CAPTIONING
AUGUST 4, 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.
WELCOME TO OUR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION MEETING 
FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR AUGUST THE 4th, 2009.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF 
INVOCATION.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS 
THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO US.
WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE US THE PROPER GUIDANCE TODAY AS WE 
CONDUCT THE BUSINESS FOR OUR RESIDENTS OF HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY, AND WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN 
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WHO ARE PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS.
IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY.
AMEN.
OKAY.
WE HAVE -- DO WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO 
ADDRESS THE MPO BOARD?
>> YES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  HE SAID YES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WHO?
OKAY.
YES.
OKAY.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
NEIL COSENTINO WITH CAMELOT FLORIDA AND FASTA FLORIDA.
THIS IS MY SECOND APPEARANCE BEFORE THE BOARD.
LAST WEEK FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T HERE WE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE 
OF THE AIRPORT, AND IT REALLY BOILS DOWN TO A VERY SIMPLE 
QUESTION, DO WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE AIRPORT OR EXPAND 
IT OR DO WE LOOK AT ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE?
AND MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT'S A WONDERFUL AIRPORT, AND WE 
AGREE, BUT THE QUESTION WE ASKED MR. LOUIS MILLER, WHO'S 
NOT HERE TODAY AND HAS NOT RESPONDED TO IN THE LAST FIVE 
YEARS, WAS WHY DID THE FAA NOT SELECT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT FOR FUNDING FOR NEXT GENERATION AIRPORT?
SOME OF THE FACTS ARE THAT MIAMI HAS A 13,000-FOOT RUNWAY, 
AND THERE -- I'VE FLOWN BIG AIRPLANES ACROSS THE POND WITH 
PASSENGERS AND CARGO, AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A 
RUNWAY TOO LONG.
THEIR RUNWAY IS ALSO 200 FEET WIDE, AND THAT'S THE OPTIMUM 
WIDTH FOR THE AIR BUS 380.
A 150-FOOT-WIDE RUNWAY IS A COMPROMISE IN SAFETY.
THE OPTIMUM WIDTH IS 200.
NO RUNWAY AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL HAS A 200-FOOT-WIDE 
RUNWAY.
ORLANDO HAS A 200-FOOT-WIDE RUNWAY.
ORLANDO'S RUNWAY IS OVER 12,000 FEET LONG.
SO YOU SEE, WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE 
BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT MADE CORRECTLY, OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE A 
SECOND-TIER BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
NOW, YOU DON'T SEE THIS BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO THE FACTORY 
WHERE THEY BUILD THESE AIRPLANES -- AND I HAVE NO STOCK IN 
THE COMPANY -- AND I LOOKED AT THE FACTORY AND I TALKED TO 
THE PEOPLE, THEY'RE PRODUCING THEM AT 12 A YEAR, SO IN TEN 
YEARS THAT'S ONLY 120 AIRPLANES.
NOW, THEY CAN GET THEIR PRODUCTION UP TO 20 AIRPLANES A 
YEAR, BUT STILL UNTIL THE PIPELINE IS FILLED, OUR COMMUNITY 
WON'T REALIZE IT, BUT BY THAT TIME IT'S TOO LATE.
SO I ONCE AGAIN ASKED MR. LOUIS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND 
INFORM YOU OF WHY THE FAA HAS NOT SELECTED TAMPA 
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS A NEXT GENERATION AIRPORT BECAUSE 
I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THE BUSINESS WILL GO TO ORLANDO AND 
MIAMI AND NOT HERE.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
WE HAVE ANOTHER PERSON THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, CHIP 
THOMAS.
>> CHIP THOMAS, 1219 EAST HENRY AVENUE, AND I'M GOING TO 
KEEP THIS SILLY HAT ON BECAUSE I'LL PROBABLY LOOK SILLIER 
WITHOUT IT AT THIS POINT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT REDUCING -- MINIMIZING EXPENSES FOR 
GOVERNMENTS HAS PROBABLY NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT, AT 
LEAST NOT IN OUR LIFETIME, AND THAT'S LIKELY TO BE THE CASE 
FOR SOME TIME YEARS TO COME, AND SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT -- 
AND BECAUSE ROAD WIDENING AND ROAD BUILDING IS SO 
EXPENSIVE, IT BECOMES CRITICAL THAT WE DON'T GET INVOLVED 
IN PROJECTS UNLESS THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, AND SO I 
WANT TO TALK ABOUT, "A," WHY THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH MONEY 
TO DO ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO DO, AND "B," WHY WE 
MAY NOT NEED TO DO ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE 
LISTED, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT FIRST BECAUSE 
THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT YOU NEED MORE CONVINCING OF.
I'M GOING TO START WITH GROWTH PROJECTIONS WHICH MUST HAVE 
A LOT OF IMPACT OVER THE WAY YOU PLAN TRANSPORTATION FOR 
THE FUTURE, AND SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECTIONS THAT ARE BEING 
TOSSED AROUND AT THIS POPULATION -- THIS AREA'S POPULATION 
IS GOING TO DOUBLE BY 2050, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME 
QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED AT THE VERY LEAST ABOUT 
THAT.
IS THIS BASED ON STRAIGHT-LINE GROWTH, BECAUSE WE DOUBLED 
OUR POPULATION THE LAST 30 YEARS THAT IT'S GOING TO DOUBLE 
IN THE NEXT 30 OR 40?
THERE'S A LOT OF -- A LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR IN THAT.
FOR ANY AREA AS THE POPULATION REACHES A CERTAIN POINT, THE 
MORE IT GROWS, THE LESS ITS APPEAL, AND I KNOW A LOT OF 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT THIS AREA IN THE LAST TEN YEARS 
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE DIRECTION IT WAS GOING IN.
IT WAS LOSING WHAT ATTRACTED THE PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE, 
AND LONG BEFORE WE DOUBLE BY 2050, THAT WILL BE THE CASE.
I KNOW I WON'T BE HERE TO SEE THAT.
I HAVE NO INTEREST IN BEING IN AN AREA THAT THAT'S 
POPULATED.
ALSO WHEN THESE FORECASTS WERE MADE, DID THEY TAKE INTO 
ACCOUNT THE HURRICANE EFFECT THAT REALLY DIDN'T BECOME 
OBVIOUS UNTIL 2004-2005, AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW 
WHO ARE VERY LEERY OF MOVING IN TO ANYWHERE ALONG THE GULF 
BECAUSE OF THAT AND NOT TO MENTION WHAT IT DID TO HOMEOWNER 
INSURANCE.
WE ALREADY SAW A TRIPLING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE CATEGORY 3  STORM IN A MAJOR 
METROPOLITAN AREA FROM OUR RATES PROBABLY DOUBLING AGAIN, 
AND SEEING HOW SKITTISH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE, THEY'RE 
LOOKING FOR REASONS TO BOLT FROM FLORIDA.
WE COULD EASILY BECOME A LIVE-AT-YOUR-OWN-RISK STATE.
ALSO THE BOOMER MIGRATION.
IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THE WAY WE THOUGHT TEN YEARS 
AGO.
A LOT OF NEST EGGS WERE CRUSHED IN THE LAST YEAR, AND 
THEY'RE UNLIKELY TO COME BACK.
SO I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE MUCH LESS GROWTH THAN 
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ALSO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT VEHICLE SIZE HAS PROBABLY PEAKED, 
IT HAS PEAKED, AND IT'S GOING TO SHRINK AND SHRINK AND 
SHRINK.
IT INCREASES ROAD CAPACITY THE MORE IT SHRINKS.
COMMUTE DISTANCES HAVE PROBABLY INCREASED.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  PLEASE WRAP IT UP.
>> WELL, I HOPE BEFORE -- WE'VE SADDLED OURSELVES WITH A 
LOT OF EXPENSES WITH ALL THE ROADS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN 
PLACE, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE GROWTH 
THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I THINK WE BETTER FIND A 
WAY TO LIVE WITH THE ROADS THAT WE HAVE AND -- AND NOT GET 
INTO ANYMORE ROAD WIDENING OR ROAD BUILDING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
OKAY.
WE HAVE THE REPORT FROM THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 
JOE AMON.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
MEMBERS OF THE MPO, CAC MET ON JULY 15th, AND WE STARTED 
WITH OUR MEMBER INTEREST, AS ALWAYS.
MR. STINSON ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE ATTENDING A PUBLIC 
MEETING.
WE HAVE A MAJOR INTEREST IN THE FRIENDSHIP TRAIL, AND SO 
MR. STINSON IS GOING TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS REGULARLY AND 
ADVISE US ON WHAT IS GOING ON.
MR. MATHURIN PROVIDED AN UPDATE OF THE REGIONAL JOINT CAC 
MEETING WHICH WAS HELD IN JULY.
THE MAIN THING IS THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CHANGES TO THEIR 
BYLAWS CONCERNING QUORUMS.
WE'VE HAD A HECK OF A TIME CONDUCTING BUSINESS AT THE CAC 
BECAUSE WE VERY SELDOM HAVE A QUORUM.
MR. PAT LEDUC EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUNDING AND 
TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING I-275.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT THERE'S A PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD 
SHORTLY AFTER HIS -- HIS WORDS, AND I THINK THAT 
PRESENTATION'S GOING TO BE GIVEN TO YOU TODAY.
HE ALSO HAD INTEREST IN THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAD BEEN MADE ON THE SETTLEMENTS THAT HAD 
BEEN AWARDED, AND -- EXCUSE ME -- WAS INTERESTED IN WHAT 
THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY WAS GOING TO DO WITH THEIR 
ADDITIONAL FUNDS, AND MR. WAGGONER HAS -- EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTOR WAGGONER HAS GRACIOUSLY OFFERED TO COME SPEAK TO 
US AT OUR NEXT CAC MEETING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON 
WHAT THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES ARE FOR THE FUTURE.
SO WE'VE GOT THAT SCHEDULED COMING UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
I-75 PD&E STUDY, WE HAD A BRIEFING ON THE TWO BUILD 
ALTERNATIVES BEING CONSIDERED FOR I-75.
HERE AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN A FEW 
MINUTES FOR YOU-ALL, THAT PRESENTATION.
MR. LEDUC WANTED TO KNOW IF A LESS COSTLY SOLUTION WAS ALSO 
CONSIDERED; THAT IS, BUILD ONE LANE, AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED 
BRIEFLY.
AND MR. MATHURIN ALSO ADDED THAT SPECIALIZED AND 
GENERALIZED LANES ARE HARD TO ADJUST TO FOR DRIVERS THAT 
ARE UP FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
THE I-275 LANE CONVERSION, THIS IS AN INNOVATIVE IDEA OF 
USING THE EXISTING LANES THAT WERE NORTHBOUND LANES FOR THE 
I-275 IN THE SHORT-TERM FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF 
MONEY.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BRIEFING ON THAT.
I DON'T NEED TO GO ON WITH THAT, BUT WE WERE VERY 
INTERESTED AND VERY PLEASED ABOUT WHAT WE HAD HEARD ON THE 
I-275 LANE CONVERSION.
WE TALKED ABOUT A -- THE FLORIDA MOBILITY FEE.
