CAPTIONING OCTOBER 6, 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 OCTOBER 6th, 2009. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF INVOCATION. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] HEAVENLY FATHER, WE CONTINUE TO THANK YOU FOR SO MANY OF OUR BLESSINGS. WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US TODAY AS WE CONDUCT THE BUSINESS FOR THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. PLEASE PROTECT OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE IN HARM'S WAY FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. OKAY. IS THERE ANYONE -- FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILMAN CAETANO IS OUT SICK AND WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE, AND MR. WAINIO IS OUT OF TOWN. OKAY. SO IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON ANY -- ON ANY ITEMS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. WE HAVE RECOGNITION OF GENA -- GENA TORRES BY THE BPAC, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN. YES. GENA. >> CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M JIM SHIRK, S-H-I-R-K, AND I'M THE SECOND IN -- IN THE BPAC, BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND JUST RECENTLY GENA TORRES RECEIVED A PROMOTION, AND UNFORTUNATELY, SHE LEFT US, BUT SHE'S GONE ON TO BETTER THINGS, AND A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF HER CAREER. THESE A GRADUATE OF USF, AND SHE STARTED OUT AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND GOT INTO THE BICYCLE -- BPAC AT THAT POINT, AND THEN IN '95 SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE COORDINATOR THROUGH THE MPO, AND SHE TOOK THAT AND SHE'S BEEN -- SHE WAS THE BPAC COORDINATOR FROM '95 TO 2009, A LONGER CAREER THAN MOST OF US HAVE AT ANY JOB, BUT SHE'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB AT THIS ONE. HER FOCUS IN THE 14 YEARS WAS PRINCIPALLY ON THE BICYCLE- DEPENDENT COMMUNITY. THESE ARE PEOPLE, UNLIKE US, WHO RIDE BICYCLES FOR PLEASURE, RIDE BICYCLES FOR FITNESS. THESE ARE PEOPLE FOR WHOM BICYCLING IS LITERALLY A LIFE- AND-DEATH AFFAIR. THEY RIDE THEIR BIKE TO WORK, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER THEY HAVE TO USE THE BIKE TO GET AROUND, AND THAT BECAME A FOCUS OF A LOT OF GENA'S EFFORTS, AND JUST FOR THIS ALMOST -- THIS IS A VERY STRIKING APPROACH TO LIFE, AND, YOU KNOW, BEING CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR FELLOW HUMAN IS -- IS A PRETTY NICE THING, SO WHEN GENA LEFT US TO GO ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS, WE DECIDED WE'D RECOGNIZE HER WITH A LITTLE PLAQUE, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR 14-YEAR SERVICE. >> THANK YOU, JIM. [APPLAUSE] >>GENA TORRES: THANK YOU. THANKS. I'M STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT CYCLING AND WALKING. THIS DOES RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OF ME HAVING TO BIKE TO WORK EVERY -- YOU KNOW, ONCE A WEEK LIKE I'VE ALWAYS DONE. NO, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. I'LL KEEP MY SHARE THE ROAD SPECIALTY TAG, BUT DON'T CALL ME BIKE GIRL ANYMORE. WE'LL HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER MORE APPEALING NAME, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE IN CYCLING AND WALKING. I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMICALLY AND WITH THE MOBILITY. I THINK IT'S CRUCIAL FOR THE FUTURE OF TRANSIT, JUST MAKING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL -- ALL PEOPLE, USING DIFFERENT MODES, AND I'M HERE STILL WITH THE MPO AND I'M -- EVERYTHING I'M DOING IS -- I HAVE THAT -- THE -- THE BICYCLING, WALKING, I HAVE THE PASSION OF THE COMMUNITY IN MY THOUGHTS WHEN I'M WORKING, SO I'LL BE WORKING ON SOME SAFETY INITIATIVES AND SOME CONGESTION MANAGEMENT TOPICS. THERE ISN'T A CUTE LITTLE NAME FOR THAT, SO YOU GUYS CAN JUST CALL ME GENA, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY ENJOYED WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, GENA, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE PUT IN. IT'S GREAT. OKAY. CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT, JOE AMON. >> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS. LAST MONTH WAS A BUSY MONTH FOR THE CAC. WE HAD OUR NORMAL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9th. I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ACTION ITEMS VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE I WANT TO GET TO THE SECOND MEETING WE HAD, WHICH YOU'D THINK WAS A WHOLE LOT MORE IMPORTANT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT THAT WAY. THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. I'M GOING TO START OUT FIRST BY TELLING YOU PAT LEDUC, ONE OF OUR VERY ACTIVE MEMBERS, ANNOUNCED THAT THE CITY OF DETROIT IS BUILDING 3.7 MILES OF LIGHT RAIL LINE, MAKING TAMPA THE LAST MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA WITHOUT A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, SO WE USED TO COMPARE OURSELVES. WE USED TO SAY THAT IT WAS US AND DETROIT. NOT ANYMORE. NOW IT'S JUST US. ACTION ITEMS. TIP AMENDMENT, AMENDMENT TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED THAT ROLLS FORWARD FUNDS FOR TWO HART PROJECTS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEXT THAT BEGAN JULY 1st, AND IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE CAC AND PASSES TO THE MPO. THE 2035 LRTP DRAFT COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN, MPO GAVE US A DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRESS TO DATE IN UPDATING THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO 2035. INTERESTING ENOUGH, THEY DID ENOUGH MEETINGS WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTACT OR BE CONTACTED BY 4,000 CITIZENS TO GET INPUT. WE THINK THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER AND A GREAT EFFORT BY THE MPO AND ITS STAFF. THE CAC SUPPORTS THE DRAFT COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN AND RECOMMENDED FORWARDING TO THE MPO BOARD FOR APPROVAL. WE ADDED OUR -- THEIR INTEREST IN SEEING THE JURISDICTIONS REEVALUATE THE INDIVIDUAL PRIORITIES USING THE MPO'S LRTP AS A GUIDE. HAVING SAID THAT, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO -- WELL, ONE MORE POINT BEFORE I MOVE ON TO OUR OTHER MEETING. THE HART NEW STARTS. THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION ON HART'S EFFORT AT CONDUCTING AN ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS WHICH IS NEEDED TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL, STATE -- FEDERAL NEW STARTS FUNDS, AND WE WERE EXPLAINED THAT TWO CORRIDORS WERE BEING REVIEWED WITH A GOAL THERE OF ALIGNMENT OPTIONS THAT WILL UNDERGO FURTHER DETAILED ANALYSIS, AND SEVERAL OUTREACH EVENTS ARE PLANNED TO GATHER PUBLIC INPUT, ET CETERA. THE CAC IMPRESSED ON HART -- THE HART STAFF THAT THE COMMITTEE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME BACK IN 2005 AND 2006 DOING PRECISELY THIS, UTILIZING DATA THAT WAS ALREADY AVAILABLE, AND WE DISCUSSED THE ALIGNMENT, THE FUNDING SOURCES, RIDERSHIP, ECONOMIC POTENTIAL, ET CETERA, AND SO WE ASKED THAT A COPY OF THAT PRESENTATION BE MADE -- THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE TO THE MPO BOARD IN EARLY 2006 BE GIVEN TO HART SO THEY COULD SEE -- THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THAT PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, AT LEAST THE PEOPLE WE WERE TALKING TO, SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S -- THAT WAS GOING TO GO FORWARD. NOW, THAT BRINGS ME TO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. WE KNEW THAT THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE WAS BRINGING A REPORT. WE ALSO KNEW WHAT THEIR DEADLINES WERE AND DIDN'T THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE A MEETING AFTER THEIR FINAL REPORT CAME OUT, SO WE CALLED A SPECIAL MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE LAST WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th, TO SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS -- TO HAVE A BRIEFING AND THEN TO DISCUSS INSIDE THE CAC WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS WERE GOING TO BE. AT THAT WE WERE -- WE -- THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS GO BACK TO THE 2006 PRESENTATION THAT WE MADE TO THE MPO TO KIND OF TRUTH OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE WE KNEW WHERE WE WANTED TO GO. THAT'S WHY WE PREPARED THAT DOCUMENT FOUR YEARS AGO -- OR THREE YEARS AGO, I'M SORRY, THREE YEARS AGO -- AND BY THE WAY, PAT LEDUC IS IN THE AUDIENCE WITH ME TODAY. HE WAS THE CO -- HE WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE. SO WE LOOKED AT THAT DOCUMENT, AND AFTER LOOKING AT THAT DOCUMENT SO THAT WE REFRESHED OUR MEMORY OF WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE WANTED TO BE, WE THEN RECEIVED AN OVERVIEW FROM LUCIA GARSYS WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION ON WHAT THE TASK FORCE WAS FORMED FOR, WHAT DID THEY DO, AND WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS. WE SPENT TWO HOURS IN DISCUSSION ON THIS -- ON THIS TOPIC AND CAME TO A UNANIMOUS DECISION AFTER THAT DISCUSSION. IT WAS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION OF THE COMMITTEE. PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE 75/25 SPLIT, AND THE CONCERN WASN'T THE 75/25 SPLIT, IT WAS ARE WE WRITING SOMETHING IN STONE THAT SAYS THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO, AND IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO? WELL, WE HAVE SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT THINK THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN THAT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE COMMITTEE PUT UP A MOTION, AND THE MOTION'S HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT SAYS BASICALLY CAC SUPPORTS THE FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. ONE, A REFERENDUM FOR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS. WE MUST HAVE THE REFERENDUM. TWO, AN ONGOING 1% SALES TAX AS AUTHORIZED BY THE CHARTER, COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SHARE TAX. THAT BE THE INTENT. THIRD, RETAIN EXISTING REVENUE. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THERE IS AN AD VALOREM TAX THAT HART CURRENTLY HAS. WE THINK THAT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. AND TWO, THERE ARE TWO TAXES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE CAC'S TALKED ABOUT, AND I'VE STOOD IN FRONT OF YOU FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW WHEN NECESSARY AND HAD THE DISCUSSION. THERE ARE TWO GASOLINE TAXES OUT THERE. ONE'S A SIX-CENT SALES TAX, THE OTHER ONE'S A NINE-CENT SALES TAX. ONE SUNSETS IN '11, ONE SUNSETS IN '13, AND OUR BELIEF IS THEY SHOULD NOT SUNSET. THEY SHOULD BE VOTED BACK IN POSITION AGAIN AND KEPT. WE NEED THAT TO MAINTAIN OUR ROADS BECAUSE THE MONEY, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THAT IS FOR MAINTAINING WHAT WE HAVE, IT'S NOT FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, SO WE ARE VERY ADAMANT THAT THOSE TAXES BE KEPT AND THAT THE PLAN INCLUDES BOTH A TRANSIT AND NONTRANSIT COMPONENT, WHICH IT DOES, 75/25 SPLIT. SO WE ARE BASICALLY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDING WHAT WE ARE HEARING AND BEING INFORMED BY THE MP -- BY THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE BE BROUGHT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND THAT YOU HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE CAC. AND THAT'S BASICALLY MY REPORT THIS MORNING. I THINK THAT WOULD BE MY TIME. >>JOE AFFRONTI: DO WE HAVE ANY -- YES, MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE -- FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY TASK FORCE FOR TAKING THE BOLD STEP BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE TO US. I SERVE ON -- I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER SHARPE, AND WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT. SO FAR THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE -- I'M SORRY, SO IS MAYOR LOTT. HE'S ON THAT TASK FORCE AS WELL. WE'VE BEEN UNANIMOUS IN OUR DECISIONS AS TO WHERE WE'RE GOING FORWARD. I THINK IT WILL DO A LOT OF GOOD FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS COUNTY, AND NOT ONLY IN RAIL BUT IN ALL THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVING THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION BEHIND -- OR COUNCIL MEANS AN AWFUL LOT, SO THANK YOU. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. WE'RE BEHIND IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? JOE, I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE PUT IN. >> THANK PAT LEDUC AND HIS COMMITTEE AND ALL THE REST OF THE MEMBERS TOO. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YOUR WHOLE COMMITTEE. >> THEY WORK HARD. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THE NEXT IS THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, NED BAIER. >>NED BAIER: GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN AND THE BOARD. THIS IS YOUR REPORT FROM YOUR TECHNICAL STAFF MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 21st. THE FIRST ITEM IS A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM ON YOUR -- YOUR AGENDA TODAY, AND THAT'S THE TIP AMENDMENT, AND THOSE ARE FOR THE TWO HART PROJECTS THAT ARE EMPHASIZING CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS AND BUS RAPID TRANSIT. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED, THE MOTION MADE BY NADINE JONES AND SECONDED BY JEANIE SATCHEL. THE ITEM THAT WE SPENT SOME TIME ON WAS THE UPDATE OF THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND IN PARTICULAR -- THIS IS ALSO GOING TO BE PRESENTED TODAY BY MPO STAFF -- WE DID -- AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION WE DID APPROVE A MOTION FROM SHEILA MARTIN WITH BACS AND APPROVED BY STEVE GRIFFIN OR SECONDED BY STEVE GRIFFIN OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE CRITERIA USED AND THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD USED IN THE UPDATE OF THE PLAN UPDATE; HOWEVER, WE DID ASK FOR AND WE DID RECEIVE ANOTHER 30 DAYS AT OUR NEXT MEETING TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE SEQUENCE OF PROJECTS AND THE FUNDING SOURCES. THIS IS PARTICULARLY NEEDED BECAUSE OF THE COORDINATION WITH THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE PROJECTS AND ESPECIALLY THE SEQUENCING OF THOSE PROJECTS, SO THAT WILL BE THE -- THE BIG ITEM OF DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING. WE DID RECEIVE -- UNDER REPORTS WE DID RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM MR. ALAN SNEL, WHO PRESENTED TO YOU LAST MONTH, AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION, THE SAME ITEMS ABOUT HOW TO STRENGTHEN BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PROGRAMS WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND IT WAS A GOOD SOUNDING BOARD BECAUSE BEFORE US WE HAD DIFFERENT PLANNING DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS FROM EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS, SO I THINK THE WORDS WERE HEARD, AND EACH OF THOSE STAFF PEOPLE WERE GOING TO GO BACK TO THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT SORT OF CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE OR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD BE MADE TO IMPROVE HOW THEY - - THEY PLAN FOR BICYCLE TRAVEL WITHIN THOSE AGENCIES. WE ALSO RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM HEATHER LAMBOY ON THE I-4 CORRIDOR EMPLOYMENT STUDY THAT'S BEEN UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, ACTUALLY MOST OF THIS YEAR, AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT COMMENT WAS THAT WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A DETAILED TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THAT I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY, SO WE DID ASK THAT IT WOULD BE RETURNED IN 30 DAYS WITH A MORE EMPHASIS ON WHAT THAT I-4 STUDY HAS IN MIND IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PRESENTATION. AND FINALLY, WE DID RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM MR. JOE WAGGONER WITH THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND THE AUTHORITY HAS MADE LOTS OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND WE'RE -- THE COMMITTEE SEEMED TO BE IMPRESSED WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE AUTHORITY. IT WAS A LONG MEETING. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE REPORT ON HIGH-SPEED RAIL AND THE HART'S ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS, SO LIKE YOURSELVES, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S MY REPORT. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19th, AT 1:30. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, NED. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR NED? THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK, NED. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THE ONE WHICH IS THE TIP AMENDMENT, WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE, SO WE'LL HAVE WALLY GIVE A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE TIP AMENDMENT, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU. >>WALLY BLAIN: GOOD MORNING. WALLY BLAIN, MPO STAFF. THE TIP AMENDMENT THIS MONTH IS A ROLL-FORWARD AMENDMENT. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE FUNDS WERE PROGRAMMED LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND THE PROJECTS DID NOT EXECUTE THE GRANTS TO USE THE MONEY LAST YEAR. THIS MONEY WOULD ROLL FORWARD THEN INTO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. IT WOULD NOT IMPACT ANY OTHER PROJECTS, DOESN'T REDUCE REVENUES, IT'S JUST SIMPLY MOVING FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT THE MONEY FROM LAST YEAR INTO THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. IT'S ABOUT A MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR SO FOR HART. THIS IS FOR THEM TO EXECUTE GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED BY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS APPROVE THE MONEY ROLLING FORWARD FROM LAST YEAR INTO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, AND AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, WE DO NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, WALLY. ANY QUESTIONS OF WALLY OR COMMENTS? >> MOVE APPROVAL. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED. WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE. NOW, THIS VOTE WILL BE FOR BOTH THE MINUTES -- APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AS WELL AS THE TIP AMENDMENT. >> DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YES. >> BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YES. >> MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: YES. >> LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: YES. >> AFFRONTI. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >> SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: YES. >> FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. >> WAGGONER. >>JOE WAGGONER: YES. >> MOTION CARRIED. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS. ONE IS A 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS. LYNN MERENDA AND BETH ALLEN -- ALDEN, I'M SORRY. BETH ALLEN. I'M ALL RIGHT. >>BETH ALDEN: HI. BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF. AND LYNN MERENDA IS GOING TO BE TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PART OF OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AT OUR NEXT POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN BRINGING THAT FORWARD TO YOU AT YOUR NEXT BOARD MEETING. I'M GOING TO FOCUS THIS MORNING ON THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD. IT'S AN INTERIM STEP, BUT WE WOULD LIKE YOUR APPROVAL ON THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD, AS WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DRAFT COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN, SO WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH, THAT IT'S BASED ON THE SIX ADOPTED GOALS FOR THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, SUPPORTING ECONOMIC VITALITY, PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY, COORDINATING TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE, ENHANCING SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND PRESERVING EXISTING FACILITIES, AND WE USED TEN PERFORMANCE CRITERIA TO IMPLEMENT THOSE GOALS. THE WAY THAT WE MEASURED THOSE GOALS AGAINST THOSE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA WAS IN LOOKING AT HIGH CRASH AREAS, FORECASTS OF CONGESTION, FORECASTS OF TRANSIT RIDERSHIP, ACTIVITY CENTER LOCATIONS, AND SO FORTH. THIS DATA FOR THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD -- I PROBABLY MOVED FORWARD TOO FAST -- HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY REVIEWED BY AGENCY STAFF AT THIS POINT, AND THE BACKGROUND DATA IS ALL AVAILABLE ON THE MPO WEB SITE IN TECHNICAL MEMORANDA. SO HOW WAS THIS DATA USED? TO SCORE OVER 500 CANDIDATE PROJECTS FOR THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND YOU HAVE THE LATEST VERSION OF THAT PRIORITIZATION SCORING IN YOUR PACKET. AGAIN, THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE MPO WEB SITE FOR REVIEW BUT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT PRETTY EXTENSIVELY BY AGENCY STAFF. IT DOES REFLECT THAT OUR EXISTING PROJECTS, PROJECTS FOR WHICH THERE'S BEEN A