WE WOULD DO SOME COVERAGE FOR CSX BECAUSE 
OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE NOT A SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY.
OKAY, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. SCOTT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE CONCEPT IS WE ARE SUPPORTIVE WITH THEM MOVING FORWARD 
WITH UNDERSTANDING THEY WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL THE 
DETAILS OF THE SPECIFICS.
IT GOES BACK TO A YEAR WHEN CONGRESSWOMAN MICHAEL MET WITH 
US RAISING AN ISSUE OF SUPPORT -- ISN'T THAT RIGHT, RAY?
AND HIS WHOLE CONTENTION WAS IF WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO 
SUPPORT EACH OTHER, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY EITHER.
HE SAID THAT VERY STRONGLY.
I AM ASSUMING WHAT HE IS SAYING, YOU GUYS NEED TO SUPPORT 
US IN ORLANDO.
LET'S GET THIS DEAL MOVING SO THAT WE CAN COME ON AND HELP 
HILLSBOROUGH MOVE -- MOVE THEIR PLAN.
SO ALL THE DETAILS, ALL THE LEGAL -- LEGALITIES AND ISSUES 
THAT WE WORKED OUT BETWEEN THE STATE AND ALL THOSE 
INTERESTED PARTIES, THE IDEA IS THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THE 
CONCEPT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS THAT RIGHT?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  EXACTLY.
>> WITH THAT IN MIND I WILL MOVE THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DISCUSSION?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN -- MR. CHAIRMAN, I 
UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNCILMAN SCOTT IS REFERRING TO, AND YOU 
ARE RIGHT, I DID ATTEND THAT MEETING TOO, TOM, AND HE 
ASKED FOR COOPERATION BOTH WAYS.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE 
LANGUAGE OF OUR MOTION.
AND THAT THEY ARE STILL DISPUTES AGAINST SENATOR DOCKERTY 
AS THE BIGGEST OPPONENT AND IN FACT I READ SOME 
INFORMATION A COUPLE OF DAYS GOING THAT ROSEMARY GOUDREAUX 
A FORMER TRIBUNE EDITOR WROTE IN OPPOSITION OF THIS.
SO IF WE ARE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT THEM TRYING TO MOVE 
FORWARD WITH THE SunRail, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF IT IS MORE SPECIFIC THAN -- JUST LIKE COUNCILWOMAN 
MULHERN, I WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM.
I WOULD LIKE THE MOTION TO BE STATED THAT WE ARE SHOWING 
THEM SUPPORT, BUT WITH THAT SHOW OF SUPPORT, WE ARE NOT 
SAYING WE APPROVE THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR LANGUAGE AS THEY 
GO.
SO -- I KNOW.
I WANT THAT TO BE VERBALIZED, RAY.
I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING.
>> WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS THAT IN THE -- IN THE LETTER 
WE WANT TO SEND, IT SAYS THAT THE MPO RECOGNIZES THAT 
THERE ARE STILL IMPORTANT REMAINING ISSUES CONCERNING THE 
PROJECT THAT MUST BE RESOLVED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE 
PROJECT STAKEHOLDER.
SO IT DOES INDICATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT ASKING THEM 
TO APPROVE EVERYTHING EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS.
THAT WE REALIZE THERE ARE ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE RESOLVED, 
BUT WE SUPPORT THE CONCEPT.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SAY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I AM WONDERING IF WE CAN MAYBE BE A 
LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THOSE INSURANCE OR LIABILITY TO 
SAY THAT THIS DOES NOT SAY WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF SunRail'S 
PROPOSED LIABILITY ARRANGEMENTS OR SOMETHING.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S -- THIS ISN'T JUST SYMBOLIC FOR 
US.
THIS IS LIKE SAYING, OKAY, WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU, 
AND IF YOU WERE GOING ALONG THESE LINES AND THEN IT ENDS 
UP PASSING AND WE DON'T GET A DEAL THAT WE THINK IS FAIR 
TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE, WE MAY END UP OBVIOUSLY WE 
ARE GOING TO BE TRYING TO WORK WITH CSX ON OUR LIGHT RAIL 
PLAN TOO.
SO -- YOU KNOW, IT SETS A PRECEDENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MAKE IT ANY MORE 
SPECIFIC OR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. SCOTT.
>> WELL, I VIEW THIS AS A SYMBOLIC GESTURE OF COOPERATION, 
OF GOOD WILL TOWARDS ORLANDO.
PEOPLE, BELIEVE ME, THE STATE --
[ LAUGHTER ]
-- THE STATE AT THE END OF THE DAY ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE 
THEY DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS OF 
ORLANDO AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
MR. SECRETARY, I BELIEVE YOU ARE AWARE THAT THEY ARE GOING 
TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE EYES ARE DOTTED AND ALL THE Ts 
ARE CROSSED.
WHILE WE DO NOT GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THAT AS A 
COMMISSION, I WAS JUST SAYING -- COMMISSIONER FERLITA WAS 
JUST SAYING, WILL NOT GET INTO THE SPECIFIC OF THE 
SPECIFICS, IT IS A GESTURE OF SUPPORT, GOOD FAITH, GOOD 
WILL, AND BEST WISHES TO YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD.
NOT MENTIONING THE LEGAL ISSUES AND THE LEGAL 
RAMIFICATIONS THAT ARE STILL HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT BY THE 
STATE.
SO THAT IS HOW I VIEW THIS.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, WE TALKING ABOUT LIGHT RAIL, BUT HERE 
IT WILL COME RIGHT BACK.
AND THOSE SAME DETAILED ISSUES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE 
WORKED OUT.
>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THIS WAS CONSIDERED A VERY 
IMPORTANT ISSUE AT THE LAST TBARTA MEETING WHEN -- YOU 
KNOW, TBARTA IS SUPPORTING A SIMILAR TYPE OF RESOLUTION 
AND THE SAME ISSUES WERE RAISED.
I PERSONALLY -- LOOKING AT SOME OF THE INSURANCE THINGS I 
JUST THINK IT IS NOT OUR PURVIEW -- I MEAN I AM NOT AN 
EXPERT ON INSURANCE LIABILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE 
RAILROADS HAVE.
I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THE STATE WILL COME TO A CONCLUSION 
THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.
I DON'T THINK IT IS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S INTEREST TO 
NEGOTIATE A SEPARATE AGREEMENT WITH CSX.
I DON'T THINK WE ARE IN THAT POSITION.
THIS HAS TO BE DECIDED BY THE STATE WHAT IS THE BEST TO 
HAVE ALL OF THIS OCCUR ON A STATEWIDE BASIS SO WE CAN MOVE 
FORWARD OTHERWISE WE WILL BE CONSTANTLY BOGGED DOWN IN 
ISSUES, EACH LOCALITY HAVING AN AGREEMENT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THE SENTENCE THAT WAS READ NEEDS 
TWEAKING, THE PROJECT MUST BE DEVELOPED TO THE 
SATISFACTION OF PROJECT STAKEHOLDER.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THE PROJECT STAKEHOLDER IS, BUT I WOULD 
SUGGEST IN LIGHT OF OUR DISCUSSION THAT SHOULD READ TO THE 
SATISFACTION OF ALL PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS.
ISN'T THAT THE INTENT OF THAT LINE REALLY?
THAT EVERYBODY -- EVERYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN THAT UP 
THERE --
>> THEN MAYBE IT SHOULD SAY "SHOULD BE RESOLVED TO THE 
SATISFACTION OF ALL PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS."
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THAT'S FINE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
SO WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  SHOULD BE RESOLVED TO THE SATISFACTION 
OF ALL PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS, LOWERCASE "P" ON THE PROJECT.
>> NEED A SEPARATE MOTION TO CHANGE THE WORDING.
>> ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH WITH THAT CHANGE -- WITH THE -- OKAY.
NEXT ITEM IS NEW FREEDOM PRIORITIES.
ALLISON YEH.
>> NOT SURE WHY IT'S LIKE THAT -- GOOD MORNING.
ALLISON YEH, MPO STAFF.
I AM GOING TO TRY TO BE REALLY BRIEF SINCE THIS WAS 
ACTUALLY REPORTED TWICE NOW IN COMMITTEE REPORTS.
WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE 2009 PROGRAM OF 
PROJECTS FOR THE NEW FREEDOM FUNDING.
THROUGH FEDERAL LEGISLATION EXECUTIVE ORDER, MPOS ARE 
REQUIRED TO CREATE A LOCALLY COORDINATED HUMAN SERVICES 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND LOCALLY, HILLSBOROUGH, PINELLAS 
AND PASCO COUNTY TREATED A PLAN CALLED THE TRI-COUNTY 
ACCESS PLANS FROM WHICH WE GIVE GUIDANCE TO DISTRIBUTE 
FUNDING FOR THE NEW FREEDOM PROGRAM AND THE JOB ACCESS AND 
REVERSE COMMUTE PROGRAM.
THE NEW FREEDOM PROGRAM, AS YOU KNOW, PROVIDES SERVICES 
BEYOND WHAT IS ALREADY REQUIRED BY THE NATIONAL 
DISABILITIES ACT AND THE JOB ACCESS REVERSE COMMUTE 
PROGRAM PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT.
TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME 
PERSONS.
IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA WE HAVE 
12% OF OUR POPULATION BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.
17% OF 65 AND OLDER AND 20% OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THERE IS VERY MUCH A NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF FUNDING 
PROGRAM, WHATEVER THE AMOUNT IS.
IN DECEMBER, THE THREE COUNTIES GOT TOGETHER AND REQUESTED 
-- WE HAVE SOME MONEY REMAINING, $851,000, AROUND THERE, 
FOR NEW FREEDOM PROJECTS.
SO WE PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR ACTIONS, AND RECEIVED THREE 
APPLICATIONS.
TWO OF THOSE APPLICATIONS MET THE CRITERIA OF THAT REQUEST 
FOR APPLICATIONS, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU AND 
IN THE PACKET.
THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENCE IN PASCO COUNTY.
THIS IS A CONTINUING PROJECT.
THEY BASICALLY TAKE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND TRY TO 
CONNECT THEM WITH A PARATRANSIT ROUTE ULTIMATELY TO THE 
FIXED ROUTE SYSTEM IN PASCO COUNTY AND LINKING CONTINUE TO 
PINELLAS COUNTY -- EXCUSE ME -- AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, 
WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE.
THERE WAS ALSO A PROJECT BY THE HARVARD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
INSTITUTE, AND THEY ARE DEVELOPING SORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE 
TRAVEL TRAINING PROGRAM TO HELP PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 
TO THERE WILL BE MATERIALS, ACTUAL TRAINING, AND A PROGRAM 
THAT WILL TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO FEEL MORE INDEPENDENT AND 
JUST MORE COMFORTABLE RIDING THE PARATRANSIT AND FIXED 
ROUTE SYSTEM.
THOSE TWO PROJECTS TOTALED $345,734.
AND THE REMAINING AMOUNT AROUND $500,000 WILL BE ROLLED 
FORWARD AND PROBABLY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER REQUEST FOR 
PROPOSALS OUT IN DECEMBER.
SOME PREVIOUS PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS ADA COMPLIANT BUS AND SIDEWALK 
IMPROVEMENTS.
PINELLAS COUNTY HAS A VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN THE CENTER OF INDEPENDENCE IN PREVIOUS YEARS HAS 
ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING FOR THEIR SERVICES.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING THE MPO TO DO TODAY IS TO ENDORSE THIS 
SMALL PROGRAM OF PROJECTS.
IT NEEDS TO BE SENT CONTINUE TO PINELLAS COUNTY, WHICH IS 
THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT OF FUNDS FOR ALL THREE COUNTIES, 
AND THEN THEIR MPO WILL APPROVE THIS AND SEND IT ON TO THE 
STATE AND FTA.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. DINGFELDER?
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I HATE TO BE TOO PAROCHIAL AND I LAUD 
THE PSTA OF IMPROVING THEIR LANDING PADS, BUT I AM JUST 
WONDERING HILLSBOROUGH AND HART, WE HAVE A BIG LANDING PAD 
PROGRAM AS WELL WITH LOTS OF NONCOMPLIANT PADS I AM SURE 
YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF.
SO HOW DOES HILLSBOROUGH'S PROBLEMS FIT INTO THAT LIST?
>> WELL, HILLSBOROUGH ACTUALLY -- THIS IS ACTUALLY THE 
SECOND PART OF THE 2009 MONEY.
SO ACTUALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2008 AND 2009, HART RECEIVED 
MONEY FOR ADA COMPLIANT BUS PATHS AND SIDEWALK 
IMPROVEMENTS.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  LIKE HOW MUCH?
DO WE KNOW?
>> YES, I DO.
SORRY, I DO HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE THAT I CAN'T --
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT -- FAIR 
TREATMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  BECAUSE APPARENTLY YOU CAN MAKE -- YOU 
CAN MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY ON 
THESE TYPE OF ISSUES.
>> HILLSBOROUGH RECEIVED $200,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2008 AND 
ANOTHER $200,000 IN 2009 FOR THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS.
WE ARE HAVING -- WE HAVE TROUBLE GETTING PEOPLE TO APPLY, 
BECAUSE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, 20% MATCH.
FOR OPERATING PROJECTS, THERE IS A 50% MATCH, SO 
OFTENTIMES, THE COUNTIES WANT TO APPLY, BUT THEY ARE NOT 
ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE MATCH FOR THESE FUNDS.
AND THERE IS QUITE STRINGENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ALSO.
SO SOMETIMES THAT DETERS PEOPLE FROM ACTUALLY APPLYING FOR 
THE FUNDS.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  OKAY.
I SEE MR. -- IN THE AUDIENCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN COMMENTING ON THIS?
ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH --
>> GOOD MORNING.
I THINK SHE HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB COVERING IT ALL.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT WE HAD MORE MONEY THAT CAME IN.
I WAS CHECKING MY NOTES.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND GRADE FUNDING.
I HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THESE PROJECTS FOR A NUMBER OF 
YEARS, ESPECIALLY THE JARC FUNDING.
WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THOSE TOO, BUT CLEARLY THE KEY 
POINT ARE LOCAL FUNDING TO MATCH, AND THAT OFTENTIMES IS A 
PROBLEM FOR HILLSBOROUGH AND OTHER AREAS, INCLUDING PSTA 
AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO MAXIMIZE THIS.
I DID HEAR EARLIER TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
SO WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF WE CAN COME BACK.
THE LANDING PADS IS CLEARLY ONE THE PRIORITIES FOR US.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE SOME FUNDS FOR THAT AND 
SOMETHING WE ARE DOING THIS YEAR AND GOING FORWARD INTO 
NEXT YEAR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> CAN I ADD ONE THING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>> YES, MAY I ADD A COMMENT?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>> WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE NEW FREEDOM FUNDS HERE 
WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT $800,000 A YEAR.
HART ALSO RECEIVED IN 2008  AND 2009 JOB ACCESS COMMUTE 
FUNDS WHICH IN 2008, $476,000 FOR LATE-NIGHT AND WEEKEND 
SERVICE AND $488,000 AND CHANGE FOR THAT IN 2009 -- FISCAL 
YEAR 2009.