MPO STAFF PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 360, AND THEY 
REQUESTED THAT DCA AND FDOT COMPLETE A STATEWIDE MOBILITY 
FEE STUDY BY DECEMBER 1st.
WE HAD A SLIGHT DISCUSSION ON USF CENTER FOR URBAN 
TRANSPORTATION AND RESEARCH.
THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR MOBILITY STUDY.
WE THEN GOT INTO A DEBATE ON -- WE HEARD THREE DIFFERENT 
IDEAS, AND THERE WAS A HEATED DISCUSSION IN THE CAC OF THE 
VARIOUS IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THE FEE -- WHAT THE MOBILITY 
FEE SHOULD BE.
THE ONE THING THAT -- I THINK IT WAS -- CAME OUT AS A 
CONSENSUS AT THE MEETING WAS THAT THE CAC WAS NOT IN 
SUPPORT OF ANYONE TRACKING A PERSON'S VEHICLE MILES 
TRAVELED.
A LITTLE BIG BROTHER GOVERNMENT THERE, AND I THINK THERE'S 
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE CAC WHO KIND OF FROWN ON THAT.
WE'LL HAVE TO FERRET THAT OUT MORE AS THIS DATA COMES 
FORWARD.
THE 2035 LRTP UPDATE.
WE WERE UPDATED OF THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS 
THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE LRTP, AND IT'S A WHOPPING $17 
BILLION FOR CAPITAL AND 4 BILLION FOR OPERATIONS.
THE NEXT STAGE OF THE UPDATE WILL APPLY TO PRIORITIZATION 
AND THE COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN AS DEVELOPED.
QUITE INTERESTING, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, WHERE IS 
THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM.
WE KNOW WE NEED IT, BUT NOBODY'S GOT ANY IDEA YET ON WHERE 
THE MONEY'S GOING TO COME FROM FOR THESE KIND OF NEEDS.
STAFF NOTED THERE WERE 63 EVENTS IN THE LRTP PLANNING, 
THERE WERE 63 EVENTS AND OVER 4,000 PARTICIPANTS IN THE 
CITIZENS THAT HAVE COME TO HAVE THEIR INPUT FOR THE 
PREPARATION OF THIS PLAN.
THE ONLY UNFINISHED BUSINESS WE HAD WAS CAC'S INTERESTED IN 
THE WORK PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.
FDOT STAFF GAVE US A PRESENTATION ON THE -- HOW THE PROCESS 
EVOLVES, AND THAT'S BASICALLY THE -- THE REPORT FOR OUR CAC 
MEETING.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE AUGUST 12th AT 1:15, AND OUR 
NUMBER ONE GUEST SPEAKER WILL BE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
WAGGONER.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, JOE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR JOE?
JOE, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, SIR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE APPRECIATE IT.
OKAY.
NEXT IS THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, NED BAIER.
>>NED BAIER:  GOOD MORNING.
NED BAIER, CHAIRMAN OF THE TAC WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
WE TOO HAD A PREVIEW OF SORTS OF TWO OF YOUR AGENDA ITEMS 
TODAY, THE FIRST BEING THE I-75 PD&E STUDY.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANT BRIEFED US ON 
THE PROGRESS OF THAT STUDY THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY THROUGH 
MANATEE COUNTY NORTH TO FLETCHER AVENUE AND LOOKING AT THE 
SPECIAL USE LANES AND MANAGED LANE CONCEPT IN BOTH THE 
MEDIAN AND THE EXTERIOR LANES, THE OUTSIDE LANES.
WE ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE'S BOTH -- BOTH LONG-TERM 
IMPROVEMENTS BEING CONSIDERED AND THEN ALSO SHORT-TERM 
OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE COMMITTEE WAS INTERESTED 
ON THOSE SHORT-TERM OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY AT 
THE INTERCHANGE LOCATIONS.
THERE'S SEVERAL INTERCHANGES IN SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
THAT ARE NEEDING ASSISTANCE WHERE TRAFFIC BACKS UP DURING 
THE PEAK HOURS.
THE I-275 LANE CONVERSION WAS PRESENTED, AND THAT IS 
INNOVATIVE AND IT'S A SMALL COST, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE 
HEARING THE DETAILS ON THAT.
IT SEEMS TO MAKE SOME SENSE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE 
INTERSTATE CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND WESTSHORE WILL 
NOT BE COMPLETED OR WILL NOT START CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THE 
YEAR 2014, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES SOME GOOD SENSE.
WE TOO HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE MOBILITY FEE AND SENATE 
BILL 360.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNTY STAFF AND THE BOCC WILL BE 
LOOKING INTO THAT THIS FALL AND MAKING SOME DECISIONS LATER 
THIS YEAR.
WE ALSO HAD AN UPDATE ON THE 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
NEEDS PLAN AS YOU ARE.
THERE ARE HUGE NEEDS, 17 BILLION ON THE CAPITAL SIDE AND 
FOUR BILLION ON THE OPERATING, AND LIKE YOURSELVES, WE SEE 
THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES AND THE CONCEPT OF 
THE REFERENDUM, AND A POTENTIAL SALES TAX WAS DISCUSSED, 
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND AT LEAST -- WE 
DIDN'T TAKE A VOTE BUT A LEVEL OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR 
TECHNICAL STAFF FOR THE SALES TAX.
THE NEXT TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD 
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 17th, AT 1:30, AND ALL OF OUR MEETINGS 
ARE ON THE 18th FLOOR IN THE COUNTY CENTER BUILDING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH, NED.
ANY -- ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR NED?
>>NED BAIER:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  IF NOT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK 
YOU DO.
OKAY.
NEXT, COMMISSIONER FERLITA, POLICY COMMITTEE.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON JULY 28th ON THE 18th FLOOR OF 
THE COUNTY CENTER BUILDING.
THE MINUTES OF JUNE 23, '09, POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WERE 
APPROVED AS SUBMITTED.
ACTION ITEMS, A LETTER TO FDOT REGARDING FLORIDA AVENUE 
RESTRIPING.
FDOT DISTRICT 7 IS PREPARING TO RESURFACE A SECTION OF 
FLORIDA AVENUE FROM KENNEDY BOULEVARD TO VIOLET STREET. 
ADDING A BICYCLE LANE ON FLORIDA AVENUE DURING THE 
RESURFACING PROJECT WILL COMPLEMENT THE LANES FDOT STRIPED 
ON TAMPA STREET/FLORIDA AVENUE'S ONE WAY PAIR.
HAVING A DEDICATED BIKE LANE ON BOTH ROADWAYS WILL HELP TO 
KEEP CYCLISTS FROM TRAVELING THE WRONG WAY WHEN ONLY ONE 
LANE EXISTS.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE PASSED A MOTION THAT THE MPO SEND FDOT 
A LETTER ENCOURAGING THE INCLUSION OF BIKE LANES IN THE 
RESURFACING OF FLORIDA AVENUE.
THIS ITEM IS ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, IN FACT.
STATUS REPORTS, THE T.I.P. PRIORITIES FOR FY 14-15, STAFF 
AND MEMBERS DISCUSSED THE PROCESS USED TO DEVELOP 
PRIORITIES FOR THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION, THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS 
ASKED STAFF TO RECONSIDER PRIORITIZING ALL PROJECTS BEFORE 
PRESENTING THEM TO EACH OF THE MPO COMMITTEES.
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN PROJECT PRIORITIZATION 
METHOD, STAFF PRESENTED THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ALONG WITH 
THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LONG-
RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
THE POLICY MEMBERS ASKED STAFF TO CHANGE THE RATING 
CRITERIA SO THAT SAFETY WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED -- POLICY 
COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 25th AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE 
PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM, AND AS ALWAYS, ALL MPO BOARD 
MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.
THANK YOU, SIR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FERLITA.
ANY -- ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY.
WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 14th.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SO MOVED, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU.
WE HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS.
THE FIRST ONE IS A LETTER TO FDOT REGARDING FLORIDA AVENUE 
RESTRIPING, GENA TORRES.
>>GENA TORRES:  GOOD MORNING.
GENA TORRES WITH THE MPO STAFF.
VERY BRIEFLY, THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE A GROWING NETWORK OF 
BIKE LANES OUT THERE IN THE COUNTY, AND THE WAY WE'VE BEEN 
MOST SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THOSE IS ALMOST ALWAYS THROUGH A 
RESURFACING WHERE A JURISDICTION OR D.O.T. ARE GOING TO PUT 
NEW PAVEMENT DOWN, THEY TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO STRIPE THE 
LANES DIFFERENTLY SO WE ADD BIKE LANES, SO YOU'RE NOT 
REALLY PURCHASING RIGHT-OF-WAY, SO IT'S BEEN REALLY 
SUCCESSFUL.
YOU CAN SEE IT -- YOU MAY NOTICE IT -- I HAPPENED TO 
NOTICE -- DOWNTOWN IS REALLY BECOMING A GREAT PLACE TO 
CYCLE.
JACKSON STREET, TAMPA STREET, NEBRASKA AVENUE, WHEN THEY 
WERE ALL BEING RESURFACED, D.O.T. WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT 
THEY COULD STRIPE A BIKE LANE, AND WE HAVE A GREAT NETWORK 
GOING ON DOWNTOWN.
SO WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT'S COME UP.
IT'S HIGH ON THE LIST OF PRIORITIES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE 
BIKE PLAN AND ACTUALLY SEVERAL OTHER DOWNTOWN DIFFERENT 
PLANS THAT HAVE COME OUT THROUGH DOWNTOWN, AND I JUST WANT 
TO TELL YOU ON JULY 4th OUR SEMINOLE HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD 
ASSOCIATION RODE OUR BIKES DOWN TO THE FIREWORKS ON 
CHANNELSIDE.
I HAD MY TEN-YEAR-OLD SON.
I THOUGHT WE CAN DO THIS.
IT WAS AT NIGHTTIME.
AND THE TAMPA STREET RIDE HE WAS JUST FINE, BUT ON FLORIDA 
AVENUE WHEN WE HEADED NORTH -- I MEAN, THERE WAS A GROUP OF 
US, SO I FELT I WASN'T THROWING MY SON OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC 
THERE, BUT HE WAS REALLY NERVOUS.
I WAS LOOKING AT HIS EYES.
SO HE REALLY APPRECIATED THE FACT OF HAVING A STRIPED BIKE 
LANE THERE.
IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE, AND IT MADE ME REALIZE HOW 
IMPORTANT IT WAS TO CYCLISTS WHO ARE LESS SKILLED.
SO WE WOULD SUGGEST AS THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE IF 
D.O.T., YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM US ON THAT, THERE 
MIGHT BE PLACES WHERE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY IS CONSTRAINED, AND 
EVEN CYCLISTS WILL APPRECIATE A 2.5 OR THREE-FOOT SHOULDER 
IF NECESSARY IF IT MEANS WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE STRIPED-OFF 
AREA.
OF COURSE, A FULL BIKE LANE WOULD BE BEST, BUT WE'D LOVE 
FOR THE BOARD TO JUST SEND ALONG THE LETTER THAT'S PART OF 
THE WRITE-UP THAT'S ATTACHED WITH YOUR WRITE-UP TO D.O.T., 
JUST ASK THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THEY'LL BE ABLE TO 
FIT IN BIKE LANES WHEN THEY DO THAT RESURFACING PROJECT.
