CAPTIONING MAY 5, 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. >>JOE AFFRONTI: GOOD MORNING. I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MPO MEETING TO ORDER FOR THE 5th OF MAY, 2009. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF INVOCATION. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY BLESSINGS. WE ASK YOUR GUIDANCE AS WE CARRY OUT THE BUSINESS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CITIZENS. PROTECT OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOMS AND PROTECTING US. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. >> AMEN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THE FIRST ITEM IS -- DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM APRIL THE 14th MEETING? >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE, MR. CHAIRMAN. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PUBLIC INPUT, DO WE HAVE ANY -- ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD CARE TO ADDRESS ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. WE'D LIKE TO START OUR REPORTS WITH A CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL, MR. JOE AMON. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE MPO. CAC MEETING WAS HELD ON APRIL 15th, AND THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WAS WE WELCOMED BACK MR. PATRICK LEDUC, AND OF THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER, PATRICK SAT ON THE COMMISSION BEFORE AS A CAC MEMBER BUT WAS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY. HE'S A MAJOR IN THE ARMY RESERVE. HE WAS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, SO HE HAD TO RESIGN, BUT NOW THAT HE'S BACK, HE GOT REAPPOINTED, SO WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENTS, MPO STAFF PRESENTED THE T.I.P. AMENDMENTS BEING MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT PRIORITIES. CAC MEMBERS HAD QUESTIONS ON SEVERAL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED FOR MUCH LESS MONEY SUCH AS SECURITY MEASURES REQUESTED BY HART, AND UNDER THOSE WERE FOR ADDITIONAL SHELTERS, LIGHTING, AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS. A DISCUSSION ENSUED AS IT RELATED TO THE PROJECTS FOLLOWING BEHIND THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR. AND IN THE END OF IT THERE WAS A -- WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT THERE WAS A CONSENSUS VOTE TO PASS THIS -- THE PROJECTS BEING SUBMITTED FORWARD TO THE MPO. STATUS REPORT FOR REGIONAL GOODS MOVEMENT. THE CAC FOUND THIS TO BE AN INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. THERE WERE QUESTIONS ASKED IF EXTRA FREIGHT MOVEMENT WOULD AFFECT THE RAIL PLAN, AND THE COMMITTEE LEARNED THAT THERE IS COORDINATION WITH TBARTA TO CLOSELY MONITOR CSX'S ACTIVITIES. ONE MEMBER SUGGESTED THE EXTENSION OF THE SUNCOAST PARKWAY TO NOT END AT THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BUT EVENTUALLY CONNECT TO I-75 TO ALLEVIATE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON I-75 THROUGH TO TAMPA AND MORE URBAN AREAS. IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE VETERANS EXPRESSWAY SHOULD ALSO BE EXTENDED TO I-275. LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN NEEDS FOR 2035, AND THE MPO STAFF PROVIDED US AN UPDATE WITH THE LRTP PROCESS, AND THE CAC APPRECIATES WORK DONE TO DATE AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INPUT AS NEEDED. STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM UPDATE, STAFF FROM D.O.T. AND THE TURNPIKE AUTHORITY EXPLAINED THE STRATEGIES TO MAKE THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM OR SIS MORE EFFECTIVE. THE UPDATE IS JUST BEGINNING, SO CAC MEMBERS WERE REFERRED TO A WEB SITE, AND WE'RE WAITING TO GET MORE INFORMATION. WE WERE ALSO BROUGHT UP-TO-DATE THAT THE TURNPIKE -- THE SUNCOAST PARKWAY THROUGH CITRUS COUNTY IS BEING SHELVED FOR THE TIME BEING AT 60% DESIGN BUT THEY WOULD MOVE AHEAD WITH THE DESIGN FOR THE WIDENING OF VETERANS OF ELECTRONIC TOLLING. THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR, A PRESENTATION WAS RECEIVED ON THIS PROJECT WHICH COULD POSSIBLY BE OPENED -- THE ROAD COULD BE OPENED 2014-2015 TIME PERIOD. THE CAC HAD A DISCUSSION BUT UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE I-4 CONNECTOR, ESPECIALLY FOR YBOR CITY AND THE PORT OF TAMPA. TBARTA MASTER PLAN, TBARTA STAFF PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE THIRD AND FINAL PHASE OF THE MASTER PLAN. MAPS WERE SHOWN, AND THE COMBINED ALTERNATIVES AND NEXT STEPS OF EVALUATING RIDERSHIP, DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, AND COSTS WERE EXPLAINED. MEMBERS WERE INTERESTED IN WHETHER ANY OPTIONS WERE CALLED FOR ABOVE GRADE IN PLACES BUT WERE INFORMED THAT THE LEVEL OF DETAIL HAS NOT YET BEEN COMMITTED -- COMPLETED. THE NEXT CAC MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MAY 13th AT 1:15 P.M. IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM ON THE 18th FLOOR OF THE COUNTY CENTER BUILDING, AND I UNDERSTAND -- HOPEFULLY THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW PEOPLE BEING REAPPOINTED AND SOME APPOINTEES, SO WE'LL HAVE A QUORUM AT THE NEXT MEETING I'M SURE OF. SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, JOE. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOE. NEXT IS THE REPORT FROM THE -- WHERE AM I HERE? HOLD ON ONE SECOND. I'M SORRY. THE TAC. MR. BAIER. >>NED BAIER: GOOD MORNING. MY NAME'S NED BAIER, AND I WORK FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE REPORT FROM THE TAC FROM APRIL 20th, 2009, WE ALSO REVIEWED THE T.I.P. AMENDMENT REGARDING THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAM AND THE ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE WORK PROGRAM AND HOW THAT MONEY IS BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT THE CROSSTOWN CORRECTOR PROJECT. WE DID PASS A MOTION FOR THE T.I.P. AMENDMENT FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND APPROVAL TODAY. WE ONLY HAD THAT RECOMMENDATION TO YOU TODAY. WE HAD A NUMBER OF STATUS REPORTS LIKE THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I WANT TO JUST MENTION A COUPLE THINGS. THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM UPDATE, WE ALSO IN SOME DETAIL HEARD A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES OF THE SIS PLAN AND THE CRITERIA THAT IS USED IN THE SIS PLAN. WE DID HAVE AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT PRESENTATION REALLY VALUABLE. THE SECOND PRESENTATION WAS THE I-4/SELMON CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR PROJECT, AND I THINK IN PARTICULAR JUST -- THERE'S BEEN VERY STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE TECHNICAL STAFF FOR THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR PROJECT FOR A LOT OF YEARS, AND I THINK WE WERE REALLY IMPRESSED AT THE SPEED AT WHICH THIS PROJECT WILL GO TO CONSTRUCTION, THEN ALSO THE LARGE NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION JOBS THAT THIS CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR WILL BRING TO THE COMMUNITY, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS. THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, THERE WAS LOTS OF LEGISLATION THAT WE DEALT WITH, BOTH GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS AND TRANSIT SURTAX, SOME OF THE FUNDING MECHANISMS. WE HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE EARLIER VERSIONS OF THE TRANSIT SURTAX AMENDMENTS UP IN TALLAHASSEE AND HOW THEY COULD ACTUALLY LIMIT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS' ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THAT TAX AND THE FULL EXTENT OF THAT TAX, BUT I THINK BETH ALDEN HAS SOME NEW INFORMATION TODAY ON WHAT WAS COMPLETED IN TALLAHASSEE THIS WEEK. RAY CHIARAMONTE ATTENDED OUR MEETING, GAVE A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL COMMISSION MEETING THAT HE ATTENDED RECENTLY IN TALLAHASSEE AND HOW RAY IS HOPEFULLY BRINGING THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL COMMISSION MEETING HERE TO TAMPA FOR THEIR NEXT MEETING. THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COORDINATION OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL PLANS WITH BOTH THE TBARTA PLANS AND THE OTHER LIGHT RAIL PROPOSALS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE THINK THEY'RE COORDINATED, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO CONFLICTS IN ANY OF THOSE PLANS, AND THAT WILL BE A POINT OF DISCUSSION, I THINK, AT A FUTURE MEETING. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THERE WERE -- UNDER OTHER BUSINESS, SEVERAL MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THE ISSUES OF THE GOALS OF THE LONG-RANGE PLAN AND THE ISSUE OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE POINT WAS THAT THE CRITERIA OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED IS -- IS AN IMPORTANT CRITERIA USED BY THE TECHNICAL PEOPLE AT D.O.T. AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND FEDERAL TRANSIT AND THAT THAT SHOULD MAINTAIN A HIGH PRIORITY IN BOTH THE GOAL SETTING AND THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN. FINALLY, OUR NEXT MEETING IS MAY 18th AT 1:30 IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS. ONE WILL BE AN AIR QUALITY PRESENTATION BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION ABOUT THE NONATTAINMENT DESIGNATION FOR THE REGION. WE ALSO ARE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE DOWNTOWN INTERMODAL CENTER, AND I THINK -- WHICH WILL GET INTO THE COORDINATION OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL SERVICE AND THEN ALSO THE COMMUTER RAIL AND LIGHT RAIL PLANS. AND THEN FINALLY WE'VE BEEN ASKED -- THE COUNTY HAS BEEN ASKED TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE WATER FERRY PROGRAM AND WATER TAXI PROGRAM IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA AND SOME OF THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT WE'VE OBTAINED THROUGH CONGRESS, SO WITH THAT, THAT'S MY REPORT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, NED. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >>NED BAIER: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >>RICHARD WAINIO: IF I COULD JUST CONFIRM, THE DATE OF YOUR NEXT MEETING AGAIN, I'M SORRY, I MISSED IT, AND YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE OF DIRECT INTEREST TO THE PORT, THE AIR QUALITY AND THE FERRY AND OTHER THINGS. >>NED BAIER: MAY 18th AT 1:30. >>RICHARD WAINIO: MAY 18th? >>NED BAIER: MAY 18th AT 1:30. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, NED. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. POLICY COMMITTEE, COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON APRIL 28th IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 24, '09, POLICY MEETING WERE APPROVED AS SUBMITTED. THE COMMITTEE HEARD A PRESENTATION ON AN AMENDMENT TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE AMENDMENT IS FOR PRIORITIES APPROVED IN FEBRUARY BY THE MPO FOR THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT. IN ORDER FOR THESE PROJECTS TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS, THEY MUST APPEAR IN THE MPO'S ADOPTED T.I.P. THE COMMITTEE PASSED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT AND FORWARD IT TO THE MPO FOR ADOPTION. THIS ITEM WILL BE DISCUSSED DURING TODAY'S MEETING. STAFF THEN PRESENTED AN UPDATE ON LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT WERE BEING DISCUSSED DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 26th AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. OF COURSE, ALL MPO BOARD MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MS. FERLITA. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. WE HAVE SEVERAL ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM I'D LIKE TO PRESENT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE CAC. THERE ARE 13 THAT ARE REAPPOINTED. THERE'S ONE VACANCY THAT'S BEING FILLED AND ONE NEW APPOINTEE. >> MOVE APPROVAL. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. WITH YOUR PERMISSION -- WE HAVE MAYOR IORIO WITH US TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR BEING HERE -- AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT UP FROM THE STATUS REPORTS TO AN ACTION ITEM BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE MULTIMODAL PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR COUNTY, SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MAYOR IORIO TO PRESENT THIS, PLEASE. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AFFRONTI AND MEMBERS OF THE MPO BOARD. I'D LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING ABOUT THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN AND HOW IT FITS INTO THE NEW TBARTA MASTER PLAN FOR SEVEN COUNTIES. ALL OF YOU, I KNOW, HAVE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE FOR MANY YEARS. IN FACT, WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION BACK IN 1985 I WAS APPOINTED TO THE MPO BOARD, AND WE STARTED AT THAT TIME TALKING ABOUT RAIL AND IN THE LATE 1980s TOOK MANY TRIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO VIEW OTHER LIGHT RAIL PLANS. AND IN FACT, THERE WAS A LOT OF MOMENTUM FOR RAIL BACK IN THE 1980s AND THE EARLY 1990s. AS YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK BY HARTLINE AND BY THE MPO BOARD. TO DATE $15 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT IN STUDIES ON LIGHT RAIL FOR THIS COUNTY, AN AMAZING FIGURE REALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT WE STILL ARE NOT QUITE AT THAT POINT TO IMPLEMENT RAIL THAT WE HAVE SPENT $15 MILLION ON STUDIES. AND IN FACT, THE HARTLINE BOARD ACTUALLY GOT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY HAD A RECORD OF DECISION ON THEIR TAMPA RAIL PLAN, AND BECAUSE OF A LACK OF A LOCAL FUNDING SOURCE IN 1999, THAT TAMPA RAIL PLAN WAS SHELVED. WE -- YOU, THE MPO BOARD, RESURRECTED THAT PLAN IN 2006 AND BEGAN THE KIND OF INTENSIVE STUDIES THAT HAVE CULMINATED TODAY, AND YOUR DIRECTOR RAY CHIARAMONTE'S 2035 PLAN -- WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, RAY, THE -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: 2035 LONG-RANGE PLAN. >>PAM IORIO: 2035 LONG -- I KNEW IT HAD A CATCHY TITLE TO IT. AND THAT'S IT. AND LET ME JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT A GREAT ADVOCATE WE HAVE IN RAY CHIARAMONTE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MPO FOR RAIL, AND HIS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE COMBINED WITH HIS PASSION HAVE REALLY BEEN AN ASSET AS WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE, AND SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU, RAY, IN THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN RIGHT NOW. NOW, TBARTA WAS FORMED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND THEY HAVE MET THE STATUTORY DEADLINE OF PRODUCING A SEVEN- COUNTY LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. SOMETIMES I THINK WE DON'T SIT BACK AND SAY, WOW, THIS IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT BECAUSE IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF OUR REGION THAT SEVEN COUNTIES HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER AND HAVE VOTED ON AND UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED A LONG-RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FOR SEVEN COUNTIES, AND THESE ARE VERY DIFFERENT COUNTIES, AS YOU KNOW. THE TBARTA PLAN GOES FROM CITRUS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SARASOTA COUNTIES, AND SO YOU HAVE A 16-MEMBER BOARD THAT IS A VERY DIVERSE BOARD REPRESENTING THEIR OWN PARTICULAR COUNTY OR AREA, AND YET, IN A YEAR AND A HALF THIS BOARD HAS BEEN ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND FORM THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONSENSUS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FIRST SLIDE THAT'S UP THAT THIS MID-TERM VISION NETWORK SHOWS THE SEVEN COUNTIES. EVEN THOUGH POLK IS NOT PART OF TBARTA, WE STILL SHOW A LINKAGE TO POLK. WE HOPE THAT EVENTUALLY TBARTA WILL BE -- WILL INCLUDE POLK COUNTY, AND APPARENTLY ONLY BECAUSE OF SOME POLITICAL SITUATIONS THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT, BUT WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN, WE DO INCLUDE A CORRIDOR THAT GOES THERE. THEN WE FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND OUR TWO ADJACENT COUNTIES, PASCO AND PINELLAS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT RAIL THAT GOES RIGHT UP INTO PASCO AND GOES OVER TO PINELLAS COUNTIES, VERY IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS SEVEN-COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT LIGHT RAIL IS NOT FOR ALL SEVEN COUNTIES. SOME OF THESE COUNTIES WILL NEVER HAVE THE DENSITIES FOR LIGHT RAIL, HERNANDO, CITRUS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THEY WILL ONE DAY IN A LONG-RANGE PLAN -- LONG LONG-RANGE PLAN, THE 2050 PLAN, BE CONNECTED BY COMMUTER RAIL, AND AS YOU KNOW, COMMUTER RAIL, LIGHT RAIL, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. BOTH SERVE A VERY IMPORTANT PURPOSE, BUT FOR OUR PURPOSES RIGHT NOW, WE ARE RIGHTLY FOCUSED ON LIGHT RAIL FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND HOW IT WILL HOPEFULLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER CONNECT TO BOTH PASCO AND PINELLAS COUNTIES. THIS IS THE MID-TERM VISION NETWORK, AGAIN JUST FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT RAIL, AND THOUGH WE TALK ABOUT LIGHT RAIL ALL THE TIME, AS COMMISSIONER SHARPE ALWAYS BRINGS UP -- AND HE'S SO CORRECT TO ALWAYS SAY THIS, THAT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE ENHANCED BUS SYSTEM THAT MUST BE IN PLACE IN ORDER TO PROPERLY FEED THE LIGHT RAIL. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE LIGHT RAIL LINES, NOT ALL PARTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WILL BE SERVICED BY LIGHT RAIL, BUT ALL PARTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WILL BE SERVICED BY A GREATLY ENHANCED BUS SYSTEM THAT WILL EITHER TAKE PEOPLE TO THEIR DESTINATION WITHOUT EVER GETTING ON LIGHT RAIL OR WILL TAKE THEM TO A LIGHT RAIL STATION, AND THAT'S HOW IT'S WORKED IN ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD A SUCCESSFUL LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE IT SHOWS THAT THE 1999 TAMPA RAIL PROJECT -- NOW WE CALL IT THE HART/TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PROJECT -- HOW IT IS -- REALLY IS REFLECTED IN THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN, AND THE TWO ARE REALLY ONE AND THE SAME, ALTHOUGH I THINK SOMETHING VERY SIGNIFICANT HAS CHANGED SINCE 1999, AND THAT IS THE EMPHASIS ON NEW TAMPA. I THINK THE OLD TAMPA RAIL PLAN -- AND CORRECT ME IF YOU THINK I'M WRONG ON THIS, RAY, THAT THE OLD TAMPA RAIL PLAN I DON'T THINK REALLY TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE NEED TO CONNECT TO PASCO AS QUICKLY AS WE PROBABLY NEED TO CONNECT TO PASCO. THE STATISTICS OF NEW TAMPA AND THE STATISTICS THAT SHOW THE POPULATION GROWTH IN PASCO AND IN NEW TAMPA ARE REALLY ASTOUNDING. IN FACT, I HAVE THEM HERE. THIS IS A HARD-TO-READ GRAPHIC, BUT IT SHOWS DIVIDING UP THE NEW TAMPA AREA INTO AREAS ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, ALL THE ROADS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED, AND THEN THE UNFUNDED ROADS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN BUILD ALL THE ROADS UP THERE AND YOU'RE STILL NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS IN NEW TAMPA. LOOK AT THE -- LOOK AT THE POPULATION EMPLOYMENT GROWTH FIGURES FOR THOSE THREE AREAS UP THERE GOING -- I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND 2025. WE HAVE HELD FORUMS IN NEW TAMPA, AND I THINK WE CAN ALL EMERGE FROM ALL OF THE COLLECTIVE MEETINGS WITH THE SAME CONCLUSION. YOU CAN'T BUILD ENOUGH ROADS TO SOLVE THE NEW TAMPA PROBLEM. IF YOU GO UP THERE RIGHT NOW, IT'S GRIDLOCK ON BRUCE B. DOWNS. YOU CAN'T WIDEN BRUCE B. DOWNS ENOUGH, THE EAST-WEST ROAD ISN'T GOING TO BE BUILT, YOU CAN'T WIDEN THE INTERSTATES ENOUGH. THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN BUILD UP IN NEW TAMPA ON ANY TRANSPORTATION MAP THAT WILL REALLY SOLVE THE POPULATION GROWTH PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR AND AFFECT TRANSPORTATION. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL REALLY HELP IS GOING TO BE A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THAT RUNS UP BRUCE B. DOWNS BOULEVARD. AND SO I THINK IN 1999 THE PLAN -- WHILE IT DID ENVISION A NEW TAMPA SPUR, I THINK TODAY WE REALLY REALIZE THAT AFTER WE BUILD THAT VERY FIRST LINK, WHICH IS USF TO DOWNTOWN, THAT QUITE POSSIBLY THAT VERY NEXT LINK OF USF TO PASCO IS REALLY WHAT'S GOT TO BE FOCUSED ON RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE THE SITUATION UP THERE IS A VERY SERIOUS ONE. SO WHY I'M HERE TODAY. I WANT TO FIRST EXPRESS TO YOU AS A MEMBER OF TBARTA THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR RAIL PLAN AS PART OF AN ULTIMATE REGIONAL NETWORK. THE TBARTA BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR THAT -- TO SUPPORT THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN AND ITS PLACEMENT ON THE BALLOT IN 2010 AS A REFERENDUM FOR FUNDING. UNANIMOUSLY THE TBARTA BOARD SAID THAT THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN IS THE FIRST LINK IN AN ULTIMATE REGIONAL PLAN, AND WHAT HAS CHANGED FROM THE TIME THAT I WAS FIRST ACTIVE ON THE MPO AND ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION IN THE 1980s TO TODAY? WHAT HAS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED IS THAT NOW IT'S ALL ABOUT REGIONALISM, AND BACK THEN WE REALLY WEREN'T THINKING THAT WAY. NOW THAT IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. THIS HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN CANNOT BE LOOKED AT IN ISOLATION. THIS IS PART OF AN ULTIMATE REGIONAL PLAN. WHAT THAT MEANS, THOUGH, TOO IS THAT WE COLLECTIVELY HAVE A BURDEN TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS BECAUSE IF THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN IS FUNDED IN 2010 AND IF IT IS PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED, IT WILL MEAN SUCCESS FOR PASCO AND PINELLAS AND ALL THE COUNTIES, BUT IF WE DON'T DO OUR JOB AND GET IT DONE RIGHT, IT WILL MEAN THAT PASCO AND PINELLAS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIGHT RAIL PLANS AND IT MEAN THAT ULTIMATELY THIS GREAT PLAN WE HAVE OF CONNECTION OF COMMUTER RAIL AND SO FORTH WILL NOT COME TO FRUITION. AND SO THE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS WITH US TO MAKE IT WORK, SO IT'S GREAT TO BE THE FIRST AND THE LEADER, BUT WITH THAT COMES A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE REST OF THE REGION BECAUSE WE COLLECTIVELY HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK FOR THIS REGION TO BE FUNCTIONAL IN A TRANSPORTATION SENSE. SO THE FIRST IS THAT I THINK ALL THE THOUGHT PROCESS MUST BE REGIONAL. THE SECOND IS THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN, IT IS NOT SO EARLY TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO LINK TO THESE OTHER COUNTIES. MAYBE PASCO BECOMES THE FIRST THAT WE LINK TO BECAUSE OF THAT DIRE TRANSPORTATION NEED. THIRD, WE CAN LOOK AT THE FAILURE OF SUNRAIL AND LEARN FROM THAT. I THINK SUNRAIL HAD A FEW ISSUES THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR IT TO PASS. ONE WAS IT WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. IT WAS A COMPLEX PROPOSAL. AND I SAT IN MANY MEETINGS WHERE IT WAS EXPLAINED THE SWAPPING OF THE CSX LINES AND THE LIABILITY AND SO FORTH, AND MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS UNCLEAR, NOT SURE OF WHAT WAS -- WHAT WAS -- HOW -- EXACTLY HOW THE PLAN WAS TO UNFOLD, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM THAT THAT WHATEVER PLAN THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE PUBLIC TO VOTE ON IN 2010 MUST BE CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS. WHILE WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT 2035 AND 2050, WE'RE NOT PUTTING A 2035 AND 2050 PLAN BEFORE THE PUBLIC IN 2010, WE'RE PUTTING A PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT WITH A PENNY SALES TAX, SO WHATEVER IS AFFORDABLE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF A PENNY SALES TAX FOR 30 YEARS, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PUTTING BEFORE THE VOTERS. SO MANY TIMES YOU READ THESE HUGE FIGURES, AND PARTICULARLY THE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO VERY LARGE FIGURES OF A SEVEN-COUNTY PLAN. WE'RE NOT PUTTING A SEVEN-COUNTY PLAN BEFORE THE VOTERS, WE'RE NOT PUTTING A LONG-RANGE PLAN BEFORE THE VOTERS, WE'RE PUTTING BEFORE THE VOTERS HERE IS A LIGHT RAIL, EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM, AND SOME ROADS THAT HELP TO FEED THE BUS SYSTEM, HERE IT IS IN A PACKAGE, AND THIS IS WHAT A PENNY WILL PAY FOR 30 YEARS, HERE'S A PLAN. IT'S GOT TO BE A CLEAR PLAN, UNAMBIGUOUS. THE SECOND IS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK WITH CSX ON THAT LINE FROM USF TO DOWNTOWN. I'VE NEVER BEEN A BELIEVER OF USING THEIR RAIL LINES. I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE AUTONOMY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN, THOUGH, THAT WE CAN'T PURCHASE THEIR RIGHT-OF-WAY. THAT'S DIFFERENT, AND I THINK WE SHOULD WORK WITH CSX TO PURCHASE THEIR RIGHT-OF-WAY AND HAVE AUTONOMY, BUT SHOULD WE USE THEIR FREIGHT LINES AND MIX PASSENGERS WITH FREIGHT? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S SELF-SUFFICIENT AND AUTONOMOUS AND PASSENGERS AND FREIGHT DON'T MIX. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND WE'VE GOT TO BRING TOGETHER ALL THE DISPARATE GROUPS AND -- I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY TRANSPORTATION GROUPS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT TBARTA AND WE'VE GOT THE MPO AND WE'VE GOT HARTLINE, WHICH IS WORKING ON THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS, AND WE HAVE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE, WHICH IS DOING THEIR GOOD WORK, AND THERE'S A LOT OF STAFF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO BE PRESENTED WITH AN ORDINANCE AND A PROPOSAL AND BALLOT LANGUAGE TO VOTE TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT IN 2010. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IS BEING DONE. YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUGGEST TOO THAT THIS MPO MIGHT WANT TO START THINKING AS THEY -- AS THEY DO -- AS YOU DO YOUR WORK THAT EVERY YEAR YOU MIGHT WANT TO MEET WITH THE PINELLAS MPO TO TALK JUST TRANSIT, EVERY YEAR YOU MIGHT WANT TO MEET ONCE WITH THE PASCO MPO AND JUST TALK TRANSIT. FROM NOW ON YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO REALLY THINK OF YOURSELVES MORE AS A REGIONAL BODY. EVEN THOUGH YOU REPRESENT HILLSBOROUGH'S INTERESTS, AS HILLSBOROUGH GOES, SO GOES THE REGION. THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST SUGGEST IS ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE SUNRAIL WAS THAT FUNDING FROM D.O.T. AND FROM THE STATE IS CERTAINLY NOT A GIVEN. WE ARE PRETTY CERTAIN THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET 50% FUNDING FOR RAIL FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THE FUNDING FROM THE STATE -- LOOK AT WHAT JUST HAPPENED WITH SUNRAIL. IT'S NOT EASY TO GET IT THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT D.O.T. CAN ASSIST IN THIS, AND THEY ALREADY HAVE. FRANKLY, THE D.O.T. DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR PAYING FOR THE CONSULTANT WORK THAT HAS LED TO THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT D.O.T. BUT THINK ABOUT THAT CONNECTION TO PINELLAS COUNTY ALONG THE HOWARD FRANKLAND. THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE IS SLATED IN PROBABLY TEN PLUS YEARS FROM NOW TO UNDERGO RECONSTRUCTION, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE THAT A LANE -- LANES WOULD BE DEVOTED AND BUILT JUST FOR LIGHT RAIL. NOW, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT SORT OF THING IS THAT KIND OF SEGMENT DOES NOT ENJOY FEDERAL SUPPORT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO TOO MANY MILES WITHOUT PICKING UP ANYONE. WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO OVER WATER, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LOOKS AT THAT AND SAYS, YOU'RE GOING TEN MILES AND YOU'RE NOT PICKING UP ANY PASSENGERS, DOESN'T QUALIFY. YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS, EVEN MORE SO THAN THE STATE AND MORE SO THAN THE CITY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT -- BUT -- SO HOW COULD THE STATE HELP OTHER THAN SIMPLY A BLANKET ENDORSEMENT AND BLANKET FUNDING? WELL, HERE'S ONE WAY, THAT WE WORK AND THAT THE MPO WORK NOW AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE THEY START WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH D.O.T. TO SAY WHEN THE DAY COMES THAT YOU REDO HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE, YOU ADD THOSE -- THOSE LANES FOR LIGHT RAIL, AND STATE, YOU PAY FOR IT. WHAT -- WHAT A WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LINK. THAT'S A WAY THAT YOU CAN GET THE STATE TO PARTICIPATE IN A VERY MEANINGFUL WAY TO PROVIDE LINKAGE WITHOUT YOU GETTING INTO KIND OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION OF FIGURING OUT DOES HILLSBOROUGH PAY FOR PART OF THAT, DOES PINELLAS PAY FOR PART OF THAT, WHO PAYS FOR IT, IT'S A LONG BRIDGE, THE FEDS DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE. THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. OTHER KINDS OF ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT ARE ISSUES LIKE BRUCE B. DOWNS, AND I KNOW THIS COUNTY HAS ALREADY GONE FAR DOWN THE PLANNING ROAD WITH BRUCE B. DOWNS AND THEY'RE READY TO LET THE EIGHT-LANE PROJECT FOR IT, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE ISSUES, AND I KNOW THAT THEY -- I BELIEVE, COMMISSIONER SHARPE, THEY HAVE PUT ASIDE FUTURE TURN LANES THAT WILL ONE DAY TURN INTO LIGHT RAIL, BUT ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS -- AND I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO BACK AND REVISIT THE REST OF BRUCE B. DOWNS, AND IF THE REST OF IT IS STILL DESTINED TO BE EIGHT LANES, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING THAT BACK DOWN TO SIX RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ONE PROJECT THAT'S READY TO BE LET, BUT LET'S ADDRESS THE OTHERS. FIRST OF ALL, YOU DON'T WANT EIGHT LANES THROUGH A COMMUNITY. EIGHT LANES IS VERY UNATTRACTIVE. WE ONLY HAVE TWO AREAS OF THIS COUNTY WHERE THERE ARE EIGHT LANES, FOWLER AND BRANDON BOULEVARD. THESE ARE NOT EXAMPLES OF, YOU KNOW, AESTHETICALLY PLEASING HIGHWAY SYSTEMS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY. WE DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THAT, BUT I REALLY STRONGLY URGE YOU TO LOOK AT EVERY ONE OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE AS AN MPO IN LIGHT OF THE RAIL PLAN AND EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM PLAN. NOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE BEFORE YOU THE EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM PLAN, BUT YOU WILL SHORTLY, AND THEN ALL YOUR DECISIONS, IF THEY COULD BE FUNNELED THROUGH THAT PRISM, THEN WE WILL FOR THE FIRST TIME REALLY BE PLANNING IN A WAY THAT SUPPORTS TRANSIT. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS ISSUE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN BUILD -- BEEN BUILDING OUT ON AN URBAN SPRAWL MODEL, NOT MAKING USE OF OUR RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AT THE CORE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BUILD OUT AND OUT AND WE HAVE MADE PEOPLE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON THEIR AUTOMOBILE, AND THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE FOSTERED OVER THE YEARS HAS NOT BEEN GOOD FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NOR IS IT REALLY GOOD IN THE LONG RUN FOR PEOPLE'S LIFESTYLES. THIS LIGHT RAIL AND EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESHAPE HOW WE GROW SO THAT IN THE 21st CENTURY WE GROW DIFFERENTLY THAN THE WAY WE GREW IN THE 20th CENTURY. NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS, HOW WE REBUILD OUR ECONOMY AND PRODUCE JOBS, HOW WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN SMART GROWTH WHERE THEY CAN LIVE AND WORK IN THE SAME ENVIRONMENT OR LIVE AND WORK WITHOUT TAKING A CAR, HOW WE WILL BRING NEW BUSINESSES TO THIS COMMUNITY IN THE COMING DECADES. ALL OF IT RESTS WITH OUR DECISIONS REGARDING LIGHT RAIL. THERE ARE ONLY TWO MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS OF THIS COUNTRY THAT DO NOT HAVE A MODERN RAIL SYSTEM, TAMPA BY AND DETROIT, AND DETROIT'S WORKING ON IT, AND THAT'S WHERE WE STAND IN THIS COUNTRY. EVERY OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA OF THIS COUNTRY HAS A MODERN RAIL SYSTEM, AND BECAUSE OF IT, THEY'VE ATTRACTED A HIGH DEGREE OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND THEY'VE RESHAPED THEIR GROWTH PATTERNS, AND THIS IS OUR TIME, ALL OF YOU, OUR TRANSPORTATION LEADERS, AND YOUR VOICE MATTERS IN THIS DEBATE. AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO A 2010 REFERENDUM, THERE HAVE TO BE MANY VOICES OUT THERE ARTICULATING THESE ISSUES AND HELPING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE RAIL PLAN AND EXPANDED BUS SYSTEM. IT CAN'T COME FROM ONE OR TWO VOICES, IT'S GOT TO BE WIDESPREAD. AND SO I ASK THE MPO TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTY, TO WORK REGIONALLY TO GET THIS 2010 REFERENDUM IN PLACE. LET'S GET IT PASSED AND LET'S REALLY SHAPE THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS REGION FOR THE BETTER. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE AGGRESSIVE INITIATIVE THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO BRING THIS TRANSPORTATION -- THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO THE FOREFRONT, AND THIS IS JUST GOING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING TO DO THAT. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: SO ANY -- YES. YES, KEVIN. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, I ALSO WANT TO AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, MAYOR IORIO, AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO BRING THIS FORWARD. A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE HAD AND ALSO COMMENTS. SOME OF THE THINGS I'M HEARING FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS -- AND I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED UPON THEM A LITTLE BIT -- IS THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING THE TBARTA PLAN, THEY'RE HEARING THE HART PLAN, THEY'RE HEARING YOUR PLAN, AND I KIND OF WANT TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION IF YOU BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON FOR THE TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH, IS THAT IN SYNC WITH WHAT TBARTA WANTS TO DO OVERALL AND WHAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER FROM A COMPREHENSIVE STANDPOINT, OR ARE THERE STILL SOME ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED? BECAUSE REALLY WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO GET TO THE POINT PRETTY QUICKLY IS A -- AND WE NEED TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE AND -- SO THAT THE VOTERS KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES NOVEMBER 2010 EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR A RAIL PLAN, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR A BUS PLAN. WHAT THEY WILL VOTE FOR IS A SOLUTION TO THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE THAT WE HAVE HERE AND A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND THAT WAS THE OTHER COMMENT THAT I WAS GOING TO MAKE IS AS WE'RE PROMOTING THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROMOTE THIS AS A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND NOT A BUS PLAN AND NOT A RAIL PLAN. >>PAM IORIO: WELL SAID, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD TO ALTER MY PRESENTATION OVER TIME SO THAT INSTEAD OF FOCUSING SO MUCH ON RAIL THAT I DO FOCUS ON THE MULTIMODAL, ALTHOUGH WE SHOULDN'T USE MULTIMODAL BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE GOVERNMENT TERMS, BUT JUST COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JANUARY VOTE WITH TBARTA WAS THAT TBARTA SAID THE HILLSBOROUGH RAIL PLAN IS PART OF OUR MASTER PLAN, GO FORWARD, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE DO NEED TO CONVEY TO THE PUBLIC, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE TBARTA PLAN -- THAT THE HILLSBOROUGH PLAN IS THE FIRST STEP IN AN ULTIMATE REGIONAL PLAN THAT IS BLESSED BY TBARTA. >>KEVIN BECKNER: SO THEN -- AND I WOULD ASSUME BY THE NAME THAT WE HAD GIVEN THAT, HART IS ONBOARD, THAT YOU TWO ARE SYNCED TOGETHER AND YOU'RE ON THE SAME PAGE? >>PAM IORIO: YES. >>KEVIN BECKNER: ARE THERE ANY STICKING POINTS OR ANY THINGS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN -- >>PAM IORIO: NO. I THINK THAT HART -- HART IS THE FEDERAL GRANTING AGENCY, HART WILL RUN THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, AND HART IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THEIR ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS. NOW, ALL THE -- AND THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS IS RIGHT NOW JUST FOR THAT SEGMENT OF USF TO DOWNTOWN, BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE LINKS THAN THAT THAT WILL BE PART OF THE REFERENDUM. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHEN WE GO TO REFERENDUM, ALL THE ANSWERS WON'T BE THERE, WE WON'T HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS DONE ON EVERY SINGLE LINK, BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW THE VOTERS CONCEPTUALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION AT LEAST ON THAT VERY FIRST LINK OF USF TO DOWNTOWN TO GIVE SOME CERTAINTY TO IT AND WE'LL HAVE CERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO THE ENHANCED BUS SYSTEM AND ANY ROAD PROJECTS, BUT YES, HART IS COORDINATING, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COORDINATION MEETINGS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY BEING HELD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT COMMUNICATION IS GOING WELL. >>KEVIN BECKNER: GREAT. THANK YOU. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: [MICROPHONE NOT ON] LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION -- >> SECOND. >>LOUIS MILLER: [MICROPHONE NOT ON] >> IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? >>LOUIS MILLER: [MICROPHONE NOT ON] >> YOU'RE MICROPHONE'S NOT ON. >>LOUIS MILLER: SORRY. I JUST READ WHAT WAS ON THERE. THE MOTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE IN HERE TODAY, BUT SECONDLY I WANT TO POINT OUT THE AVIATION AUTHORITY'S STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA THAT MAYOR IORIO HAS POINTED OUT, THAT THE SECOND LINK SHOULD BE PASCO COUNTY -- IF POSSIBLE, PASCO COUNTY COMING IN THROUGH NEW TAMPA TO DOWNTOWN TAMPA AND THEN EVENTUALLY COMING OUT TO WESTSHORE AND THEN EVENTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE AIRPORT BECAUSE I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. IT'S MORE WHERE THE POPULATION IS. IT WORKS BETTER FOR PEOPLE. GETTING PEOPLE FROM WHERE THEY LIVE TO WHERE THEY WORK IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY HERE, SO ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. THAT'S GREAT. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? THEN WE'LL GET INTO FURTHER DISCUSSION. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE DO HAVE A SECOND. OKAY. COUNCILMAN SCOTT. >>THOMAS SCOTT: YEAH, I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE -- THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND THE PRESENTATION AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND I THINK AS WELL THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE BY KEN HAGAN HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH THIS. >>PAM IORIO: YES. >>THOMAS SCOTT: I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IN TERMS OF THE RESOLUTION, IT SAYS THAT -- AT THE ONE, TWO, FOURTH WHEREAS THERE, IT SAYS THAT WHEREAS, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION BEING THE SOLE AGENTS WITH THE ABILITY TO PLACE A POPULAR REFERENDUM ON SALES TAX BEFORE THE VOTERS HAS DIRECTED STAFF TO DEVELOP THAT ULTIMATE LANGUAGE. NOW, THE QUESTION I RAISE, WHAT SALES TAX REFERENDUM? I RAISED THAT AS AN ISSUE BECAUSE I GUESS I WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY -- I UNDERSTAND THERE'S STILL DEBATE BY THE BOARD AS TO WHAT WILL CONTAINED -- BE CONTAINED IN THAT REFERENDUM. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A DEBATE OF USING THE CIT. I COULD BE WRONG, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A SALES TAX REFERENDUM? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SEVEN-COUNTY SURCHARGE TRANSIT TAX WHICH WAS APPROVED IN 2003? AT THE TIME, IN FACT, I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION WHEN WE GOT APPROVAL. IN '99 -- YOU DID NOT HAVE THAT TAX AVAILABLE IN '99. THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF THINGS WE WERE TRYING TO DO, SO IN 2003 AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION WITH DAN KLEMAN AND EDITH STEWART WENT TO TALLAHASSEE TO GET THAT APPROVED SO THAT THE NEXT TIME AROUND WE WERE TRYING TO GET THAT PASSED OR USE THAT. MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT THE -- >>PAM IORIO: YES. >>THOMAS SCOTT: -- SOURCE OF THE INCOME OR SALES TAX OR ARE WE TALKING CIT? I GUESS THAT'S -- >>PAM IORIO: COMMISSIONER, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSIT SURTAX THAT YOU HELPED SHEPHERD THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE IN 2003. IT IS A NEW SALES TAX, ONE PENNY. >>THOMAS SCOTT: RIGHT. AND THE BOARD -- IS THAT THE ONE THAT THE BOARD HAS VOTED UPON, THE COUNTY COMMISSION? >>ROSE FERLITA: NO. >>THOMAS SCOTT: BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A DEBATE STILL ON CIT AND THIS PARTICULAR ONE HERE. I DON'T KNOW. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MS. FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. COUNCILMAN SCOTT, I THINK OUR MOTION UNANIMOUS, BY THE WAY, WHICH WAS VERY GOOD, WAS TO BRING THIS TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION. WE DIRECTED OUR STAFF TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING IS SET IN STONE IN TERMS OF THE PARTICULARS. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED WAS -- AND I'M SURE, MR. SHARPE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO WEIGH IN ON IT. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE STAFF LOOK AT LANGUAGE, AND AT THAT TIME IT WILL BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR CITIZENS. SO I DON'T THINK ANYTHING HAS BEEN FINALIZED IN TERMS OF THE WORDING OR THE INTENT OR WHETHER IT'S THE PENNY TAX THAT THE MAYOR SPOKE ABOUT OR SOME CONFIGURATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CIT TAX. I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES THAT'S FLOATING AROUND, BUT -- BUT MAINLY OUR FOCUS IS TO DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GOING TO FINALIZE OUR LANGUAGE, SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN GIVE YOU A DEFINED -- >>THOMAS SCOTT: WELL, MR. CHAIRMAN, I RAISED THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE TO ME -- I RAISED THAT, MAYOR -- THE OBVIOUS IS THE -- IS THE SURTAX, THE TRANSIT SURTAX. I MEAN, YOU CAN GO UP TO ONE CENTS WITH THAT; HOWEVER, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION DECIDES -- YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE THAT DECISION, BUT I RAISE THAT BECAUSE THAT WILL BECOME AN ISSUE OR CONCERN, THAT THE SOONER WE CAN GET THAT RESOLVED AND GET IT OUT THERE, THE BETTER IT WILL BE IN TERMS OF THE DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY. >>MARK SHARPE: THE -- THE BOARD -- THE FULL BOARD HAD A DISCUSSION, AND THE -- COMMISSIONER FERLITA'S CORRECT, IT WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO LOOK AT FINANCING OPTIONS, AND WE WERE GOING TO -- AND WE DIRECTED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HER STAFF TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND TO WORK WITH OTHERS TO LOOK AT HOW WE WOULD FRAME THE LANGUAGE, RECOGNIZING IT WOULD BE -- BUT THEN THE TASK FORCE TOOK THIS ISSUE UP AS WELL, AND THE TASK FORCE ACTUALLY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO FOCUS ON THE SURTAX, AND THE TASK FORCE IS THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED BODY THAT'S LOOKING AT THE LONG-RANGE TRANSIT OPTIONS, AND SO -- AND IN THAT -- AND THEN THE -- AND THEN THE VOTE BY THE TASK FORCE, THE TASK FORCE AGREED -- WHILE THEY DIDN'T DESIGNATE ONE CENT, WHAT THEY SAID WAS THEY DESIGNATED THE -- THE STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD ON LOOKING AT A SURTAX OF UP TO ONE CENT. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PREDISPOSE TO ONE CENT RIGHT AWAY, ALTHOUGH EVERYONE RECOGNIZED -- JAN SMITH WHO MADE THE MOTION RECOGNIZED WE REALLY NEEDED THE ONE CENT, BUT JUST TO GIVE THEM FLEXIBILITY, THEY SAID -- THE LANGUAGE READ UP TO ONE CENT, WHICH IS THE LANGUAGE THAT THE -- I GUESS THE ENACTING LEGISLATION, BUT WE RECOGNIZED ON THE TASK FORCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A SURTAX, AND WHILE SOME BOARD MEMBERS MIGHT WANT TO DISCUSS OTHER OPTIONS, I THINK THE -- THE MAJORITY RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A SURTAX AND - - UP TO A CENT. >>PAM IORIO: YES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THIS RESOLUTION IS TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL COORDINATION TO BRING TRANSIT CONCEPTS TO FRUITION IN A COST-AFFORDABLE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND THAT'S PRETTY GENERAL, AND MR. CHIARAMONTE HAS SOMETHING THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS OR CHANGE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WELL, I JUST THOUGHT IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION, IN THE THIRD WHEREAS IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ADD THE MPO. THE CITY OF TAMPA AND THE MPO HAVE BOTH CHAMPIONED IMPLEMENTATION OF LIGHT RAIL -- >>LOUIS MILLER: THAT'S FINE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: -- [INAUDIBLE] OUR EFFORTS. >>LOUIS MILLER: AS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, I WOULD ACCEPT THAT CHANGE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. YES, SIR, MR. WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: MAYOR, I FEEL THAT I HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING SINCE IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE SAT UP HERE AND YOU'VE BEEN DOWN THERE. >>PAM IORIO: THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S TRUE. >>RICHARD WAINIO: AND IT'LL PROBABLY BE THE LAST TIME, SO FIRST, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID. PROJECTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE AND THIS IMPORTANCE HAVE TO HAVE A CHAMPION TO MOVE THEM FORWARD, AND -- AND THE REGION IS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS THAT CHAMPION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THERE IS ONE OTHER PERSON HERE THAT I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE AND -- AND THE ROLE THAT HE'S PLAYED IN ALL OF THIS, AND THAT'S COMMISSIONER SHARPE, AND ON THE COUNTY SIDE, HE'S DONE YEOMAN'S WORK AS WELL AND CONTINUES TO DO THAT. I -- JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS. FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'VE SAID. I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY YOU'RE APPROACHING IT. I DO THINK -- AND THIS IS NOT TO SUGGEST IN ANY WAY THAT -- THAT THE PLAN SHOULD BE ALTERED OR NEEDS TO BE ALTERED, BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH THE WAY THE SITUATION IS TODAY IN TERMS OF POPULATION GROWTH, WE DO HAVE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS AND JUST CONFIRM THAT THE KIND OF GROWTH THAT WE'RE EXPECTING, ESPECIALLY IN -- IN -- WITH FUTURE PHASES ARE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, BUT I DO AGREE WITH THIS FIRST PHASE THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT, THAT THAT'S A NECESSARY FIRST STEP. IF YOU DON'T GET THAT MOVING, IT'S HARD TO -- I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO JUMPSTART THE PROJECT, AND THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO IT. BEYOND THAT, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE AT THIS POINT WHERE THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE. I -- I DO ALSO GREATLY SUPPORT THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR THE HART BUS SERVICES, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTION ISSUES THAT YOU MENTIONED WITH LIGHT RAIL BUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIVE OUT -- I'M HERE MAINLY, I GUESS, REPRESENTING FREIGHT AND THE PORT, BUT I DO LIVE IN FISHHAWK RANCH OUT IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA THAT WON'T BE SERVED BY THIS RAIL FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT THE BUS SERVICE THAT IS THERE CONTINUE TO BE FOCUSED ON AND EXPANDED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THAT REGION. AND FINALLY, FROM THE FREIGHT PERSPECTIVE, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT WHEN YOU SAY ESSENTIALLY THAT FREIGHT AND PEOPLE DON'T MIX, CERTAINLY DON'T MIX WELL, AND ALMOST LIKE OIL AND WATER, PERHAPS NOT QUITE, BUT THEY ARE CLEARLY INTERRELATED, AND WHAT YOU DO WITH ONE IMPACTS THE OTHER IN MANY WAYS. SO FROM -- FROM THE EASTERN PORTION OF OUR AREA, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE QUITE THE POPULATION KIND OF NUMBERS, WHEN YOU -- WHEN YOU COMBINE POPULATION WITH THE HEAVY FREIGHT MOVEMENT THAT YOU SEE ON THE I-4 AND OUT IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA OUT TO POLK -- WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE THINGS, THAT ARGUES FOR A PEOPLE MOVER RAIL SERVICES INTO THAT REGION AS WELL AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE FUTURE. AND THE LAST COMMENT IS THAT THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE, WHICH COMMISSIONER SHARPE IS ON AND FOUR OR FIVE OF US ON THIS COMMITTEE ARE ON, AT THE LAST MEETING -- I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT MEETING. I AGREE WITH WHAT IT WAS THAT WE ACTED ON. THE COUNTY STAFF IS DOING A GREAT JOB PUTTING TOGETHER THE PLANS THAT THAT TASK FORCE WILL REVIEW, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT TASK FORCE MOVE THAT FORWARD VERY QUICKLY AND MAKE -- MAKE -- MAKE A QUICK DECISION SO WE CAN GET THIS REFERENDUM IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE IN 2010. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. ANY OTHER -- YES, MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. THANKS FOR JOINING US AND THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. ONE OF THE THINGS I -- I WANTED TO MENTION IS I HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF RUMBLING BEHIND THE SCENES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THIS BE ON THE INTERSTATE, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND -- AND -- AND THE AIRPORT OR SHOULD IT BE UP - - YOU KNOW, UP MAIN STREET, SHOULD IT BE ON FLORIDA AVENUE OR SHOULD IT BE ON THE RAIL, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW -- AND PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES ARE KIND OF MANEUVERING FOR VARIOUS REASONS, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T DO THAT AT THIS PHASE AND AVOID IT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT TO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, NOT TO YOU, BUT -- BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN -- WE CAN LOSE OUR WAY, AND FRANKLY, IF THE VOTERS THINK THAT THERE'S CONFUSION OR THAT THERE'S BICKERING, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE TYPES OF REASONS I THINK IT'S REALLY A MISTAKE. I THINK BASICALLY WE SHOW A SORT OF LARGE SORT OF BROAD- BRUSH PLAN THAT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO GET PEOPLE FROM WESLEY CHAPEL DOWN HERE TO DOWNTOWN, AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT, WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET PEOPLE OVER TO THE AIRPORT AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THEM OUT TO TOWN 'N COUNTRY AND IT'S GOING TO BE MULTIMODAL AND WE'LL GET THEM EVERYWHERE, BUT I THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH -- BECAUSE I KEEP HEARING, YOU KNOW, THAT DIFFERENT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SAY, WELL, WE NEED DETAILS TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK THAT WE CAN GET LOST IN THOSE DETAILS. I THINK WE HAVE TO -- WE HAVE TO -- I THINK THE VOTERS -- IF WE GIVE THEM GOOD REASON TO, I THINK THAT THEY'LL TRUST US TO A CERTAIN EXTENT TO MAKE THIS A GOOD PLAN AND TO MAKE IT WORK BECAUSE IT HAS WORKED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, SO I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF US TO THE EXTENT THAT -- YOU KNOW, AND STAFF TOO -- TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS -- THEY WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT I DON'T THINK THOSE ARE THE KIND OF DISCUSSIONS THAT WE SHOULD GET LOST IN AT THIS PHASE PRIOR TO THE 2010 VOTE. >>PAM IORIO: AND COUNCILMAN, I THINK YOU RAISE A VERY GOOD POINT, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, THAT WHEN WE GO TO THE BALLOT IN 2010 WE WON'T KNOW THE EXACT ROUTE FROM DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE. WE -- WE'RE NOT FAR ENOUGH ALONG IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS TO ANSWER THAT. WE PRETTY MUCH KNOW THE -- THE USF TO PASCO, BRUCE B. DOWNS, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPTIONS THERE. WE MAY BE FAR ENOUGH ALONG WITH USF TO DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE AA WILL JUST ABOUT BE DONE, RIGHT, RAY, SO THAT WILL PROBABLY BE SOLVED, BUT I AGREE THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING TO THE VOTERS WE'RE FAR ENOUGH ALONG IN THIS ONE LINE TO SHOW YOU, THE OTHER LINES ARE CONCEPTUAL, AND EACH ONE HAS TO GO THROUGH A VERY LABORIOUS FEDERAL ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS WHICH INVOLVES A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND FINALLY A DECISION IS REACHED, BUT THAT WILL BE WELL AFTER THE 2010 REFERENDUM, AND I THINK YOU'VE RAISED A VERY GOOD POINT OF NOT TRYING TO GET ALL THOSE DETAILS IN PLACE OR ELSE YOU'LL NEVER GO TO REFERENDUM. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MS. FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES, MR. CHAIRMAN. JUST -- NOT TO BELABOR THE POINT BUT JUST TO RESPOND TO MR. DINGFELDER. AND JOHN, I AGREE WITH YOU, IF WE DO SOME OF THIS BICKERING AND WE DO THE DETAIL, IT'S GOING TO CONFUSE PEOPLE. JUST AS ONE COMMISSIONER, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN WHEN WE FINALLY CRAFT OUR LANGUAGE TO GO TO SPECIFIC DETAILS BECAUSE WE CAN'T, BUT WHAT I AM HOPING THAT OUT OF OUR DISCUSSION THAT OUR MOTION WILL LEAD TO WILL BE THAT WE WILL COME UP WITH A VERY HONEST, A VERY CLEAR, AND A VERY SPECIFIC ENOUGH IDEA ABOUT THE LANGUAGE SO THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DEFINE SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO LOOK AT. I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET TO DETAILS, BUT QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THAT LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE GOING AROUND, WILL THIS BE IN PERPETUITY, WILL THIS SUNSET, WILL THIS -- THEY ARE JUST IN SOME DEGREES TIRED OF TRUSTING THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GIVE THEM THIS LANGUAGE, CLARITY WILL LET THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WHAT'S BEST. A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE MADE A COMPARISON THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF RAIL. I SAID ABSOLUTELY, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IMPROVING OUR -- OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ME SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT, BUT HIS ANALOGY WAS VERY GOOD, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE, MY COLLEAGUES AND I, WILL TRY TO GO. WE KNOW THAT, FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE HAS A CHILD THAT'S IN FIRST GRADE WOULD PROBABLY WANT THAT CHILD TO GO TO COLLEGE. WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA STATE, WHEREVER, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE WANT TO START SAVING NOW. >>PAM IORIO: USF. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT -- [LAUGHTER] UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, ANYPLACE, BUT THE POINT IS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN, AND IF WE GET LOST IN THE DETAILS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO LOSE THE CONFIDENCE AND THE TRUST OF THE VOTER, AND THAT'S THE FINAL CONNECT WITH ALL OF THIS. SO THAT -- THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO GO, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE COMMISSION WILL BEING LOOKING AT DETAILS BUT JUST CLARITY RATHER THAN DETAILS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, ROSE. MR. BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: AND AGAIN, JUST TO RESPOND TO MR. DINGFELDER AND TO ECHO SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS OF MS. FERLITA, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, THAT WE DON'T GET LOST IN ALL THE DETAILS BUT WE DO PAINT A CLEAR ENOUGH VISION FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE IT WILL BE THE VISION THAT THEY WILL WANT TO INVEST THEIR TAX DOLLARS IN AND NOT A SPECIFIC TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION. AGAIN, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION, I BELIEVE, AND NOT AGAIN BUYING A BUS OR BUYING THE RAIL. AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH DETAILS SO THAT WHEN THEY ASK QUESTIONS, WE JUST -- OUR SIMPLE RESPONSE IS, OH, JUST TRUST US. >>PAM IORIO: RIGHT. >>KEVIN BECKNER: WELL, WE DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS OVER THE YEARS, AND WHEN I SAY "WE," NOT NECESSARILY THIS BOARD OR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED -- THEY HAVE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED BY THAT PHRASE SO WE CAN NO LONGER JUST SAY TRUST US, SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM A CLEAR ENOUGH VISION, BUT AGAIN NOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE STUCK SO MUCH IN THE MINUTE DETAILS THAT WE CAN'T BRING THIS TO REFERENDUM. >>PAM IORIO: UH-HUH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, FIRST OFF, I WANTED TO AS WELL CONGRATULATE THE MAYOR FOR A SUPERB JOB MAKING A GREAT PRESENTATION CREATING THAT VISION, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S REALLY BEEN IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT ONE THING THAT THE CITIZENS WILL HAVE -- AND YOU'VE MADE THIS VERY CLEAR -- IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO ADVOCATE BUT ALSO TO GET LOTS OF INFORMATION. WE CAN GET IT FROM OUR WEB SITE, THE MPO WEB SITE. THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF INFORMATION ON THE HART WEB SITE, TBARTA'S WEB SITE, SO THERE'S LOTS OF INFORMATION IN DETAIL AND DATA THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO KIND OF GET A BIG PICTURE. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS OBVIOUSLY TO ENHANCE MOBILITY, AND YOU'VE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR. THIS IS A MOBILITY PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY SO WE CAN MOVE PEOPLE AND CREATE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. YESTERDAY I HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH WIT OSTRENKO WHO IS, I GUESS, THE GENERAL MANAGER, ACTING DIRECTOR OF MOSI, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ENERGY CENTER THAT THEY WANT TO BUILD, AND THEY'RE FOCUSING ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, I MEAN, EVERYTHING FROM WOOD TO GAS. YOU'VE GOT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE -- SOLAR ENERGY, BUT THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS TRANSPORTATION LINK WILL PROVIDE THEM AS WELL. THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY HOOK UP TO A RAIL LINE OR IT'LL BE BUS, BUT THEY DO KNOW THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ENERGY, AND THIS IS GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S TO MOSI, OR DR. DEAN KLASKO IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT DO TO THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT USF, OR YOU'VE GOT THE VA HOSPITAL, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. CITIZENS DOWN IN SUN CITY, 20,000-PLUS WHO ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT AN ENHANCED MOBILITY SYSTEM WILL GIVE THEM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT FROM WHERE THEY LIVE TO WHERE THEIR DOCTOR IS WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO GET INTO THEIR CAR OR FIND A PARKING SPACE, SO THIS GIVES US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE JOBS AND REALLY TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITY, AND I JUST AGAIN WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT WASN'T A COMMENT SO MUCH AS A STATEMENT, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO FOR OUR ECONOMY HERE AS WELL. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU FOR YOURS TOO. >>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, MA'AM. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. MARY MULHERN. >>MARY MULHERN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU'RE LOOKING A LITTLE OUT OF CONTEXT THERE, BUT WE'LL GET USED TO IT. I WANT TO SAY THAT, OF COURSE, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT I -- I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE DOES BECOME THE WORDING OF THE LANGUAGE FOR THE REFERENDUM, AND AS EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT, I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MULTIMODAL AND, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION AND YOU GET INTO THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE, PEOPLE DON'T GET BEHIND IT. I THINK THAT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT -- SINCE YOU POINTED OUT WE ALREADY SPENT, WHAT, 15 MILLION ON STUDIES, I HOPE WE'RE GOING TO DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH -- AND YOU MAY ALREADY BE DOING THIS -- MARKET RESEARCH ON WHAT PEOPLE WILL VOTE FOR A TAX INCREASE ON, AND MY SENSE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY -- YOU KNOW, AFTER WHATEVER 20, 30 YEARS OF TALKING ABOUT LIGHT RAIL AND RAIL AND COMMUTER RAIL AND FAST, YOU KNOW, HIGH-SPEED RAIL AND NOT GETTING ANYTHING, "RAIL" IS A GOOD WORD, AND I THINK IT IS A WORD THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT IN, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT IF YOU'RE -- YOU ARE SURROUNDING THAT WITH TOO MUCH LANGUAGE, PEOPLE COULD THINK, WELL, OH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GET MORE BUSES AND WE'RE ALREADY PAYING SALES TAX FOR HART TO PROVIDE A BUS SYSTEM. IT'S GOT TO REALLY HAVE AN IDENTITY AS A RAIL SYSTEM. THIS IS MY SENSE. I MIGHT BE WRONG. I KNOW MARK HAS DIFFERENT IDEAS, BUT I THINK THE MARKET RESEARCH, THE POLLING, AND ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE FINAL LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN FOR THE BALLOT AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE ECONOMY. IF THIS HAD BEEN ON THE BALLOT IN 2008, AS I WISHED IT COULD HAVE BEEN, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY LIKELY WORSE ECONOMIC SITUATIONS, SO PEOPLE'S -- YOU KNOW, PAYING MORE TAXES, IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD SELL, I THINK. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER -- THE ONLY THING -- I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT. THE ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HAD SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUMS FOR THEIR TRANSIT PLANS, DENVER AND SOME OF THE OTHERS, THE KEY WAS TO SHOW THE CITIZENS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND WHILE YOU DON'T WANT TO GET INTO EVERY LITTLE SPECIFIC, I THINK YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM HOW IT MIGHT INDIVIDUALLY BENEFIT THEM, AND I THINK THE MORE WE COULD DO THAT, THE BETTER CHANCE WE HAVE OF GETTING THIS REFERENDUM PASSING, SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: AND -- OKAY. SO -- YES. >>HUNG MAI: LAST COMMENT. >> YES. >>HUNG MAI: MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. JUST SO YOU KNOW, LAST MONTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION PASSED THE SIMILAR RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT MAYOR IORIO ON THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR SPEARHEADING THIS. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU. ENJOYED THAT MEETING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: I'LL BE BRIEF. LAST WEEK -- OR LAST MEETING WE HAD TBARTA HERE GIVING AN UPDATE ON THE PLAN. I COMPLIMENTED TBARTA ON THE EFFORT. IT'S TRULY A VERY HARD TASK WHEN YOU TRY TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT INCLUDES BOTH SPAN AND THE VARIOUS MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. THEY'VE DONE THAT, AND WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN OUT THERE. I THINK THE FOCUS ON MUCH INCREASED TRANSIT IN THIS REGION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I'LL COME BACK TO THE COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF IT, THOUGH. GOING FORWARD WE'RE GOING TO NEED EVERY TOOL IN THE BOX THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS. I THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONNECTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE MANAGED LANE CONCEPTS INCLUDED IN THE TBARTA PLAN, AND THEA HAS OFFERED ITS SERVICES AS A PARTNER MOVING AHEAD WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS AS WELL, SO AGAIN, TBARTA, THE MAYOR OUGHT TO BE COMPLIMENTED FOR CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE BOTH IN SPAN OF GEOGRAPHY AND IN MODES TO BE USED TO ADDRESS OUR FUTURE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MR. WAGGONER. OKAY. WE HAVE A -- WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND. UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL -- ALL IN FAVOR -- WITH THE MODIFICATION THAT MR. CHIARAMONTE PUT IN THERE, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. >>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. T.I.P., TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, AMENDMENT, WALLY BLAIN. WE'LL NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THIS ONE. >>WALLY BLAIN: GOOD MORNING. WALLY BLAIN, MPO STAFF. BACK IN FEBRUARY THE MPO HAD A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS STIMULUS PROJECTS IN THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT. AT THAT POINT IN TIME YOU GAVE US A LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. I BELIEVE THERE WAS 17 OR 20 PROJECTS ON THAT LIST. THOSE PROJECTS HAVE GONE THROUGH, THE ALLOCATION HAS COME DOWN. NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT OF ACTUAL PROJECTS RECEIVING THAT MONEY, AND THOSE PROJECTS NEED TO BE SHOWN IN THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IN ORDER FOR THE PROJECTS TO BE AWARDED THE MONEY AND MOVE FORWARD. ALL THE PROJECTS LISTED ON HERE HAVE COME OFF OF THAT LIST, AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR PACKET IS A LIST OF 14 PROJECTS AMOUNTING TO ABOUT $128 BILLION -- LET ME MAKE SURE THAT'S RIGHT, $128 MILLION FOR THE AREA. TWO OF THOSE PROJECTS REALLY ARE ONE PROJECT, AND THAT'S THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CORRECTOR. THE STATE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS AS WELL AS THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BASED ON POPULATION FORMULAS AMOUNT TO ABOUT 105 MILLION FOR THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR. THERE'S ALSO ABOUT $15-MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS THAT WAS THROUGH FORMULA GRANTS ALLOCATED TO HARTLINE, AND THESE ARE MONIES THAT WILL GO SPECIFICALLY FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO HART FOR THEIR PROJECTS. THOSE INCLUDE BUS OPERATIONS AS WELL AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, FAREBOX ENHANCEMENTS, AND SAFETY AND SECURITY ALONG -- ON THEIR TRANSIT SYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO THAT, $8 MILLION WAS AWARDED TO THE AVIATION AUTHORITY FOR PROJECTS OVER THERE RELATED TO THE NORTH TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION AND THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO PREPARE FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION TO BE -- NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR THAT TERMINAL. ALSO THERE IS A ENHANCEMENT PROJECT IN THE CITY OF TEMPLE TERRACE THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT FUNDING FOR THAT AS WELL, SO WHAT THESE PROJECTS ARE, ON A TECHNICAL SIDE, WE HAVE CONTINUED BASED ON THE ACTION THAT THE BOARD TOOK IN FEBRUARY TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS ALONG. WHAT WE NEED NOW IS YOUR CONFIRMATION THAT THESE ARE THE CORRECT PROJECTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BASED ON THE PRIORITIES AND TO SHOW THOSE IN THE T.I.P., AND AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, WE DO NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THESE PROJECTS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MR. BLAIN. ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY COMMENTS? >> MOVE APPROVAL. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] >> ROLL CALL VOTE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ROLL CALL. OKAY. SORRY. >> BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YES. >> MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: YES. >> AFFRONTI. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >> SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: YES. >> MULHERN. >>MARY MULHERN: YES. >> SCOTT. >>THOMAS SCOTT: YES. >> CAETANO. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: YES. >> FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. >> WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: YES. >> WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: YES. >> DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YES. >> MOTION CARRIED. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WALLY. OKAY. NEXT IS THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COLLEGE REQUEST. MR. ROB WOLF. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I'M ROB WOLF, THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE. FOR SOMETIME NOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON EXTENDING AN ENTRANCEWAY FOR OUR BRANDON CAMPUS, AND THIS SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE IN AND OUT TO THAT PARTICULAR CAMPUS. AS YOU MAY KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE GO DOWN COLUMBUS DRIVE, WHICH WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO BE THE BACK SIDE OF THE CAMPUS. THE COLLEGE YEARS AGO REQUIRED PROPERTY OFF OF FALKENBURG ROAD, AND THAT WAS INTENDED TO BE THE MAIN ENTRANCE FOR THE CAMPUS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT A YEAR WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ON THE PLANS AS WE'RE DEVELOPING A ROAD THAT COMES INTO THE CAMPUS. WE ACTUALLY GOT STATE FUNDING TO DO THAT INSIDE THE CAMPUS ROADWAY SYSTEM. THINGS WERE MOVING ALONG QUITE NICELY WITH THE REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNTY STAFF, AND ONCE WE GOT TO THE FINAL EXIT POINT OF THIS, THE COUNTY CAME IN AND, RIGHTLY SO, SAID WAIT A MINUTE, WE REALLY WANT TO SEE SOME ENTRANCE LANES AND EXIT LANES FOR THIS PARTICULAR VENUE, AND ULTIMATELY WE'D LIKE TO SEE A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THAT PARTICULAR AREA. IT'S AT LEE ROY AND FALKENBURG ROAD, AND IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARTICULAR AREA, IT'S ABOUT 1500 FEET DOWN FROM THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT BROADWAY. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE SAT DOWN AND SAID, HEY, WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM. WE AGREED WITH THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW. IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE ABOUT HOW THE STUDENTS WOULD, YOU KNOW, EXIT AND ENTER ON THAT CAMPUS. SO WE SAT DOWN AND SAID, OKAY, COUNTY, CAN YOU PAY FOR THAT, AND PAT BEAN RIGHTLY SO SAID NO, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT. THE COLLEGE CAN'T BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE OFF-SITE, SO WHAT WE STARTED TO DO WAS WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, WE'VE GOT A SPECIFIC PROBLEM HERE. I CONTACTED OUR FIRM THAT REPRESENTS THE COLLEGE UP IN WASHINGTON AND SAID, DO ME A FAVOR, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY POCKETS OF MONEY THAT WE CAN TAP INTO TO GET THE MONEY TO DO THE ENTRANCE RAMP -- I MEAN THE ENTRANCE LANES AND THE EXIT LANES AS WELL AS THE LIGHT. THEY CAME IN AND SAID, YEAH. THERE WAS A LETTER THAT WAS ISSUED APRIL 2nd BY ONE OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEES SAYING THAT THEY WOULD ENTERTAIN HIGH- PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR SAFETY-RELATED, TRANSPORTATION- RELATED; HOWEVER, THE APPLICATION HAD TO BE IN BY APRIL 28th. NOW, THINK ABOUT THIS. WE LEARNED OF THIS APRIL 15th. THE APPLICATION HAD TO BE IN APRIL 28th. WHAT WE DID WAS I ASKED THEM WHAT DO I REALLY NEED? THEY SAID FIRST AND FOREMOST YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAY YES -- THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION -- YES, THIS IS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING UNDER THIS PARTICULAR FEDERAL PROGRAM. WE CONTACTED THE SECOND, WHO WAS VERY GRACIOUS, UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, GAVE US A LETTER SIMPLY SAYING THAT, YES, IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. THE NEXT THING WE HAD TO DO WAS WE WENT TO THE REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, TALKED TO THE REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, EXPLAINED WHAT WE WERE DOING, ASKED THEM FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT. THEY SENT LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO ADAM PUTNAM, KATHY CASTOR, AND GUS BILIRAKIS. THAT GOT US INTO THE GAME. WE FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION FORM AND MADE THE DEADLINE OF APRIL 28th. THE LAST THING THAT THEY SAID TO US WAS, IF YOU CAN GET THE MPO TO GIVE US A LETTER OF SUPPORT, THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE APPLICATION. WE'RE ASKING FOR $563,000 OF FEDERAL MONEY TO DO THE NORTHBOUND ENTRANCE RAMP -- I KEEP SAYING RAMP -- ENTRANCE ROADWAY AS WELL AS THE SOUTHBOUND ENTRANCE ROADWAY AND INSTALL A TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT'S OUR ANTICIPATION THAT IN THE FUNDING COMES THROUGH, IT WOULD COME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FDOT TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO DO THAT. I TALKED TO PAT RECENTLY. SHE AND I HAVE BOTH AGREED THAT THIS IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTY, IT'S GOOD FOR THE STUDENTS. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, REALLY. WHEN THE STUDENTS COME OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR EXIT, RIGHT NOW THE WAY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT IS THEY WOULD COME DOWN, MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON FALKENBURG, GO DOWN ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET AND DO A U-TURN AROUND THE MEDIAN AND COME BACK SOUTHBOUND, VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. WE DON'T LIKE THAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO DO. THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO COME OUT OF THE CAMPUS, MAKE A LEFT TURN AT A LIGHT OR MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT A LIGHT. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. EVERYBODY WE'VE TALKED TO AGREES WITH THAT. WE'RE ASKING FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE MPO FOR THAT APPLICATION. IT -- THE LETTER OF SUPPORT IS ICING ON THE CAKE AND WILL HELP US WITH THAT PARTICULAR EFFORT. SO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: COUNCILMAN SCOTT. >>THOMAS SCOTT: YEAH. SO PRETTY MUCH THE FUNDING'S GOING TO COME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU NEED A LETTER OF SUPPORT, SO IF THAT IS THE CASE, I WOULD MOVE THE LETTER OF SUPPORT. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. >> GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS THE -- THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN WILL NOT BE PRESENTED TODAY. THAT WILL BE PRESENTED AT OUR NEXT MEETING, SO THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. LIVABLE ROADWAYS. MS. MULL PERSON. -- MULHERN. >>MARY MULHERN: THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MET ON APRIL 22nd. WE RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION ON A STUDY DONE BY FDOT DISTRICT 6 IN THE MIAMI AREA. THEY ARE NEARING THE END OF A PROJECT THAT WILL CLARIFY PORTIONS OF THE PLAN'S PREPARATION MANUAL, WHICH IS USED BY FDOT ENGINEERS WHEN DESIGNING A ROADWAY. SPECIFICALLY, CHAPTER 21 OF THAT MANUAL ENTITLED "TRANSPORTATION DESIGN FOR LIVABLE COMMUNITIES" IS NOT EASILY IMPLEMENTED. ONE CHANGE BEING RECOMMENDED IS TO FOCUS ON THE MOST APPROPRIATE ROADWAY DESIGN FOR MOVING PEOPLE DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF AREA THE ROADWAY IS IN AND NOT ITS DESIGNATION. FOR INSTANCE, A RURAL ROAD DESIGN IS NOT NECESSARILY LOCATED IN A RURAL COMMUNITY BUT INSTEAD IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DENSE URBAN COMMUNITY AND SHOULD BE DESIGNED AS SUCH. AFTER DISTRICT 6 ADOPTS THE UPDATE, THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A PRESENTATION MADE TO THE MPO BOARD, AND BY THE WAY, THAT WAS A VERY EXCELLENT PRESENTATION BY ALAN STEINBECK. OUR SECOND PRESENTATION WAS FROM PINELLAS COUNTY MPO STAFF, WHO HAVE TAKEN LIVABLE ROADWAYS POLICIES LIKE WE HAVE IN OUR LIVABLE ROADWAYS GUIDELINES AND LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANS ONE STEP FURTHER AND DEVELOPED MODEL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES THAT THEIR JURISDICTIONS CAN APPLY. WE HAVE REQUESTED THAT THEY COME TO AN UPCOMING POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING AND SHARE THEIR PROGRAM WITH THE INTENT THAT WE ADOPT A SIMILAR PROGRAM IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE NEXT LIVABLE ROADWAYS MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MAY 27th AT 9:00 A.M. ON THE 26th FLOOR OF THE COUNTY CENTER. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR MS. MULHERN? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU, MARY. OKAY. THE NEXT IS THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS -- I'M SORRY, THE PEDESTRIAN -- BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, GENA. >>GENA TORRES: THANK YOU, MAYOR. GENA TORRES, MPO STAFF. THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET ON APRIL 15th, AND WE WELCOMED DR. ED HILLSMAN. HE'S BEEN APPOINTED FROM USF TO REPRESENT THE COLLEGE ON OUR COMMITTEE. THE BPAC HAD ON THEIR AGENDA A PRESENTATION ON BAYSHORE BOULEVARD, BUT IT WAS GOING TO BE POSTPONED, AND WE WERE KIND OF DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL ICE-T -- WHEN IT WAS CALLED ICE-T -- APPLICATIONS IN THE '90s TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR CYCLING ALONG BAYSHORE, AND THEY ALSO SUPPORTED CHANGES TO THE ENHANCEMENT APPLICATION AFTER THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON BAYSHORE IDENTIFIED SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS, SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROJECT, AND WE HOPE AS THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE MPO BOARD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR THOSE PRESENTATIONS BEFORE YOU DO, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS IS ON THE AGENDA AND SOME OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE ARE HERE TO SPEAK TO THAT ITEM TODAY. I HOPE WE GET TO THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO HEAR AN UPDATE. WE ALSO RECEIVED A VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER ON PHASE 4 OF THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL, AND YOU MAY RECALL THERE WAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY TRYING TO SAVE THE SECTION OF THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE SUNCOAST AND CREATE 60 MILES OF PAVED OFF- ROAD TRAIL, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'VE LEARNED SOME REALLY GREAT EFFORTS ARE GOING ON IN THE COUNTY TO BUILD THE SOUTHERN -- WELL, ACTUALLY SOUTH FROM SUNCOAST PARKWAY FIRST AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT LAST BIT OF CONNECTION. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION. IT WAS SO GOOD, ACTUALLY, THAT WE WERE ASKING THE COUNTY ENGINEER WHO'S WORKING ON THAT PROJECT TO COME TO THE MPO COMMITTEES. I THINK OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR THAT AND BE SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF -- OF MISINFORMATION ABOUT WHY THAT CONNECTION WASN'T GOING TO BE MADE, AND I THINK WE'LL BE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. THAT'S -- I MEAN, THERE WERE OTHER THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS. THE NEXT BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MAY 15th AT 5:30. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, GENA. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING COMMITTEE. THE TDCB HELD ITS ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 23rd. A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE SHARED THAT SHE NEVER REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES UNTIL SHE BECAME DISABLED. SHE URGED THE BOARD TO REACH OUT EVEN MORE TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THOSE IN NEED WOULD BE AWARE OF THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AVAILABLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE BOARD PROCEEDED WITH ITS REGULAR MEETING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE TDCB BYLAWS WERE REAFFIRMED AND THE COORDINATION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR AND THE AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY TREATMENT SERVICES WAS APPROVED. THE TDCB ALSO HEARD A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN AND WAS INVITED TO JOIN IN ON THE INCOMING I-TOWN MEETINGS WITH TBARTA BOARD MEMBERS. FINALLY, THE BOARD RECEIVED A STATUS UPDATE FROM THE -- ON THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN'S NEED ASSESSMENT EVALUATION. RELIEVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO ACTIVITY CENTERS WERE THE TOP TWO PERFORMANCE MEASURES RATED BY MPO COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THE NEXT TDCB MEETING WILL BE HELD JUNE 25th AT 9:15 ON THE 18th FLOOR OF THE COUNTY CENTER. ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER. IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. OKAY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, MR. CHIARAMONTE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU. JUST GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED AND PRESENTATIONS. I PRESENTED THE MPO STATUS OF OUR PLAN TO THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MEETING THE, ANNUAL DEVELOPMENT MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON APRIL 15th. ALSO THE MPO RECEIVED A PROCLAMATION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION TO START CLEAN AIR MONTH FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN SUPPORTING TRANSIT. I WAS IN SOUTH COUNTY AT THE SOUTHSHORE ROUNDTABLE AND ALSO PRESENTED THE MPO PLAN THERE. MET WITH THE STAFF DIRECTORS OF THE SURROUNDING MPOs, AND AS AN ASIDE, I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA THAT THE MPO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A JOINT MEETING DURING THE YEAR, SO I'LL TRY TO WORK ON GETTING THAT SET UP. I -- PART OF THE HART'S NEW START TRANSIT PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE, TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE MEETINGS I'VE ATTENDED, AND ALSO I'VE PRESENTED THE PLAN TO CUTR AT USF THIS PAST MONTH. I WAS RECENTLY IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR THE APA CONFERENCE. I AM JUST COMING OFF MY CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE NEW URBANISM DIVISION OF APA, AND THEY SENT ME THERE AT APA'S EXPENSE TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE, BUT I GOT TO RIDE THE HIAWATHA LIGHT RAIL LINE IN MINNEAPOLIS WHICH HAS BEEN OPEN FOR FIVE YEARS AND I THOUGHT WAS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE FOR US. I GOT OFF IN THE AIRPORT. IN 25 MINUTES I WAS AT THE HOTEL ON THE LIGHT RAIL. LOTS OF PEOPLE ON IT WITH SUITCASES AND JUST VERY WELL USED. WANT TO REMIND YOU WE HAVE CERTIFICATION COMING UP. YOU MAY REMEMBER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECENTLY -- HERE I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC SINCE I ALREADY SAW THE DRAFT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A GOOD CERTIFICATION. THEY SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT OUR EFFORTS WITH BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN PLANNING, AND OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAM IS BEING REALLY MODELED AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THAT. WANT TO REMIND YOU THE NEXT MPO MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 2nd HERE IN THE BOCC CHAMBERS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. WE'RE PUSHING OUR JULY MEETING BACK ONE WEEK WHEN EVERYBODY IS BACK FROM VACATIONS BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE GETTING INTO A LOT OF WORK WITH OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I WILL -- AFTER THE JUNE 2nd MEETING, THE SECOND IT'S OVER ALMOST, I'M LEAVING ON A SHORT VACATION FOR A WEEK WITH MY FAMILY TO CHICAGO, SO I'LL BE OUT THAT FOLLOWING WEEK. BUT BETH WILL BE HERE, AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE ANYTHING THAT GOES ON. POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MAY 26th AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. JUST QUICKLY, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ON POLICY HOW I'M TREATING ALL THESE REQUESTS. I GET REQUESTS FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE MPO ALL THE TIME, AND THE WAY I'VE BEEN HANDLING IT IS IF YOU'VE ALREADY ADOPTED IT IN YOUR LONG-RANGE PLAN, I JUST GO AHEAD AND WRITE THE LETTER BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION ON IT. IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THE HCC ISSUE THAT ISN'T IN YOUR LONG-RANGE PLAN, THEN I BRING IT TO THE BOARD. THAT'S HOW I PLAN TO DEAL WITH THAT IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD. I'LL ASSUME IT IS IF I DON'T HEAR NO. >>JOE AFFRONTI: NO OBJECTIONS. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: OKAY. ANYWAY, WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WE'RE STARTING A SERIES -- THIS IS THE FLIER FOR IT -- OF JOINT MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS ALL OVER THE COUNTY WITH HART AND TBARTA AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE CITIES, GOING OUT REALLY TALKING ABOUT EACH OF OUR ROLES IN THIS -- IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION FUTURE. EACH AGENCY WILL HAVE FIVE OR TEN MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR ROLE TO THE PUBLIC AND GET INPUT. AGAIN, THIS IS PART OF COORDINATION WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. WE DECIDED THIS WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC SEES US ALL UNITED WITH EACH SEPARATE RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRESENTING IT IN THAT WAY TO SHOW THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: RAY, ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE US -- THAT SCHEDULE TO EVERYONE? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: YES. IT'S NOT EVEN THE FINAL ONE YET. I KIND OF GRABBED IT OFF A STAFF MEMBER'S DESK THIS MORNING, BUT WE WILL GET YOU COPIES OF THAT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF RAY? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. STATUS REPORTS. AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR IORIO MADE HERS. GANDY BOULEVARD CORRIDOR STUDY, MARTY STONE. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING US. I'M THE -- EXCUSE ME. I'M THE PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, AND IN -- EXCUSE ME. IN COORDINATION WITH OUR PARTNERS, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE COUNTY, AND THE CITY, AS WELL AS WITH A 32-MEMBER PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP, WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A REASONABLE SOLUTION FOR THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON GANDY BOULEVARD. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNAWARE, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY HAVE BEEN STUDYING GANDY BOULEVARD FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS TO TRY AND DEVELOP A SOLUTION TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AND THAT CONGESTION IS CAUSED BY A LARGE AMOUNT OF REGIONAL THROUGH TRIPS THAT COME OFF OF THE GANDY BRIDGE AND LITERALLY CHOKE GANDY BOULEVARD DURING THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON PEAK HOURS. IN THE PAST A NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN EVALUATED, BUT THEY ALL CAME WITH VERY HIGH COMMUNITY AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND I THINK YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN TERMS OF RESOURCES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES FOR MAJOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. LAST YEAR MAYOR IORIO SUGGESTED AND REQUESTED THAT THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION POSSIBLY COME BACK AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT GANDY, AND AT THAT TIME WE BEGAN AN PD&E STUDY TO DO THAT. THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF GANDY FROM THE GANDY BRIDGE TO THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY FUNCTIONS, IN ESSENCE, AS A DUAL ROADWAY. IT FUNCTIONS AS A REGIONAL ARTERIAL HIGHWAY AND A LOCAL STREET, AND THIS TENDS TO COMPLICATE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TRAFFIC COUNTS TODAY, GANDY BOULEVARD IS ALREADY AT CAPACITY, AND EVEN OUR FORECASTS THAT ARE BASED ON THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS INDICATE -- THANK YOU, WALLY -- INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC GROWTH OVER THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS ON GANDY THAT WILL MAKE CONDITIONS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. OTHER CONSTRAINTS THAT MAKE GANDY A VERY COMPLICATED PROBLEM, ALMOST AN EXACT 50/50 SPLIT IN DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC. BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYMENT ON THE ST. PETE SIDE ON THE PINELLAS GATEWAY, WE NOW HAVE TRAFFIC GOING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ALMOST EQUALLY ON GANDY BOULEVARD DURING THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON RUSH HOURS. IT'S NO LONGER A TRIP JUST TO DOWNTOWN TAMPA FOR JOBS. THE THREE TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER ON GANDY MAKE THIS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE WITH THE TRAFFIC SPLIT AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE SIGNALS, THE SIGNAL SYSTEM CANNOT PROCESS THE TRAFFIC. THIS IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY EXTREMELY LARGE VOLUMES OF NORTH-SOUTH TRAFFIC AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS WITH VERY LARGE AMOUNTS OF LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS. ALL OF THIS BASICALLY SAYS THAT -- THAT GANDY BOULEVARD DOESN'T WORK DURING RUSH HOUR, AND THERE IS NO SOLUTION BASED ON ADDING ADDITIONAL LANES BECAUSE THE INTERSECTIONS ARE TRULY THE PROBLEM. OUR PURPOSE IN DOING THE STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE A TOLL- BASED SOLUTION, ONE THAT WOULD REDUCE TRAFFIC ON GANDY BOULEVARD DURING THE PEAK HOUR BETWEEN THE GANDY BRIDGE AND THE SELMON, AND OUR GOALS WERE, FIRST OF ALL, NOT JUST TO REDUCE THAT TRAFFIC BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THE GANDY BOULEVARD LOCAL TRAFFIC, SECONDLY THAT IT WOULD BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE FOR THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY TO UNDERTAKE SUCH A PROJECT, AND LASTLY, A PROJECT OF THIS TYPE MUST HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. AGAIN, THROUGH OUR PARTNERS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE CITY, AND THE COUNTY, AND OUR PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO DEVELOP THIS SUPPORT, WORKING WITH BOTH THE STAFFS AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL, AND BY THE WAY, I WANT TO THANK ROSE FERLITA. SHE IS A MEMBER OF OUR PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP, AND PUTTING THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO THAT IS AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE THING FOR US AT THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. OUT OF THAT PUBLIC PROCESS AND THE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE CAME UP WITH A SET OF SEVEN PRIMARY OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE WITH A SOLUTION. FIRST OF ALL, TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ON GANDY BOTH FOR THE LOCAL TRIPS AND THE REGIONAL THROUGH TRAFFIC. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE, AGAIN, BASED ON INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AND OUR -- OUR PARTNERS, MULTIMODAL -- AND I KNOW YOU'VE USED THAT TERM A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT MULTIPLE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, PEDESTRIAN AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. IN ELIMINATING AND MINIMIZING THE CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS, THE PEOPLE DOWN THERE TOLD US PLEASE DON'T COME DOWN HERE AND TEAR THIS PLACE UP AGAIN. THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY IMPLORED US NOT TO DEVELOP A PROJECT THAT WOULD TEAR UP GANDY FOR ANOTHER TWO OR THREE YEARS. AND IN TERMS OF HURRICANE EVACUATION, THE INPUT WAS TO DEVELOP A PROJECT THAT WOULD SERVICE BOTH SIDES OF THE BAY, TO SERVICE HURRICANE EVACUATION OUT OF PINELLAS COUNTY AS WELL AS THE SOUTH TAMPA AREA. ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE, IMPROVING AND PRESERVING THE VIABILITY OF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES ON GANDY WAS PARAMOUNT IN THE INPUT WE'VE RECEIVED, AND IN TERMS OF THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS WAS THE AESTHETICS ALONG GANDY. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS MADE A GREAT START IN REDEVELOPING THE AESTHETIC QUALITY ALONG GANDY, AND THE INPUT TO US WAS THAT WE SHOULD BUILD ON THAT. OUR SOLUTION IS BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO PIECES, ONE WE CALL A REGIONAL TRAFFIC EXPRESS LANE, AND THE SECOND PART IS A GANDY BOULEVARD MAIN STREET OPTION, AND WE USE THE WORD "OPTION" BECAUSE WE TRULY ARE SUGGESTING SOME IDEAS THAT COULD BE EMPLOYED ON GANDY -- THAT COULD BE EMPLOYED ON GANDY BUT ARE NOT NECESSARY TO MAKE THE REGIONAL EXPRESS LANE WORK. ON THE TRAFFIC SIDE THE -- THE IDEA IS TO SEPARATE THE THROUGH TRAFFIC FROM THE LOCAL TRAFFIC, BUT THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC CUSTOMER THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TARGETING FOR THIS PROJECT. IT IS SOMEONE DRIVING IN THE PEAK HOUR THAT HAS NO DESTINATION WITHIN THE GANDY BOULEVARD CORRIDOR, DRIVING TO WORK AND WILLING TO PAY A TOLL TO AVOID THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON GANDY. WE BELIEVE IF YOU FIT THAT CHARACTERISTIC, YOU'RE NOT A CUSTOMER OF A GANDY BOULEVARD ON THE DAY THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY THAT TOLL. THIS IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DRIVER WHO PAYS TO USE THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY. PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING TO WORK AND AVOIDING THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION OF THE NONTOLLED HIGHWAY SYSTEM, AND WE BELIEVE IF WE EMPLOY THE SAME TECHNIQUES AND TARGETING THROUGH TOLLS, THROUGH PRICING, THAT WE CAN, IN FACT, MAKE GANDY BOULEVARD OPERATE BETTER AND ALSO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING TO WORK. IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, IN THE PAST MOST OF THE SOLUTIONS EVALUATED ON GANDY HAVE BEEN FAIRLY LARGE, FOUR- LANE DIVIDED LIMITED ACCESS SOLUTIONS. WE BELIEVE THAT A SMALLER SOLUTION WILL WORK BECAUSE OF THIS TARGETED AUDIENCE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THE GANDY BRIDGE IS THE CONTROLLING FACTOR, TWO LANES ON GANDY BRIDGE IN EACH DIRECTION WITH ABOUT 35% TO 40% OF TRAFFIC COMING ACROSS THAT BRIDGE HEADED TO OTHER LOCATIONS. THAT'S THE TARGET GROUP THAT -- THAT WE HAVE TARGETED FOR THIS PROJECT, AND IF ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE TRAFFIC COMING ACROSS THE GANDY BRIDGE IS -- HAS NO DESTINATION IN GANDY BOULEVARD, THEN WE BELIEVE THAT A ONE-LANE IN EACH DIRECTION OR A TWO-LANE PROJECT WOULD BE THE SOLUTION, AND IT WOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS, ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, BARRIER SEPARATED WITH A FULL SHOULDER ALLOWING THE -- SOMEONE WHO RUNS OUT OF GAS OR HAS A FLAT TIRE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE AND STILL ALLOW SOMEONE TO BYPASS THEM IN A SAFE MANNER. IT WOULD BE ELEVATED USING A BOX GIRDER DESIGN, EITHER STEEL OR CONCRETE, TO MINIMIZE THE VISIBLE MASS OF THAT BRIDGE -- AND THIS IS WHERE THE AESTHETICS COME INTO PLAY -- AND THEN IT WOULD BE LOCATED IN THE GANDY BOULEVARD MEDIAN, AND BY DOING THIS, WE ELIMINATE ALL IMPACTS, 100% OF THE IMPACTS ON GANDY BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, AND BY THAT I MEAN WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO ACQUIRE ANYONE'S BUSINESS OR ANYONE'S HOME TO BUILD THIS PROJECT. IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE A LONG TWO-LANE RAMP BACK AND FOURTH FROM THE VICINITY OF THE GANDY BRIDGE TO THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY, AND BASED ON INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED IN -- INTO OUR SOLUTION A SET OF ACCESS RAMPS IN THE VICINITY OF THE DALE MABRY INTERSECTION TO ALLOW SOMEONE TO, IN ESSENCE, PAY FOR WHAT WE CALL A QUEUE JUMP IN OUR BUSINESS. AGAIN, TO ALLOW THEM TO PAY TO AVOID THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ALONG GANDY BECAUSE THEIR DESTINATION REALLY IS SOMEWHERE ELSE. IN TERMS OF THE AESTHETICS, WE BELIEVE THAT BASED ON THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT, AND IN DOING SO, WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WITH BOX GIRDER DESIGNS, AND WE KNOW THAT NOT ONLY CAN YOU MINIMIZE THE VISUAL MASS OF A BRIDGE, BUT YOU CAN DO SOME PRETTY SPECTACULAR THINGS IN TERMS OF SHAPES AND COLORS AND BRIDGE DESIGN, AND THEN BY INCREASING THE HEIGHT OF A STRUCTURE, YOU CAN FURTHER MINIMIZE THE MASS OF WHAT A STRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE, AND ALSO YOU INCREASE THE LIGHT AND VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH. IN TERMS OF FUTURE DESIGN, WE'VE COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS -- WITH THIS PROJECT, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE DETAILS BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR TIME IS PRETTY VALUABLE. AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING, WHAT TRULY COULD IT LOOK LIKE. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU ARE SOME WHAT I CALL PLAIN VANILLA DESIGNS. WHAT WE COULD DO IF WE GOT INTO FINAL DESIGN WOULD BE TO TAKE THESE KINDS OF CONCEPTS AND REALLY BUILD ON THEM IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, SHAPES AND COLORS AND THE SIZE. IF WE WERE TO DEVELOP A BRIDGE THAT HAD THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM CLEARANCES REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WE WOULD HAVE A PIER IN THE MIDDLE OF GANDY THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 15 FEET TALL, AND THAT WOULD GIVE US CLEARANCES OVER THE LANE OF SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 18 AND 20 FEET. WHAT WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED, BY THE WAY, ON THIS VISUAL HERE IS A CLEAR ACRYLIC NOISE BARRIER ON THE TOP OF THE OUTSIDE BARRIER WALL. THAT IS A PRODUCT THAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR USE AS A SOUND BARRIER, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS BRIDGE IS REALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BEFORE; HOWEVER, WHEN YOU INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF A PROJECT LIKE THIS, LET'S SAY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL FIVE FEET TO THE PIER AND MAKING IT 20 FEET TALL, YOU CAN SEE THAT IMMEDIATELY YOU BEGIN TO IMPROVE THE LIGHT AND VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE AND THE CROSS- CORRIDOR VISIBILITY FOR THE BUSINESSES. ADDING ANOTHER TEN FEET, BRINGING THE HEIGHT OF THE PIER UP TO 30, TRULY MINIMIZES THE MASS OF THAT BRIDGE, AND THIS IS THE CONCEPT THAT WE ARE SUGGESTING WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR GANDY. AT A 30-FOOT HEIGHT WE'RE ABLE TO MATCH WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS DOING WITH THEIR LIGHTING SYSTEM, A BEAUTIFUL NEW STREET LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT THEY'VE INCLUDED, AND BY RAISING THE BRIDGE UP TO 30 FEET WE ABSOLUTELY ELIMINATE ANY IMPACTS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS BUILDING. YOU MAY HAVE READ SOMETHING IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT INDICATED THIS PROJECT WOULD BE HAVING SOME KIND OF SERIOUS IMPACT ON WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT AT A 30-FOOT HEIGHT, WE IMPACT IN NO WAY ANY OF THE STREET LIGHTING OR SIDEWALK DEVELOPMENT OR ANY OF THE SIGNAGE OR TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT EXIST ON GANDY BOULEVARD TODAY, AND IN TERMS OF THE MEDIAN, THE ONLY IMPACT TO ANY LANDSCAPING WOULD BE AT THE PIER LOCATIONS, WHICH ARE ABOUT 30 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE AND APPROXIMATELY 140 FEET BETWEEN EACH PIER. IF THERE'S ANY LANDSCAPING THAT'S DAMAGED DURING CONSTRUCTION, WE CERTAINLY WOULD BE REPLACING THAT KIND OF LANDSCAPING IN KIND, SO THERE WOULD BE VIRTUALLY NO IMPACT TO THE WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DOING TODAY OUT ON GANDY BOULEVARD. PRESERVING THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. HERE IS ANOTHER VIEW TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM THE SIDE. THIS IS DOWN AT THE RANCH HOUSE. SOME OF YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT RESTAURANT IS STANDING ABOUT EVEN WITH THE FRONT OF THE RANCH HOUSE, AND THERE'S THE 30-FOOT PROJECT IN PLACE. AGAIN, REALLY GOOD CROSS-CORRIDOR VISIBILITY, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SIDE A VERY MINIMAL VISUAL FOOTPRINT. IN TERMS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY SAID DON'T TEAR THE PLACE UP. WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT BOX GIRDERS AND EITHER STEEL OR CONCRETE IS THAT THEY ARE VIRTUALLY BUILT OFF-SITE IN A FABRICATION OR A CASTING YARD, AND BY BUILDING THE BRIDGE OFF-SITE AND THEN BRINGING IT TO THE SITE AND ASSEMBLING IT, YOU ELIMINATE MOST OF THE KINDS OF IMPACTS THAT YOU SEE DURING TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION, MOST OF THE PROJECT CAN BE BUILT FROM GOLF, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU ELIMINATE ALMOST ALL LANE CLOSURES, YOU DO A LOT OF THE WORK AT NIGHT, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, WE KNOW IN IS DOABLE. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS ACTUALLY A PICTURE OF US GOING OVER THE BYPASS CANAL WITH OUR ELEVATED EXPRESS LANE PROJECT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY WITH ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION BEING DONE FROM ABOVE. IN TERMS OF HURRICANE EVACUATION, YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT THERE IS A NEW CONTRAFLOW PLAN THAT WOULD TAKE THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY AND TAKE ALL FOUR LANES OF THE SELMON EASTBOUND DURING A HURRICANE EVENT. WE CAN DO THE SAME THING WITH THIS PROJECT, AND BY TAKING BOTH LANES OF THIS PROJECT EASTBOUND, WE CAN CYCLE ALL OF THE TRAFFIC COMING ACROSS THE GANDY BRIDGE TO THIS ELEVATED PORTION, ALLOWING 100% OF THE CAPACITY OF GANDY BOULEVARD ITSELF TO BE USED BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SOUTH TAMPA. WE THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SOLUTION AND HAVE GOTTEN VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. IN TERMS OF THE MAIN STREET OPTIONS, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT HAS BEEN FAIRLY CONTENTIOUS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN THE WEST END OF GANDY. THIS IS DOWN JUST WEST OF WESTSHORE BOULEVARD. YOU'RE LOOKING AT REGENCY COVE AND CULBREATH KEY AND BRIDGE STREET WHERE THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE. THIS PARTICULAR AREA THE DEPARTMENT IS CONSTRUCTING A RAISED MEDIAN FOR SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL. IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA THE TRAFFIC IS ACCELERATING TO THE GANDY BRIDGE AT A VERY HIGH SPEED OR COMING OFF OF THE BRIDGE, AND THIS MEDIAN WILL ABSOLUTELY MAKE THIS A MUCH SAFER LOCATION, BUT IT HAS SOME LIMITATIONS. THE -- AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WILL ALLOW TWO LEFT TURN MOVEMENTS INTO BRIDGE STREET AND INTO CULBREATH KEY, BUT THE REMAINING LEFT TURN MOVEMENTS INTO AND OUT OF REGENCY COVE AND OUT OF BRIDGE STREET AND OUT OF CULBREATH KEY WILL BE PROHIBITED BY THIS, AND, IN ESSENCE, WILL CAUSE THE PEOPLE TO MAKE SOME CIRCUITOUS MOVEMENTS TO TRY AND TURN LEFT OR TURN RIGHT IN SOME CASES. WHAT WE'VE COORDINATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT IS BASED ON, NUMBER ONE, THE REGIONAL EXPRESS LANE BEING IN PLACE. WITH THE REGIONAL EXPRESS LANE BEING IN PLACE AND MOVING A GOOD DEAL OF THE HIGH-SPEED REGIONAL TRAFFIC UPSTAIRS, YOU, IN ESSENCE, CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF GANDY TO A LOCAL STREET, AND BY CHANGING GANDY INTO A LOCAL STREET, WE NOW COULD REBUILD THAT MEDIAN, PUT IN A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT BRIDGE STREET, AND THEN COMBINE THE ENTRANCES FROM REGENCY COVE AND CULBREATH KEY INTO ONE FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC SIGNAL THAT WILL PROVIDE ABSOLUTE SAFE MOVEMENTS FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THAT AREA. IT ALSO PROVIDES A VERY SAFE GRADE-SEPARATED LOCATION FOR THE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC FROM -- EXCUSE ME -- TRAIL USERS FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF GANDY TO THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR SOME TIME, TO DEVELOP A VERY SAFE CROSSING POINT FOR NORTH OF GANDY TO SOUTH OF GANDY TRAIL USERS. THIS IS NOW WHAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE. OUR ENGINEERS HAVE DEVELOPED SOME CONCEPTUAL ENGINEERING. WE BELIEVE THAT USING A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND WORKING WITH THOSE TWO COMMUNITIES, WE CAN CREATE A VERY BEAUTIFUL ENTRANCE FOR THEM THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY SERVE THEIR NEEDS. IN TERMS OF THE REST OF GANDY, FROM BRIDGE STREET ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WE BELIEVE THAT BUILDING THIS REGIONAL EXPRESS LANE WILL GIVE THE CITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF GANDY INTO A VERY SPECIAL SHOPPING DESTINATION, WHAT WE CALL A GANDY MAIN STREET. IT'S AN ACTIVITY CENTER THAT COULD BECOME A TREMENDOUS DESTINATION WITHIN THE SOUTH TAMPA AREA. TO DO THAT, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING -- AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPTION. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS REQUIRED. IF THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY BELIEVES THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, WE CAN DO THIS, AND REMOVING -- IT INVOLVES REMOVING THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AT WESTSHORE AND MANHATTAN AND REPLACING THEM WITH VERY WELL-DESIGNED TRAFFIC CIRCLES. THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY PROCESS MORE TRAFFIC THAN THOSE TRAFFIC SIGNALS CAN PROCESS TODAY, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO LOWER THE SPEEDS ON GANDY BY APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES PER HOUR, AND IT WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD TRULY CREATE A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT ON GANDY. IT ALSO WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD IN A TRANSIT DROP-OFF AND PICKUP POINT, AND HERE'S WHAT THESE MIGHT LOOK LIKE. THESE ARE CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS DEVELOPED BY ONE OF THE LEADING ROUNDABOUT AND TRAFFIC CIRCLE DESIGNERS IN THE U.S. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS DOES REQUIRE THE ACQUISITION OF SOME PROPERTIES. WE WOULD HAVE TO ACQUIRE THREE PROPERTIES AT WESTSHORE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. AT MANHATTAN A VERY SIMILAR TYPE OF DESIGN. HERE'S WHERE WE CAN BUILD IN A TRANSIT AND PICKUP POINT, AND AGAIN, THERE WOULD BE THREE PROPERTIES ACQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT. THE COST RANGE ON THE PROJECT RUNS FROM ABOUT 112 MILLION TO 138 MILLION. THIS IS TOTALLY INCLUSIVE. WE'VE INCLUDED ALL OF THE COSTS, INCLUDING ALL DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, CEI, EVERYTHING IN TERMS -- AND A SIGNIFICANT CONTINGENCY. THIS IS ABOUT A THIRD OF WHAT ONE OF THE PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS, THE LARGER FOUR-LANE DIVIDED SOLUTIONS WOULD HAVE COST IN TODAY'S DOLLARS. HERE'S WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. WE'VE COMPLETED OUR THIRD PUBLIC PROJECT ADVISORY MEETING AND OUR FIRST PUBLIC MEETING. OUR TECHNICAL TEAM IS NOW WORKING ON TAKING ALL OF THAT INPUT AND DEVELOPING A PREFERRED ENGINEERING ALTERNATIVE, AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO BOTH THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WITH THAT PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR SOME PRESENTATIONS. WE'VE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY 21st AND ANTICIPATE IF WE DO HAVE A FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE PROJECT PRESENTING THIS TO OUR BOARD IN SOMETIME PROBABLY AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. AROUND -- MY GUESS IS THE SEPTEMBER TIME FRAME. AT THIS POINT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE PROJECT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MR. BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THIS IS A VERY INTRIGUING PROPOSAL. I KNOW SOME OF THOSE AREAS, AND IT CAN BE KIND OF CHALLENGING TRAFFICWISE. I DO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SEE AN ALTERNATIVE WITHOUT THE TRAFFIC CIRCLES. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLES KNOWING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY POSED OVER IN PINELLAS AND SOME OTHER AREAS, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL OPEN TO IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF SEE SOME ALTERNATIVES WITHOUT TRAFFIC CIRCLES. >> WELL, ACTUALLY, WE DO. THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO BUILD THE REGIONAL EXPRESS LANE, THE ELEVATED EXPRESS LANE, AND LEAVE THE EXISTING SIGNALS IN PLACE. THAT ABSOLUTELY IS AN ALTERNATIVE. WE HAVE NOT DONE THE FINAL DETAILED TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR THOSE CIRCLES YET. WE'LL BE DOING A DETAILED SIMULATION. OUR INITIAL EVALUATION IS THAT THEY WILL WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS. AND THIS TRULY IS A COMMUNITY INPUT ITEM. IF -- AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING AND THE KIND OF COMMENT YOU'VE HAD IS WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE. THERE'S A -- PROBABLY A 50/50 SPLIT RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF PEOPLE EITHER LIKING THEM OR NOT. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. TWO PEOPLE HAVE GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO COME BACK NEXT MEETING, THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM UPDATE, WE'LL HEAR THAT AT OUR NEXT MPO MEETING, AND THE BAYSHORE/PLATT/CLEVELAND UPDATE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 28th AT THE GARDEN CLUB, AND -- ON BAYSHORE BOULEVARD, AND THEN THEY WILL COME BACK TO US IN JUNE. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK SCOTT COLLISTER FOR THE I- 4/LEE ROY SELMON EXPRESSWAY CONNECTOR. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE MPO. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN AND TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR, A PROJECT THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. LET ME FIND THE RIGHT BUTTON HERE. I'LL FOLLOW THIS AGENDA AND KIND OF MOVE THROUGH THIS QUICKLY SINCE I KNOW THE PROJECT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST HERE WITH THE MPO, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT SINCE THIS IS A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO ALL FIVE COUNTIES THAT WE SERVICE AND BRIEFING EVERY TAC, CAC, AND MPO BOARD ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROJECT TO OUR REGION. THIS PROJECT HAS A LONG HISTORY. THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE TAMPA INTERSTATE OR THE TIS STUDY THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING ON SINCE 1989. YOU'LL SEE HIGHLIGHTED THERE THE -- THE VERY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS AND PLANNING ACTIONS THAT WERE DONE THROUGH 1996, AND I CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE THIRD BULLET DOWN WHERE THE ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD OF DECISION WAS DONE IN JANUARY OF 1997. THE TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN ARE ACTUALLY PROJECTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED. WE HAVE COMPLETED THE OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN INTERCHANGE PROJECT, AND WE HAVE ALSO COMPLETED THE WIDENING OF INTERSTATE 4 FROM 14th AND 15th STREET ALL THE WAY TO 50th STREET THAT YOU'VE SEEN THERE AND ACTUALLY CONNECTED THE DOWNTOWN INTERCHANGE WITH THE RECONSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE 4. YOU'LL SEE DOWN BELOW THAT THE TWO REMAINING PROJECTS WE HAVE, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE 275 FROM WESTSHORE TO HIMES THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND AS WELL AS THE I- 4/LEE ROY SELMON CONNECTOR. DOWN BELOW WE HAVE A RECENT DESIGN CHANGE REEVALUATION APPROVAL BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, TWO PROJECTS THERE. THE LAST PROJECT AT THE BOTTOM IS A MODIFICATION OR IMPROVEMENT WE ARE MAKING FOR EASTBOUND TRAFFIC ON THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE AT THE VERY END OF THAT WHERE THAT TRAFFIC CONNECTS TO THE INTERSECTION WITH I-275 AND STATE ROAD 60, A PROJECT -- AN OPERATIONAL AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT CONSTRUCTION WILL START ON HERE VERY SHORTLY. THIS IS THE ACTUAL FOOTPRINT DIAGRAM THAT WAS SHOWN AND THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DOCUMENT. YOU CAN SEE THE LEE ROY -- THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR SHOWN THERE IN BROWN LINES, THE NORTH-SOUTH LINK BETWEEN THESE TWO IMPORTANT REGIONAL ROADWAY SYSTEMS. NOW, THE CONNECTOR PROJECT IS BY FAR A CRITICAL SIS OR STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM LINK TO THE PORT OF TAMPA, AND THE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, PROBABLY A POSTER PROJECT FOR THE SIS SYSTEM WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IT WILL -- IT WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY NOT ONLY OF THE PORT BUT ALSO OF THE ENTIRE REGION. IT ALSO PRESENTS A TREMENDOUS CHOICE TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WHO ARE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT THE REGION BECAUSE IT LINKS THESE TWO STRATEGIC ROADWAYS TOGETHER, AND AGAIN, IT PROVIDES TREMENDOUS FLEXIBILITY TO THE REGION FOR THE EVACUATION OF TWO MILLION-PLUS RESIDENTS OF THE TAMPA BAY REGION. WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE PROJECT TO REMOVE TRUCK TRAFFIC FROM YBOR CITY. THIS IS KIND OF A COMPLICATED GRAPHIC, BUT I'LL POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUMMARY THAT'S PUT AT THE BOTTOM THERE. IF WE DO NOT BUILD THE CONNECTOR, WE WILL SEE A 48% INCREASE IN TRAFFIC ALONG 21st AND 22nd STREET THROUGH YBOR CITY THAT NOW CONNECT UP TO INTERSTATE 4 AND A 53% INCREASE IN TRUCK TRAFFIC. IF YOU LOOK OVER ON THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRUCK TRAFFIC THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH YBOR CITY ON THOSE TWO CONNECTORS OF THE STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, 21st AND 22nd STREET NOW. THERE ARE ALSO SOME OTHER ISSUES WITH TRAFFIC MOVING ALONG THESE VERY CONSTRICTED CORRIDORS THROUGH YBOR CITY, AND THAT IS THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RAILROAD CROSSINGS AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT MAKE IT A SIGNIFICANTLY CORRIDOR WITH A LOT OF SAFETY ACCIDENTS, AND THAT CONCERNS US A GREAT DEAL, AND SO WE WANT TO REMOVE THAT TRUCK TRAFFIC OUT OF THERE. WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT WE HAVE TALKED TO THE CITY OF TAMPA ABOUT, AND AGAIN THE DEPARTMENT'S LONG-RANGE VISION HAS BEEN TO ACTUALLY TRANSFER 21st AND 22nd STREET TO THE CITY OF TAMPA AND PUT IT UNDERNEATH THEIR JURISDICTION, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROJECT IN OUR TENTATIVE WORK PROGRAM IN 2014 NOW THAT WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT AND TRANSFER THESE SEGMENTS TO THE CITY SO THAT THE CITY WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THESE SEGMENTS WHEN THE CONNECTOR OPENS FOR TRAFFIC. THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THE CITY HAS THE CAPABILITY TO BAN TRUCK TRAFFIC; WHEREAS, THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT. THE PORT OF TAMPA ALSO HAS A SIGNIFICANT NEED AS DIRECTOR WAINIO CAN POINT OUT MUCH MORE CORRECTLY THAN I CAN. THEY HAVE A HUGE FORECASTED NEED FOR THE INCREASE IN CONTAINER TRUCK MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF THE -- THE PORT OF TAMPA. THEY ARE INVESTING ABOUT $350 MILLION IN THE EXPANSION OF THE PORT OF TAMPA, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR PROJECT WILL ALLOW THEM TO SERVICE THAT NEED AND HELP EXPEDITE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE SAFELY THE MOVEMENT OF THIS CONTAINER TRAFFIC OUT OF THE PORT OF TAMPA. WE'RE ALSO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. NOW, NOT TO DISSUADE YOU IN ANY WAY, BUT THIS IS THE NEXT VISION, IF YOU WILL, OF THE DOWNTOWN INTERCHANGE. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE CONFIGURATION OF THE DOWNTOWN INTERCHANGE, AGAIN, A LONG-RANGE FUTURE LOOK OUT SOME 30 OR 40 YEARS AS TO WHAT THE DOWNTOWN INTERCHANGE MAY LOOK LIKE BY ADDING YET ANOTHER LEVEL AND PROVIDING THE CAPABILITY TO THREAD EXPRESS LANES THROUGH THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. IF WE NOW MOVE ON AND TALK ABOUT THE THREE MOVEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE I-4/LEE ROY SELMON CONNECTOR, THIS IS THE "S" MOVEMENT THAT SHOWS THE CONNECTIONS FOR TRAFFIC TO AND FROM INTERSTATE 4, TO AND FROM THE LEE ROY SELMON. THE NEXT MOVEMENT THAT I TALKED ABOUT IS THE -- OR THE NEXT MOVEMENT IS THE "Z" MOVEMENT, AGAIN TAKES YOUR TRAFFIC FROM INTERSTATE 4 AND ALLOWS YOU TO CONNECT TO THE LEE ROY SELMON, AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE ALL IMPORTANT "T" MOVEMENT THAT TAKES TRUCK TRAFFIC FROM INTERSTATE 4 AND GUIDES IT ON EXCLUSIVE TRUCK RAMPS DOWN TO THE 22nd STREET CORRIDOR THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED, AND 26th STREET WHICH ALLOWS TRUCK TRAFFIC TO GO DIRECTLY INTO THE PORT OF TAMPA AND ALSO LEAVE DIRECTLY FROM THE PORT OF TAMPA AND GET ON AN EXCLUSIVE TRUCK RAMP AND THEN HEAD BACK NORTH TO INTERSTATE 4. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHALLENGES THE PROJECT TEAM HAS FACED IN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT. IT IS A COMPLEX TOLLED URBAN INTERCHANGE IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA, AND BELOW THAT I'VE LISTED A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE PROJECT TEAM HAS HAD. TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE SCALE OF ENGINEERING EFFORT THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS PROJECT, AT THE HEIGHT OF OUR PLANS PRODUCTION, WE HAD AT LEAST 100 ENGINEERS A DAY WORKING ON A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE. ALL TOLD NOW WHEN IT'S READY FOR BIDDING, IT'S ABOUT 19,000 PLAN SHEETS, EIGHT GIGABYTES OF INFORMATION ON A FLEXIBLE HARD DRIVE, AND IT IS A VERY CHALLENGING TRANSPORTATION PROJECT. I'LL NOW TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE CHALLENGES, AND IF YOU'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION DOWN TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE AN ACTUAL VIDEO THERE ROLLING OF WHAT TRAVEL WILL BE ON THE CONNECTOR, DRIVING UNDERNEATH A STATE-OF- THE-ART TOLL GANTRY SYSTEM. IT ACTUALLY HAS ALL THE ALL ELECTRONIC TOLL SYSTEM HARDWARE INSIDE THAT BOX STRUCTURE YOU SEE, ALLOWS THE MAINTENANCE STAFF FROM THE TURNPIKE TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND REPLACE ANY OF THE READER SYSTEMS OR ANY OF THE CAMERA SYSTEMS THAT THEY NEED TO, ROTATE THEM BACK UP INTO THE STRUCTURE, SERVICE THEM, AND THEN ROTATE THEM BACK DOWN INTO THE TRAVEL LANE, PROVIDING THE MAINTENANCE STAFF A VERY SAFE ACCESS TO THE EQUIPMENT AND ALSO ALLOWS THE SYSTEM TO OPERATE WITHOUT DISRUPTING ANY OF THE TRAFFIC WHATSOEVER. THIS IS A VIEW ACTUALLY LOOKING TO THE SOUTH. YOU'LL SEE THE RAMP ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE. THAT'S ACTUALLY A RAMP THAT WOULD TAKE YOU OVER TO THE CROSSTOWN AND OVER IN THE BRANDON DIRECTION, AND CAN YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE THERE THE SEPARATED TRUCK LANES AND A TRUCK ACTUALLY HEADED TOWARDS THE PORT OF TAMPA. AND I HAVE A LITTLE MORE COMPREHENSIVE VIDEO AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION THAT WILL KIND OF GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT. IT WILL BE A TOLLED FACILITY FOR ALL USERS. YOU'LL SEE DOWN THERE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER THE PRELIMINARY TOLLS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE TURNPIKE BASED UPON THE MODELING THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE PROJECT. WE HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED THE TOLL RATE PROCESS BY HAVING A TOLL RATE WORKSHOP ON FEBRUARY 19th, HOSTED AT THE PORT OF TAMPA'S OFFICES. WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THAT WITH A PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE PUBLIC SO WE CAN EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT THE PROPOSED TOLLS ARE AND CAN ELICIT ALL OF THE PUBLIC'S INPUT FOR THE PROJECT BEFORE TRAFFIC IS ACTUALLY ON THE PROJECT IN THE FUTURE. THE TOLLS ARE -- AND AGAIN, THESE ARE FORECASTED TOLLS THAT WILL START IN LATE 2014 OR EARLY 2015 WHEN TRAFFIC IS ON THE FACILITY OF $1.50 AND THEN $1 FOR THE "T" MOVEMENT FOR ALL THE TRUCK TRAFFIC THAT WOULD USE THE FACILITY. THE TWO AXLE VIDEO TOLL AMOUNT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT WOULD BE THE SLIGHT OFFSET FOR VIDEO TOLLING WHEN THAT IS INCORPORATED INTO THE PROJECT. I MENTIONED A RIGHT-OF-WAY INVOLVEMENT AND ACTUALLY WE'RE AT 99.99% COMPLETE, AS WE HAVE OUR FINAL RIGHT-OF-WAY ACTION ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WERE RELOCATED WHEN THE PROJECT WAS CONSTRUCTED AND ALSO A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL OWNERS AND TENANTS WHO WERE IN STRUCTURES THAT WERE RENTED TO THEM BY PROPERTY OWNERS, AND THIS JUST SHOWS A COUPLE OF THE RELOCATIONS THAT WERE DONE BY THE RIGHT-OF- WAY TEAM OVER A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF YEARS TO RELOCATE OVER 80-SOME RESIDENCES OR 80 RESIDENTS WERE RELOCATED TO DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. WE ALSO HAD EXTENSIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH CSX RAILROAD. NOW, THIS SLIDE KIND OF SUMMARIZES A LOT OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAD IN DEALING WITH CSX. AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A VERY LENGTHY PROCESS, AND WE HAD TO CONSIDER THEIR PROPOSED FUTURE NEEDS IN THE EXPANSION OF THE CSX SYSTEM WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, HOW WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THEIR EXPANSION WITH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF OUR FACILITY. WE'VE INVESTED TO DATE ABOUT $5.5 MILLION CLEANING UP HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SITES THAT THE PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY BE CONSTRUCTED ON. THAT PROCESS IS ONGOING, AND IT WILL HAVE HAZARDOUS REMEDIATION CAPABILITY AVAILABLE TO THE CONTRACTOR WHEN THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE BRIDGE STRUCTURES OUT THERE TO HANDLE ANY CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER THAT IS -- IS RUN INTO DURING CONSTRUCTION. WE'VE HAD ABOUT 18 UTILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THIS SLIDE KIND OF SUMMARIZES THOSE. THE MAJOR RELOCATIONS HAVE BEEN THE -- INCLUDE THE CITY OF TAMPA POTABLE WATER SYSTEM AND CITY OF TAMPA WASTEWATER SYSTEM THAT ARE THERE. I MEAN, A TREMENDOUS EFFORT AGAIN BY THE PROJECT DESIGN TEAM AND ALL THESE UTILITY OWNERS TO PLAN FOR THE RELOCATION OF THEIR UTILITY SYSTEMS PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION, AND THERE WILL BE SOME RELOCATION THAT'S DONE BY THE CONTRACTOR ONCE THE PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. WE HAVE INNOVATION BUILT INTO THE DESIGN. WE HAVE ACTUALLY INCLUDED WHAT I REFER TO AS FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPERSTRUCTURE FLAVORS OR FOUR FLAVORS TO CHOOSE FROM. SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE DEPARTMENT MADE A DECISION TO CARRY THE DESIGN OF THESE BRIDGE STRUCTURES TO 100% DESIGN IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GETTING THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE FOR THE PROJECT. THAT DECISION WAS MADE NOT KNOWING THAT IN 2009 WHEN WE ACTUALLY GO TO ADVERTISE THE PROJECT WE WOULD BE IN A RECESSION AND CAN PERHAPS GET EVEN BETTER PRICES FROM WHAT WAS ANTICIPATED AS LATE -- AS RECENTLY AS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND SO THIS SLIDE JUST DEPICTS WHERE THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEGMENTS, SUPERSTRUCTURE TYPES WOULD BE. THE SEGMENTAL CONCRETE STRUCTURE IS EXACTLY THE SAME TYPE OF BRIDGE STRUCTURE THAT THE REVERSIBLE EXPRESS LANES PROJECT WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH. WE'RE ALSO INCORPORATING INTO THE PROJECT ABOUT $17 MILLION OF WORK FOR TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY AND ACTUALLY WIDENING TWO OF THEIR BRIDGES AT 22nd AND 26th STREET. AGAIN, A SOUND ENGINEERING DECISION MADE SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. SINCE OUR CONTRACTOR WOULD BE OCCUPYING THE SAME SPACE WHILE BUILDING THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR, IT WOULD ONLY MAKE ENGINEERING AND ECONOMIC SENSE TO DO THE WORK ON THE CROSSTOWN AT THE SAME TIME AND REPLACE THE DECK PANEL OUT THERE, SOME WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE TAMPA- HILLSBOROUGH EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNITY AWARENESS OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THIS SLIDE LISTS SOME OF THE AGENCIES THAT WERE WORKED IN, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF OUR LATEST GRAPHICS THAT CAN SHOW THE NEW IKEA STORE THERE AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF OUR FACILITY WHICH ACTUALLY DOES CROSS OVER THE REVERSIBLE EXPRESS LANES FACILITY, AND OUR LAST VIDEO I HAVE HERE WILL SHOW THAT A LITTLE BIT CLEARER. THE DEPARTMENT LED A DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT COORDINATED WITH ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT YOU SEE THERE AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DESIGN WAS THOROUGHLY COORDINATED AND HAD INPUT FROM EACH ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES. IN OUR WORK WITH THE PALMETTO COMMUNITY WE ARE COMBINING SOME AESTHETIC FEATURES THAT MAKE THE PROJECT KIND OF UNIQUE. THE PALMETTO COMMUNITY FEELS THAT THEY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PORT OF TAMPA AND HAS A PORT FEEL TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, SO WE'VE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH SOME PATTERNED CONCRETE TEXTURE THAT RESEMBLES CONTAINERS, CARGO CONTAINERS, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PATTERN WILL -- THAT YOU SEE THERE WILL BE STAMPED ON TO THE MSE WALLS THAT SUPPORT THE ROADWAY. THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS, AGAIN, IN THE YBOR CITY AREA THE 7th AVENUE GATEWAY OF WHERE THE FACILITY WILL CROSS OVER 7th AVENUE, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, AND AGAIN, OUR TOLL GANTRY SYSTEM SHOWN ON THE RIGHT, AND SOME OF THE ACCENT AESTHETIC LIGHTING IS SHOWN DOWN BELOW. THESE -- THIS SLIDE KIND OF SUMMARIZES OUR COSTS OVERALL, A VERY SIGNIFICANT PROJECT, AGAIN, DESIGN AND RIGHT-OF-WAY AT ABOUT 136 MILLION; CONSTRUCTION COSTS ABOUT 450- TO 460 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT. ACTUALLY TODAY WE'RE MOVING AHEAD AND ARE HOLDING THE ORAL TECHNICAL PROPOSALS FOR THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION CONTRACT THAT DISTRICT 7 WILL HAVE AWARDED TO ABOUT $30 MILLION TO ADMINISTER A CONTRACT OF THIS MAGNITUDE, AND AGAIN, TO PUT THIS PROJECT IN PERSPECTIVE, AT A CONSTRUCTION COST OF ABOUT 460 MILLION, IT'S TWICE THE SCALE OF TAMPA AIRPORT INTERCHANGE'S PROJECT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ABOUT $202 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION COST. WE'RE DOING THIS PROJECT AS A BUILD-FINANCE PROJECT UNDERNEATH THE AUTHORITY OF THE FLORIDA'S PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LAW; AGAIN, AS WE KNOW, IS THE NUMBER ONE DISTRICT 7 IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MPO PRIORITY FOR STIMULUS FUNDING. WE ARE, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, UNDERWAY FOR THAT. OUR CURRENT SCHEDULE IS TO ADVERTISE THE PROJECT ON MAY 27th AND ACTUALLY RECEIVE BIDS ON AUGUST 19th OF THIS YEAR. WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF GETTING FEDERAL HIGHWAY APPROVAL AND DOING ALL THE FINAL COORDINATION WITH YOU TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ADVERTISEMENT. AND AGAIN, WE'RE PROJECTING TRAFFIC WILL BE ON THE FACILITY IN THE FALL OF 2014 OR EARLY 2015, THAT A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS UPON THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT THE CONTRACTOR APPLIES TO THE PROJECT AND HOW HE APPROACHES THE PROJECT. THIS LAST VIDEO KIND OF GIVES YOU A MUCH BETTER AERIAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE, WHAT THE FACILITY LOOKS LIKE AS IT ACTUALLY CROSSES OVER THE AT-GRADE SECTION OF THE REVERSIBLE EXPRESS LANES, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PORT TRAFFIC HEADED OFF HERE TO THE RIGHT. AND ON YOUR RIGHT YOU WILL SEE THE NEW IKEA FACILITY, AND THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU A FEEL OF HOW OUR PROJECT CROSSES OVER THE TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH AND, IN FACT, TIES INTO THE TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. MR. CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF UPDATE FOR TODAY. I'LL BE GLAD TO COME BACK WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE ADVERTISED THE PROJECT AND ARE MOVING AHEAD TO GIVE THE MPO AN UPDATE ON OUR PROJECT. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. A QUESTION FOR EITHER YOU OR SECRETARY SKELTON. WHERE ARE WE AT AS FAR AS -- ON THE FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO FUND THE BALANCE THAT'S NOT PAID BY STIMULUS DOLLARS? >>DON SKELTON: RIGHT NOW THE FUNDING THAT'S IN OUR FIVE- YEAR WORK PROGRAM IS IN THE 2012-2013, SO THAT SITS THERE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BUILDING OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ON, SHOWING THE CONTRACTORS AND THEIR FINANCE TEAMS EXACTLY WHEN THE PAYMENTS WILL START AND HOW LONG THEY'LL TAKE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: SO THAT'S PRETTY WELL -- BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS A MATTER THAT WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH, WE CAN GET EVERYTHING -- >>DON SKELTON: THAT IS IN PLACE IN OUR FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER -- YES, MR. WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: YES. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANKS, SCOTT. THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION AS USUAL. I'VE SAID THIS PROBABLY A DOZEN TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, BUT I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY IT PUBLICLY AGAIN, THAT THIS WAS A HUGE COOPERATIVE EFFORT TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT, BUT IF IT WASN'T FOR FDOT, FROM THE TWO GENTLEMEN SITTING IN THIS ROOM, THIS PROJECT WOULD STILL BE PROGRAMMED FOR SOMETIME FOUR, FIVE, SIX YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, SO I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT DISTRICT 7 AND THE LEADERSHIP OF DISTRICT 7 DID AND ALSO THE SUPPORT WE HAD FROM YOUR BOSSES UP IN TALLAHASSEE AS WELL, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK IT'S JUST -- JUST TO NOTE THAT THE FIRST -- IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE, THAT NOVEMBER 2014 OPENING OF THIS CROSSTOWN WILL VIRTUALLY COINCIDE WITH THE OPENING OF THE EXPANDED PANAMA CANAL, WHICH IS ALSO ON TRACK TO BE COMPLETED TOWARD THE END OF 2014. THAT'S ABOUT A $6-BILLION PROJECT, AND THIS IS A $600 MILLION PROJECT. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF BOTH CAN MEET THEIR TIMETABLES. I HOPE THEY CAN BECAUSE THEY ARE LINKED IN MANY RESPECTS. AND THE LAST COMMENT IS THAT WE COULD USE THIS I-4 CONNECTOR TOMORROW. YOU'VE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THE IKEA FACILITY. IT OFFICIALLY OPENS ON WEDNESDAY, AND IF YOU WANT TO GET AN IDEA WHY WE NEED THIS I-4, I THINK YOU OUGHT TO GO DOWN TO THE STATE ROAD 60, 21st, 22nd STREET CROSSING THERE TOMORROW AND TAKE A LOOK AT -- AT WHAT'S GOING TO BE GOING ON. THERE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THERE. I KNOW THE CITY OF TAMPA POLICE HAS A PLAN TO KEEP IT MOVING. NEVERTHELESS, I THINK IT'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHY WE NEED THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THAT INTERSECTION WITH ALL THE TRUCKS THAT MOVE FROM THE PORT COMBINED WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING FORWARD IN THAT AREA IS GOING TO TURN THAT AREA INTO A NIGHTMARE IF WE DON'T GET THIS PROJECT DONE ON SCHEDULE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, MR. WAINIO. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. ANY -- IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE MPO ON ANY ITEMS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. ANY OLD BUSINESS? ANY NEW BUSINESS? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ADJOURN. 1