SO HE IS RIGHT, THERE ARE MORE FUNDS THAN WHAT I 
MENTIONED.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
I WILL MOVE APPROVAL.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ALLISON.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM IS BETH ALDEN ON THE 
BRUCE B. DOWNS REDESIGN OPTION.
>> GOOD MORNING, BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF.
AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT A PROJECT THAT THE 
COUNTY IS ABOUT READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH STARTING 
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE WIDENING OF BRUCE 
B. DOWNS BOULEVARD.
SO WE ARE EXCITED THAT THAT PROJECT IS MOVING AHEAD.
25 YEARS AGO, AERIALS -- AREA PHOTOGRAPHS OF NEW TAMPA 
SHOWED A LOT OF TREES AND FIELDS.
AND AS WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD IN OUR LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS TO 25 YEARS IN THE FUTURE, 
WE KNOW THE FUTURE CAN BE JUST AS DIFFERENT AS THE PAST.
SO AS A LONG-RANGE PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WE ARE LOOKING 
AT NOT ONLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE 
TODAY BUT ALSO THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TOWARD 
IN THE FUTURE.
THE BRUCE B. DOWNS PROJECT HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH THIS 
MPO.
IT HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE MPO'S FLEXIBLE FUNDING.
THE PROJECT WAS STUDIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORTATION.
DESIGN DEVELOPED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
BOTH THOSE OPTIONS HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE MPO TO 
DEVELOP THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING MAINTAINING A MULTIUSE 
PATH AS PART OF THE CORRIDOR, ADDING PAVED SHOULDERS WHICH 
CAN BE USED NOT ONLY BY TRAFFIC MAKING THE TURNING 
MOVEMENTS A LITTLE BIT EASIER, BUT ALSO BY FASTER MOVING 
CYCLISTS AS A SAFER LOCATION FOR THEM.
THE PROJECT ALSO HAS INCLUDED A 20-FOOT FUTURE TRANSIT 
ENVELOPE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CROSS-SECTION OVER AT 
THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THIS SCREEN.
NOW WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS INITIALLY STUDIED, THE PLANS FOR 
RAIL IN TAMPA WAS BASED ON THE TAMPA RAIL PROJECT WITH 
THAT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IN 2002.
AT THAT TIME, THE RAIL WAS TO GO NORTH ON BRUCE B. DOWNS 
BOULEVARD AS FAR AS SKIPPER ROAD.
LOOKING OUT LONGER TERM SINCE THEN, THIS MPO HAS LOOKED AT 
A NEED FOR RAIL TRANSIT TO GO FARTHER OUT BRUCE B. DOWNS 
BOULEVARD AS PART OF THE TRANSIT STUDY IN 2007, TAKING 
THAT AT LEAST UP TO THE INNER CHANGE WITH I-75, TO TRY TO 
GET SOME OF THOSE COMMUTERS OUT OF THEIR CARS A LITTLE BIT 
FARTHER UPSTREAM, MAYBE GET MORE FOLKS OUT OF THEIR CARS.
AND EVEN MORE RECENTLY, THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN INCLUDES 
THE RAIL CORRIDOR GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO WESLEY CHAPEL, 
AND, OF COURSE, THE TBARTA BOARD TOOK AN ACTION IN 
FEBRUARY IDENTIFYING THESE RAIL SEGMENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY AS THE FIRST SEGMENTS OF IMPLEMENTING AN OVERALL 
REGIONAL PLAN.
SO WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS DESIGNED WITH A 20-FOOT 
TRANSIT ENVELOPE, AND WE HAVE SOME NEW PLANS RECENTLY THAT 
LOOK FOR MAYBE MORE SPECIFIC RAIL PROJECTS TO BE 
IMPLEMENTED IN THAT CORRIDOR.
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THAT 20-FOOT TRANSIT ENVELOPE?
YOU CAN BUILD ONE LINE OF RAIL OR ONE LANE OF A BUSWAY.
THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HAVE THE 
VEHICLES PASSING EACH OTHER, YOU WILL NEED SOME KIND OF 
PULL-OUT AREA, AND YOU MAY END UP WITH A VEHICLE WAITING 
AT THAT PULL-OUT AREA.
SO IS THAT ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL OF HAVING RAPID TRANSIT?
ANOTHER OPTION MIGHT BE BUILDING AN ELEVATED RAIL SYSTEM.
THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND WITH THAT IS THAT 
IT IS GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT.
IT MIGHT BE IN THE RANGE OF TWO TO THREE TIMES MORE 
EXPENSIVE.
THE NUMBERS HERE ON THIS SCREEN ARE FROM THE TAMPA RAIL 
PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, THEIR FISCAL YEAR 2000 DOLLARS, BUT THEY ARE 
OLDER BUT YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE CHANGE IN THE PER-MILE 
COST, $30 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT A GRADE, $70 MILLION FOR AN 
ELEVATED SECTION.
AND THAT KIND OF CARRIES OUT AS WE LOOK AT MORE RECENT 
ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION COST NUMBERS.
HONOLULU IS LOOKING AT AN ELEVATED LIGHT-RAIL SYSTEM.
THEY WERE REPORTING OUT THAT WAS GOING TO RUN THEM $206 
MILLION PER MILE.
CHARLOTTE AND PORTLAND, WITH SOME RECENT CONSTRUCTION 
PROJECTS FOR LIGHT RAIL, IN THE $50 MILLION TO $85 
MILLION-A-MILE RANGE.
SO KEEPING THOSE THINGS IN MIND, HOW SERIOUSLY DO WE WANT 
TO TAKE THIS CORRIDOR AND IMPLEMENTING RAIL IN THIS 
CORRIDOR?
IS RAIL REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS APPROPRIATE ON A SUBURBAN 
ARTERIAL?
WELL, AS WE LOOK OUT AT WHAT OUR TRAFFIC CONGESTION LEVELS 
WILL BE IN THE FUTURE, AND WE HAVE JUST BEEN DOING SOME 
MODEL RUNS FOR THE 2035 PLAN, AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING THAT 
IN 2035, EIGHT LANES IS STILL NOT GOING TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S EVEN ASSUMING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BUILD SOME OF 
THE RELIEVER ROADS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE LIKE NEW 
TAMPA BOULEVARD AND WE DON'T KNOW YET WHETHER THOSE ARE 
GOING TO BE COST FEASIBLE OR NOT.
SO TRANSIT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE 
CAPACITY IN A LITTLE LESS SPACE.
YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THIS GRAPHIC BEFORE.
THE SAME AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN LESS SPACE IF YOU WERE USING 
A TRAIN.
IF WE DID WANT TO GO AND LOOK AT REDESIGNING THIS SEGMENT 
OF BRUCE B. DOWNS TO SET ASIDE A LITTLE MORE RIGHT-OF-WAY 
FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT, WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN?
WELL, THE COUNTY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US VERY 
CLOSELY TO INVESTIGATE THIS.
AND CAME UP WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
BUILDING SIX LANES RATHER THAN EIGHT.
THAT IS AN EIGHT-MONTH REDESIGN WOULD COST $800,000.
NARROWING ALL OF THE PORTIONS OF THIS RIGHT-OF-WAY, 
NARROWING THE MEDIAN, NARROWING THE MULTIUSE TRAIL, 
NARROWING THE SHOULDERS, AGAIN TEN-MONTH REDESIGN MAY COST 
A MILLION DOLLARS.
DON'T BUILD THE RIGHT-TURN LANES ON THE EAST SIDE, THE 
NORTHBOUND SIDE, WHICH IS WHERE OUR TRANSIT ENVELOPE IS.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, POSSIBLY AN EIGHT-MONTH REDESIGN ALTHOUGH 
A SLIGHTLY LOWER COST FOR THE REDESIGN.
THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT ALL OF THESE REDESIGN OPTIONS 
MEAN DELAYING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FIRST SEGMENT, AND 
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING CLOSELY ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS.
RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTY COULD PROBABLY GET VERY GOOD BIDS ON 
THE CONSTRUCTION.
THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS AFTER WE 
SEE SOME OF THE STIMULUS PROJECTS GO OUT TO BID HOPEFULLY.
IT DOES MEAN PUTTING SOME PEOPLE TO WORK, AND THERE ARE 
SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT -- YOU KNOW, THERE IS FEDERAL FUNDING 
THAT HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED BY THIS MPO THAT IS PROGRAMMED 
TOWARD THIS PROJECT.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO ROLL THAT FORWARD TO THE -- TO THE 
NEXT FISCAL YEAR IF THE CONSTRUCTION DOESN'T START RIGHT 
AWAY.
SO OUR SUGGESTION TO YOU AT THIS POINT IS TO GO AHEAD AND 
PROCEED WITH THE FUNDED SEGMENT, WHICH IS SEGMENTS "B" AND 
"C," AND THAT IS RUNNING FROM SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF THE I-75 
INTERCHANGE, UP TO PEBBLE CREEK.
AND TO LOOK AT REDESIGN IN THE OTHER TWO SEGMENTS, WHICH 
ARE NOT YET READY TO PROCEED TO CONSTRUCTION.
SO THE SEGMENTS SOUTH OF I-75 AND FARTHER NORTH UP NEAR 
THE PASCO COUNTY LINE.
SO JUST RECAPPING WHAT THOSE SEGMENTS WOULD BE.
SEGMENT "A" FROM BEARSS TO PALM SPRING, COULD YOU 
POTENTIALLY SAVE MONEY BY BUILDING SIX LANES RATHER THAN 
EIGHT LANES IN THAT SEGMENT, AND IT MAY BE REALISTIC TO GO 
AHEAD AND DO EIGHT LANES FARTHER NORTH, SIX LANES IN THIS 
SEGMENT, ASSUMING THAT SOME OF THE TRAFFIC IS GOING TO 
DIVERT CONTINUE TO I-75 RATHER THAN COMING DOWN THIS 
SEGMENT OF BRUCE B. DOWNS.
THIS WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL SEGMENT TO LOOK AT 
IMPLEMENTING LIGHT RAIL, BECAUSE IF WE CAN EXTEND THE 
TAMPA RAIL PROJECT AND OLD TAMPA RAIL PROJECT NORTH FROM 
SKIPPER ROAD THROUGH THIS CORRIDOR UP TO THE VICINITY OF 
THAT I-75 INTERCHANGE AND MAYBE PROVIDE SOME PARK AND RIDE 
ACCESS THERE, YOU KNOW, THEN, AGAIN, WE NOT ONLY MAY BE 
ABLE TO CAPTURE A FEW MORE COMMUTERS, BUT MAYBE PROVIDE 
SOME EXPRESS BUS CONNECTIONS IN THAT I-75 CORRIDOR, SOME 
OF THOSE REGIONAL CONNECTIONS THAT TBARTA HAS BEEN LOOKING 
AT.
SEGMENT "B," PALM SPRINGS TO PEBBLE CREEK.
THIS IS THE SEGMENT THAT WE ARE READY TO PROCEED TO 
CONSTRUCTION ON.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD EIGHT LANES 
TODAY, AND IN THE FUTURE, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO EXTEND 
LIGHT RAIL NORTH OF I-75 TO REMOVE THE RIGHT TURN LANES ON 
THAT NORTHBOUND SIDE.
AND THEN FINALLY, SEGMENT "D." THIS IS ESSENTIALLY SETTING 
ASIDE RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR FUTURE CONNECTION UP TO PASCO 
COUNTY.
SO JUST RECAPPING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU AT THIS POINT 
WOULD TO BE SUPPORT IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT 
SEGMENT B, C WIDENING PROJECT.
TO REQUEST THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSION IDENTIFY 
THAT NORTHBOUND RIGHT-TURN LANE IN THAT SEGMENT AS 
POTENTIAL RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR RAIL IN THE FUTURE.
AS WE UPDATE OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, TO CHANGE 
OUR NEEDS IDENTIFICATION TO SHOW THAT SIX LANES RATHER 
THAN EIGHT LANES ARE NEEDED ON SEGMENTS "A" AND "D." AND 
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM THE COUNTY STAFF HERE 
TODAY, AS WELL AS THE CITY STAFF.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROJECT 
AND ALSO ABOUT THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  GOOD JOB, BETH.
>> JUST TO ADD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO BETH'S EXCELLENT 
PRESENTATION.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME MEETING WITH FDOT, ENGINEERS FROM 
THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OTHER COUNTY STAFF, GOING BACK AND 
FORTH OVER THIS TO KIND OF COME UP WITH THIS PROPOSAL.
WE FEEL THIS IS THE BEST COMPROMISE THAT WE CAN MAKE AT 
THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT 
IT WASN'T TAKEN LIGHTLY TO COME TO THIS CONCLUSION, AND WE 
WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY -- YES.
KEVIN.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
ON SEGMENTS "A" AND "D," ASSUMING WHAT WE ARE TALKING 
ABOUT SIX LANES THAT WE WILL BE BUILDING A CORRIDOR THEN 
FOR LIGHT RAIL.
IS THAT WHAT THAT IS INCLUDING?
SO WITHOUT A LIGHT RAIL, WE WILL NEED EIGHT LANES BEFORE -
- OR OTHERWISE WE WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF FAILURE WE 
ARE EXPECTING THE FUTURE.
WAS THAT CORRECT?
>> WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ROADWAY FAILING IN 2035 
KIND OF REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT IS SIX LANES OR EIGHT 
LANES.
SO KIND OF OUR QUESTION IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR 
THAT.
IF WE KNOW IN THE FUTURE PAST OUR EXISTING CONGESTION 
CHALLENGES, HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE 
MOBILITY IN THAT CORRIDOR.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING WITHOUT LIGHT 
RAIL IN THAT AREA NO MATTER HOW MANY LANES WE EXPAND 
UNLESS YOU EXPAND BEYOND CURRENT LIMITS, THAT WE ARE GOING 
TO BE FAILING UP THERE BY 2035.
>> RIGHT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I AM SORRY --
>> I ASSUME BEFORE 2035 THAT YOU ARE ONLY TALKING SIX 
LANES THOUGH.
>> PROBABLY, YES.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS HERE.
YEAH.
BUT, YEAH, I ASSUME.
>> QUITE A BIT BEFORE MOST LIKELY IF YOU WERE SEEING 
FAILURE AT 2035 WITH EIGHT LANES.
YOU ARE SEEING A PROBLEM WELL BEFORE THEN WITH SIX LANES.
>> YOU ARE RIGHT.
THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC CONGESTION CHALLENGES IN 
THIS CORRIDOR AS YOU KNOW.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  SO YOU HAVE TO MOVE THAT LIGHT RAIL FAST 
FORWARD BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE IT BY 2035, MOST 
LIKELY, ARE YOU?
>> WE ARE WORKING DILL GENTLY WITH THE COUNTY STAFF ALSO 
AND WITH THE COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE TO 
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO FUND RAIL, AND WE HOPE TO BE 
TALKING ABOUT THAT WITH YOU AND ALSO WITH THE COUNTY IN 
THE NEXT -- IN THE COMING MONTHS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  COUNCILMAN -- [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOT ON.