IT'S A REALLY NICE EXTENSIVE -- FROM KENNEDY ALMOST ALL THE 
WAY TO HILLSBOROUGH.
SO THANK YOU.
JUST HOPE WE GET YOUR SUPPORT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY -- MR. SKELTON, I'M SURE YOU HAVE 
SOMETHING.
>>DON SKELTON:  YEAH.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
WE ARE GOING TO BE EXECUTING -- WE'RE SCHEDULED TO EXECUTE 
OUR DESIGN CONTRACT FOR THAT RESURFACING JOB IN JANUARY OF 
NEXT YEAR.
WE'VE INCLUDED IN THAT SCOPE AN ANALYSIS, A MULTIMODAL 
ANALYSIS, AND WILL COME BACK TO THIS BOARD PROBABLY IN THE 
APRIL TIME FRAME, SOMEWHERE IN SPRING, AND SHOW THE RESULTS 
OF THAT TO SHOW IF AND HOW A -- A BICYCLE ACCOMMODATION 
COULD BE MADE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO SEND A LETTER TO 
FDOT.
>> SO MOVE.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU, GENA.
OKAY.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE -- WHICH IS ALSO AN ACTION ITEM, A 
LETTER -- LETTER TO THE LEGISLATORS REGARDING FUNDING 
RESCISSIONS.
>>BETH ALDEN:  THAT'S A GREAT WORD, ISN'T IT?
GOOD MORNING.
BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ALL THE 
NEWS ABOUT THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND RUNNING 
SHORT AND LOOKING AT RESCISSIONS IN FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION 
FUNDING.
MPO PLANNING IS FUNDED THROUGH FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION 
PROGRAMS.
IT IS A SMALL SET-ASIDE OFF OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION 
APPROPRIATIONS ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 1%.
IT DOES SUPPORT PLANNING THAT'S REQUIRED REGARDLESS OF THE 
NUMBER OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE, AND IN PART, FOR 
THOSE REASONS, A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS HAVE COME OUT 
ASKING THAT FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION RESCISSIONS NOT BE 
APPLIED TO THIS VERY SMALL SET-ASIDE FOR TRANSPORTATION 
PLANNING, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, 
ASSOCIATION OF COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION, ASSOCIATION OF 
MPOs, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CITY TRANSPORTATION 
OFFICIALS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPMENT 
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ALL COME OUT ASKING THAT THESE FUNDS NOT 
BE RESCINDED, SO WE DID WANT TO BRING THIS TO YOUR 
ATTENTION AND ASK YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOUR LEGISLATORS TO 
SUPPORT NOT RESCINDING THESE FUNDS.
NOW, IN SOME LATE-BREAKING NEWS, AT THE END OF LAST WEEK 
THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE BOTH CAME OUT SUPPORTING RESTORING 
SEVEN OF THE $8 BILLION TO THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION TRUST 
FUND, SO IT MAY BE THAT THIS LETTER IS NOT NEEDED, BUT WE 
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT YET.
SO WE WOULD STILL LIKE YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS LETTER IN CASE 
IT IS NEEDED, AND THEN WE WOULD VERIFY THAT AND GO AHEAD 
AND SEND THAT FORWARD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, BETH.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I WONDERED, DID YOU WANT US TO MAKE A 
MOTION TO THAT EFFECT TODAY AT THIS MEETING?
>>BETH ALDEN:  TO SUPPORT ACCEPTING THE LETTER ASSUMING 
THAT IT IS NEEDED.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DO THAT, TO WRITE THAT LETTER AND 
HOLD UNTIL WE GET CONFIRMATION FROM BETH THAT WE DO NEED TO 
SEND IT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
MR. BECKNER, DO YOU HAVE --
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OH, OKAY.
OKAY.
NO OTHER COMMENTS?
OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>BETH ALDEN:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
WE HAVE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE.
GENA.
>>GENA TORRES:  THANK YOU.
THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING ON 
JULY 15th.
WE HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ON THE COUNTY BUDGET CUTS.
ONE DIRECT EFFECT ON CYCLING AND WALKING IS THE REDUCTION 
OF PARKS AND REC STAFF COUNTYWIDE, BUT AT THE UPPER TAMPA 
BAY TRAIL IT WENT FROM LIKE 11 TO THREE, SO THE REDUCTION 
IN DAYS AND HOURS -- I GUESS IT WAS MORE CONCERN ABOUT 
SECURITY THAN ANYTHING, BUT THE BPAC, SOME OF THE MEMBERS 
ARE BICYCLE SHOP OWNERS, AND THEY SAY THEY GET THEIR DIRECT 
PROFITS FROM SOME OF THOSE CYCLISTS ON THE UPPER TAMPA BAY 
TRAIL, SO EVERYONE'S REALLY CONCERNED AND THEY WANT TO FORM 
A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT WILL GO OUT THERE AND KIND OF BE 
PATROLS ON THE TRAIL IF NECESSARY, SO THERE'S SOME -- SOME 
POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE CUTS IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT 
THAT WAY.
ALSO WITH THE REDISTRIBUTION OF WORKLOADS AT THE MPO AND 
THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I'M KIND OF STEPPING AWAY FROM 
BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PLANNING, MY HEART IS STILL THERE, BUT 
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER STAFFPERSON WHO WILL BE DOING THESE 
REPORTS AND ATTENDING THE -- SOME OF THE MEETINGS -- WELL, 
ALL THE MEETINGS.
WE DID DISCUSS FLORIDA AVENUE, AND OBVIOUSLY WE SUPPORTED -
- WE DRAFTED THAT LETTER THAT YOU GUYS HAVE APPROVED TODAY, 
AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT.
THE BICYCLE BASH IS A BIG EVENT.
THE BICYCLE BASH IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 11th, AND 
IT'S GOING TO BE IN ST. PETE AT STRAUB PARK, AND THEY DO 
BIKE GIVEAWAYS AND RODEOS AND A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT EVENTS 
TO REALLY CELEBRATE CYCLING AS A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET 
AROUND, TRANSPORTATION AND FOR RECREATION.
THE NEXT BPAC MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 12th, AND 
THAT'S AT 5:30.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, GENA.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES, COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I WOULD JUST ASK THAT -- I'VE GOT A MEETING 
THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONCERNED 
ABOUT THE PARK CLOSINGS AS WELL AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF 
THE PARKS, AND SO IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS 
WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT FORMING VOLUNTEER -- WHETHER IT'S 
VOLUNTEER -- ANY IDEAS, CONTACT MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE'RE 
TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A GROUP.
JACK BERLIN'S HELPING AND ALAN SNEL AND OTHERS.
WE'RE TRYING TO FORM A GROUP THAT CAN HELP KEEP THEM OPEN, 
AND AS WELL, I WOULD ASK -- AND THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO 
YOUR FIRST CONVERSATION POINT, BUT I'VE ASKED HER TO PUT 
TOGETHER LIKE A LITTLE ONE-PAGER ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE 
TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ONE OF THE TOP BIKING 
DESTINATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S A GREAT TOOL FOR ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES TO RELOCATE.
I'VE NOTICED MORE AND MORE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY A 
COMPANY CHOOSES AN AREA TO GO, THE EMPLOYEES LIKE -- I 
MEAN, YOU SEE THEM ON THE ROAD ALL OVER THE PLACE WEARING 
THEIR LITTLE COLORFUL UNIFORMS, BUT THEY LIKE TO RIDE, AND 
SO I WANT TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU, SO IF YOU 
WOULD -- WHEN YOU MAKE -- WHEN YOU PASS THAT OUT, IF YOU 
WOULD ALSO PASS OUT TO ALL THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS A COPY 
OF YOUR ONE-PAGE SYNOPSIS OF HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF 
PROMOTING BIKING.
>>GENA TORRES:  I'LL BE HAPPY TO.
THANK YOU.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, THANK YOU, GENA.
OKAY.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, MR. CHIARAMONTE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THANK YOU.
JUST WANTED TO REPORT ON SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND SOME OF 
THE ACTIVITIES OVER THE LAST MONTH.
WE ATTENDED A JOINT TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE COMMITTEE 
MEETING IN SUN CITY THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, HAD A NUMBER 
OF RESIDENTS THERE ATTEND.
ALSO I ATTENDED A PRESENTATION AT CUTR CALLED THE TIPPING 
POINT WHICH WAS AN ANALYSIS OF FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN 
TRANSPORTATION BY A PROFESSOR FROM UP NORTH THAT CAME DOWN, 
AND THE ONE COMMENT I HAD THAT CONCERNED ME A LITTLE BIT 
THAT I EXPRESSED TO HIM WAS A LOT OF THE DATA HE USED WAS 
FROM THE EARLY 2000 PERIOD, AND I THINK THAT A LOT HAS 
CHANGED SINCE THEN, ESPECIALLY SINCE 2006, SO WE REALLY 
NEED TO WATCH OUR DATA AND ANALYSIS THAT WE USE BECAUSE 
THERE IS KIND OF A CHANGE IN PEOPLE'S THOUGHT PROCESS IN 
THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT SOMETIMES IS NOT REFLECTED IN 
THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE HAD AN 
EXCELLENT MEETING.
WE HAD PRESENTATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD HELPED RUN THE 
REFERENDUM PROCESSES IN SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES.
I THINK THERE WAS GREAT INSIGHT FROM MANY OF THEM OUT OF 
HOW TO DO A SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUM, SO IF THERE'S ONE THING 
ABOUT KIND OF BEING LAST ON THE LIST LIKE WE ARE IS 
LEARNING WHAT OTHER CITIES DID TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND COPYING 
THAT HERE.
JOHN DINGFELDER, COUNCILMAN JOHN DINGFELDER AND I ATTENDED 
THE MPO ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING IN ORLANDO WHERE WE WERE 
UPDATED ON THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION LAWS, FTA RULES.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I BROUGHT UP WITH THE FTA 
REPRESENTATIVE FROM ATLANTA WAS WHEN THEY JUDGE PROJECTS, 
INDIVIDUAL TRANSIT PROJECTS LIKE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO 
WITH OUR RAIL SYSTEM, THEY LIKE TO JUDGE A PROJECT AS A 
STAND-ALONE PROJECT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT A 
STAND-ALONE PROJECT AS PART OF A LONGER-TERM REGIONAL 
VISION AND NOT JUST A STAND-ALONE PROJECT, AND THEY REALLY 
NEED TO FIND A WAY TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT IS ANALYZING WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WE NEED TO 
KEEP IN OUR MINDS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND I ALSO PRESENTED THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO 
THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
FDOT DIRECTOR DON SKELTON WAS THERE FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, THE NEXT MPO MEETING IS SEPTEMBER 1st.
JUST SOME MORE UPDATES THAT I JUST GOT THIS MORNING FROM -- 
FROM WASHINGTON.
IT DOES APPEAR THAT TRANSPORTATION FUNDING TOWARD TRANSIT 
IS GOING UP KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD IN WASHINGTON, SO THAT 
MIGHT GIVE US A LITTLE BIT BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING FUNDING 
FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE WITH OUR LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATING, INCLUDING TRANSIT AS AN 
IMPORTANT COMPONENT.