>> SORRY, AS WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING AND LIGHT RAIL 
ESPECIALLY IN THIS CORRIDOR, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT 
THE FACT THAT MANY LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS AND STREET CAR 
SYSTEMS ALL OVER THE WORLD USE SHARED LANES.
SO WHEN YOU START TO TALK ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH LANES, 
THAT CONSIDERATION NEEDS TO BE THERE, BECAUSE I THINK IF 
YOU LOOK AT OTHER MODELS ESPECIALLY IN EUROPE, THAT'S JUST 
HOW IT WORKS OR YOU LOOK AT SAN FRANCISCO STREET CAR.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT LANE.
IT IS A STREET CAR LANE OR A LIGHT RAIL LANE OR A BUS 
RAPID TRANSIT LANE.
IT HAS THAT PRIORITY, AND IF THERE'S NOT A TRANSIT -- IF 
THERE ISN'T TRANSIT THERE, THEN YOU CAN DRIVE IN THAT LANE 
AND MAKE A RIGHT TURN FROM THAT LANE.
I THINK BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, SITUATION WE ARE IN 
ECONOMICALLY, WE HAVE TO START THINKING A LITTLE 
DIFFERENTLY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD -- WE SHOULD TAKE OFF THE 
TABLE THE THREE TIMES AS EXPENSIVE ELEVATED RAIL AT THIS 
POINT.
BECAUSE THEN I DON'T THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR 
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT SORT OF START THINKING SMALLER AND SORT OF CONDENSED.
>> SURE.
AND STREET CARS ARE AN EXCELLENT OPTION FOR MOVING MORE 
FOLKS IN LESS SPACE, YOU KNOW GETTING THEM INTO A VEHICLE.
PARTICULARLY IN URBAN SITUATIONS.
MOST OF OUR APPLICATIONS FOR STREET CARS, NOT ONLY IN THIS 
COUNTRY BUT ALSO IN EUROPE ARE CIRCULATING THROUGH CITIES.
THIS CORRIDOR, SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOING LONGER 
DISTANCES, YOU KNOW, IT IS KIND OF CONTEMPLATED AS PART OF 
THE REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE 
PREFERABLE IN THIS CORRIDOR TO LOOK AT A TYPE OF TRANSIT 
THAT IS GOING FASTER, MAYBE HAVE FEWER STOPS, LONGER 
DISTANCES BETWEEN STOPS.
FOR THAT KIND OF THING, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE A SIDE 
RIGHT-OF-WAY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  RIGHT.
>> IF YOU CAN -- IF IT MAKES SENSE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I THINK IT IS WORTH LOOKING AT TOO 
BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME PLACES THAT DO 
THAT.
THAT WILL HAVE -- YOU KNOW, THAT WILL HAVE THAT -- HAVE 
RAIL -- I MEAN STREETCAR, LIGHT RAIL, IT IS REALLY THE 
SAME THING.
IT IS JUST THE CAR LOOKS DIFFERENT -- OR MAYBE -- YOU 
ASSUME THERE ARE MORE STOPS ON STREETCAR, BUT YOU CAN 
STILL PUT A LIGHT RAIL LANE IN -- IN A -- IN THE STREET, I 
THINK.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
RAY?
>> ONE OF THE ISSUES I WANTED TO BRING UP AND THIS IS AN 
OPPORTUNITY AS WE LOOK AT THE PENNY SALES TAX.
PART OF THAT PENNY 25% CAN BE USED FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN 
TRANSIT AND THERE MIGHT BE ROADWAY PROJECTS THAT CAN BE 
SUPPORTIVE OF TRANSIT TO BE CONSIDERED.
RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO FUNDING FOR EITHER EIGHT LANES OR 
SIX LANES FOR THE OTHER PART OF BRUCE B. DOWNS.
THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY.
THIS MIGHT BE A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THAT 
BUNDLE OF PROJECTS FOR THE PENNY SALES TAX WHERE WE WOULD 
DO THE SIX-LANE PLAN IF SUPPORTING THE RAIL -- AND SUPPORT 
THE RAIL AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK THAT IDEA AS WE MOVE FARTHER WE 
ARE OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, RICH CAETANO.
>>JOE CAETANO:  IN YOUR STUDY ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE 
EAST-WEST ROADWAY THAT WILL TAKE TRAFFIC OFF OF BRUCE B. 
DOWNS.
>> YES, IN FACT THE NEW BOULEVARD THAT WAS FORMALLY CALLED 
THE EAST-WEST ROAD WAS PART OF OUR TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, AND 
BRUCE B. DOWNS DOES FAIL EVEN IF THAT EAST-WEST ROAD IS 
BUILT IN 2035.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, MR. WAGGONER.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  PERHAPS I MISSED IT BUT DID YOUR 
ANALYSIS SHOW THE OPERATIONAL BENEFITS TO THE CORRIDOR OF 
A FIXED LIGHT RAIL OPTION AND HOW THAT WILL WORK IN TERMS 
OF TRANSPORTATION DEMAND?
>> WE HAVEN'T AS THE MPO MODELED THE RIDERSHIP ON THE RAIL 
LINES YET.
THAT IS GOING TO BE PART -- AN UPCOMING PART OF OUR LONG-
RANGE PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  THAT WOULD BE VERY GOOD INFORMATION TO 
HAVE IN THE QUESTION I THINK.
>> RIGHT.
TYPICALLY A RAIL LINE MIGHT CARRY TWO TO FOUR LANES OF 
TRAFFIC, BUT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON HOW FREQUENTLY YOU 
RUN THAT SERVICE, HOW MANY HOURS WE ARE DAY AND SO FORTH.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  OKAY.
THAT IS A GOOD IDEA.
>> WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES, MR. MILLER.
>> FIRST I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT STAFF'S 
RECOMMENDATION AND WORKING WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY AND 
BRINGING EVERYBODY ON BOARD BUT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IN 
THE LONG TERM WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT MAY NOT BE 
THE BEST DECISION BUT BRINGS US FORWARD ON RAIL AND I 
THINK WE NEED TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I FULLY SUPPORT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU, BETH, GOOD JOB.
OKAY WE HAVE ONE MORE -- MR. CHIARAMONTE.
ONE MORE ACTION ITEM.
>> OKAY.
ACTUALLY I COULD PROBABLY GO IN AND DEAL WITH THIS UNDER 
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT ON ADVICE OF OUR ATTORNEY 
SINCE WE DIDN'T LIST IT UNDER ACTION ITEMS EVEN THOUGH WE 
WANT TO DISCUSS IT AS AN ACTION ITEM.
ONE IS -- GINA BROUGHT UP THE LETTER ON THE TRAILS, I 
GUESS.
AND, YEAH, I THINK YOU HEARD THAT PRESENTATION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE BOARD AUTHORIZE MAYOR AFFRONTI 
TO SEND THAT LETTER TO SENATOR BAKER.
>> SO MOVED.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY, CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
>> NO, I GOT TO -- OKAY.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
IF YOU REMEMBER, YOU AUTHORIZED A LETTER TO BE SENT 
SUPPORTING THAT.
I DID ATTEND THE MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE WHICH WAS ACTUALLY 
QUITE AN EYE-OPENER FOR ME.
IT WAS A PUBLIC WORKSHOP AND THEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON 
HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME AND I INCLUDED A REPORT IN YOUR 
PACKET OF MY MEETINGS.
I TOOK A LOT OF NOTES.
SOMETIMES FLORIDA ACCIDENTALLY FALLS INTO A GOOD POSITION, 
AND I GUESS THIS IS THE WAY I WOULD DESCRIBE IT.
IF YOU REMEMBER -- AND I HAD KIND OF FORGOTTEN THIS MYSELF 
-- I REMEMBER WE HAD HIGH-SPEED RAIL EXISTED AS AN IDEA 
FROM 2000 TO 2004 AND I DO -- AFTER I WENT TO TALLAHASSEE 
-- REMEMBER READING IN THE PAPER ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS WITH 
DISNEY AND ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS NOW THAT THIS $8 BILLION HAS BEEN PUT 
INTO THE FEDERAL BUDGET FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL, WE ACTUALLY 
ARE IN A FAIRLY ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION COMPARED TO OTHER 
COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE WERE ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT DOING 
THIS.
SO THERE IS 44 AREAS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HIGH-SPEED 
RAIL, AND WE ARE BASICALLY IN THE TOP FOUR AS FAR AS 
HAVING THE MOST WORK DONE.
SO WHAT STRUCK ME WAS -- AND THE CONSULTANTS WERE THERE 
FROM THE OLD HIGH-SPEED RAIL PLAN.
THE WAY IS WORKS IS IT DOESN'T, I ANY LOCAL MATCH.
THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY.
AGAIN, IT DOESN'T, I LOCAL MATCH AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL COMMISSION HAD NOT MET FOR FOUR YEARS.
THEY MET.
THEY HAD THE CONSULTANTS PRESENT A LOT OF THE INFORMATION.
WE WERE ONE STEP AWAY FROM GETTING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL 
IMPACT STATEMENT APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN 
2004.
SO WE WERE ALMOST AT THAT POINT, WHICH IS FAIRLY FAR DOWN 
THE LINE.
SO WHAT THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL COMMISSION IS GOING TO DO IS 
TRY TO REACTIVATE THE APPLICATION.
EVERYBODY IS KIND OF SCRAMBLING AROUND TRYING TO WRITE 
LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE WRITE A LETTER ACTUALLY INVITING 
THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL COMMISSION TO HAVE THEIR NEXT MEETING 
HERE IN TAMPA, BECAUSE THE OTHER THING THAT CAME TO MY 
ATTENTION WAS THAT THE MOST WORK WAS DONE ON THE DOWNTOWN 
TAMPA TO THE ORLANDO AIRPORT LINE, WHICH IS ABOUT 85 MILES 
LONG.
AND THE -- OTHER PEOPLE WERE COMPETING WITH ARE LIKE LOS 
ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO.
THAT'S 400 MILES.
ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOME LEVEL OF APPROVAL ARE 
MUCH BIGGER.
SO IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE WOULD HAVE A GOOD CASE TO MAKE 
THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DO A LINE FOR LESS MONEY THAT WILL 
ACTUALLY SHOW EVERYBODY HOW THIS WORKS, PLUS IF I WAS 
TRYING TO SELL IT.
I WOULD SAY FLORIDA IS A GREAT TOURIST PLACE.
WHAT A GREAT PLACE TO BRING PEOPLE TO SEE HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
WORKING ON A LINE.
SOME -- THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION.
ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE TAMPA AIRPORT WAS, THEY SAID, 
WHY IS IT NOT GOING TO TAMPA AIRPORT AND I KNEW THAT HIGH-
SPEED RAIL CAN'T FIT ON TAMPA AIRPORT SO I GOT UP TO 
SPOKE.
NOBODY ELSE WAS THERE FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS THERE 
BUT ME AND I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF THAT THAT WON'T WORK AND 
WE DO WANT IT TO GO TO DOWNTOWN TAMPA AND WE HAVE A 
MULTIMODAL CENTER PROPOSED AT THE OLD JAIL SITE WHICH FDOT 
HAS ALREADY WHICH WOULD BE THE PERFECT PLACE FOR IT TO 
COME IN AND OF COURSE THIS WILL BE TREMENDOUSLY SUPPORTIVE 
OF OUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, IF YOU IMAGINE RAIL COMING FROM 
ORLANDO, MULTIMODAL, LIGHT RAIL TO THE AIRPORT AND TO USF, 
THIS WOULD BE GREAT FOR US.
I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME 
DOWN HERE SO LOCAL PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE ON 
THIS PROCESS.
SO WHAT I AM ASKING IS THAT WE AUTHORIZE CHAIRMAN AFFRONTI 
TO HAVE A LETTER REQUESTING THAT THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT 
MEETING OR CONSIDER HAVING THEIR NEXT MEETING IN TAMPA, 
AND WE WILL SEE WHERE WE CAN FIGURE OUT HAVING IT, BUT I 
DID TALK TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
COMMISSION, AND HE THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
THEY HAD ONE MEETING IN ORLANDO, AND THEY HAD A MEETING IN 
TALLAHASSEE, AND TO ME SINCE THEY CLEARLY SAID THE TAMPA 
TO ORLANDO LEG IS THE MOST VIABLE, WE SHOULD HAVE A 
MEETING HERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE YOU DOING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. MILLER.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  I CAN CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE MEETING BUT I 
WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY ONE THING THAT RAY SAID.
IT REALLY ISN'T LIGHT RAIL COMING TO TAMPA, OF COURSE NOT 
SOMETHING WE SUPPORT -- EXCUSE ME HIGH-SPEED RAIL, BECAUSE 
HIGH-SPEED RAIL GOING TO AN AIRPORT IS NOT WHERE IT SHOULD 
GO.
HIGH-SPEED RAIL SHOULD GO FROM ORLANDO TO TAMPA TO THE 
COMMUNITY WHERE THE DENSITY IS AND TIE IN TO A REGIONAL OR 
LOCAL COMMUNITY RAIL SYSTEM THAT COMES OUT, BECAUSE THE 
PLAN THAT THEY HAVE NOW IS GOING FROM ORLANDO AIRPORT WITH 
STOPS AT DISNEY AND STOPS AT OTHER PLACES.
THAT IS NOT HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
THAT IS COMMUTER RAIL -- THAT IS LIGHT RAIL, AND THAT'S 
WHAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO, SO IT IS A MATTER OF TYING THE 
TWO COMMUNITIES.
I FULLY SUPPORT GOING TO AIRPORTS.
I DON'T SUPPORT BECAUSE AIRPORTS SHOULD COME FROM THE 
OTHER -- SO -- SO COMING HERE TO MEET IS A GREAT IDEA, BUT 
I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE REASONING ON THE AIRPORTS IS 
BECAUSE WHAT ORLANDO NEEDS TO DO IS SPEND THEIR OWN LOCAL 
MONEY TO BUILD THEIR REGIONAL SYSTEM THAT TIES AN AIRPORT 
TO OUR COMMUNITY WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AND HIGH 
SPEED GOES FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY BUT I THINK THEY 
SHOULD COME HERE.
IT WOULD BE GREAT.
A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
>> ONE THING -- YOU KNOW -- AGAIN, I THINK WE PROBABLY 
OUGHT TO LET ORLANDO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO.
AGAIN, IT IS NOT INVOLVING LOCAL MONEY.
THE THING IS, THE ADVANTAGE WE HAVE IS NOT CHANGING THE 
PLAN THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED.
AND THE PLAN THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED IS TO DOWNTOWN 
TAMPA, NOT TO THE AIRPORT.
SO THAT -- THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR US.
WHAT THEY ARE DOING OVER THERE -- AS FAR AS I KNOW, I 
THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER STOP OTHER THAN ORLANDO 
AIRPORT, AND I BELIEVE A STOP IN LAKELAND AND THEN HERE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, MISS MULHERN.
>>MARY MULHERN:  WOULDN'T IT HELP THAT WE VOTED FOR HIGH-
SPEED RAIL?
THE STATE OF FLORIDA?
DIDN'T WE ALL VOTE FOR IT?
>> YES, IT DID.
>>MARY MULHERN:  WOULDN'T THAT HELP US?
>> WE ALSO AT THE MPO -- THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED THAT WE 
HAD A LETTER ALREADY SUPPORTING IT WHEN THEY HAD THE 
PUBLIC MEETING.
THEY MENTIONED THAT THE HILLSBOROUGH MPO HAD SENT A LETTER 
OF SUPPORT ALREADY WHICH WE DID AT THE LAST MEETING.
>>MARY MULHERN:  RIGHT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT THE PUBLIC 
SUPPORT WAS THERE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  RIGHT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  BUT NOT FUNDED.
>> DO YOU NEED A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT SO MOVE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE, OPPOSED?
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
>> SORRY.
I AM JUST GOING TO TRY TO UPDATE YOU ON ALL THE THINGS 
THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE I-4 CORRIDOR MEETING.
THE STUDY IS GOING ON WITH INTERSTATE 4 REGARDING FUTURE 
DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
CERTAINLY I KNOW THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE OF 
THAT.
YOU HEARD ABOUT THE BRUCE B. DOWNS.
WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS ON THAT.
I HAVE BEEN MEETING PERIODICALLY WITH MAYOR IORIO AND 
DIFFERENT GROUPS REGARDING THE LIGHT RAIL.
MAYOR IORIO CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION YESTERDAY AND 
PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEY PASSED A 
RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT FOR RAIL AGAIN AS THEY DID IN 2006.
THE CHAIRMAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE, WE HAD OUR 
COORDINATING MEETING AT THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS 
CENTER WHICH IS VERY WELL ATTENDED.
THE CHAIRMAN OF ALL THE SURROUNDING MPOS IN THE TAMPA BAY 
AREA AND WE HOST THAT EVERY ONCE IN A YEAR AND A HALF AND 
THAT WENT OVER GOOD.
WE INCLUDED ACTUALLY A WATER TAXI TOUR OF TAMPA.
AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS FROM SARASOTA AND OTHER AREAS I 
THINK WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THEY SAW.
THEY NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN TAMPA FROM THE WATER, HARBOUR 
ISLAND OR ANY OF THE THINGS WE HAVE HERE.
WE MET WITH MOSI REGARDING THE LIGHT RAIL PROPOSAL AND 
DISCUSSING SOME ISSUES OF HOW WE MIGHT CONNECT MOSI TO THE 
SYSTEM.
HARTLINE NEWS STARTS PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION MEETINGS.
TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL REGIONAL AWARDS.
WE WON AN AWARD BY FOR OUR PLANNING FOR TAMPA BAY REGIONAL 
COUNCIL AND A COUPLE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WERE THERE TO 
HELP RECEIVE THAT.
I WENT TO SOME TRAINING, WHICH IS INTERESTING, MODELING 
TRAINING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE FEDERAL THINKS.
THEY HAD TRAINING IN PHOENIX AND TAMPA.
THIS IS LARGELY FOR ENGINEERS SO I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW 
I WAS SOMEWHAT OUT OF MY ELEMENT BUT I DID LEARN A LOT 
ABOUT THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS AND WHAT I DON'T AGREE ABOUT 
THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS, BUT AT LEAST THEY KNOW HOW TO ARGUE 
THE OTHER POINTS, BECAUSE THEY TEND TO LEAVE OUT HUMAN 
BEHAVIOR.
AND I AM VERY ORIENTED TOWARD HOW PEOPLE REALLY BEHAVE.
SO I THINK THE KIND OF ISSUES WE NEED TO RAISE IN TAMPA, 
AND I THINK THE DIRECTION FOR US WAS IF WE FEEL WE ARE 
DIFFERENT, WE NEED TO MAKE A GOOD CASE AS TO WHY WE ARE 
DIFFERENT.
SO AS WE COMPETE WITH OTHER CITIES FOR LIGHT RAIL FUNDING, 
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE HOW OUR ST. PETE 
TIMES FORUM IS THE THIRD LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT VENUE IN 
THE UNITED STATES.
ALL THESE KIND OF FACTS AND FIGURES THAT DEAL WITH WHY 
JUST LOOKING AT A LAND USE MAP IS NOT NECESSARILY ALL YOU 
HAVE TO DO.
BUT UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE REALLY FUNCTION HERE.
SO THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BRING UP.
I HAVE BEEN PRESENTING THE MPO PLAN AS IT EVOLVES TO MANY 
DIFFERENT AREAS, THE CARROLWOOD COMMUNITY GROUP I WILL BE 
ATTENDING AND BRINGING AN ABBREVIATED VERSION TOMORROW TO 
THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S ANNUAL MEETING AND 
SERVING ON A PANEL WITH OTHER OFFICIALS THERE.
AND JUST BEEN GOING OUT NOW -- OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 
PROCESS IS REALLY GETTING INTO GEAR FOR OUR MPO PLAN.
SO SEVERAL OF US ARE JUST OUT ALMOST EVERY NIGHT GIVING A 
PRESENTATION SOMEWHERE AROUND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ON OUR 
PLANNING EFFORT AND GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED, AND SO FAR 
THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
EVERY PLACE WE GO, IT SEEMS THERE IS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT 
FOR HAVING RAIL TRANSIT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE FROM PLACES THAT HAVE IT.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE ALTERNATIVES, SO I THINK IT IS 
BUILDING MOMENTUM, AND THAT IS REALLY A GOOD THING, I 
THINK, FOR US HERE IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.
NED BYER AND I FILMED A TELEVISION PROGRAM ON FRIDAY ALSO 
TALKING ABOUT RAIL TRANSIT HERE AT THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY 
NETWORK THAT WILL BE SHOWN SEVERAL TIMES IN MAY AND JUNE.
SO WE HAVE KIND OF BEEN AROUND TALKING ABOUT THE MPO'S 
PLAN AND WORKING ON GETTING PUBLICITY FOR IT.
AND I PLAN TO CONTINUE DOING THAT.
I ALSO WANTED THE BOARD MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT ANY TIME THAT 
YOU WANT TO MEET WITH ME ON ANYTHING OR BEFORE THE 
MEETINGS, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, JUST LET ME KNOW.
I DON'T WANT TO KIND OF FORCE YOU TO HAVE TO MEET WITH ME 
BY SAYING THIS IS GOING TO BE THE POLICY, BUT I AM ALWAYS 
AVAILABLE.
JUST CALL LINDA.
SHE HAS COMPLETE ACCESS TO MICHAEL LANDER AND I WILL BE 
HAPPY TO MEET -- MY CALENDAR AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO MEET 
WITH YOU ON ANY ISSUE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, RAY, YOU HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY.
I ASSUME THAT -- IS THAT YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
>> YES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
I WAS WONDERING --
[ LAUGHTER ]
OKAY WERE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE, GINA?
>> THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
BEFORE I GIVE THAT REPORT, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW 
THAT THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE DIDN'T HOLD 
A REGULAR MEETING LAST MONTH, BUT WE DID HOST A BIKE RODEO 
DURING THE BICYCLE CRITERIUM WHERE THEY RACED DOWNTOWN.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY SAW THAT BUT I UNDERSTAND THE 
APPEAL OF NASCAR BUT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO CRASH BUT YOU 
ARE KIND OF, LIKE, EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN.
IT WAS REAL EXCITING EVENT.
THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMUNITY MET ON MARCH 25 AND THE 
MEETING FOCUS ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE CHILDREN-FRIENDLY 
DESIGNS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE 
PLANS.
THE COMMITTEE WAS VERY HAPPY TO LEARN THAT THE LAND 
DEVELOPMENT CODES ARE BEING AMENDED NOW TO TAKE INTO 
ACCOUNT THOSE VERY CONCEPTS.
WE WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF SCHOOL SITES THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO TAKE 
-- DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH IN PROMOTING WALKING AND CYCLING 
PROMPTED THE DISCUSSION THAT WE MAY PRESENT TO THE SCHOOL 
BOARD.
JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT LIVABLE ROADWAY CONCEPTS MEANS.
WE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION ON THE LONG RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE AND ALSO LEARNED THAT A LOT OF 
THE CITIZENS PLANS, THE COMMUNITY PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN 
ADOPTED IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, THE CITIZENS HAVE 
GREAT INPUT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN 
THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE WHEN WE IDENTIFY ALL 
OF OUR NEEDS.
SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE WAS A RESOLUTION BY MONROE 
COUNTY MPO.
THEY ADOPTED -- THEY ADOPT [m:ed] a resolution ABOUT 
COMPLETE STREETS POLICY.
AND I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS TO A POLICY 
COMMITTEE MEETING WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS IT THERE.
MAYBE OUR MPO CAN DO THE SAME THING.
THE COMMITTEE WAS REALLY HAPPY AND WANTED TO -- WANTED TO 
COMPLIMENT THE IMPROVEMENT -- THE SITE IMPROVEMENTS BEING 
DONE AT INTERNATIONAL PLAZA.
THEY ARE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE IT MORE 
PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
ACCESS TO THE STORES FROM THE PARKING AREAS.
SO WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THAT.
A SIDE DISCUSSION LED THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND CHANGING 
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TERMINOLOGY.
RAY SHOULD LIKE THIS.
FROM MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC TO MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNITY.
AND WE WILL SEE HOW FAR WE GO IN GETTING THOSE ADOPTED 
INTO TRANSPORTATION OPERATION MANUALS, BUT WE THOUGHT THAT 
WAS A BETTER TERM TO INCLUDE.
THE NEXT LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD 
ON APRIL 22  AT 9 A.M. IN THE BOARD ROOM OF THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHAIRPERSON ANYMORE, SO HOPEFULLY A MPO 
BOARD MEMBER WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING -- COMING 
ABOARD ON THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE AND CHAIRING 
THAT.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY QUESTIONS OF GINA?
IF NOT, THANK YOU, GINA.
GOOD REPORT.
OKAY.
NEXT IS TBARTA UPDATE.
BOB CLIFFORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TBARTA.
>> YES, SIR.
GOOD MORNING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  GOOD MORNING.
>> THIS IS IT.
LOAD THIS UP.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME GIVE YOU ALL AN 
UPDATE ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AT TBARTA.
IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN 
-- BEEN ACTIVE IN MOVING FORWARD.
WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD QUITE A BIT.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE DISCUSSION THAT HAS BEEN 
OCCURRING IN THE ENTIRE REGION RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION 
IN GENERAL AND THEN SPECIFICALLY TRANSIT AS WE CONTINUE TO 
HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
WE THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE 
WE ARE FROM THAT BIGGER PICTURE PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IS WHAT WAS OUR FIRST 
REQUIREMENT IS THE I SHALL OF DEVELOPING A REGIONAL 
TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN FOCUSING ON TRANSIT.
YOU ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH IT.
TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE AT IN TERMS OF THAT EFFORT, 
THE -- THE ONE YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN 
THERE, WITH THE VISION, WITH THE LITTLE CIRCLES, THOSE -- 
THAT IS THE PLAN THAT THE BOARD HAS ENDORSED THAT WE ARE 
GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN OUR 
PUBLIC HEARING IN -- IN MAY, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO 
ADOPTING.
WHAT THAT INCLUDES JUST VERY BRIEFLY WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
EVERYTHING IN RED IS LIGHT RAIL.
EVERYTHING IN -- IN DARK BLUE -- WHAT WE CALL MANAGED 
LANES.
TOLL CONCEPT LANES ON BOTH THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND SOME 
OTHER KEY ARTERIAL ROADWAYS.
LIGHTER BLUE IS EXPRESS BUS AND GREEN IS ALSO EXPRESS BUS.
SO YOU SEE THOSE MAJOR CONNECTIONS REALIZING WHAT WE HAVE 
BEEN FOCUSING ON IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS KIND OF THE 
INTERSTATE VERSION OF TRANSIT FOR THE REGION, THOSE BIGGER 
PICTURE CONNECTIONS, THOSE LONGER CONNECTIONS THAT YOU SEE 
THERE.
AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE THERE IS PART OF WHAT YOU HAVE 
BEEN PROPOSING RELATED TO YOUR LONG-RANGE PLAN CONCEPT, 
AND -- AND ALSO WHAT THE OTHER MPOS HAVE ALSO BEEN 
PROPOSING AS PART OF THAT EFFORT.
WE ALSO HAVE A LITTLE LONGER-TERM VISION WHERE WE ALSO 
START FILLING IN THE REMAINING CONNECTIONS.
WE ALSO LOOK AT THOSE COMMUTER RAIL CONNECTIONS.
AS WE START CONNECTING UP TO BROOKSVILLE DOWN TO 
BRADENTON, AND THEN ULTIMATELY OVER INTO THE LAKELAND AREA 
AND ULTIMATELY TO THE ORLANDO AREA.
THOSE BIGGER PICTURE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN REGIONS IN MAKING 
THOSE CONNECTIONS FROM A COMMUTER RAIL PERSPECTIVE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING THAT.
A LITTLE LONGER TERM -- OVER A LONGER TIME PERIOD.
WE KIND OF VIEW THIS AS OUR VISION FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
WHERE ARE WE HEADED, WHAT IS THE PLAN IN TERMS OF WHERE WE 
ARE GOING, NOT ONLY FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE, BUT 
HOW TRANSPORTATION ALSO AFFECTS US FROM A LAND USE AND 
GROWTH PERSPECTIVE.
HOW DO WE GROW OVER THAT SAME TIME PERIOD IS GOING TO BE 
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
BUT NOT TO BE OUTDONE AS PART OF THAT IS IN ORDER TO MAKE 
THAT BIGGER PICTURE TRANSIT WORK, THE BIGGER PICTURE 
CONNECTIONS WORK, YOU NEED MUCH MORE VIGOROUS AND VIBRANT 
LOCAL TRANSIT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS WITHIN THE ENTIRE REGION IS WE ARE 
TALKING ABOUT TRIPLING THE LOCAL TRANSIT NETWORKS WITHIN 
THE REGION.
THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE FREQUENCY EVERY HOUR, IT IS 
NOW EVERY 20 MINUTES OR IF IT IS EVERY HALF HOUR, IT IS 
EVERY 10 MINUTES NOW.
IT ALSO MEANS MORE MILES IN TERMS OF TRANSIT SERVICE.
LONGER HOURS OF OPERATION.
AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE BEEN INCLUDING IN OUR ANALYSIS 
ENSURES THAT WE ARE DOING THAT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE PEOPLE 
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS FROM WHERE THEY 
ARE TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
THE REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT THE LOCAL 
PERSPECTIVE IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT.
AND WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, NOT ONLY IN THE PLANNING 
FORT BUT ALSO IN THE COST AND OPERATION OF IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH CURRENTLY ON 
THE ISSUE OF WHAT DOES IT COST, HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THAT 
AS WE MOVE FORWARD OVER TIME IN MAKING THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
WHERE WE REALLY SEE AS OUR NEXT STEPS MOVING FORWARD OVER 
THE NEXT MONTHS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF -- OF 
ENGAGING THE PUBLIC EVEN MORE THAN WE HAVE DONE IN THE 
LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND WE HAVE DONE ABOUT 400 MEETINGS 
OVER THE LAST YEAR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE REGION.