YOU'VE HAD HANDED OUT TODAY A LETTER THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS 
THAT I THOUGHT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN.
I'VE REALLY TRIED TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
ISSUE THAT'S MOVING SO RAPIDLY THROUGH.
ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THE LOCATION OF THE STATION IN POLK 
COUNTY, AND I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
I COMPOSED A LETTER FOR CHAIRMAN AFFRONTI TO SIGN BASICALLY 
MAKING A CASE FOR WHY IT SHOULD BE NEAR THE HILLSBOROUGH-
POLK LINE.
IT'S THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLACE BECAUSE BY HAVING IT THERE 
IT CAN SERVE THE RAPIDLY GROWING PLANT CITY AREA IN EASTERN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BESIDES ALSO SERVING LAKELAND.
IT'S AN IDEAL LOCATION.
THE LETTER KIND OF EXPLAINS THAT, AND I WOULD LIKE CHAIRMAN 
AFFRONTI TO SEND THIS LETTER TO DEBBIE HUNT OF FDOT IN 
TALLAHASSEE EXPRESSING THE OPINION.
THE REASON THAT WE CHOSE THAT, THOUGH -- THERE WAS TWO 
STATION LOCATIONS STUDIED.
BOTH WERE APPROVED IN THE EIS FOR THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, THE 
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, BUT CLEARLY THIS STATION 
WOULD BENEFIT -- THIS STATION LOCATION WOULD BENEFIT 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MORE THAN THE OTHER LOCATION FARTHER TO 
THE EAST, AND IT WOULD STILL SERVE POLK COUNTY'S NEEDS, SO 
I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT WE WEIGH IN ON THAT -- ON THAT 
LOCATION AND EXPRESS IT.
I'VE EXPRESSED IT VERBALLY TO THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STAFF 
MEMBERS FROM FDOT, BUT I THINK HAVING A LETTER FROM OUR MPO 
IS IMPORTANT, JUST AS WE HAD A LETTER SUPPORTING THE HIGH-
SPEED RAIL PROJECT BEFORE, AND SO THAT WOULD BE FROM MAYOR 
AFFRONTI TO SIGN.
LASTLY, I WANT TO DEVIATE A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT A 
TRIP THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PLAN FOR MPO BOARD MEMBERS, AND I 
JUST GOT BACK FROM CHARLOTTE ON MY VACATION AND MADE MY 
FAMILY SPEND A DAY WITH ME RIDING THE LIGHT RAIL.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF PRESENTATION, JUST SOME VISUALS, 
AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE 
MPO BOARD MEMBERS GO.
I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK WE CAN DO THIS FOR ABOUT LESS THAN 
$200 A PERSON IF WE GET THE FLIGHT DONE QUICK.
IT'S A ONE-DAYER.
YOU LEAVE TAMPA IN THE MORNING, YOU COME BACK THAT EVENING.
I'M ALREADY TALKING TO OFFICIALS IN CHARLOTTE ABOUT HAVING 
A VERY FOCUSED RIDE-THE-RAIL TALK TO ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT 
HELPED WITH THE REFERENDUM, TALK TO THE OPERATORS OF THE 
TRANSIT SYSTEM.
A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, SO I'M GOING TO GO 
AHEAD IF THEY WOULD PUT ON -- THERE WE GO.
OKAY.
THIS -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE CAR WHEN WE GOT DOWNTOWN.
THIS WAS AT 12:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, WASN'T AT RUSH HOUR.
AGAIN, A MULTITUDE AND VARIETY OF RIDERS.
I'M EVEN MORE CONVINCED -- COMMISSIONER SHARPE, THIS KIND 
OF TALKS ABOUT WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, PEOPLE LIKING TO RIDE 
BICYCLES IN AREAS.
THERE WAS TREMENDOUS REDEVELOPMENT ALONG THE CHARLOTTE LINE 
THAT WAS CLEAR, TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT LIKE WE'RE 
TALKING ABOUT HERE, AGAIN A MORE WALKABLE TYPE OF 
DEVELOPMENT, AND THIS LINE HAS BARELY BEEN OPEN TWO YEARS, 
AND THIS IS THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE SEEING 
OCCUR IN THESE AREAS.
BUSES ARE IMPORTANT.
THIS IS THE PARK-N-RIDE LOT AT THE END.
IT'S AN 800 PARKING SPACE GARAGE WITH SECURITY.
A SECURITY GUARD WAS THERE, BUSES ARRIVING THERE.
AGAIN, THIS SHOWS THE GARAGE AGAIN.
THIS IS THE TYPE -- I REALLY -- CHARLOTTE TO ME IS THE 
CLOSEST CITY THAT WE HAVE TO TAMPA IN SIZE AND JUST 
CHARACTER OF ANY OF THE CITIES THAT I'VE VISITED, AND I'M 
EVEN MORE CONVINCED NOW THAT THEIR SYSTEM IS A TREMENDOUS 
MODEL FOR US TO LEARN FROM.
IT'S A 9.5-MILE SYSTEM.
I WILL TELL YOU I MADE MY IN-LAWS KIND OF SEE IF THEY COULD 
USE THE MACHINES, AND THEY COULD.
THEY'RE NOT TRANSIT PEOPLE AT ALL.
NEVER HAD SEEN A LIGHT RAIL CAR, ONLY HAVE SEEN CHICAGO "L" 
TRAINS, WHICH SCARED THEM, AND I KEPT TELLING THEM IT'S NOT 
LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID, AND THEY DID IT, 
AND AFTER RIDING ON IT, THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THIS WAS A 
GOOD THING.
AGAIN, STARTING AT THE PARK-N-RIDE LOT.
MOVING TOWARD DOWNTOWN, YOU COULD SEE THE DIFFERENT 
STATIONS ALONG THE WAY.
MANY OF THEM HAVE SMALLER PARK-N-RIDE LOTS THAN THE 800-
UNIT ONE AT THE END.
BUS SERVICE ARRIVING.
AGAIN, THE CAPACITY OF THE CAR FILLED AS WE WENT IN.
IT'S A 25-MINUTE TRIP WHICH AGAIN REINFORCES WHY SPEED IS 
IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT'S WHY THE SYSTEM IS SO WELL USED.
YOU CAN SEE IT RUNNING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT IT 
IS IN A SEPARATE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND MANY TIMES IN A FORMER 
FREIGHT RIGHT-OF-WAY.
THIS IS SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY BUILT RIGHT ON THE 
TRACKS.
THESE DON'T FACE A STREET, THEY FACE THE TRACKS WHERE THE 
PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE THERE WHERE THEY CAN JUST COME OUT AND 
WALK DOWN TO THE STATION.
THIS ISN'T EVEN HARDLY FINISHED YET.
AGAIN, IT'S CHANGING THE WHOLE CHARACTER OF THE CITY.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE DOWNTOWN, VERY SEAMLESS EXIT FROM THE CARS.
THE DOWNTOWN STATION AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, YOU GET OFF, 
THERE'S A LARGE SHOPPING CENTER THAT RECENTLY HAD BEEN 
BUILT THERE THAT CONNECTS INTO THE SYSTEM.
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS BEING 
MADE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE RAIL DOWNTOWN.
AGAIN, GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR, 
ABOUT 3:30 TO 4:00, WHEN WE HEADED BACK.
LOTS OF PEOPLE USING IT, AND A RECENT REPORT JUST CAME OUT 
THAT STATED THAT THEIR RIDERSHIP HAS -- WAS EXPECTED TO BE 
9,000.
IT'S BEEN CONSISTENTLY BETWEEN 15- AND 16,000 PEOPLE A 
MONTH, AND THE RIDERSHIP AGAIN ARE 72% ARE NEW RIDERS TO 
MASS TRANSIT, SO IT'S NOT LARGELY BUS RIDERS THAT ARE GOING 
ON TO THE RAIL, IT'S NEW RIDERS THAT NEVER REALLY USED 
THAT.
THEY TEND TO BE BETTER EDUCATED AND MORE AFFLUENT THAN BUS 
PASSENGERS, SO IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RIDER THE SYSTEM IS 
DOING, SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE VIEW THIS.
AGAIN, I'M WORKING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND 
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CHARLOTTE SYSTEM, WORKING ON THE 
TRIP, AND THE DATE WOULD BE OCTOBER 16th, WHICH IS A 
FRIDAY.
SO WE'LL BE SENDING SOMETHING OUT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS 
ON THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND THANK YOU.
THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY QUESTIONS?
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
RAY, DID YOU -- I WENT TO CHARLOTTE A COUPLE YEARS AGO ON A 
CHAMBER TRIP, AND WE GOT TO RIDE THE FIRST LIKE LEG.
IT WASN'T OPEN YET, BUT IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH 
MORE DEVELOPED.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  A LOT'S HAPPENED.
I SAW MY FIRST -- I CALL IT THE URBAN GUERILLA STYLE OF 
CARRABBA'S.
IT'S A CARRABBA'S BUILT THAT YOU CAN WALK TO, AND THEIR 
DELIVERY IS A THREE-WHEELED BICYCLE WITH A THING IN THE 
BACK WHERE THEY DELIVER FOOD TO THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD 
AROUND THE STATION, SO IT'S THE FIRST CARRABBA'S I'VE EVER 
SEEN LIKE THAT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  THAT'S GREAT.
I WANT TO GO BACK, THOUGH.
MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STOP ON THE POLK COUNTY-
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LINE, IS THERE NOT GOING TO BE A STOP 
IN PLANT CITY OR NEAR PLANT CITY?
THAT WOULD BE IT?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  NO.
WELL, THE ONLY STOPS ON THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL RIGHT NOW WOULD 
BE DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
THEN THERE IS A CHOICE IN POLK COUNTY.
ONE IS CLOSER.
IT'S NOT RIGHT ON THE LINE, BUT IT'S JUST OVER THE LINE 
WHERE THE POLK PARKWAY COMES IN EAST OF LAKELAND.
THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD BE.
THE OTHER ONE IS FARTHER EAST, KIND OF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 
LAKELAND OR IN THAT AREA.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT ARE APPROVED.
NOW, USF HAS ASKED -- THE CAMPUS IN POLK COUNTY HAS ASKED 
TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ONE WAY OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 
LAKELAND NEAR POLK CITY, BUT THAT REALLY ISN'T IN THE 
STUDY, SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVEN A REASONABLE 
CONSIDERATION.
THEN THE OTHER STOP IS NEAR DISNEY AND THEN INTERNATIONAL 
DRIVE, THEN ORLANDO AIRPORT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  SO AS YOU GO WEST, THEN, FROM THE -- 
ASSUMING WE DO GET THAT POLK COUNTY SHARED KIND OF STOP, 
THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT STOP IN HILLSBOROUGH?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THE NEXT STOP WOULD BE DISNEY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  NO.
IF YOU -- I'M SORRY.
YEAH, THAT'S EAST.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  EAST.
OH, I'M SORRY.
WEST WOULD BE DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
THE THING YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER ABOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL -- AND 
I'M TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY -- IT TAKES ABOUT 
TEN MILES FOR IT TO ACTUALLY GET UP TO THE SPEED.