RAY TALKED ABOUT BEING SOMEWHERE EVERY NIGHT.
WE KNOW THE FEELING.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE SAME, 13,000, 14,000 RESIDENTS WE 
HAVE ENGAGED SO FAR.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO THAT AND WANT TO FIND OTHER WAYS 
TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
WE ARE GOING TO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS BE ENGAGED IN 
I-TOWN MEETINGS WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WAS USED VERY 
SUCCESSFULLY DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
WE WANT TO UTILIZE THAT PROCESS.
BUT REALLY IT IS GOING BEYOND THE ISSUE OF ADOPTING THE 
MASTER PLAN.
BECAUSE OUR GOAL WAS NEVER TO JUST ADOPT A MASTER PLAN.
THAT IS JUST THE FIRST STEP.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE BUILDING STUFF.
THAT -- THAT IS THE INTENT.
IF IT WAS JUST THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN, IT WILL NOW 
BECOME THE 23rd PLAN WE HAVE IN THE REGION RELATED TO 
TRANSIT GOING NOWHERE.
THAT WAS NEVER OUR INTENT.
OUR INTENT IS TO TAKE THOSE STEPS MOVING BEYOND TO START 
ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS.
WE THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT AND WILL CONTINUE TO 
DO THAT, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH FOLKS ON THE LAND USE SIDE 
OF THINGS.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF LAND USE.
HOW DO WE MAKE CHANGES TO OUR LAND USE POLICIES IN THE 
REGION TO MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL AS IT RELATES TO TRANSIT.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THESE THINGS NOW.
WE JUST NEED TO PUT THEM IN PLACE AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE 
THOSE NEXT STEPS.
REALLY THOSE NEXT -- WHAT WE SEE THOSE CRITICAL ISSUES FOR 
US AND REALLY FOR THE ENTIRE REGION BOTH REGIONALLY AND 
LOCALLY ARE THE ISSUES OF ONE WHAT ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT 
GO FIRST.
CLEARLY HILLSBOROUGH IS IN A KEY POSITION IN THAT, IN 
TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD AND BEING PART OF THE FIRST 
PROJECT OF THE BIGGER PICTURE PLAN.
WE ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
TBARTA TOOK A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THAT, THAT IF 
HILLSBOROUGH IS READY TO BEGIN THAT DIALOGUE AND MOVE 
FORWARD, THAT WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT EFFORT IF 
IT IS A CRITICAL PART.
IT IS THE HUB OF THE REGION.
SO WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT.
THE ISSUE OF FUNDING.
HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT RELATED TO THESE TYPE OF 
PLANS?
YOU KNOW, MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS, IT IS A LOT OF MONEY, 
BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF IT IS, WE ARE TALKING BILLIONS, AND 
WE ARE TALKING IN THE $15  BILLION TO $20 BILLION RANGE 
OVER TIME, OVER 25, 30 YEARS.
IF YOU START TO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON 
TRANSPORTATION, PRESENTLY WITHIN THIS REGION ON A YEARLY 
BASIS, WITHIN THE ENTIRE REGION, WE SPEND ABOUT $2 BILLION 
A YEAR PRESENTLY.
REALLY, THOUGH, LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT LAND USE 
COORDINATION ISSUE, THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, 
BUT REALLY WHAT I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH IS IT IS VERY 
IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT MOBILITY FOR OUR CITIZENS, 
AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND GREEN AND 
EVERYTHING THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT THE WAY WE 
REALLY SEE IT -- AND I PARTICULARLY SEE IT THIS WAY -- 
THIS IS ALL ABOUT ECONOMICS.
THIS IS ABOUT US BEING COMPETITIVE, US BEING ABLE TO 
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND CONTINUE TO GROW.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT OUR COMPETITORS ARE DOING AROUND THE 
COUNTRY, OTHER REGIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY ARE DOING 
THESE -- THESE SAME THINGS.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TELLS US THIS IS A COMPETITIVENESS 
ISSUE.
AND THE LAST THING I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THE LAST 30 
REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY WE ARE THE ONLY ONES NOT PRESENTLY 
MOVING FORWARD OR HAVING RAIL TRANSIT.
OF THE TOP SEVEN SUPER REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE 
REGION BETWEEN TAMPA AND ORLANDO AND -- BASICALLY THE I-4  
CORRIDOR, WE ARE THE ONLY ONE WITHOUT RAIL TRANSIT AND THE 
TOP 15 SUPER REGIONS IN THE WORLD, WE ARE THE ONLY ONE 
WITHOUT RAIL TRANSIT.
REALLY, WE SEE THIS AS ALL ABOUT ECONOMICS.
IT IS ABOUT CONNECTING PEOPLE.
IT IS ABOUT JOBS AND IT IS ABOUT ACCESS TO JOBS.
THE PLAN WE ARE PROPOSING IN THAT MID-TERM AND I WILL GO 
BACK TO IT VERY QUICKLY -- THAT MID-TERM PLAN PROVIDES 
ACCESS WITHIN A HALF A MILE TO OVER 3 MILLION JOBS IN THE 
REGION.
2 MILLION OF THOSE IN PINELLAS, PASCO AND HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY.
THAT IS REAL STUFF.
THAT IS IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT REALLY SEEING THE 
REGION TAKING THOSE NEXT STEPS AND HOW TBARTA CAN HELP NEW 
THAT EFFORT.
WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS 
THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY QUESTIONS?
YES, MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU, BOB.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
IT IS GREAT TO HEAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME WHEN YOU WERE 
SPEAKING IS THE POSSIBILITY OF LAND USE COORDINATION FROM 
TBARTA.
AND I RECALL PERHAPS AS MANY AS 15, 20 YEARS AGO, TBRPC, 
THE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY, USED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE 
INVOLVED IN -- IN AT LEAST ATTEMPTING TO DO REGIONAL LAND 
USE COORDINATION AND THEN THEY KIND OF GOT SLAPPED DOWN IN 
TALLAHASSEE AND RETRACTED THEIR ROLE IN THAT.
I THINK THAT WAS REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT HAPPENED, 
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED IS, YOU KNOW, HILLSBOROUGH MIGHT BE 
DOING A GOOD JOB ON LAND USE ISSUES AND DOING AN URBAN 
SERVICE AREA AND CONTRACTING LIKE IT SHOULD TO BE SUPPORT 
RAIL AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, BUT THEN YOU JUMP 
ACROSS THE NEXT COUNTY LINE AND YOU HAVE GOT THIS, YOU 
KNOW, PASCO COMMUNITY, BIG POLK COMMUNITY, ET CETERA.
I AM NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT JUST AS 
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
BUT -- SO HOW DO YOU SEE TBARTA'S POSSIBLE ROLE IN LAND 
USE COORDINATION AND MAYBE IS IT POSSIBLE YOU CAN EVEN GET 
SOME ASSISTANCE FROM TALLAHASSEE TO STRENGTHEN THAT ROLE.
>> OUR INTENT TO NOT BE A REGULATOR IF YOU WILL AS IT 
RELATES TO LAND USE.
WHAT WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS HELPING ALL OF OUR 
COMMUNITIES TO BE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
THERE IS A LOT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES OUT THERE 
AMONGST ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION THAT TALK 
ABOUT MULTIUSE DEVELOPMENT, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, 
BUT WHEN YOU THEN GET DOWN TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES, 
IT DOESN'T -- IT DOESN'T CARRY OVER.
WHAT YOU SEE IS STILL THE EXACT SAME NUMBER OF PARKING 
SPACES REQUIRED.
NO REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE TRANSIT BE UP FRONT TO A 
DEVELOPMENT INSTEAD OF ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE 
PARKING LOT WHERE IT IS NOW, AND NO SIDEWALKS CONNECTING 
IT.
THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE REGION 
THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE 
CREATED THIS -- THIS LAND USE WORKING GROUP THAT INVOLVES 
-- IT IS AN AD HOC GROUP.
NO SPECIFIC MEMBERSHIP.
WE ALLOW EVERYBODY TO COME, BUT IT INVOLVES THE 
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, STATE, 
REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANNING FOLKS, DEVELOPMENT FOLKS, 
GENERAL CITIZENS, TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT ARE 
THE THINGS WE NEED TO BE DOING IN ORDER TO MAKE IT WORK 
AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE GET SO TIED INTO HOW MANY TREES, HOW MANY PARKING 
SPACES AND WHAT IS THE COLOR OF THE BUILDING, WE SOMETIMES 
LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THAT'S 
WHERE WE SEE OUR ROLE BEING VERY HELPFUL AT THE LOCAL 
LEVEL, BUT WE ARE NOT LOOKING TO GET IN LOCAL LAND USE 
DECISION BUSINESS.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  YOU WANT TO BE MORE OF AN ADVOCATE AND 
EDUCATOR THAN A CHEERLEADER ON THESE ISSUES AS OPPOSED TO 
A REGULATOR.
>> CORRECT, BUT I WILL SAY IN TERMS OF STARTING TO 
PRIORITIZE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD, THOSE LAND USE 
POLICIES AND DECISIONS WILL BE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL OF 
WHICH PROJECTS MOVE FIRST.
IF COMMUNITIES ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS, THAT IS PART OF 
THE CRITERIA OF PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.
IF THEY ARE NOT, I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING TO RANK AS 
HIGH.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  A LITTLE MORE CARROT AND LESS STICK.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU.
ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
WHEN I HAVE BEEN OUT WITH CONSTITUENTS AND TALKING 
TRANSPORTATION, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF CONFUSION.
THEY HEARD PLANS OF THE 2035 PLAN OF THE MAYOR, WE HEARD 
TBARTA HAS BEEN INVOLVED AND HARTLINE HAS BEEN INVOLVED 
AND OTHER AGENCIES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED TO BRING LIGHT RAIL 
AND COMPLETE TRANSPORTATION.
HOW ARE WE PROGRESSING AS FAR AS ALL THESE PLANS STARTING 
TO COME TOGETHER SO WE ARE STARTING TO HAVE A UNIFIED PLAN 
THAT IS STARTING TO RECOGNIZE AND TALK ABOUT?
>> I WOULD LOOK AT IT THIS WAY,  COMMISSIONER.
YOU GOT THE TBARTA PLAN THE BIGGER PICTURE MORE REGIONAL 
PLAN.
WITHIN THAT, THE NEXT STEP DOWN IS THE MPO, IS AT THE 
COUNTY LEVEL, THEIR PLAN.
THE NEXT STEP DOWN BELOW THAT IS HART'S PLAN OF SPECIFIC 
PROJECTS.
EVERY ONE OF THEM TIES INTO THE NEXT, AND THEY ARE 
CONSISTENT.
WHAT IS OCCURRING IS WE ARE WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER 
HAGAN'S TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE, COMMISSIONER SHARPE IS 
THE VICE-CHAIR OF THAT WORKING WITH THAT GROUP IN TERMS OF 
GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS ON A COUNTY-WIDE BASIS.
WE ARE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TO HAVE MEETINGS AROUND -- 
AROUND THE COUNTY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH ALL 
OF THOSE ENTITIES THERE AND GOING RIGHT THROUGH THAT 
PROCESS.
HERE IS THE BIG PICTURE.
HERE IS THE COUNTY PICTURE.
HERE IS THE DETAILED APPROACH SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE 
CONNECTION.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  ANOTHER QUESTION IS ASKED WHEN STARTING 
TO TALK ABOUT THIS REFERENDUM WHICH OUR COMMISSION MOVED 
FORWARD -- AT LEAST STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER THE LANGUAGE 
THEN.
THAT REFERENDUM THAT -- THAT WE WOULD BE COLLECTING 
REVENUE TO FUND THAT.
WOULD THAT BE FUNDING WHICH PLAN OR WHAT -- WHAT EXACTLY 
PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT FUNDING AS FAR AS 
TRANSPORTATION GOES?
>> I DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION OF ME 
PER SE.
I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT IS THE COUNTY'S DECISION OF WHAT, 
WHERE, AND HOW IT IS FUNDING IT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THE -- WHAT ABOUT THE -- LOOKING INWARD OR 
DOWNWARD INTO THE -- KIND OF THE MICRO.
WHAT ABOUT THE MACRO.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN -- AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE, 
BUT I FELT THAT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS -- 
THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUTER RAIL WENT FORWARD WHICH I AM 
PLEASED.
WHAT ABOUT CONNECTING US WITH ORLANDO AND DOWN TO MIAMI?
IS THERE A PLAN, AND WHO IS WORKING THAT PLAN?
>> YES,  FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE MAKING 
ACCOMMODATIONS AND SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THAT CONNECTION 
WITH THE ORLANDO REGION.
YOU HAVE GOT ORLANDO REGION COMING FROM THE EAST TOWARD 
TAMPA.
YOU HAVE GOT TAMPA BAY.
YOU GOT TAMPA BAY GOING TO THE EAST TO CONNECTION.
POLK IS ACTUALLY WORKING NOW ON HOW IT WORKS WITHIN POLK 
COUNTY TO MAKE THAT LONG-TERM BIGGER REGIONAL CONNECTION 
BETWEEN BOTH REGIONS.
BUT WE ARE ALSO -- WE ARE ALSO ACCOUNTING FOR, THOUGH, 
FUTURE CONNECTIONS DOWN TO THE SOUTH, DOWN TO SOUTHWEST 
FLORIDA, AND THEN UP TO THE NORTH THROUGH THE I-75 
CORRIDOR.
>>MARK SHARPE:  WHEN I WAS AT THE AIRPORT THIS MORNING 
SITTING THERE AND READING "THE ECONOMIST."
AND IN "THE ECONOMIST" THEY HAVE A SECTION ON DESIGNATED 
HIGH-SPEED CORRIDORS AND I COUNTED UP FIVE OR SIX 
NATIONWIDE AND ONE OF THEM IS THE TAMPA-ORLANDO-MIAMI 
CONNECTION.
AND SO WHO -- WHO TAKES THE LEAD ON MAKING -- BECAUSE -- 
AS YOU SAID BEFORE, FOR ALL THESE THINGS TO WORK, THEY ALL 
WORK TOGETHER.
>> ANOTHER RESOLUTION.
>>MARK SHARPE:  DID WE PASS ANOTHER RESOLUTION?
>> WE DID.
I AM VERY EXCITED.
I WILL HAVE A MEETING TO BRIEF YOU ON THIS.
WE HAD QUITE AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION AND PASS [m:ed] a 
resolution.
>>MARK SHARPE:  MAYBE I SHOULD NOT COME TO MORE MEETINGS.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> ACTUALLY IN THE RESOLUTION,  WE WANT THE HIGH-SPEED 
RAIL COMMISSION TO CONSIDER COMING TO TAMPA TO MEET HERE 
TO -- BUT WE ARE AN EXTREMELY ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION.