IT'S NOT A TRANSIT SYSTEM LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIGHT 
RAIL.
>>MARY MULHERN:  IT'S NOT A METRO LINE?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  IT'S FAST, AND YOU CAN'T HAVE A LOT OF 
STOPS.
YOU'VE GOT TO CONNECT TO THOSE STOPS WITH OTHER TYPES OF 
TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE ONCE YOU START STOPPING IT'S NOT 
HIGH-SPEED RAIL ANYMORE, IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT -- I 
MEAN, THIS IS REALLY KIND OF ALMOST TO BE LIKE AN AIRPLANE 
WITH WHEELS KIND OF.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR COUNTY GETS 
AS MANY STOPS AS THE OTHER COUNTIES GET.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  RIGHT.
WELL, THE IDEA I THINK IS PRETTY MUCH ONE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  IT'S DISTANCE.
YEAH.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  YEAH.
AND DISTANCE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF RAY?
IF NOT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTION, I'LL GO AHEAD AND 
SEND THIS LETTER TO FDOT UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM 
THE BOARD.
>>THOMAS SCOTT:  SO MOVED.
NEED A MOTION?
SO MOVED.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT WE HAVE A STATUS REPORT FROM MANUEL SANTOS FROM FDOT.
>> GOOD MORNING MEMBERS, MR. CHAIRMAN.
MY NAME IS JEFF NOVOTNY WITH AMERICAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS.
I REPRESENT THE DEPARTMENT AND MANAGING IN ONE OF THE PD&E 
STUDIES THAT'S ACTIVE ON I-75 DOWN IN SOUTHERN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY.
MANNY SANTOS IS OUR DEPARTMENT PROJECT MANAGER AND GEORGE 
WALTON IS MANAGING THE ADJACENT SECTION NORTH OF US.
WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS BOTH OF THESE STUDIES.
TWO STUDIES ON I-75 ARE RUNNING CONCURRENTLY IN THAT WE'RE 
EVALUATING VERY SIMILAR ALTERNATIVES RELATIVE TO THE 
INTERSTATE SYSTEM ITSELF.
WE HAVE A SOUTHERN STUDY THAT EXTENDS APPROXIMATELY 25 
MILES FROM ARE MOCCASIN WALLOW ROAD IN MANATEE COUNTY UP 
TOWARDS U.S. 301 AND THEN THE NORTHERN STUDY PICKS UP FROM 
301 AND EXTENDS TO FLETCHER AVENUE FOR ABOUT 15 MILES.
THIS STUDY IS BEING DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL 
HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS THE SARASOTA/MANATEE MPO 
AS WELL AS YOUR BOARD.
IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM, WE'RE ALSO 
EVALUATING NEEDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TEN INTERCHANGES 
THAT ENCOMPASS THIS 40-MILE SECTION OF THE INTERSTATE.
IN ESSENCE, THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS IS LOOKING IN TO THE 
FUTURE AND THE ROLE THAT I-75 PLAYS IN THE STRATEGIC 
INTERMODAL SYSTEM OF THE DEPARTMENTS FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY 
ENHANCEMENTS AS WELL AS THE ROLE IN EMERGENCY EVACUATION.
WE'RE ALSO EVALUATING THE EXISTING AND PROJECTED POPULATION 
AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTHS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND THAT WILL -- 
ARE ANTICIPATED FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL AS THE TRAVEL 
DEMANDS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA.
WE ALSO ARE EVALUATING OBVIOUSLY THE NEEDS PLANS FOR BOTH 
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.
IN TERMS OF THOSE PLANS, THE SARASOTA/MANATEE NEEDS PLAN 
IDENTIFIES A NEED FOR TEN LANES IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF 
BOTH SIX GENERAL PURPOSE AND FOUR SPECIAL PURPOSE LANES, 
AND I'LL DESCRIBE THOSE A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL.
YOUR PLAN -- YOUR CURRENT NEEDS PLAN IDENTIFIES TEN-PLUS 
LANES FOR I-75.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT TBARTA IS 
EVALUATING IN TERMS OF THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM, AND THEY'VE 
IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR THE FUTURE HAVING MANAGED LANES THAT 
ARE ESSENTIALLY SPECIAL LANES ON THE HIGHWAY FOR BUSES AND 
CARPOOL VEHICLES WITH TOLLS FOR OTHER VEHICLES.
I-75 TODAY IS GENERALLY A FOUR-LANE ROADWAY WITH ABOUT AN 
88-FOOT MEDIAN.
THE RIGHT-OF-WAY WIDTH VARIES BETWEEN ABOUT 350 AND 600 
FEET.
I-75 IS ON THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM, IT'S ON THE 
FLORIDA INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, AND IT IS A FEDERAL AID 
HIGHWAY ROADWAY.
NOW, BESIDES JUST HAVING SIX LANES, THERE ARE SOME 
LOCATIONS WHERE THERE ARE SOME EXISTING AUXILIARY LANES 
THAT CONNECT INTERCHANGES AS WELL AS SPECIAL SERVICE ROADS 
OR COLLECTOR DISTRIBUTOR ROADS THAT RUN ALONG I-75 BETWEEN 
301 AND STATE ROAD 60, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE THAN JUST A 
SIX-LANE FACILITY THAT'S OUT THERE TODAY.
THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS ARE ENVISIONED TO CONVERT THIS 
SIX-LANE ROAD INTO WHAT WE'LL CALL A FOUR-LANE ROADWAY OR 
REALLY A SET OF SPECIAL USE LANES INSIDE OF THE GENERAL 
PURPOSE LANES.
NOW, GENERAL PURPOSE LANES ARE ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S OUT THERE 
TODAY.
THEY'RE LANES THAT CONNECT TO THE EXISTING INTERCHANGES; 
WHEREAS, THE SPECIAL USE LANES LIKELY BE MANAGED BY EITHER 
ACCESS CONTROL, TOLLS, OR VEHICLE OCCUPANCY OR TYPE.
NOW, SINCE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD OCCUR RELATIVE TO EITHER 
TOLLING SCENARIOS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS, WE'RE JUST 
LOOKING AT THOSE AS JUST COMPONENTS OF WHAT THE SPECIAL USE 
LANES WOULD BE, NOT SPECIFICALLY THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE 
ACTUAL IMPROVEMENTS OR THE ASPECTS OF THEM, SO WE WANT TO 
LEAVE THAT FLEXIBLE FOR THE FUTURE.
ACCESS BETWEEN THE SPECIAL AND GENERAL USE LANES WOULD BE 
ACCOMMODATED BY A SLIP RAMP THAT WOULD BASICALLY CONNECT 
THE TWO SETS OF LANES TOGETHER.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN LOCATIONS WITHIN THIS 
40-MILE STRETCH WHERE ACCESS WOULD BE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE 
SPECIAL AND GENERAL USE LANES.
NOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS AS A GENERAL 
TYPICAL SECTION, BUT WE'VE EVALUATED TWO DIFFERENT 
ALTERNATIVES TO IMPLEMENTING THIS.
FIRST IS WE'VE LOOKED AT WIDENING THE INTERSTATE TO THE 
OUTSIDE OF WHERE IT IS TODAY.
SECONDLY WE'VE LOOKED AT WIDENING TO THE INSIDE OF WHERE IT 
IS.
IN AN EFFORT TO MINIMIZE ANY RIGHT-OF-WAY NEEDED, WE 
RECOGNIZE THAT WE'D LIKELY NEED RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR STORMWATER 
MANAGEMENT FACILITIES, FLOODPLAIN COMPENSATION SITES, AS 
WELL AS INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENTS IF THOSE EXTEND BEYOND 
THEIR CURRENT FOOTPRINTS.
IN THE NORTHERN STUDY THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES ARE HIGHER WITHIN 
THAT SECTION, SO WE ANTICIPATE THE SPECIAL USE LANES MIGHT 
NEED AS MANY AS THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, SO IN 
ALTERNATIVE 1 WHERE WE'RE WIDENING TO THE OUTSIDE, IN ORDER 
TO KEEP THE FOOTPRINT WITHIN THE EXISTING RIGHT-OF-WAY, WE 
PROPOSE INCLUDING RETAINING WALLS ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE 
ROADWAY TO HELP RETAIN THIS FACILITY, AND THE LANES THAT 
ARE THERE TODAY, THE EXISTING SIX LANES, WOULD BECOME THE 
SPECIAL USE LANES, AND THE WIDENED ROADWAY WOULD BECOME THE 
NEW GENERAL PURPOSE LANES.
THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO SETS OF LANES WOULD BE A 
BARRIER SEPARATION WITH SHOULDERS ON EITHER SIDE.
ALTERNATIVE NUMBER 2 ESSENTIALLY WIDENS TO THE MIDDLE, AND 
IN DOING SO THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO KEEP THOSE 
SHOULDERS AND BARRIER SEPARATIONS BETWEEN THE SPECIAL AND 
GENERAL USE LANES.
THAT SEPARATION IS INSTEAD ABOUT A SIX- OR EIGHT-FOOT SPACE 
THAT WOULD EITHER BE FLEXIBLE SEPARATION OR PAINTED 
STRIPES.
WITHIN THIS SECOND ALTERNATIVE, WIDENING TO THE MIDDLE, THE 
EXISTING LANES THAT ARE THERE TODAY WOULD STILL REMAIN THE 
GENERAL PURPOSE LANES, AND THE NEW LANES THAT WOULD BE 
CONSTRUCTED IN THE MIDDLE WOULD BE THE SPECIAL PURPOSE 
LANES, SPECIAL USE LANES.
IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION TRAFFIC IS LOWER, AND WE ONLY 
ANTICIPATE THE NEED FOR TWO SPECIAL USE LANES IN EACH 
DIRECTION, SO THE INSIDE WIDENING ALTERNATIVE HERE 
ESSENTIALLY BUILDS THOSE TWO LANES TO THE MIDDLE.
NOW, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION THERE'S NOT AS MUCH 
DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE INTERSTATE AS THERE IS IN THE 
NORTHERN SECTIONS.
WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
ONE IS -- ALTERNATIVE 1-B IS SIMILAR TO THE NORTHERN 
SECTION WHERE WE HAVE RETAINING WALLS TO KEEP THE ROADWAY 
WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT'S THERE 
TODAY.
ALTERNATIVE 1-A IS ESSENTIALLY TO KEEP THE SAME BORDER 
WIDTH BUFFER SPACE BETWEEN THE INTERSTATE AND THE -- WHAT 
WOULD BE A NEW RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE TO THE OUTSIDE WITHOUT 
BARRIER WALLS, WITHOUT A RETAINING WALL TO THE OUTSIDE, AND 
WE OBVIOUSLY EVALUATED COST AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 
THAT -- THAT RELATE TO BOTH OF THOSE.
NOW, I MENTIONED THE INTERCHANGES.
DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION WE HAVE FAIRLY STANDARD -- 
WHAT WOULD BE SEEN AS STANDARD INTERCHANGES SPACED EVERY 
FEW MILES, AND WE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF 
IMPROVING THOSE INTERCHANGES IN THE OPERATION BY ADDING 
EITHER LOOP RAMPS OR EXIT/ENTRANCE RAMPS TO BETTER SERVE 
THOSE LOCATIONS, BOTH AT GIBSONTON, BIG BEND, AND STATE 
ROAD 674.