AS YOU WERE AWARE I WAS IN TALLAHASSEE FOR TWO DAYS 
TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT I WILL BRIEF YOU CONTINUE TO WHEN WE ARE DONE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  GREAT.
>> I WANTED TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER BECKNER, YOU ASKED I THINK ABOUT LAND USE OR 
COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER DID, ONE OF DID YOU, BUT I WANT TO 
LET YOU KNOW THAT BOB HUNTER YESTERDAY WHEN THE MAYOR CAME 
AND PRESENTED HAD A RESOLUTION PREPARED THAT TALKED ABOUT 
THE PLANNING COMMISSION CERTAINLY AS SOON AS WE HAVE THIS 
NAILED DOWN WITH OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM TO HELP THE 
JURISDICTIONS REVISE THEIR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES AND 
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATION AREAS.
WE AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNDERSTAND THAT IS A VERY 
IMPORTANT THING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE THIS EVEN WORK 
BETTER.
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION THAT ONE OF YOU HAD THAT I 
HAVE AN ANSWER FOR -- NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.
BUT -- OH, OKAY, THE ANSWER ABOUT THE PLANS WORKING 
TOGETHER.
I AGREE WITH WHAT WAS SAID, THE PLANS ARE CONSISTENT WITH 
EACH OTHER.
THEY ARE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND I THINK HAVING THESE JOINT MEETINGS ARE GOING TO BE -- 
HELP A LOT WHEN WE GO G OUT WITH THE MPO, THE HILLSBOROUGH 
TASK FORCE, TBARTA, ALL AT THE SAME MEETING, HART 
PARTICIPATING THE SAME MEETING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS PLANNED OVER THE NEXT 
COUPLE OF MONTHS.
>> BUT THEN I GUESS IS EVERYBODY IN AGREEMENT AS FAR AS 
THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING NUMBER ONE AS THE REGIONAL AND 
NUMBER TWO LOCAL?
>> WE HAVE WORKED EXTENSIVELY AND MET CONSTANTLY TO TRY TO 
MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IN OUR PLANS IS INCONSISTENT WITH 
EACH OTHER AND WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF STRIDES IN THAT 
EFFORT.
 THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE CASE INITIALLY BUT WE ARE ALL 
ON THE SAME PAGE.
OUR SUBSET, OUR MPO PLAN IS COMPLETELY IN AGREEMENT WITH 
THE BROADER TBARTA PLAN.
AND HART'S PLAN IS COMPLETELY CONSISTENT WITH OUR MPO 
PLAN.
WE HAVE MADE SURE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD CONFLICTS, AND IF WE 
DO, WE HAVE WORKED THEM OUT.
SO WE ARE MOVING AHEAD TOGETHER, DEFINITELY.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING IS THE OTHER QUESTION.
WE ARE WORKING ON THAT NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO.
THE MPO PLAN IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE EVEN THE FIRST PLAN -
- WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SHOW 
HOW IT CAN BE FUNDED.
WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THE PENNY SALES TAX CAN FUND IN 
DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SPREADSHEETS.
WE MET WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY.
WE ARE TALKING TO OUR CONSULTANTS ON COMING UP WITH HOW 
MUCH WE CAN DO FOR THAT PENNY AND WHAT SHOULD THE 
BREAKDOWN BE.
AND OUR PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IS WE ARE THINKING THE -- THE 
MID-TERM VISION OR AT LEAST CLOSE TO IT IS CERTAINLY 
WITHIN THE REALMS OF POSSIBILITY FOR THE RAIL.
SO WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AS MORE DETAILED 
INFORMATION.
BUT MY IMPRESSION IS THAT ANY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SINCE 
WE WILL BE GOING FIRST, IT WILL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WHAT 
THAT PEN LE GO FOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, MR. SCOTT.
>> YEAH,  I GUESS -- MENTIONING POLK.
ARE THEY ON BOARD?
I MEAN I KNOW -- WITH TBARTA.
WHERE ARE THEY IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS?
>> POLK IS NOT A MEMBER OF TBARTA.
>> I KNOW.
>> THEY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER.
>> RIGHT.
>> THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
WE SAID THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE UP 
LEGISLATIVELY, BUT WE DID AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE 
CONNECTING WITH THEM AND COORDINATING WITH THEM AND 
INCLUDING THEM AS IF THEY WERE A PART OF IT FROM A 
PLANNING PERSPECTIVE.
>> YEAH.
I KNOW BEFORE THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE CONTEMPLATING.
I WAS WONDERING WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
COMING THROUGH THERE AND LIGHT RAIL AND ALL THIS, HOW THEY 
-- HOW THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WHOLE PLAN AND PROCESS, 
BECAUSE THEY ARE -- THEY ARE KEY.
THEY ARE KEY TO THIS.
>> FROM A CONNECTION BETWEEN REGIONS, ABSOLUTELY THEY ARE 
A KEY.
AND I WOULD TELL YOU, COUNCILMAN, THAT I THINK RIGHT NOW 
THEY HAVE BEEN PRETTY TIED UP IN THE SunRail DISCUSSION.
I THINK ONCE THAT DISCUSSION ABATES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, 
THEY WILL BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND INTERESTED WITH US.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, BOB, THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL DEDICATION TO 
THIS SO-IMPORTANT PROJECT.
>> IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY DONE GREAT.
OKAY.
NEXT IS ROB CURSEY, UBS CORPORATION, CONSULTANT FOR FDOT.
>> THANK YOU,  MR. CHAIRMAN.
I AM ROB CURSEY, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO 
PROVIDE TO YOU A STATUS REPORT FOR THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL 
GOODS MOVEMENT STUDY.
THIS IS A STUDY THAT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS IN THE MAKING.
IT IS SPONSORED BY A PLANNING INITIATIVE BY THE FLORIDA 
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT 207 PROVIDE REGIONAL 
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING OVERVIEW WITHIN THE TAMPA BAY 
AREA.
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF TIMES 
ANALYZING THE INITIAL -- THE SYSTEM AS IT CURRENTLY 
STANDS, DOING A LOT OF DATA COLLECTION.
WHY IT IS VERY TIMELY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AS THE MPOS ARE 
STARTING TO DEVELOP THEIR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANS 
AND PRIORITIZE PROJECTS, WE ARE ABLE TO AT THIS POINT AS 
WE ARE MOVING INTO OUR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES TO 
ACTUALLY PROVIDE SOME TOOLS AND ASSISTANCE TO THE MPOs.
WE ARE DOING THE STUDY TO REALLY RAISE AND -- RAISE THE 
VISIBILITY OF FREIGHT AND ENHANCE FREIGHT MOBILITY WITHIN 
THE REGION.
ALSO, AN OBJECTIVE OF OURS IS TO SUSTAIN AND STIMULATE THE 
ECONOMY, TO PRESERVE COMMUNITY AND CREATE AN EFFECTIVE 
FREIGHT PLANNING NETWORK.
IT IS QUITE EVIDENT THAT FREIGHT IS HERE AND IT IS HERE TO 
STAY AS WELL GOODS MOVEMENT.
IT PROMOTES COMMERCE, CREATES JOBS AND PROVIDES US WITH 
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED.
ACTUALLY IN DOING OUR ANALYSIS, WE HAVE SEEN THAT WE ARE 
ACTUALLY MOVING MORE THAN YOU THINK.
WITHIN THE REGION, MORE THAN 282.6 MILLION TONS OF CARGO 
VALUED AT $191 BILLION ORIGINATES, TERMINATES OR PASSES 
THROUGH THE TAMPA BAY REGION ANNUALLY.
THESE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE DATED A COUPLE OF YEARS SO 
PROBABLY A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT.
TRUCKS TRANSPORT OVER HALF OF THAT TOTAL TONNAGE.
WE ALSO HAVE MANY MULTIMODAL ENTITIES WHICH ARE POINT 
SOURCES FOR ATTRACTING AND GENERATING FREIGHT MOVEMENT 
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
MOST NOTABLY THE PORT OF TAMPA.
AND I HAVE LISTED SOME FIGURES HERE.
48.2 MILLION TONS OF CARGO ON AND OFF PORT TENANTS.
ALSO THE AIRPORT IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN TRANSPORTING FREIGHT 
WITHIN THE REGION.
AND THE NUMBER HERE IS TRANSPORTED 101,600 TONS OF AIR 
CARGO AND $2.04 MILLION IN REVENUE.
SO A LOT MORE TAKES PLACE AS FAR AS THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS 
FROM THE AIRPORT THAN YOU REALIZE.
ALSO CSX, ANOTHER MULTIMODAL PRIVATE PROVIDER WITHIN THE 
AREA TRANSPORTS OVER 223,000 AUTOMOBILES ON RAILCARS WITH 
THE RAIL HUB HERE IN THE LOCAL AREA, AND ALSO INTERMODAL 
CARRIERS.
AS I MENTIONED, THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY -- A 2002 NUMBER -- 
TRANSPORTED NEARLY 150 MILLION TONS OF CARGO WITHIN THE 
REGION.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN OUT ON THE TAMPA BAY ROADS, YOU REALIZE 
THE TRUCKS ARE EVERYWHERE.
ALSO IT TIES IN, AS I MENTIONED, TO THE ECONOMY AND THE 
REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE FREIGHT WITHIN 
THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON JOBS AND BUSINESSES WITHIN 
THE AREA.
SO WHAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT IS WE ARE LOOKING AT 
ASSISTING IN PROVIDING PLANNING TOOLS AND PLANNING 
INITIATIVES TO MAKE SURE THAT FREIGHT AND GOODS ARE 
TRANSPORTED SEAMLESSLY WITHIN THE REGION USING AND 
INTEGRATING THE ENTIRE MULTIMODAL NETWORK AND YOU SEE HERE 
ALL THOSE POINT SOURCE PROVIDERS AND MOVERS THAT I HAVE 
DESCRIBED, BOTH THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY, AIR, RAIL, AND 
SHIP.
BASICALLY GETTING EVERYTHING FROM THE FACTORY TO THE 
RETAIL CENTERS.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE SYSTEM AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS IN THE 
FREIGHT NETWORK COMPONENTS.
WE IDENTIFIED THE POINT SOURCES THE FREIGHT ACTIVITY 
CENTERS, THE STRATEGIC TRADE CORRIDORS, THE REGIONAL GOODS 
MOVEMENT CORRIDOR WHICH WE IDENTIFIED, AS WELL AS SOME 
LOCAL -- LOCAL TRUCK ROUTES.
THEY ARE ALL IMPORTANT IN GETTING THE DELIVERY OF THE 
PRODUCT.
HERE YOU SEE A MAP THAT DISPLAYS HOW TAMPA BAY FITS WITHIN 
THE REGION AND THE STATE AND OUTSIDE THE STATE AND THE WAY 
THAT HIGHWAY, RAIL AND SEA TRANSPORT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO 
THIS REGION.
ONCE AGAIN, THE HUBS, THE SEAPORTS, THE AIRPORTS, THE RAIL 
HUBS, AND THE MANUFACTURING AREAS THAT ARE WITHIN THE 
TAMPA BAY AREA ARE KEY AND VERY IMPORTANT IN KEEPING OUR 
ECONOMY MOVING.
GRAPHICALLY, THIS SHOWS WHERE WE IDENTIFIED SOME FREIGHT 
ACTIVITY CENTERS.
WE WILL THEN THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM FROM FDOT 
WHICH CONNECTS SOME OF THOSE FREIGHT ACTIVITY CENTERS.
WE THEN OVERLAID THAT WITH REGIONAL -- OF REGIONAL FREIGHT 
NETWORK THAT PROVIDES THE -- THE ADDITIONAL TIES TO LINK 
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, AND THEN WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE LOCAL -- 
THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE TRUCK ROUTES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED HERE 
BY THE LOCAL AGENCIES.
ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A MULTILAYERED FREIGHT 
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
AS PART OF OUR STUDY, WE NEED TO BE AWARE WHAT IS 
HAPPENING WITH FREIGHT TRENDS IN THE AREA.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT TRUCKS ARE MAKING SHORTER 
TRIPS.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING THAT THE LARGER TRIPS ARE MAKING NOT 
ONLY DELIVERIES TO FACTORIES AND OUR HUBS, BUT THEY ARE 
ALSO MAKING DELIVERIES TO SHOPPING CENTERS, McDONALD'S, 
EVERYWHERE IS NOW USING THE BIG 18-WHEELER TRUCKS AND THEY 
ARE GETTING PERVASIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NETWORK.
AND WITH HE NOTED THAT FLORIDA TRUCK VOLUMES ARE PROJECTED 
TO INCREASE BY 50% BY THE YEAR 2025.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY TRUCKS BUT ALSO RAIL AND PORT 
TRAFFIC ALSO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES, AND WE HAVE GOT TO BE 
COGNIZANT AS WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT 
WHATEVER IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE FREIGHT NETWORK DO NOT 
IMPOSE OR ENCROACH UPON LOCAL COMMUNITY ASSETS.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ALSO EXIST.
HERE YOU SEE AN EXAMPLE IN A PHOTO OF -- OF A VEHICLE THAT 
HAS TRIED TO NEGOTIATE THE ROADWAY SYSTEM AND HAVING TO 
DEAL WITH A COUPLE OF 18-WHEELERS, I THINK WE HAVE ALL 
BEEN IN THAT SITUATION, BUT WE SEE THAT COMMUTER AND TRUCK 
CONFLICTS DO EXIST UPON THE NETWORK.
WE SEE THERE ARE ISSUES WITH TRUCK PARKING AT THE DELIVERY 
POINTS.
A LOT OF TIME THE 18-WHEELERS PARK IN THE STREET, AND WE 
ALSO SEE THAT ON THE LARGE INTERREGIONAL NETWORK, THAT 
REST STOPS AND PARKING AVAILABILITY THERE IS BECOMING 
QUITE AN ISSUE WITH TRUCKS.
ALL THIS SAYS TO US IS WE ARE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT 
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING AND IDENTIFYING PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM -- STATE OF THE ECONOMY WHERE 
FUEL IS INCREASING, THE COST OF FUEL IS.
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED IS GOING DOWN, WHICH MEANS OUR FUEL 
TAX REVENUES ARE GOING DOWN.
COST OF CONSTRUCTION IS GOING UP.
THAT IS ACTUALLY LEVELING OFF A LITTLE BIT NOW.
BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS LESS PROJECTS AND MORE CONGESTION.
MOST OF THE PROJECTIONS STILL SHOW THAT OUR SYSTEM IS 
GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CONGESTED.
AND AS I SAID, MORE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE ON THE ROADWAYS 
SO WE HAVE MAJOR ISSUES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH.
SO THAT'S ALL -- ALL THE BASIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT 
WE HAVE DONE WITH THE STUDY TO DATE, WHICH HAS BEEN A LOT 
OF INFORMATION GATHERING AND LAYING THE FRAMEWORK FOR HOW 
WE ARE GOING TO ROLL OUT AN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY.
AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD -- AS I MENTIONED THIS STUDY IS A 
DISTRICT 7 STUDY.
SO IT IS REGIONAL IN NATURE AND COVERS THE FIVE-COUNTY 
REGIONAL AREA COVERED BY DISTRICT 7.