NOW, IN THE NORTHERN SECTION, THE SEVEN INTERCHANGES ARE 
VERY CLOSELY SPACED, AND INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL 
INTERCHANGES, THE TEAM LOOKED AT HOW THESE INTERCHANGES 
REALLY FUNCTION TOGETHER IN TERMS OF THREE DIFFERENT 
SEGMENTS.
SEGMENT ONE INCLUDED THE 301/SELMON EXPRESSWAY AND STATE 
ROAD 60, SECOND SEGMENT INVOLVED MLK AND I-4, AND THEN THE 
NORTHERN SECTION WAS FOWLER AND FLETCHER.
AND RATHER THAN GO INTO THE DETAIL OF HOW THE DIFFERENT 
LANES ARE CONFIGURED AND HOW THE INTERCHANGE ACCESS IS 
PROPOSED, WE DID HOLD TWO PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN MID-JUNE, ONE 
DOWN IN SUN CITY CENTER AREA AND ANOTHER ONE IN THE -- AT 
THE FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS TO PRESENT THE DETAIL OF THIS 
INFORMATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
IN TERMS OF FUTURE FINANCING, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE 
DEPARTMENT'S WORK PROGRAM DOES NOT CURRENTLY FUND EITHER 
DESIGN OR RIGHT-OF-WAY OR CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE KNOW IT'S IDENTIFIED AS A NEEDS PROJECT IN YOUR LONG-
RANGE PLAN AND NOT A COST-AFFORDABLE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT 
THAT AS WE EVALUATE THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM HERE THAT WE LOOK 
TO THE FUTURE AND TRY AND IDENTIFY THE BEST MASTER PLAN 
THAT WE THINK WILL COME INTO PLAY.
AND IN DOING SO, WE'RE GOING TO, ONCE WE COME TO A 
CONCLUSION AS TO WHICH ALTERNATIVE SEEMS TO MAKE THE MOST 
SENSE IN THE BIG PICTURE, BEGIN TO EVALUATE INTERIM 
IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BASICALLY SERVE AS BUILDING BLOCKS TO 
LEAD INTO THAT ULTIMATE IMPROVEMENT AT SOME POINT, SO WE'LL 
BE EVALUATING THE INTERCHANGES, LOOK AT SOME LOWER-COST 
IMPROVEMENTS, THEN THE FULL-SCALE IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'RE 
LOOKING AT HERE FOR THIS PROJECT, ADDING AUXILIARY LANES OR 
THROUGH LANES AS WELL AS IMPROVING SOME OF THE TURN LANES 
AT THE INTERCHANGES.
THESE LOWER-COST INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE PROGRAMMED 
THEN FOR DESIGN, LAND ACQUISITION, OR CONSTRUCTION WITHIN, 
YOU KNOW, UPCOMING PLANS.
IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, I INDICATED THAT WE HELD PUBLIC 
WORKSHOPS IN JUNE.
WE ANTICIPATE A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE WE'LL BE PRESENTING 
THE PREFERRED ULTIMATE OPTION AS WELL AS DISCUSSING ANY 
INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAY BE -- MAY BE DEVELOPED 
SOMETIME TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
AFTER THAT THE TEAM WILL COME TOGETHER, FINALIZE THE PD&E 
DOCUMENTS, AND THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION IN TERMS OF HOW WE 
COMPLETE THE PD&E STUDIES.
WE'VE GOT A PROJECT-SPECIFIC WEB SITE WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN 
ACCESS INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS PROJECT.
WE'VE GOT INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE PUBLIC 
WORKSHOPS AS WELL AS ITEMS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND IF YOU 
GO TO MYTBI.COM, CLICK ON FUTURE PROJECTS, AND THEN I-75 
PD&E STUDIES WILL TAKE YOU TO ALL THE INFORMATION RELATED 
TO BOTH THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PROJECTS AS WELL AS 
COMMON INFORMATION TO BOTH.
SO WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. SANTOS.
ANY QUESTIONS?
YES.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF WIDENING 
OUTSIDE OR INSIDE, IS THERE ANY IDEA AT THIS POINT WHAT 
WOULD BE MORE COST BENEFICIAL AND PROS AND CONS TOWARDS 
EACH ONE OF THOSE?
IS THERE ANY OPINION RIGHT NOW FORMED ON WHAT WOULD BE THE 
BETTER OPTION?
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TWO OPTIONS, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, 
THE COST RANGES BETWEEN -- IF YOU TAKE BOTH PROJECTS 
TOGETHER WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT $2- TO $3 
BILLION, BILLION WITH A "B," FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
THE ALTERNATIVE 2 IN TERMS OF WIDENING TO THE INSIDE, SINCE 
THE EXISTING LANES STAY WHERE THEY'RE AT AND CONSTRUCTION 
IS CONFINED TO THE CENTER IS LESS COSTLY BY IN THE 
NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT $4- TO $500 MILLION, SO AT THIS POINT 
FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE, WIDENING TO THE CENTER IS -- IS 
LESS COSTLY.
IT'S ALSO -- IDENTIFIES LESS IMPACTS WE HAVE TO WETLANDS 
AND OTHER SYSTEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE 
INTERSTATE SYSTEM.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  WOULD THERE BE ANY BENEFIT THEN -- WOULD 
THERE BE ANY BIG ADVANTAGES OF WIDENING TO THE OUTSIDE THAT 
WE WOULDN'T GET ON THE INSIDE?
>> WELL, THE DEPARTMENT'S DISTRICT 1 GROUP IS CURRENTLY 
EVALUATING INTERSTATE WIDENING DOWN IN MANATEE AND SARASOTA 
COUNTY, WHICH WE'RE ESSENTIALLY LOOKING AT THE SAME TYPE OF 
SECTION WHERE WE HAVE SPECIAL AND GENERAL USE LANES.
THEY'VE DECIDED TO KEEP THE MEDIAN OPEN -- MEDIAN SPACE 
OPEN FOR FUTURE TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT TBARTA REALLY HASN'T IDENTIFIED RAIL 
AS A FUTURE CORRIDOR WITHIN THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM BUT STILL 
IDENTIFY THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT ON THE OUTSIDE IF WE 
NEEDED TO, SO FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IN LOOKING AT INSIDE 
WIDENING, WHILE WE CAN -- WE CAN BOTH SAVE MONEY TODAY BUT 
WE CAN ALSO REMAIN FLEXIBLE FOR THE FUTURE.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THEN, IS THE 
INSIDE IT WOULD NOT IMPACT ANY TYPE OF RAIL SYSTEM THAT WE 
MIGHT DECIDE TO CONSTRUCT IN THE FUTURE?
>> IN TERMS OF RAIL SYSTEMS, WE HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH A 
DETAILED RAIL ANALYSIS, BUT EVEN TODAY, IF YOU WERE TO SET 
A RAIL CORRIDOR DOWN THE MIDDLE OF I-75, THERE ARE SOME 
AREAS WHERE GEOMETRICALLY, BOTH VERTICALLY AND IN TERMS OF 
THE CURVES THAT EXIST ON THE INTERSTATE, THAT THAT RAIL 
SYSTEM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SIT IN THE MEDIAN OF I-75, IT MAY 
HAVE TO CROSS OVER, SO WHILE PRESERVING THE MEDIAN FOR THE 
FUTURE TRANSIT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, A GOOD IDEA, IT MAY NOT BE 
PRACTICAL EVEN IN THE FUTURE.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>>DON SKELTON:  JUST FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CURRENT 
DEPARTMENT POLICY IS TO RESERVE 44 FEET IN THE MEDIAN OF 
ALL INTERSTATE PROJECTS FOR THE FUTURE OF EITHER HIGH-SPEED 
RAIL OR SOME TRANSITWAY.
AS JEFF POINTED OUT, THERE MAY BE SOME LIMITATIONS TO THAT, 
SO MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU'VE AT LEAST GOT THAT SAME 
CORRIDOR ON THE OUTSIDE, MAKING SURE THAT YOU -- YOU 
ACCOMMODATE SOME FUTURE TRANSIT OR RAIL CONNECTION.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
MR. WAGGONER.
>>JOE WAGGONER:  YEAH.
JEFF, DO YOU KNOW IF THE STUDY'S LOOKING AT DIRECT ACCESS 
AT ANY OF THE MAJOR INTERCHANGES ALONG THE ROAD FOR THOSE 
SPECIAL USE LANES?
I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT ACCESS AND EGRESS TO THOSE LANES 
HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES TO GET IN 
AND OUT, SO IS THAT BEING LOOKED AT AS WELL?
>> WELL, WE'VE -- IN THE NORTHERN SECTION WHERE WE HAVE 
MORE DIRECT CONNECTION OF -- OF FACILITIES LIKE INTERSTATE 
4, THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY, YOU KNOW, STATE ROAD 60, SOME 
PRETTY I'LL CALL IT TRANSPORTATION-INTENSE USES, WE'VE 
LOOKED AT AN OPTION WHERE WE MAKE A DIRECT CONNECTION AT I-
4; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO SPECIAL USE LANES THAT WE'D BE 
CONNECTING TO AT I-4 THAT WOULD BE COMMON TO THOSE THAT 
WE'RE EVALUATING ON I-75.
WE DID LOOK AT SOME LOCATIONS, BUT AGAIN, THE ACCESS THAT 
WE DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW IS REALLY BASED UPON A FIRST-FLUSH 
EVALUATION OF THE TRAFFIC AND NOT REALLY EVALUATING WHAT 
TYPE OF SYSTEM MAY BE IMPLEMENTED TO MANAGE THOSE SPECIAL 
USE LANES.
IF IT'S TOLL DRIVEN AND THERE ARE FACILITIES THAT -- SUCH 
AS THE SELMON EXPRESSWAY THAT HAVE TOLL CONNECTIONS, THEN 
ACCESS TO THAT FACILITY MAY MAKE SENSE AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE 
A TRANSIT-RELATED MANAGED USE WHERE MAYBE THE ACCESS IS 
MORE ATTUNED TO A FUTURE TRANSIT STATION OR LOCATION, SO AT 
THIS POINT WE HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH A DETAILED EVALUATION OF 
HOW WE CONNECT OTHER FACILITIES TO THE SPECIAL USE LANES.
WE'VE LIMITED OUR CONNECTION TO THE -- BETWEEN THE GENERAL 
AND SPECIAL USE LANES AT THIS POINT.
>>JOE WAGGONER:  BUT THE STUDY WON'T LIMIT THAT AS A FUTURE 
OPTION --
>> CORRECT.
>>JOE WAGGONER:  -- TO BE CONSIDERED?
>> RIGHT.
>>JOE WAGGONER:  YEAH, ESPECIALLY THINKING OF ACCESS 
BETWEEN ACCESS-CONTROLLED HIGHWAYS SUCH AS FOR SELMON AND 
OBVIOUSLY OTHER CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAYS, LIKE I-75.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
YES.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, ALL OF WHICH 
ARE -- ARE OBVIOUSLY KNOWN TO FDOT.
THANK YOU.
FIRST OF ALL, I -- I SUPPORT YOUR PROJECT AND THE FOCUS IS 
ENTIRELY CORRECT.
EVEN WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC FLOW NUMBERS, JUST WITH 
OBSERVATION AND THE KNOWLEDGE I HAVE OF WHERE THE TAMPA 
PORT AUTHORITY TRUCKS MOVE, THE PROBLEM IS NORTH OF 
GIBSONTON ROAD HEADING UP TO OCALA, AND YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED 
TO EXPAND I-75 AND PUT IN SPECIAL USE LANES TAKING INTO 
ACCOUNT THE HUGE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL TRUCK MOVES THAT 
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE GOING -- GOING NORTH AND OBVIOUSLY 
COMING BACK SOUTH AT SOME POINT TO TAMPA.
THE I-4 CONNECTOR CLEARLY IS DESIGNED TO FEED THOSE 
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TRUCKS RIGHT ONTO I-75 GOING 
NORTH, AND SO BY SOMETIME AROUND 2014, 2015 WHEN YOU GET 
THE I-4 DONE, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO NEED MORE LANES, 
MORE CAPABILITY FROM THAT INTERCHANGE GOING -- GOING NORTH, 
AND -- AND THEN IF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PROPERLY 
CONTROL AND MANAGE GROWTH IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF OUR COUNTY 
WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP IT PRETTY MUCH THE WAY IT IS 
AND USE IT FOR RESIDENTIAL AND CONTROL THAT, OF COURSE, AS 
NECESSARY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE EVEN A LONG-TERM NEED 
TO DO A WHOLE LOT SOUTH OF GIBSONTON ROAD.
KEEP IN MIND AGAIN THAT EVERYTHING THE PORT OF TAMPA DOES, 
ALL THE TRUCKS THAT MOVE GO NORTH AND EAST OUT I-4, THEY 
DON'T GO SOUTH, AND ALL THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, 
EVERYTHING IS OUT IN THOSE TWO DIRECTIONS, SO THAT'S WHERE 
THE FOCUS HAS TO BE, AND I THINK YOU'RE -- YOU'RE PROPERLY 
LOOKING AT IT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. WAINIO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
YES.
>>HUNG MAI:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
JEFF, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
ON THE BUILD ALTERNATIVE NORTHERN STUDY, MY CONCERN ON THE 
ALTERNATIVE NUMBER 2 IS THAT THE SAFETY BECAUSE YOU GOT 
ONLY SIX STRIPED LANE.
I HAVE A GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THAT IF YOU 
DON'T PUT THE BARRIER.
THAT'S THE QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
>> YEAH.
IN TERMS OF THAT ALTERNATIVE, WE ARE SEPARATING BOTH NORTH 
AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC, SO WHAT'S TODAY A GRASS MEDIAN 
WOULD IN ALTERNATIVE 2 -- WHEN WE WIDEN TO THE CENTER, 
THERE WOULD BE A SEPARATION TO SEPARATE BOTH NORTH AND 
SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE LANES, AND IN 
ORDER TO ECONOMICALLY LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE NUMBER 2 AND 
UTILIZE AS MUCH OF THE EXISTING PAVEMENT THAT'S THERE 
TODAY, WE HAD A LIMITATION IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE CAN 
INCLUDE IN THAT SECTION, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE LIMITATION 
POINTS THAT WE HAD.
THERE ARE FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT DO HAVE 
DIFFERENT TYPE OF SEPARATION OTHER THAN BARRIER SEPARATION.
THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO HAVING THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IN THAT 
THEY MAY MAKE EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS MUCH MORE 
STREAMLINED IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GET FROM THE GENERAL 
USE LANES TO THE SPECIAL USE LANES IN THOSE TYPE OF 
SITUATIONS, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT REALLY OCCURS RELATIVE TO 
TOLLING AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, THERE'S A MUCH GREATER 
USE TO BE ABLE TO SEND TRAFFIC THERE IN AN EMERGENCY 
EVACUATION SITUATION ALONG THE INTERSTATE IF THERE'S NO 
BARRIERS SEPARATING THOSE GENERAL AND SPECIAL USE LANES, SO 
THERE ARE DEFINITELY PROS AND CONS RELATIVE TO THOSE.
SAFETY IS ONE COMPONENT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT 
WE'VE CONSIDERED AS WELL.
>>HUNG MAI:  THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT AT THE 
INTERCHANGE OF GIBSONTON DRIVE AND BIG BEND THERE IS -- 
DURING THE PEAK HOUR THERE IS A BIG BACKUP, YOU KNOW, AND A 
LOT OF I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, REAR-END ACCIDENTS ON THAT.
ALSO, HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO LIKE THE -- THE 
[INCOMPREHENSIBLE] YIELD TURN IN THOSE, YOU KNOW, 
INTERCHANGE IF IT'S POSSIBLE?
>> WE'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS AT BOTH INTERCHANGES, 
BOTH OF WHICH -- WELL, AT BOTH LOCATIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT 
ADDING ACCESS RAMPS, WHICH WOULD -- INSTEAD OF HAVING A 
SINGLE EXIT -- SO LET'S SAY SOUTHBOUND FROM THE NORTH 
SECTION, SOUTHBOUND WE'RE ADDING A LOOP, SO THERE'S 
ACTUALLY TWO EXIT POINTS AT GIBSONTON, SO THAT WILL SPREAD 
OUT THE EXITING TRAFFIC, AND THEN AT BIG BEND WE'RE LOOKING 
AT ADDING RAMPS TO THE NORTH SIDE AT THAT INTERCHANGE TO 
ENHANCE BOTH EXIT AND -- AND -- EXITING TRAFFIC WITHIN THAT 
AREA, SO WE ARE CONSIDERING IMPROVEMENTS TO BOTH 
INTERCHANGES.
>>HUNG MAI:  THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. MAI.
COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  MR. WAINIO TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY, AND 
IT'S REALLY NOT PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT WITH REGARD 
TO THE TRUCK TRAFFIC, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT BEING GIVEN TO A 
DEDICATED LANE FOR -- FOR TRUCKS TO SEPARATE TRUCKS FROM 
ALL THE REST OF US?
>> THE INTENT OF THE SPECIAL USE LANES IN THE CENTER IS 
REALLY INTENDED FOR LONG DISTANCE REGIONAL TRIPS, AND WE 
ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THE TRAFFIC OUT ON THE 
INTERSTATE -- NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE LOCAL SERVICE OF LARGE 
TRUCKS BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TRUCKS GOING ESSENTIALLY FROM 
NAPLES ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO GEORGIA, SO THAT SEPARATION 
OF THE TRUCKS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED WITH THE SPECIAL USE 
LANES IN TERMS OF LONG DISTANCE TRIPS.
BECAUSE THE -- THE ULTIMATE USE OF THE MANAGED LANES OR 
THE -- MANAGING COMPONENT OF THAT HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED AT 
THIS POINT.
WE JUST WANT TO KEEP ALL OPTIONS OPEN IN TERMS OF ACCESS, 
BOTH IN THE SPECIAL AND GENERAL USE LANES, SO WE ANTICIPATE 
THAT TRUCKS COULD USE EITHER.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU, MR. SANTOS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
NEXT IS THE I-275 LANE CONVERSION, WADDAH FARAH.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I'M WADDAH FARAH FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND 
I'D LIKE TO BRIEF YOU TODAY ON -- ON THE I-275 CONVERSION, 
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT, BASICALLY ON THE STATUS OF I-
275 BETWEEN THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE AND DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
THE CURRENT IMPROVEMENT, AS YOU KNOW, ON I-275 IS THE 
CONSTRUCTION OF I-275 NORTHBOUND BETWEEN HIMES AND THE 
HILLSBOROUGH RIVER, AND --
>> WADDAH, LET ME HELP YOU WITH YOUR SLIDE SHOW.
IT'LL SHOW THE SLIDES NOW.
JUST HIT THE ENTER BUTTON.
>> ON -- ON THIS CONSTRUCTION ON I-275 WE'RE ALMOST DONE, 
AND IT WILL BE COMPLETE THIS MONTH.
AS WE LOOKED AT THIS, THE NEXT PROJECT IMPROVEMENT FOR THE 
I-275 SOUTHBOUND, THE FUNDING IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 2014, 
SO LOOKING AT THAT, WE NOTICED AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD 
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
WE WERE LOOKING AT THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC IN 2014 IS TO 
TIE AND UTILIZE THE I-275 NORTHBOUND, THE OLD ONE WE CALL, 
NORTHBOUND LANES AND CREATING THAT FOR THE SOUTHBOUND LANES 
WHILE WE CONSTRUCT THE NEW SOUTHBOUND LANES, SO BASED ON 
THAT, WE LOOKED AT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WE SAID WHAT TYPE 
OF TRAFFIC WE HAVE AND CAN WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
THE TRAFFIC ON I-275 DURING A PEAK HOUR, IF IT'S DURING THE 
A.M. PEAK OR THE P.M. PEAK, ROUGHLY IS AROUND 10,000 
VEHICLES.
IT RANGES BETWEEN 8,000 TO A LITTLE OVER 10, ABOUT 10-6, SO 
DURING THE P.M. PEAK IT'S A LITTLE LIGHTER, BUT IT'S ABOUT 
THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC.
SO IF WE UTILIZE THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC AND WE CONVERT 
THE EXISTING NORTHBOUND LANES INTO THE SOUTHBOUND AND 
UTILIZE THE -- WHAT TODAY THE TRAVELING PUBLIC IS USING AS 
THE SOUTHBOUND LANES FOR THE TURNING MOVEMENTS, EXITING 
MOVEMENTS ON HOWARD, ARMENIA, AND HIMES, OUR ANALYSIS 
INDICATE THAT IT'S ABOUT 1800 VEHICLES WOULD BE UTILIZING 
THIS EXIT.
THEREFORE, BASED ON THAT, THAT WOULD ALMOST GIVE US ALMOST 
A CAPACITY OF ONE LANE FROM THE THROUGH LANES ON I-275 
SOUTHBOUND.
TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON TYING THE WEST OF 
WILLOW AVENUE, PUT A SLIP RAMP IN ORDER -- WHICH IS PART OF 
THE MAINTENANCE, APPROVED MAINTENANCE, AND THAT SLIP RAMP, 
AS YOU SEE, IT WOULD -- IN THE PINK COLOR WOULD ALLOW US TO 
MOVE THE THROUGH MOVEMENT GOING TO DALE MABRY AND WEST 
BEYOND SUCH AS ST. PETE TO UTILIZE THE -- YOU KNOW, THE 275 
EXISTING NORTHBOUND AS THE SOUTHBOUND.
SO BY DOING SO, THAT WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
ELIMINATE THE WEAVE.
THE TRAFFIC WOULD BE MUCH SMOOTHER, AND FOR THE NEXT FOUR 
TO FIVE YEARS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD FEEL LIKE AS IF THE 
IMPROVEMENT WAS ALREADY DONE.
THE ARMENIA/HOWARD AVENUE ENTRANCE WAS APPROVED DURING THE 
MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC AS A LEFT-SIDE ENTRANCE.