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS DEVELOP A STRATEGIC FREIGHT 
PLAN.
WE ARE GOING TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK, AND WE ARE 
DEVELOPING THE SUPPORT TOOLS.
WE ARE ALREADY MEETING WITH THE MPOs AND THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENTS ROLLING OUT THESE TOOLS AND ASSISTING THEM IN 
PROVIDING DATA AND INFORMATION WHEREBY THEY CAN USE 
FREIGHT AS AN EVALUATION MEASURE AND A WAY TO PRIORITIZE 
PROJECTS.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO IMPLEMENT SOME ACTION PLANS.
WE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION WHERE THE MPOs CAN ASSESS THE 
NEEDS WITHIN EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS THAT 
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME PROJECTS FOR THEM AND WE CAN 
PROVIDE MONITORING AND FEEDBACK.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED A LARGE TRANSPORTATION FREIGHT MOVEMENT 
DATABASE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE WEB-BASED WHICH IS GOING TO 
BE AVAILABLE TO THE MPOs.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO ESTABLISH SOME GROUPS AND SOME 
COMMITTEES, CONSISTING OF PRIVATE -- PRIVATE TRUCKING 
INTERESTS, INCLUDING THE TRUCKING AND SHIPPING COMMUNITY, 
AND THE PORT AND SOME OF THE LARGER GENERATORS OF TRUCK 
TRIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THEIR ISSUES.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DEVELOPED SOME SUPPORT TOOLS.
THE FREIGHT PLANNING DATABASE WILL BE KEY.
ALL THE MPOs ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS AND THIS 
WILL BE INFORMATION WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT CONGESTION, 
ACCIDENTS, TRUCKS, TRUCK GENERATORS, WHERE THEY ARE GOING.
AS THEY START TO PRIORITIZE IMPROVEMENTS AS I MENTIONED 
EARLIER, WE ARE RAISING THE VISIBILITY OF FREIGHT AND MAKE 
SURE IT IS AN ISSUE AND A CONSIDERATION WHEN PROJECTS ARE 
PRIORITIZED.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO DO CORRIDOR AND SUB AREA STUDIES IN 
THE CORRIDORS WHERE WE KNOW FREIGHT TRAFFIC IS AN ISSUE.
WE CAN IDENTIFY SHORT-TERM OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES, LONG-
TERM CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS, AND AN OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION 
STRATEGIES.
WHAT WE FEEL LIKE FOR THIS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STUDY, 
THOUGH, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SHORT-TERM RESULTS.
IT CAN'T JUST BE LONG-TERM CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE 
KNOW THAT IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE -- SOLVE THE IMMEDIATE 
NEEDS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT SHORT-TERM, QUICK-FIX SOLUTIONS.
THESE CAN BE ANYTHING WANT CORRIDOR SUCH AS ADDING -- 
ADDING EXISTING TURN LANES, ADJUSTING SIGNAL TIMING AND 
PHASE -- PHASING.
TURNING IMPROVEMENTS OR ACCESS CONTROLS.
WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT THIS AT THE CORRIDOR LEVEL WHEN 
A CORRIDOR IS IDENTIFIED AS A PROBLEM AREA, AND A LOT OF 
THESE IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE DONE VERY QUICKLY AND AT A 
RELATIVELY LOW COST.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS.
WHERE ARE THE MAJOR GENERATORS GOING TO BE?
WE KNOW THAT CSX IS TALKING ABOUT -- WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS 
WITH THEM OF RELOCATING SOME OF THEIR HUBS AND THEIR -- 
AND THEIR FREIGHT ACTIVITY CENTERS.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THINGS SUCH AS WHERE -- WHERE THE 
NEW RAIL LINES ARE GOING TO BE.
WE ARE TAKE A LOOK AT INCREASING CAPACITY BY ADDING LANES 
OR COMING UP WITH SOME TYPE OF A MANAGED OR TRUCK-ONLY 
LANES.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT GRADE SEPARATIONS IN AND AROUND THE 
PORT OF TAMPA, ONCE AGAIN A MORE LONG-TERM HIGH-COST 
SOLUTION BUT IT WILL HELP IN GETTING SOME OF THE -- SOME 
OF THE CONFLICTS TAKEN CARE OF.
SO IN SUMMARY, WE ARE RECOGNIZING FROM OUR RESEARCH AND 
ANALYSIS THAT TRUCKS AND TRAINS ARE NECESSARY TO OUR 
ECONOMY.
NUMBER OF TRUCKS AND TRAINS ARE GOING TO INCREASE OVER 
TIME WITH THE POPULATION AND THAT THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT 
IN STIMULATING ECONOMIC GROWTH.
WE ARE COMING UP WITH IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES IN 
IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES THAT RESPOND TO THESE ECONOMIC AND 
GOODS MOVEMENT TRENDS, AND BECAUSE THIS IS A REGIONAL 
STUDY BUT WE NEED LOCAL PARTNERS TO HELP US IN THE 
IMPLEMENTATION AND PRIORITY PHASE, YOUR PARTNERSHIP IS 
VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS STUDY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU MR. CURSEY.
GOOD REPORT.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
BOB CLIFFORD MADE ME THINK OF THIS WHEN HE WAS TALKING 
ABOUT -- HE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT "GREEN" OR "SUSTAINABLE" HE 
TALKS ABOUT ECONOMICALLY WHY WE NEED TO HAVE TRANSIT.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "TRUCK FREIGHT" 
AND "RAIL FREIGHT" AT ALL IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC COSTS 
AND THE -- AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS?
>> YES, WE ARE.
I MEAN, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL MODES AND WE ARE ALSO TAKING 
A LOOK AT -- THERE IS A BIG PUSH RIGHT NOW THAT THERE IS 
GOING TO BE MORE TRANSPORTED ON THE RAILS AND LESS ON THE 
ROAD.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE INLAND PORT IDEAS WITH 
THESE TRANSFERS OF LARGE CONTAINERS THAT WILL BE COMING IN 
OFF THE SHIPS, PRIMARILY FROM THE PORT OF TAMPA.
SO, YES, WE ARE CONSIDERING THE DYNAMIC AND WHAT IS TAKING 
PLACE THERE.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS, I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE 
MORE FREIGHT RAIL OPERATING WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, AND IF WE 
ARE TALKING ABOUT SHARING TRANSIT LINES, IT IS GOING TO BE 
AN IMPACT AND THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF COORDINATION THERE.
EXCUSE ME.
ONE OF THE BIG PUSHES THAT CSX HAS HAD RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE HAD AN AD CAMPAIGN BOTH ON THE RADIO AND ON THE 
TELEVISION WHERE THEY ARE SAYING WITH THE HIGH INCREASE IN 
FUEL COSTS, USE THE RAILS.
THE RAIL IS THE CHEAPER WAY TO DO IT.
THEIR BUSINESS IS BOOMING RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE 
LOOKING AT SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT 
LONG TERM.
WE HAVE TO TRACK THOSE TRENDS.
AND, YES, THEY DO HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
FROM THE RAIL SIDE, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO MORE WITH THE 
NOISE, ACTUALLY MORE TRAINS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT ALSO ADDS MORE DELAYS AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SPECIFICALLY ANSWERS YOUR 
QUESTION.
>>MARY MULHERN:  MY QUESTION IS MORE OF THE CARBON OUTPUT 
AND WE WILL HAVE CAP ON CAB AND TRADE ON CARBON THROUGH 
THE STATE OR NATIONALLY PRETTY SOON, SO -- IS THAT -- I 
WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
>> THIS STUDY DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THAT.
THE MPO WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT IF THEY ARE LOOKING AT 
THEIR AIR QUALITY STANDARDS.
BUT NOW THAT HILLSBOROUGH IS NO LONGER A NONATTAINMENT 
AREA AND NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT, IT IS MORE PROBABLY 
DEALT WITH AT THE -- AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH THE -- WITH 
THE STATE'S BUDGETS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
PROVISION.
AND THEY ALWAYS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MIX OF -- THE 
VEHICLE MIX OF CARS VERSUS TRAINS VERSUS POWER PLANT 
OUTPUT, ALL POINT EMITTERS ALSO.
NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS STUDY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
YES, MR. WAGGONER.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  OKAY, SPEAKING AS A PLANNER, I WOULD 
LIKE TO APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF TBARTA AND THIS FREIGHT-
RAIL STUDY.
DOING THIS KIND OF ANALYSIS FOR THE GREATER TAMPA BAY 
REGION IS CRITICAL.
IT IS A DAUNTING TASK FROM ALL THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE.
BUT SUPPORTS THESE EFFORTS AND WING OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS 
THEM THROUGH PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE THERE IN THE FUTURE 
AND MY BOARD HAS EMBRACED THAT KIND OF APPROACH AND AGAIN 
IT IS A TOUGH JOB, BUT WE SUPPORT THAT GREATER TAMPA BAY 
REGIONAL KIND OF PLANNING FOR TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY 
THE LEVEL WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
IT IS CRITICAL.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MR. WAINIO.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE SEAMLESS MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT 
THROUGH ALL OF THESE MODES, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND 
COMPLIMENT DON SKELTON AND HIS STAFF.
I SAW SCOTT IN THE ROOM.
IS HE HIDING BACK THERE?
THEY OBVIOUSLY UNDERTOOK A TREMENDOUS EFFORT WITH 
CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS IT APPEARS IN HELPING US MOVE THE I-4 
CONNECTOR FORWARD, AND THIS IS A KEY ELEMENT OF THIS 
SEAMLESS MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT.
AND IT IS ALSO CRITICAL TO GETTING TRUCKS OFF OUR ROADS 
AND OUT OF HERE EFFICIENTLY.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GREEN AND TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE AIR 
QUALITY, THE EASIEST WAY PROBABLY TO DO THAT IS TO MAKE 
SURE YOUR TRUCKS MOVE QUICKLY SO THEY DON'T SIT THERE 
IDLING AND SMOKING.
AND THIS I-4 CONNECTOR, ONCE IT IS DONE, WILL GET ALL OF 
THOSE TRUCKS OUT OF YBOR AND OFF OF 60 AND ALL THESE LOCAL 
ROADS WHERE THE CONGESTION IS.
AND IT WILL -- IT IS VERY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTALLY TO GET 
THAT PROJECT GOING FORWARD AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO -- TO TAKE A LITTLE STEP BACK 
FROM WHAT SEEMS TO BE A -- A THOUGHT THAT YOU HAVE GOING 
INTO THIS STUDY, AND MAKE SURE YOU ANALYZE IT -- ANALYZE 
THIS PROPERLY AND OBJECTIVELY, AND THAT IS YOUR -- YOUR 
COMMENTS SEEM TO SUGGEST THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE 
EXPECTATIONS THAT MORE WILL GO ON RAIL AND LESS ON TRUCK.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CASE.
THE -- MOST OF WHAT MOVES ON RAIL NOW IN OUR REGION IS 
HEAVY STUFF.
IT'S BULK.
THAT IS WHAT DRIVES THE MOVEMENT OF TRUCK.
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE LESS BULK MATERIALS MOVING LONG-
TERM.
SO YOU WILL HAVE LESS TONNAGE FOR THE RAIL TO HANDLE.
WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT WHAT RAIL IS GOING TO HANDLE 
LONG TERM, YOU HAVE TO LOOK MORE TO CONTAINERIZED CARGO, 
AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT THE MOVEMENTS.
AND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, TO -- TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, IN 
FACT TO A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE, THE PORT OF TAMPA AND THE 
RAIL SYSTEM ARE COMPETITORS.
MOST OF THE CONTAINERS NOW MOVE INTO OUR REGION.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM.
SOME 600,000 OR MORE CONTAINERS COMING IN AND OUT OF OUR 
REGION CURRENTLY COME EITHER ON RAIL OR TRUCK, LONG-HAUL 
TRUCK, LONG-HAUL RAIL.
THEY COME FROM CALIFORNIA, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND DOWN 
INTO OUR AREA OR THEY COME FROM SAVANNAH OR CHARLESTON 
DOWN INTO OUR AREA.
ENVIRONMENTALLY THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING IN TERMS OF THE 
USE OF ENERGY PRODUCTS, THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
IN TERMS OF WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR HIGHWAY SYSTEMS AND THE 
CONGESTION, IT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DRIVE 
HERE ARE MORE OF THOSE CONTAINERS COMING THROUGH THE 
PANAMA CANAL ON SHIPS AND DIRECTLY INTO THE PORT OF TAMPA.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A SHORT TRUCK RUN DOWN TO A DISTRIBUTION 
CENTER OR TO THE RETAILER OR WHOLESALER THAT IS GOING TO 
USE THOSE PRODUCTS SO YOU WILL HAVE CONSIDERABLE MOVEMENT 
OF CONTAINERS, IN FACT FAR MORE MOVEMENT OF CONTAINERS ON 
SHORT-HAUL TRUCK MOVES IN OUR REGION WHEN YOU LOOK LONGER 
TERM.
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE FEWER LONG-HAUL TRUCK MOVEMENTS.
THOSE LONG-HAUL TRUCK MOVEMENTS, YOU ARE CORRECT TO A 
GREATER DEGREE WILL SHIFT TO LONG-HAUL RAIL.
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO AT THE PORT IS TAKE THAT BUSINESS 
AWAY FROM RAIL TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, MOVE IT IN ON SHIPS 
WHICH IS MORE EFFICIENT, AND SEND IT DOWN THE ROAD ON A 
SHORT-HAUL TRUCK.
THAT IS WHY WE NEED I-4 CONNECTORS AND SYSTEMS LIKE THAT.
SO THE CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE, AND THIS I BELIEVE WILL PLAY 
OUT SOUNDS TO BE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE 
COMMENTS YOU MADE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS AND MAKING 
SURE THAT -- THAT WE FOCUS ON ALL OF THESE IMPORTANT 
ISSUES.
>> GREAT,  AND WE WILL DEFINITELY COORDINATE WITH YOU AND 
APPRECIATE YOUR -- YOUR INPUT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING SOME OF THOSE SAME TRENDS.
I HAD ONE OF MY SLIDES THAT SAID MORE OF THE SHORT-TERM 
TRUCK TRIPS ARE GOING TO BE EVIDENT.
BUT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE RAIL 
AND CONTAINERIZATION.
>> RAIL WON'T PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN CONTAINERIZATION OR YOU 
WON'T NEED THE PORT OF TAMPA.
AND YOU ARE GOING TO NEED THE PORT OF TAMPA.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. WAINIO.
THAT LEADS US INTO ONE ITEM -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
ANOTHER ITEM THAT IS NOT SHOWN ON THE AGENDA, BUT I WOULD 
LIKE TO ASK MR. SKELTON FROM D.O.T.  TO GIVE US AN UPDATE 
ON STIMULUS FUNDS BEFORE -- I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHILE 
EVERYONE IS HERE THAT WE HEAR WHERE WE ARE AT WITH THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
AND I WILL MAKE THIS BRIEF.