IN ORDER TO ALSO IMPROVE THAT, WE LOOKED AT EXTENDING THAT 
BEYOND THE APPROVED EVEN 1500 FEET BY EXTENDING IT ANOTHER 
1500 FEET.
THAT WOULD GIVE US ABOUT 3,000 FEET OF ENTRANCE IN ORDER TO 
SMOOTH THE TRAFFIC AND ELIMINATE ANY WEAVE OR FRICTION.
THIS IS AN OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT, BUT THE BEAUTY OF IT IS 
THAT FOR THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS UNTIL THE IMPROVEMENT 
IS DONE, THE FINAL IMPROVEMENT IN 2014, AND THE 
CONSTRUCTION IS THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD GET THE 
BENEFIT OF ALMOST HAVING AN EXTRA LANE.
THE STATUS ON THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS ON I-275 IS THAT THE 
DESIGN IS ABOUT 90% ALREADY COMPLETE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION 
IS ANTICIPATED IN 2014.
THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE TOTAL COST IN 2014 IS ANTICIPATED 
OF TODAY'S DOLLARS AS 277 MILLION AND -- WHAT YOU SEE IN 
PINK, AND THEN WHAT YOU SEE IN GREEN, WHICH IS THE -- 
ALMOST WEST OF HIMES UP TO THE RIVER IS ABOUT 115 MILLION.
THE -- THIS OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT WILL BE FOR THE -- IT 
WOULD REALLY IMPROVE THE TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN THE 
HILLSBOROUGH RIVER AND HIMES, IT WOULD ELIMINATE ANY WEAVE, 
AND IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL COST TO THE TAXPAYER.
IT'S PART OF THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC THAT WE WERE GOING 
TO DO IN 2014.
WE WILL -- BASICALLY WE'RE REQUESTING FUNDING FROM 
TALLAHASSEE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE FINALIZING 
THE PLANS HERE AND ESTIMATES OF HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST.
ANY QUESTIONS?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY COMMENTS OR -- YES, MR. SKELTON.
>>DON SKELTON:  YEAH.
JUST TO REEMPHASIZE WHAT WADDAH HAS GONE OVER, IF YOU 
REMEMBER OUR ORIGINAL SCHEDULE FOR WIDENING I-275 BETWEEN 
THE WESTSHORE AREA AND DOWNTOWN, WE ORIGINALLY HAD THAT 
PROGRAM SO THAT THE PROJECT WOULD FOLLOW ONE AFTER ANOTHER.
WHEN THE REVENUE CHALLENGES HIT THE STATE, WE HAD TO MOVE 
THE WIDENING OF I-275 OUT TO 2013-2014, WHICH MEANT THERE'S 
GOING TO BE ABOUT A FOUR-YEAR, FIVE-YEAR GAP BETWEEN WHAT 
YOU'RE GOING TO COMPLETE OUT IN CONSTRUCTION NOW AND WHEN 
THE NEXT JOB COMES UP.
THE SEQUENCING WOULD HAVE BEEN AS YOU COMPLETE THE NEW 
NORTHBOUND YOU MOVE TRAFFIC ON TO THE NEW NORTHBOUND.
THE OLD SOUTHBOUND WOULD MOVE ON TO THE EXISTING 
NORTHBOUND.
YOU'D TEAR OUT THE OLD SOUTHBOUND, REBUILD, AND THEN SHIFT 
TRAFFIC.
WELL, NOW WE WERE GOING TO BE FACED WITH A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD 
IN WHICH YOU JUST HAVE THE PAVEMENT OUT THERE AND YOU'RE 
WAITING FOR THAT NEXT SEQUENCE, SO WE CHALLENGED OUR TEAM 
TO SAY WAS THERE A WAY TO UTILIZE THAT PAVEMENT, GET AN 
OPERATIONAL BENEFIT, DO THE NEXT SEQUENCE OF MAINTENANCE OF 
TRAFFIC, AND THAT WAY WE'RE UTILIZING ALL THE RESOURCES WE 
HAVE, WE'RE PROVIDING A GOOD BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC, AND 
IT'S REALLY -- WHEN THEY CAME BACK WITH THE COST ESTIMATE, 
IT WAS A FRACTION OF WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TEN TIMES WHAT THEY WERE 
TALKING ABOUT, BUT FOR $2 MILLION IT'S A TREMENDOUS 
BENEFIT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  GOOD.
ANY -- ANY OTHER -- ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
WE HAVE -- MR. COSENTINO WANTS TO ADDRESS THE MPO AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN.
NEIL COSENTINO.
FOR THE NEW ARRIVALS, I'M WITH THE CAMELOT FLORIDA AND -- A 
PUBLIC INTEREST THINK TANK WORKING ON TRANSPORTATION 
ISSUES.
THAT'S FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT JUST ARRIVED.
THE BEST WAY TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS -- 
TO QUOTE SOMEONE, AND THAT IS TO BUILD A MILE OF HIGHWAY, 
YOU WILL GO ONE MILE, AND TO BUILD A MILE OF RUNWAY, YOU GO 
ANYWHERE.
THAT WAS A QUOTE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF -- OHIO DEPARTMENT 
OF TRANSPORTATION.
FOUND THAT OUT RECENTLY.
WHAT WE DID WAS WE ADDED TO THAT, AND WE SAID IF YOU BUILD 
A NEXT GENERATION AIRPORT FOR FLORIDA FOR THE GULF COAST 
AND FOR THE CARIBBEAN BASIN, NOT FOR TAMPA -- WELL, TAMPA 
WOULD BENEFIT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NEW AIRPORT THAT 
SERVES THE CARIBBEAN BASIN AND ALL OF FLORIDA, SO IT'S -- 
THIS MPO IS ONLY A PART OF THAT BUT AN IMPORTANT PART, SO 
WHAT WE SAY, THAT IF YOU BUILD A NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT AIRPORT 
IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA OF THIS AREA WITH A TWO-MILE 
RUNWAY, THEN YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR PRODUCTS WILL GO NONSTOP 
TO EVERY DESTINATION ON THE PLANET.
THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE BUILDING WIDGETS, YOUR WIDGETS GO 
TO THAT AIRPORT AND YOUR PRODUCTION GOES TO YOUR CUSTOMER 
ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.
THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
RIGHT NOW YOUR WIDGETS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO ORLANDO, 
YOU KNOW, OR MIAMI IF YOU WANT TO SHIP TO ANYWHERE ON THE 
PLANET FROM AN AIR BUS 380 OR A FOLLOW-ON AIR BUS.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF JUST INFORMING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO 
AREN'T AVIATORS OR WHO AREN'T AWARE OF THE AVIATION FACTOR 
HERE.
IN REGARD TO MR. MILLER'S LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN, I JUST 
WANT TO -- I'LL BE READING THIS IN THE PERIOD AHEAD, SO 
THERE'S A THREE-PAGE LETTER, SO I'LL GET THROUGH PART OF IT 
TODAY.
BASICALLY, HE QUESTIONED OUR TERM USED OF OBSOLESCENCE AS 
FAR AS TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
WE NEVER THOUGHT -- ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT AIRPORT IS 
OBSOLESCENT IS WRONG.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY A GOOD AIRPORT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  PLEASE WRAP IT UP, MR. COSENTINO.
>> THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE.
WE'LL BE BACK.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE YOU GO ON TO THE NEXT 
ISSUE OF BUSINESS HERE, I'M GLAD THAT MR. COSENTINO JUST 
VERY BRIEFLY REFERENCED THAT LETTER SENT TO YOU AND CC'D TO 
ALL OF US AND TO HIM AS WELL ON JULY 23rd BECAUSE I THINK 
IN HIS FIRST PRESENTATION AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR AGENDA HE 
STATED THAT MR. MILLER HAD NOT RESPONDED TO HIM, AND I WAS 
GOING TO MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR THE RECORD.
IN MR. MILLER'S ABSENCE AND IN FAIRNESS TO MR. MILLER, HE 
DID RESPOND, AND WHETHER OR NOT MR. COSENTINO AGREES WITH 
HIS POSITION OR NOT, THAT'S -- I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO A 
HE SAID/HE SAID, BUT IN FACT, HE DID RESPOND, AND I 
APPRECIATED THAT COURTESY FROM MR. MILLER.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
OKAY.
ANY OLD BUSINESS?
ANY NEW BUSINESS?
WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING, AND I -- 
I'M SURE ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE HAVE A GROUP OF YOUNG 
MEN AND WOMEN WITH US TODAY FROM THE CAPITOL LEADERSHIP 
ACADEMY.
THEY'RE THE CLASS OF 2009, AND -- AND ANYONE THAT WOULD 
LIKE TO STAY, WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
WE'LL TAKE FIVE MINUTES, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK, AND MR. 
BADIR, AHMED BADIR, WHICH -- HE AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER 
FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, SO MR. BADIR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE 
SOME COMMENTS.
>> YES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR AFFRONTI, AND FOR ALL THE 
DISTINGUISHED OFFICIALS, I WANT TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE 
2009 CLASS OF CAPITOL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH IS A 
PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON AT UNITED VOICES, AND IT'S 
DESIGNED TO INCREASE YOUNG MINORITY PARTICIPATION OF THE 
POLITICAL PROCESS, AND ALL OF THESE -- WE HAVE ABOUT 60 
PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR.
IT'S A THREE-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FROM 9:00 TO 
5:00.
THEY'RE WAKING UP EVERY MORNING, GETTING HERE AT 8:30, AND 
THEY'RE LEARNING THINGS ABOUT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, THE 
FOUNDATION OF OUR GOVERNMENT, WHAT IT TAKES TO ESTABLISH A 
LAW, HOW AN IDEA BECOMES A LAW, HOW TO RUN FOR OFFICE, HOW 
TO ADVOCATE AN ISSUE OR CAMPAIGN.
TODAY'S FOCUS IS ON SO YOU WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE, SO WE 
HAVE CAMPAIGN MANAGERS THAT ARE TEACHING THEM WHAT IT TAKES 
TO RUN FOR OFFICE, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, AND 
THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT TALKING TO YOU, HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE 
YOU ARE TODAY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE FACING, AND 
MANY OF THEM EITHER WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE OR THEY WANT TO 
HELP OTHERS RUN FOR OFFICE, AND THE MESSAGE WE'RE TRYING TO 
SEND THEM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT, 
YOU HAVE TO GET INVOLVED, YOU KNOW.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE APATHETIC PEOPLE, AND SO THEY'RE 
REALLY EXCITED, AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND WE WANT 
TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO 
BE STAYING AFTERWARDS TO ADDRESS THEM, AND WE'LL BE HAVING 
LUNCH ON THE 26th FLOOR AT ABOUT 12:00, SO YOU'RE ALL 
WELCOME TO JOIN US.
SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANT YOU -- I WANT TO -- YOU TO 
COMMEND THEM FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND JUST GIVE THEM A 
ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR TAKING THIS INITIATIVE.
[APPLAUSE]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
MR. BADIR.
OKAY.
WITH THAT, OUR MPO MEETING IS ADJOURNED, AND WE'LL COME 
BACK FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO STAY IN FIVE MINUTES.
THANK YOU.


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