ON THE HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE SIDE, AND, AGAIN, I THANK 
DIRECTOR WAINIO FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN MOVING THE I-4 SELMON CONNECTOR 
PROJECT FORWARD.
IN FACT THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMISSION HAS OUR PROPOSED 
WORK PROGRAM IN FRONT OF THEM I BELIEVE IT IS EITHER TODAY 
OR TOMORROW THAT THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING.
WHEN THAT GOES THROUGH, AND WE EXPECT IT TO GO THROUGH, 
THEN WE WILL -- WE WILL HAVE AMENDED OUR WORK PROGRAM AND 
WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GOING FORWARD.
IT IS A MAJOR PROJECT.
WE ARE UTILIZING $105 MILLION OF STIMULUS FUNDS TO 
LEVERAGE A $450 MILLION PROJECT.
IT PROVIDES SO MUCH SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THIS REGION, NOT 
ONLY FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT AND THE JOBS IT 
CREATES THERE, BUT THE CONNECTION OF THE PORT AND ALL THE 
INVESTMENT THAT THE -- THAT THE PORT HAS MADE IN THEIR 
CONTAINER BUSINESS, BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE HOW SIGNIFICANT 
IT IS TO MOVE THOSE TRUCKS IN AND OUT OF THE PORT AND GET 
THEM ON TO THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM, WHETHER IT BE FOR SHORT 
HAUL OR WHATEVER THE HAULS THEY ARE RUNNING TODAY AND IN 
THE FUTURE.
IN ADDITION TO THE ACCESS INTO DOWNTOWN TAMPA AND 
EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT WAS THIS MPO'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, I THINK, BY 
PRIORITIZING THE LOCAL PRIORITY FUNDS ON THAT PROJECT THAT 
WENT A LONG WAY TO GETTING THIS PROJECT AND LEVERAGING IT.
OUR SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE SHOOTING FOR A LATE 
AUGUST LETTING OF THAT PROJECT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO ABOUT A 90-DAY ADD BECAUSE IT 
WILL INCLUDE A FINANCE PORTION IN THAT ADVERTISEMENT AND 
THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
WE ARE ASKING CONTRACTORS TO FRONT THE REST OF THE MONEY, 
THE OTHER $350 MILLION WITH PAYMENTS BEGINNING WHERE WE 
HAVE IT PROGRAMMED IN OUR FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM BEGINNING 
IN JULY 2012.
BUT IT GETS THE PROJECT STARTED THREE YEARS EARLIER THAN 
IT WOULD HAVE STARTED.
SO THAT IS A -- THAT IS THE MAJOR PROJECT THAT WE HAVE 
WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND WE ALSO HAVE AN 
ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, I BELIEVE ON 56th STREET AND BUSCH MA 
MADE THE LIST.
AND I KNOW -- AND BUSCH THAT MADE THE LIST.
I KNOW THAT LOUIS MILLER WAS SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING 
STIMULUS FUND FOR THE FAA FOR $8 MILLION WORTH.
ALSO -- INTERESTINGLY WE WERE TALKING YESTERDAY, ALSO 
LEVERAGED A MUCH BIGGER PROJECTS.
NOT A $8 MILLION PROJECT AT THE AIRPORT AND HE CAN SPEAK 
TO THAT A LOT BETTER THAN I CAN, AS WELL AS THE TRANSIT 
PROJECTS THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH AND I THINK DAVID 
ARMIHO HAS LEFT, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD WITH FTA.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
WE ARE GOING TO BE ADVERTISING SOME PROJECTS VERY SHORTLY, 
PROBABLY ADVERTISE THE CONNECTOR PROJECT IN THE MAY-JUNE 
TIME FRAME, AGAIN SHOOTING FOR AN AUGUST -- A LATE AUGUST 
LETTING BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FINANCING OF THE 
JOB.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. MILLER.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  THE ONLY THING I WILL ADD.
I THANK YOU SECRETARY SKELTON FOR MENTIONING THAT.
WE COULD HAVE TAKEN THE $8  MILLION AND DONE A $8 MILLION 
PROJECT AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IT.
WE DECIDED TO ADVANCE A $52 MILLION PROJECT OVER TWO YEARS 
WHICH IS THE TAXIWAY OVER THE AREA AND AWARD THAT PROJECT, 
BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE ARE SUMMER AND COULD BE AWARDED BY 
JULY.
THE BIDS ARE OUT ON THE STREET TODAY.
THEN WE WENT ONE STEP FURTHER AND TOOK A $23 MILLION 
PROJECT THAT WAS ALREADY FUNDED THAT WAS 18 MONTHS OUT, 
CONSOLIDATED IT WITH THIS PROJECT.
NOW IT IS $77 MILLION PROJECT WILL BE AWARDED THIS SUMMER, 
PUTTING BACK -- PUTTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
WE TOOK THE SAME APPROACH THAT SECRETARY SKELTON DID.
LET'S DO SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAS MEANING AND WE ARE 
PLEASED THAT IT IS MOVING FORWARD.
>> THAT IS WONDERFUL.
AND WHAT AN EFFECT IT WILL HAVE ON HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS 
FABULOUS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, MARY?
>>MARY MULHERN:  SO, MR. SKELTON, WITH THE $105 MILLION 
FOR THE I-4 CONNECTOR, WAS THAT ALL OF THE TRANSPORTATION 
STIMULUS MONEY THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR US?
FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY?
IT ALL WENT FOR THAT ONE PROJECT?
>> THE ENTIRE AMOUNT FROM THE ROADS AND BRIDGES CATEGORY 
THAT IS GOING TO THAT PROJECT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY,  
YES.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
AND HOW DID -- DID THAT GO THROUGH -- CAME DOWN FROM 
WASHINGTON AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH FDOT?
>> YES.
>>MARY MULHERN:  SO YOU MADE THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND WHAT DID OUR -- I MEAN, I KNOW WE VOTED TO SUPPORT 
THAT PROJECT.
WAS THAT -- DID THAT HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON WHERE -- I KNOW 
THIS WHOLE STIMULUS THING IS ALL NEW TO ALL OF US.
SO I AM JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW -- HOW YOU PROMOTE A 
PROJECT THAT YOU WANT FROM THE LOCAL LEVEL TO GET SOME 
STIMULUS MONEY.
>> IT ABSOLUTELY HAD AN EFFECT.
AGAIN, IT SHOWED A UNIFIED APPROACH THAT THE STATE, THE 
MPO, ALL THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY WERE ALL POINTING TOWARDS THE SINGLE BIGGEST MOST 
IMPORTANT PROJECT IN THIS REGION.
AND THAT WAS THE I-4 SELMON CONNECTOR.
WHEN EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE LIKE THAT, IT MAKES IT 
VERY DIFFICULT TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE HELD THIS UP IF WE JUST 
COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK FINANCIALLY.
AND GOING WITH THE BUILD FINANCE APPROACH, I BELIEVE WE 
CAN MAKE THIS WORK, AND THAT IS THE WAY WE ARE MOVING 
FORWARD.
>>MARY MULHERN:  AND THE FINANCE.
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM IN THE END?
HOW ARE YOU PAYING THE -- HOW ARE WE PAYING THAT BACK?
>> WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE I-4 SELMON CONNECTOR PROGRAMMED 
IN 2013,  2013-'14.
IN THE ADVERTISEMENT, WE WILL LET TEAMS KNOW THAT PAYMENTS 
WILL BEGIN IN JULY OF 2012 AND GO OUT.
THEY WILL SUBMIT THEIR BIDS, BUT THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY 
WILL COME FROM.
SO THERE WILL BE A PIECE OF FINANCE MONEY THAT THEY WILL 
HAVE TO INCLUDE --
>>MARY MULHERN:  SO THAT IS ALL FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT YOU 
ALREADY HAVE PROGRAMMED?
>> FEDERAL AND STATE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  AND STATE.
WHAT IS THE MIX ON THAT?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE TWO.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY, WONDERFUL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>> JUST ONE ON THE I-4 CONNECTOR IN REGARDS TO THE 
COMMENTS JUST MADE.
NOT ONLY DID THE MPO, OF COURSE, SUPPORT THIS PROJECT, BUT 
AS DON SKELTON MENTIONED, MANY OTHER GROUPS AROUND HERE 
WERE EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN IT.
I WANT TO PARTICULARLY POINT TO THE TAMPA BAY PARTNERSHIP 
AND THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAYED IN SUPPORTING IT AND OF 
COURSE THE PORT OF TAMPA WAS -- WAS ACTIVE EVERY DAY.
AS DON KNOWS WE WERE ON HIS BACK AS WELL AS WRITING 
LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR AND VISITING WITH FDOT IN 
TALLAHASSEE AND DOING OTHER THINGS.
SO IT WAS CLEARLY A JOINT EFFORT ON PART OF THE ENTIRE 
COMMUNITY, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SUPPORTING THAT 
PROJECT.
JUST -- AGAIN, JUST THE LAST COMMENT, SORT OF LINKED TO 
WHAT WAS SAID BEFORE.
IT'S A SIMPLISTIC STATEMENT IN A SENSE, BUT PEOPLE OFTEN 
FORGET IT, THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO THE 
MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT THAN GOOD HIGHWAYS AND CONNECTORS, AND 
THAT -- IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, THAT'S BECAUSE REGARDLESS, 
IF -- IF THAT CONTAINER OR THAT FREIGHT COMES ON SHIP OR 
RAIL, IT EVENTUALLY ENDS UP ON A TRUCK.
SO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO AWAY WITH TRUCKS.
WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT TRANSFERRING CARGO OR MOVING CARGO 
FROM -- FROM TRUCK TO RAIL.
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE LONG-HAUL MOVEMENT, BUT 
EVENTUALLY THAT CARGO GETS TO OUR REGION AND GETS 
DISTRIBUTED BY TRUCK.
SO AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS, NOT THE FREIGHT TON 
MILES AND ALL THIS, BUT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF TRUCKS AND 
VEHICLES MOVING ON OUR HIGHWAYS IN OUR REGION, THAT'S ONLY 
GOING TO GO UP AND UP.
IT WON'T GO DOWN BECAUSE MORE OF IT GOES ON LONG-HAUL RAIL 
OR COMES IN ON SHIP.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU.
OKAY.
WE HAVE TWO MORE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
AND DO YOU WANT TO --
>> POSTPONE THEM.
>> CAN WE POSTPONE BOTH OF THOSE?
IS EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE WITH ANOTHER 15 OR 20 MINUTES?
OR SHOULD WE POSTPONE THESE UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING?
>>MARY MULHERN:  I THINK WE SHOULD POSTPONE.
>> LET'S DO THAT.
WITH YOUR PERMISSION -- PARDON?
YEAH.
WE WILL MOVE TO CONTINUE THOSE TWO ITEMS.
OKAY.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT?
ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE MPO ON 
ANY ITEMS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND, OKAY, WE WILL -- PARDON?
OH, YEAH, YEAH.
IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS?
ANY NEW BUSINESS?
>> YES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MARY?
>>MARY MULHERN:  THIS SHOULD BE OLD BUSINESS AND THIS JUST 
OCCURRED TO ME AND I WAS TALKING TO MR. CHIARAMONTE ABOUT 
THIS RECENTLY THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD FORM -- I WOULD 
LIKE TO LOOK INTO HAVING LEGAL AND DIRECTOR AND THIS BOARD 
DISCUSS FORMING A TRANSIT COMMITTEE OF THE MPO.
BECAUSE WE HAVE -- WE HAVE A CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 
POLICY COMMITTEE, WE HAVE A LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE.
WE DON'T HAVE A COMMITTEE -- A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT IS 
ACTUALLY CONCENTRATED ON RAIL OR ON TRANSIT.
AND SINCE THAT TOOK UP PRETTY MUCH ALMOST ALL OF OUR 
MEETING TODAY, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF WE 
COULD HAVE A COMMITTEE OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER WANTS 
TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT, THAT COULD GET PRESENTATIONS, YOU 
KNOW, INFORMATION FROM TBARTA AND FROM HART AND FROM THE -
- FROM OTHER AGENCIES AND JUST, YOU KNOW, DO THAT ON -- ON 
A MONTHLY BASIS.
AT LEAST UNTIL, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS 
UNTIL WE GET TO A POINT WHERE HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A 
RAIL PLAN IN PLACE.
SO I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WOULD WANT TO VOTE ON IT 
OR IF WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT IT AT OUR NEXT 
MEETING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  CAN I SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE TAKE THIS UP 
AT OUR POLICY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN -- IF THE POLICY COMMITTEE WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD, 
WE CAN ASK STAFF TO COME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF HOW 
TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY, THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
>> I HAVE ONE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, MR. WAINIO.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  ONE OTHER COMMENT AND NOT TO BELABOR OR 
DRAW THIS MEETING OUT ANY LONGER, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE OF 
WORDS OF RECOGNITION I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION.
I ATTENDED LAST MONTH THE FUTURE OF THE REGIONS AWARD AND 
WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE -- AND RAY YOU MAY JUST WANT TO 
COMMENT ON THIS -- THAT A COUPLE OF AWARDS WENT TO THE 
MPO, I GUESS, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR GOOD THINGS 
THAT WE ALL AND YOU ALL AND THE STAFF HAS BEEN DOING.
AND THE OTHER IS THAT AT THAT SAME MEETING, THE PORT OF 
TAMPA RECEIVED THE FUTURE OF THE REGION AWARD'S 
DEVELOPMENT AWARD, FIRST-PLACE DEVELOPMENT AWARD FOR OUR 
CONTAINER TERMINAL.
AND, YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT WE ARE BUILDING A NEW GARAGE 
IN CHANNELSIDE, 700-PLUS-SPACE GARAGE.
WE JUST -- WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE JUST RECEIVED AN 
AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, THE 
ORLANDO CHAPTER SAYING THAT GARAGE DESIGN, IT -- IT WON 
THEIR AWARD OF HONOR FOR THE BEST DESIGN CONCEPT.
AND I WANT TO -- IN THAT REGARDS, EVEN THOUGH SHE IS NOT 
HERE, OR EVEN ON, I GUESS, THE MPO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND 
ANY LONGER BUT COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA, I WANT TO THANK HER 
FOR OUR INTEREST IN OUR GARAGE AND HER -- HER CONCERN OVER 
MAKING SURE THAT THIS GARAGE LOOKS NICE, ENCOURAGED US TO 
DO AN EVEN BETTER JOB THAN WE PROBABLY OTHERWISE WOULD 
HAVE DONE.
AND THAT IS ONE REASON WE PROBABLY WON THIS AWARD AND WE 
ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WINNING SEVERAL MORE EVEN LARGER 
AWARDS FOR THIS GARAGE.
I THINK EVERYONE WILL LIKE THE BUILDING WHEN THEY SEE IT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  CONGRATULATIONS.
AND THAT WAS A GREAT LETTER SENT OUT BY MR. HAGGARD FOR 
MR. WAGGONER AND VERY COMPLIMENTARY OF ALL THE 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU MADE AT THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY.
THANK YOU.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  THANK YOU, SIR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER -- IF NOTHING ELSE, WE ADJOURN.
THANK YOU.
 


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