RIGHT-OF-WAY PHASE, ARE A TOP PRIORITY. THEN THAT WE'VE REFLECTED PRIORITIES OF LOCAL AGENCIES FOR SALES TAX FUNDING, AND ADMITTEDLY THAT IS A MOVING TARGET, AS THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE CONTINUES TO CONSIDER PRIORITIES FOR THE SALES TAX. AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT PAGES IMPLEMENT THE WEIGHTED SCORING METHOD. NOW, WHAT WE'LL BE DOING NEXT WITH THAT, GOING INTO OUR OUTREACH PHASE FOR THE COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN, IS ASKING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON HIGH-PRIORITY PROJECTS, PROJECTS THAT WE PROPOSED AS COST-AFFORDABLE FOR EACH OF THE FIVE-YEAR PHASES OF THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND WE'VE BROUGHT THIS PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF AFFORDABLE PROJECTS THROUGH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN SEPTEMBER AND WE'VE NOW PROVIDED TO YOU AS A VERY PRELIMINARY DRAFT IN YOUR BOARD PACKET TODAY, AND I'LL GIVE YOU KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT CONTAINS. THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE USED TO IDENTIFY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS ARE IN THOSE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS, INCLUDING THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM, WHICH IS PRIORITIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND THOSE PRIORITIES WOULD THEN BE RATIFIED BY THIS MPO. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR FUNDING. THE OTHER ARTERIALS CATEGORY OF FUNDS WHERE SPENDING PRIORITIES ARE RECOMMENDED BY MPOs, FOCUSING ON MAJOR ARTERIALS. THE STATE TRANSIT PROGRAM, ALSO SPENDING PRIORITIES RECOMMENDED BY MPOs. AND FUNDS THAT COME TO THIS TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA, SPENDING PRIORITIES HERE DETERMINED BY MPOs AND ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD EVERY FALL. LOCALLY PRIORITIZED FUNDS ARE REFLECTED IN THE PLAN AS WELL. THROUGH COORDINATION WITH AGENCY STAFF WE HAVE MADE SOME CHANGES TO OUR ASSUMPTIONS SINCE -- JUNE I THINK WAS THE LAST TIME I TALKED WITH YOU ABOUT THE REVENUES. WE HAVE NOT ASSUMED RENEWAL OF THE GAS TAX IN THIS LIST OF AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. IMPACT FEES ARE A RELATIVELY MINOR SOURCE OF FUNDS. PROPERTY TAX IS GENERALLY NOT ASSUMED TO BE AVAILABLE. I THINK PLANT CITY DID TELL US THAT THEY THOUGHT A SMALL PORTION OF PROPERTY TAX MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN THE LONG- TERM. HART SYSTEM REVENUE FARES USED FOR OPERATIONS. AND FINALLY LOCAL OPTION SALES TAXES. WE HAVE ASSUMED IN THIS DRAFT LIST OF AFFORDABLE PROJECTS A 1% SALES TAX BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT REPORT FROM THE COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. SO THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF FUNDS. IN DETERMINING THE AFFORDABLE PROJECTS, WE ASSUMED ABOUT $6 BILLION OF THE REASONABLY AVAILABLE FUNDS. THOSE ARE THE BLUE AND GREEN BARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN. AND THEN WE'VE ASSUMED ONLY ONE OF THE POTENTIAL SOURCES THAT YOU SEE IN BEIGE UP AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, AND THAT WOULD BE THE 1% SALES TAX THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE MATCHED BY NEW FEDERAL AND STATE GRANT REVENUE, AND THAT'S THE ORANGE BAR. WE HAVE ASSUMED THAT THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THIS LIST OF PROJECTS. SO WHERE DOES THAT TAKE US? IN YOUR PACKETS WE DO HAVE, AS I SAID, THAT VERY PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF AFFORDABLE ROAD PROJECTS. HERE'S A -- A MAP BASED ON THAT LIST, AND WE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STAFF IN WORKING WITH THE TASK FORCE ABOUT SOME CHANGES THAT PROBABLY NEED TO BE MADE TO THIS MAP, BUT I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE IT WITH YOU BECAUSE THIS IS THE SORT OF FORMAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE USING IN OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. WE'D BE LOOKING TO PUBLISH A MAP LIKE THIS IN THE NEWSLETTER THAT WOULD BE COMING OUT END OF OCTOBER, BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER. SIMILARLY, AFFORDABLE TRANSIT PROJECTS. THE SPREADSHEET THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BOARD PACKET, IT INCLUDES PROJECTS PROPOSED BY HART, BY TBARTA, BY BAY AREA COMMUTER SERVICES, BY THE SUNSHINE LINE, AND SO YOU SEE PROJECTS ON HERE THAT YOU'VE SEEN COMING OUT OF HART. THIS PROBABLY LOOKS FAMILIAR AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS OUT HERE FOR AGENCY COORDINATION COMMENT AS A PRELIMINARY DRAFT BEFORE WE TAKE IT OUT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW. WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT WHAT OUR TRANSPORTATION SPENDING PATTERNS HAVE BEEN, AND THIS IS A DIAGRAM OF OUR STATUS QUO IN OUR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WHERE YOU SEE THE EMPHASIS IN OUR SPENDING HAS BEEN ON IMPROVEMENTS TO MAJOR ROADS AT ABOUT 83% OF THE FUNDS, AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE HAD GOTTEN OVER THE SUMMER AT OUR JOINT WORKSHOPS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR GREATER SPENDING ON SOME OF THE OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT A 50/50 SPLIT IN CAPITAL PROJECTS BETWEEN HIGHWAY INVESTMENTS AND TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECTS WITH A SMALLER FRACTION GOING TO TRAILS AND BIKE LANES, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, AND I.T.S. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, THOSE TEND TO BE LESS COSTLY PROJECTS ANYWAY, SO WE THINK WE CAN STILL MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE NETWORKS EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SMALLER SPENDING AMOUNT. SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR YOUR ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD, NOT THE ACTUAL LISTS OF AFFORDABLE PROJECTS YET. THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY ALL OF THE COMMITTEES, WITH THE POLICY COMMITTEE EMPHASIZING THAT SAFETY SHOULD HAVE THE GREATEST WEIGHT. IN THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD IT'S THEN FOLLOWED BY CONGESTION, ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, SECURITY IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY EVACUATION, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS. THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE, AND THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAVE ALL RECOMMENDED SUPPORT OF THE PRIORITIZATION METHOD, AND SO WE'D LIKE TO BRING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE DRAFT OF AFFORDABLE PROJECTS. AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO INTERAGENCY COORDINATION ON REVENUES AND PROPOSED SPENDING. WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CORRECTIONS OF FACT IN THAT SCORING METHOD IF THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS THAT ARE RAISED ABOUT THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, THEN, AS I MENTIONED, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR NEXT STEP IN THE PLAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. >>BETH ALDEN: QUESTIONS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY -- YES, KEVIN. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. BETH, JUST SO THAT I UNDERSTAND, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE -- LIKE THE WEIGHTED SCORES ON THE TRANSPORTATION -- ON THE PROJECTS LIST HERE, HOW -- THEN WHAT'S -- WHAT'S THE NEXT PRIORITY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE SEEING LIKE SOME OF THE NUMBER ONE PROJECTS DIDN'T ALWAYS GET THE HIGHEST SCORE. THEN WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT -- HOW ARE THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THEN ALIGNED AS FAR AS THE RANKINGS GO IF THEY DIDN'T GET THE HIGHEST SCORE BECAUSE I NOTICE LIKE THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT BREAKS ON HERE, LIKE THERE'S A BREAK AFTER ITEM NUMBER 24 AND THEN AFTER ITEM NUMBER 54, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST GO OVER ONE MORE TIME -- >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. SURE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: -- HOW THOSE PROJECTS GOT TO BE PRIORITIZED LIKE THAT. >>BETH ALDEN: THE PROJECTS ARE -- THEY'RE MOSTLY IN ORDER BY THAT WEIGHTED SCORE, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE IS TO SHIFT TWO TYPES OF PROJECTS UP TO THE TOP OF THE LIST, SO THE FIRST THING UP AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IS THE EXISTING OR ONGOING PROJECTS, PROJECTS THAT -- YOU KNOW, WHERE RIGHT-OF-WAY HAS ALREADY BEEN ACQUIRED, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANTED TO MOVE AHEAD. STATE ROUTE 39, FOR EXAMPLE, ALEXANDER STREET EXTENSION IN PLANT CITY, IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE. THEN THE NEXT GROUP OF PROJECTS IS PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS THEIR TOP PRIORITIES FOR NEW POTENTIAL SALES TAX REVENUES, SO WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO THERE IS TRIED TO REFLECT WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM EACH OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THEIR TOP PRIORITIES. THEN AFTER THAT IT FOLLOWS THE WEIGHTED SCORING METHOD. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YEAH. I GUESS I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED, AND THEN MAYBE YOU CAN GET WITH ME OR SOMETHING AND WE CAN GO OVER THAT. I MEAN, I JUST SEE LIKE WHERE IT STARTS LIKE AT THE TOP, LIKE A WEIGHTED PROJECT SCORE 3.44 IS NUMBER ONE, AND THEN IT GOES DOWN TO NUMBER EIGHT WHICH IS 1.17, AND THEN PICKS UP AGAIN AT 4.22, AND THEN I'M JUST STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ON HOW EVERYTHING IS PRIORITIZED BY THE WEIGHTED SCORES. >>BETH ALDEN: THERE IS A COLUMN BEFORE THESE SET OF PERFORMANCE CRITERIA COLUMNS THAT IS CALLED "ONGOING MPO PROJECT AND/OR RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUIRED," AND IF THERE'S A "Y" IN THAT COLUMN, THEN THOSE PROJECTS ARE UP AT THE TOP. AND THE NEXT COLUMN IS SUBMITTED TO OR DISCUSSED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. >>BETH ALDEN: SO YOU SEE THE ONES THAT HAVE AN ENTRY IN THAT COLUMN SORTED NEXT. IN THE COLUMN OF SUBMITTED TO OR DISCUSSED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE, WE'VE INDICATED THE SUBMITTING JURISDICTION, SO TA FOR TAMPA, FOR EXAMPLE, HC FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: I JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW TOO, WE'RE PLANNING ON TRYING TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT MONTH AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE LONG- RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THE DETAILED QUESTIONS ON THOSE ONE-ON-ONES. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. DINGFELDER, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YES. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT LOOKS LIKE -- PERHAPS LIKE THE TOP 50 OR SO WE AREN'T NECESSARILY GOING JUST BY THE WAY IT'S SCORED BECAUSE THEY'RE SORT OF GRANDFATHERED IN FOR VARIOUS REASONS? >>BETH ALDEN: THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. >>BETH ALDEN: WE GET DOWN TO ABOUT 250 OUT OF THE ABOUT 500 LIST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR FUNDING. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: RIGHT. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS THE -- THE CRITERIA AND THE WEIGHTING LOOKS LIKE IT'S A PRETTY GOOD METHODOLOGY, AT LEAST AT FIRST BLUSH, BUT WHEN YOU GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT, WHERE DOES THAT -- WHERE OR DOES IT FIT IN TO YOUR WEIGHTED -- YOUR WEIGHTED PROJECT SCORE? >>BETH ALDEN: IT WOULD BE A SUBSEQUENT STEP, SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS -- IT IS -- IT'S CONSIDERED IN HERE IN -- IN NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR A PROJECT, IF THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, SENT A LETTER OR ADOPTED IT INTO A COMMUNITY PLAN, THEN A PROJECT GETS EXTRA POINTS UNDER THIS METHOD, BUT THEN AS WE'RE TAKING THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC, WHAT WE'LL HEAR FROM PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOOD IDEA OR I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, AND THEN WE'LL BE REPORTING THOSE COMMENTS BACK TO YOU IN DECEMBER AFTER WE'VE DONE OUR OUTREACH AND WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO A PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE PLAN, AND WE'LL BE AT THAT POINT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN, THE PROJECT -- THE PROJECT SCORE ITSELF MIGHT CHANGE, OR WOULD IT JUST BE BUMPED UP OR DOWN BASED UPON THAT? >>BETH ALDEN: WELL, IF IT'S CORRECTIONS OF FACT, THEN WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE PROJECT SCORING, SURE. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: UH-HUH. OKAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MAYOR LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: THANK YOU. GREAT REPORT, BY THE WAY, BUT I GUESS TO EXPAND ON THIS, OKAY, A CONCERN THAT I KNOW THIS BOARD'S HAD FOR A LONG TIME IS THAT A PROJECT CAN GET STARTED AND THEN SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER THROUGH THE WEIGHTED -- THE WEIGHTED SCALE GETS LOST UPON ITS WAY BECAUSE IT TAKES YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO DO THE PD&E, MANY MORE YEARS TO HAVE ALL THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUIRED AND SO FORTH, AND THEN IT TAKES MANY MORE YEARS TO COME UP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS, AND ALONG THE WAY THE -- THE -- THE RATING AND THE SCALES CHANGE, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ON THE RATING YOU CAN GO DOWN THE LIST, WHEN EVERYTHING'S BEEN ACQUIRED, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN PAID FOR, JUST WAITING ON THOSE CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS. IS THERE A WAY THAT IF -- IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S SHOVEL READY, IT'S JUST WAITING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS, THAT -- I KNOW NOT ON THIS -- ON THIS REPORT HERE IT SHOWS THAT, BUT WOULDN'T THAT HAVE SOME TYPE OF WEIGHTING THAT IT WOULD JUST SIMPLY TAKE IT FROM A TWO OR THREE AND TAKE IT TO A FOUR OR FIVE TO WHERE IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S JUMPING, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE OF POLITICS OR WHATEVER REASON? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CONCERN IS, HOW CAN A PROJECT AT 1.4 JUMP A PROJECT THAT'S AT 3.5, AND I THINK THE REASON WHY IS IS THAT THE 1.4 IS SHOVEL READY AND THE 3.5 IS JUST GETTING STARTED? IS THAT ABOUT PRETTY RIGHT? >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. RIGHT. >>RICK LOTT: MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE SOME WEIGHT THAT GOES FOR A PROJECT THAT EVERYTHING'S COMPLETED EXCEPT FOR -- I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR WORK, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT TAKE SOME OF THE -- BECAUSE I KNOW FOR SIX YEARS ON THIS BOARD I'VE LOOKED AT THE SAME THING, AND IT'S TAKEN ME QUITE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THAT SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS HAVE A LOT MORE WEIGHT THAN PROJECTS THAT ARE JUST IN THE PD&E DESIGN STAGE. IS THAT TRUE? >>BETH ALDEN: AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO REFLECT THOSE PROJECTS. THAT'S BEEN EXPRESSED BY A NUMBER OF FOLKS, YES, THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE ABANDONING THE PROJECTS THAT WE STARTED ALREADY, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INVESTMENTS OF PUBLIC DOLLARS IN THESE PROJECTS, AND THEY WERE GOOD PROJECTS AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE. >>RICK LOTT: DOESN'T THE PD&E HAVE A SUNSHINE ON IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME WHERE IF IT'S -- IF WE DON'T GET TO CONSTRUCTION AT A CERTAIN TIME AFTER THE PD&E DONE, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN OR A PORTION OF IT? >>BETH ALDEN: YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DONE A PD&E MYSELF, BUT I UNDERSTAND WITH ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS THAT'S THE CASE. >>SCOTT COLLISTER: MAYOR LOTT, SCOTT COLLISTER, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THE PD&Es USUALLY HAVE A SHELF LIFE OF ABOUT THREE YEARS WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT ANYTIME THERE IS A DESIGN CHANGE OR CHANGE IN THE PROJECT, WE DO DO A DESIGN CHANGE REEVALUATION AND GO BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND UPDATE THE REPORT. THAT'S A REQUIREMENT THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAS PLACED UPON THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT ALL ALONG AND THAT CONSISTENCY IS MAINTAINED ON THE PROJECT. >>RICK LOTT: DOES THAT COST ADDITIONAL FUNDS? >>SCOTT COLLISTER: GENERALLY, YES, IT DOES COST ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO HAVE A CONSULTANT EFFORT TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT TEAM AND GO OUT AND GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. IT DEPENDS UPON THE SCALE OF THE CHANGE. USUALLY NOT THAT GREAT OF AN EFFORT, THOUGH, FOR US TO EXECUTE. >>RICK LOTT: I WOULD THINK A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PAST OF THREE-YEAR THRESHOLD, AREN'T THEY? >>SCOTT COLLISTER: THAT'S CORRECT. AND GENERALLY WHEN WE HAVE LARGE PROJECTS -- FOR EXAMPLE, THE LEE ROY SELMON CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR WOULD BE A GREAT EXAMPLE. WE HAD SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC FOR DESIGN CHANGE REEVALUATIONS, FOR SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS ON RIGHT- OF-WAY LIMITS, AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WHILE IT WAS IN DESIGN, SO WE GO AHEAD AND EXECUTE THAT TO MAKE SURE THE FINAL PROJECT IS CONSISTENT, THAT CONSISTENCY IS MAINTAINED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. >>RICK LOTT: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, IF I COULD, THAT THE BOARD SUPPORTS THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN PROJECT PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY, AND THEY BE USED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE LONG -- of THE COST- AFFORDABLE PLAN IN THE FUTURE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >> I WANTED TO ASK ONE QUESTION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. LET'S GET A SECOND, THEN WE'LL DISCUSS -- >> WE'VE GOT A FEW DOWN THERE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE'VE GOT A SECOND. OKAY. GO AHEAD, JOE. >>JOE WAGGONER: AS A TOOL -- THIS IS A TOOL MEANT TO BE USED AS AN ASSIST TO THE MPO AND PRIORITIZATION. I THINK WHEN YOU SAID YOU'D DO THIS ANNUALLY THIS BOARD WOULD BE LOOKING AT PRIORITIES OF PROJECTS AND APPROVING THOSE? BECAUSE IT COULD DEPEND ON STATUS OF PROJECT, IT COULD DEPEND ON SOURCES OF FUNDS AS WE SAW WITH THE STIMULUS PROGRAM COME UP. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WILL ALSO -- BEYOND ANY CONTROL WE HAVE -- JUMP A PROJECT'S ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD AHEAD, SO AM I RIGHT IN INTERPRETING HOW THIS WILL BE USED, AS A TOOL, NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL OF WHAT MUST HAPPEN FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT WITH THE PROJECT NEEDS? >>BETH ALDEN: SURE. EVERY YEAR, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING ANOTHER YEAR TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WE'D BE LOOKING AT THIS LIST OF CANDIDATE PROJECTS AND THEN WORKING WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WITH THE AGENCIES TO SEE WHICH ONES OF THESE PROJECTS ARE READY TO GO. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY -- YES, RAY. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SUMMARIZE FOR THE BOARD AGAIN THAT THESE ARE GUIDELINES. YOU-ALL HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON THIS. I WOULD ASK YOU TO REALLY LOOK THROUGH THESE PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, AND THAT WAY WHEN WE MEET WITH YOU, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR SOMETHING, WE CAN DISCUSS THEM THEN BECAUSE THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT THE PLAN WILL ULTIMATELY BE, SO IF THERE'S ISSUES, IT WOULD BE BETTER THE EARLIER THEY COME OUT TO DISCUSS THEM. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES. >>HUNG MAI: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I HAVE JUST TWO COMMENTS ON -- I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR ANSWER FROM, BETH. THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE, LONG-RANGE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, THE GOODS. WHY IT IS MAKING REASONABLE, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION, THE WEIGHTED FACTOR ONLY 8% AND ENHANCING GOOD MOVEMENT ONLY 7%? IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S LOW, YOU KNOW, SCORE. LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IT MOVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND GOODS, SO I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION OF THAT. >>BETH ALDEN: IT IS TOUGH TO DECIDE WHICH OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. THERE ARE TEN, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST DIVIDED THE WEIGHT EQUALLY, IT WOULD BE 10% FOR EACH. THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES WERE ALL ASKED FOR THEIR OPINION ABOUT THE WEIGHTING. WE DID A SURVEY AND THEN BROUGHT BACK A RECOMMENDATION TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE WITH BASICALLY AN AVERAGE OF ALL OF THE RESPONSES FROM THE MPO'S ADVISORY COMMITTEES INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS. EXCUSE ME. THE POLICY COMMITTEE THEN LOOKED AT THAT WEIGHTING, AND AT THAT TIME SUPPORT FOR ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF GETTING AROUND AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION WERE OUR HIGHEST WEIGHTED FACTORS, AND THE POLICY COMMITTEE IN REVIEWING THAT FELT THAT SAFETY SHOULD PROBABLY BE OUR FIRST, OUR TOP CONSIDERATION, SO WHAT WE WERE -- WHAT THE STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO DO WAS TO MOVE SAFETY TO BE THE HIGHEST WEIGHTED FACTOR AND THEN READJUST THE REST OF THE FACTOR WEIGHTINGS EQUALLY BASED ON THEIR PREVIOUS ALLOCATION, AND THAT'S WHAT HAS GENERATED THE WEIGHTING THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE RESOLUTION REQUESTING HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE PD&E. BETH. >>BETH ALDEN: OKAY. I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK HEADS-UP IF I COULD ON -- MR. MAI ASKED IF I COULD JUST GIVE YOU A HEADS-UP THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS LOOKING AT TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE MPO'S LOOK AT TRANSIT INVESTMENTS AND THAT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO -- TO WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND GIVE THEM YOUR INPUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE, EITHER THROUGH THE JOINT LAND USE WORKING GROUP OR THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS. THE OTHER PROPOSED ACTION ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS A PROPOSED RESOLUTION. IT'S ASKING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO CONSIDER MOVING THEIR STUDY OF THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE TO AN EARLIER DATE, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, AND THAT IS TO COORDINATE WITH THE RAIL CORRIDOR STUDIES THAT ARE GOING ON CURRENTLY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND PROPOSED TO START SOON IN PINELLAS COUNTY, BOTH OF WHICH LOOK AT RAIL OPTIONS THAT COME CLOSE TO EITHER ENDS OF THE BRIDGE. SO THE REQUEST FOR THIS STUDY WOULD BE TO CONSIDER LOOKING AT THAT RAIL CONNECTION THROUGH ON THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE AND TO SEE IF THAT STUDY CAN HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT SOONER SO THAT IT CAN BE COORDINATED WITH THE OTHER STUDIES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. IF ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE RESOLUTION, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SEND -- ACCEPT A RESOLUTION AS PROPOSED? >>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, BETH. >>BETH ALDEN: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THE FLORIDA HIGH-SPEED RAIL. RAY CHIARAMONTE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU. YOU PROBABLY HAVE FOLLOWED A LITTLE BIT OF THE PRESS OVER THE LAST WEEKEND ON HIGH-SPEED RAIL. THE SUBMISSION WAS TURNED IN TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT I BELIEVE YESTERDAY ACTUALLY FORMALLY, AND AGAIN, WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION TO -- TO ACCESS SOME OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE DECISION WILL BE MADE IN DECEMBER. AGAIN, JUST TO REMIND YOU THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS. ONE IS THE TAMPA-ORLANDO-MIAMI, WITH CONSTRUCTION FOR TAMPA-ORLANDO AND ENGINEERING FOR ORLANDO-MIAMI. THEN THERE'S AN EAST COAST UPGRADE IN AMTRAK SERVICE, WHICH IS IN ANOTHER TRACK OF THE STIMULUS MONEY, IT'S NOT DIRECTLY COMPETING AGAINST THE TAMPA-ORLANDO ROUTE, AND THAT IS TO INCREASE SERVICE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO MIAMI. AND THEN THERE IS A CENTRAL FLORIDA PASSENGER RAIL CORRIDOR, WHICH AGAIN FALLS IN TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THE APPLICATION. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF IN THE WAITING GAME TO SEE -- TO SEE HOW FLORIDA FARES. AGAIN, WE HAVE THE MOST ENGINEERING DONE OF ANY STATE OR ANY PROJECT. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP US COMPETE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST WAITING TILL DECEMBER TO SEE WHAT DECISION IS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY -- ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OF MR. CHIARAMONTE? OKAY. IF NOT, HART NEW -- NEW STARTS, MARY SHAVALIER. >>MARY SHAVALIER: GOOD MORNING. I'M MARY SHAVALIER WITH HART, AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON THIS VERY EXCITING AND FAST-MOVING PROJECT. THE HART -- HART BOARD APPROVED AN ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS STUDY THREE MONTHS AGO, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS TO LOOK AT THE TWO CORRIDORS, DOWNTOWN TAMPA UP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA AREA, AND DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE, LOOK AT VARIOUS TRANSIT OPTIONS AND TRY TO PICK THE OPTION THAT BEST ADDRESSED THE NEEDS, BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. TODAY -- OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS WE'VE BEEN DOING LOTS OF TECHNICAL WORK, LOTS OF COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, AND A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON SOME OF THE FINDINGS AND INFORMATION GATHERED OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS. WHY DO WE NEED A PROJECT IN BOTH THESE TWO KEY CORRIDORS? WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE MOBILITY NEEDS, YOU KNOW, GIVE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO HELP PEOPLE TRAVEL IN THESE CORRIDORS. THE ACTIVITY CENTERS, DOWNTOWN, WESTSHORE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA AREA ARE OUR LARGEST ACTIVITY CENTERS, OUR LARGEST EMPLOYMENT CENTERS. LAND USE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE BEING ADDRESSED BY THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE MPO, TRYING TO CHANGE THAT PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT SO IT'S EASIER TO SERVE BY -- ESPECIALLY BY TRANSIT, EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND. THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT TRANSIT. A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND A NUMBER -- A LOT OF HART'S EXISTING RIDERS DO NOT HAVE OTHER OPTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE FOR -- FOR THESE PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S A DISABILITY ISSUE OR AN INCOME ISSUE, THAT THEY HAVE MORE CHOICES, AND WE ALSO WANT TO HELP PICK CHOICES THAT ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF OUR AREA. THERE'S LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT GOING INTO NONATTAINMENT FOR OUR AIR QUALITY. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER CHOICES BESIDES AUTOMOBILE TRAVEL. AND THIS GRAPH IS HIGHLIGHTING, LOOKING AT GROWTH PROJECTIONS AND HOW MUCH -- HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE CORRIDORS BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. THE STUDY AREA THEN HAS -- IS PROJECTED TO GROW FASTER, BOTH IN POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT, THAN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, PROJECTED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION FIGURES TO GROW BY 81% IN POPULATION AND BY 77% IN EMPLOYMENT. SO THESE CORRIDORS AGAIN ARE VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW FOR A NUMBER OF OUR PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE LIVING AND THE JOBS AND WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT OVER THE FUTURE. AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF DENSITY? DENSITY'S VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT, BOTH THE POPULATION DENSITY AND THE EMPLOYMENT. TRANSIT WORKS BETTER WHEN THERE'S MORE CONCENTRATIONS OF PEOPLE BOTH AT THE HOME END AND AT THE WORK END. OUR CORRIDORS, THEN, YOU CAN SEE POPULATION, MUCH HIGHER DENSITIES IN BOTH THE NORTHEAST AND WEST CORRIDOR THAN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THE EMPLOYMENT AS WELL, THE NORTHEAST AND THE WEST CORRIDOR. THAT WEST CORRIDOR FROM DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE REALLY JUMPS OUT, BOTH NOW AND THE FUTURE, FOR WHERE THE JOBS ARE. TRAVEL PATTERNS. AGAIN, BOTH OF THESE CORRIDORS ARE -- ARE VERY IMPORTANT TODAY. IF YOU DRIVE, YOU KNOW, THE CONGESTION, THE -- THE MORE CONCENTRATED LINES GOING UP TO USF TO DOWNTOWN AND OVER TO WESTSHORE, AND THEY'RE PROJECTED FOR CONTINUED GROWTH IN THOSE TRAVEL PATTERNS. 43% OF ALL THE TRIPS GOING ON IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE WITHIN -- TO, FROM, OR WITHIN THOSE STUDY CORRIDORS, SO I THINK THIS REALLY ENHANCES THAT WE'VE PICKED SOME VERY IMPORTANT CORRIDORS TO TRY TO ADDRESS WITH THE TRANSIT ISSUES. AND UNMET DEMAND, THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE -- THE CONGESTION AND THE NEED FOR TRAVEL. AGAIN, BOTH CORRIDORS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE HAVE A LOT OF THAT TRAVEL AND A LOT OF THAT CONGESTION. WHAT ARE OUR GOALS FOR OUR PROJECT, YOU KNOW, OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVE. AGAIN, THAT LAND USE, THAT GROWTH PATTERN IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT TRANSIT, TRY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE LAND USE AND STRUCTURE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, A MORE -- MORE EASILY SERVED DEVELOPMENT PATTERN. ALSO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PICK A PROJECT THAT IS COST-EFFECTIVE, THAT THE BENEFITS REALLY ARE JUSTIFIED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE COSTS, INCLUDING THOSE IMPORTANT OPERATING AND CAPITAL COSTS. AND THEN QUALITY OF LIFE, THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR A LOT AS WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY A LOT. THEY WANT OTHER CHOICES, WHETHER -- RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE OR THEY EVEN -- A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT THAT CHOICE. THEY HAVE TWO CARS, BUT THEY -- YOU KNOW, THEY WANT ANOTHER OPTION TO DRIVING. HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT TRYING TO LOOK AT ALL OUR VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES AND TO GET IT DOWN TO ONE ALTERNATIVE FOR EACH CORRIDOR? AT THE END OF THIS PROJECT, WE -- OUR CHALLENGE IS TO PICK THE BEST ALTERNATIVE IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, WHAT SHOULD IT BE, SHOULD IT BE MORE BUS SERVICE, SHOULD IT BE A HIGHER FORM OF BUS SERVICE SUCH AS BUS RAPID TRANSIT, OR SHOULD IT BE LIGHT RAIL, AND WHERE ALSO SHOULD THAT -- WHERE SHOULD THOSE PROJECTS GO ON BOTH CORRIDORS. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THEN STARTING WITH THE LONG LIST OF ALTERNATIVES AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY TRY TO SCREEN THOSE ALTERNATIVES DOWN AND TO TRY TO GET TO A SMALLER NUMBER THAT WE CAN REALLY DO THE MORE DETAILED WORK ON IT. I'LL JUST TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT QUICKLY. WE ARE IN SCREEN ONE, OUR INITIAL SCREEN RIGHT NOW. WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING FROM TRYING TO PICK ALTERNATIVES, AGAIN, THAT ARE CONNECTING OUR -- OUR KEY DESTINATION, CONNECTING SOME OF THOSE IMPORTANT JOB AREAS, THE COMMUNITY -- COMMUNITY AREAS SUCH AS THE REVITALIZATION AREAS, SO WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT UP THE DOTS. WE WANT TO LOOK AT DOES THE PROJECT HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT, DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S HELPING THE LAND USE EFFECTS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, AND IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF THE POLICIES AND PLANS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ADOPTED. AS WE GO LATER IN THE PROJECT, THEN, THAT IS WHEN WE'LL HAVE BETTER TOOLS AVAILABLE TO EVALUATE THE ALTERNATIVES. LATER ON IN THE PROJECT WE'LL BE GETTING THAT MODEL IN BETTER SHAPE AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE ALTERNATIVES FOR BOTH THE RIDERSHIP AND THE TRAVEL TIME. SO IN THIS VERY FIRST INITIAL SCREENING, WE WANT TO WEED OUT ANY PROJECTS THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY SERVE SOME OF THOSE KEY ATTRACTION AREAS OR HAVE SOME OF THAT TRAVEL TIME ISSUE. AGAIN -- SORRY. AND THAT'S JUST AGAIN -- AS WE GO FURTHER ON IN THE PROJECT, WE'LL HAVE SOME OF THAT MORE IMPORTANT TECHNICAL DATA. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL OUR SPAGHETTI MAP. THIS IS WHAT WE'VE TRIED -- WE'VE TALKED TO LOTS OF COMMUNITIES, THE AGENCIES -- TRIED TO PUT A GREEN LINE WHEREVER WE FEEL THAT THE PROJECT CAN GO, SORT OF A SPAGHETTI MAP, HOW DO WE GET FROM BOTH THE NORTH AREA, USF AREA, HOW DO WE BRING IT DOWN TO THE DOWNTOWN, AND THEN OVER TO WESTSHORE, SO WE HAVE WITHIN THAT CORRIDOR SEVERAL LINES OF WHERE THE PROJECT COULD GO. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW IN THIS STAGE IS TO LINK UP SOME OF THOSE GREEN LINES AND PRESENT SOME VARIOUS END-TO- END ALTERNATIVES THAT AGAIN ARE TRYING TO SERVE THOSE IMPORTANT MARKETS, AND ALSO, WE'VE TRIED TO SHOW THAT THOSE PROJECTS CAN BE OPERATED. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS HERE, AND I THINK I CAN BEST SAY IT AS OUR CONSULTANT DESCRIBES IT. HE CALLS THESE A FRANKENSTEIN APPROACH. SHOWING LOTS OF DIFFERENT GREEN LINES HERE, WE CAN COMBINE THEM DIFFERENTLY, TAKE AN ARM OR A LEG, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENTLY, BUT AS LONG AS WE'VE COVERED SOME OF THESE KEY AREAS, WE CAN COMBINE THESE SEPARATELY LATER. SO IN THAT NORTHEAST CORRIDOR FROM THE USF DOWN TO THE DOWNTOWN, THIS OPTION IS GOING ALONG BRUCE B. DOWNS, AROUND SKIPPER ROAD, GOING DOWN TO BUSCH ON 30th STREET, AND THEN IT'S ON-STREET ON 22nd STREET, INTO THE YBOR AREA, AND THEN INTO THE DOWNTOWN. THAT WOULD ALL BE ON -- ON-STREET ALIGNMENT. THE SECOND CONCEPT IS TAKING IT AGAIN FROM BRUCE B. DOWNS, DOWN 30th STREET. IT WOULD GO WEST ON BUSCH AND THEN INTO THE DOWNTOWN ON NEBRASKA. THE THIRD LINE IS A VARIATION OF THAT. IT'S GOING WEST ON FLETCHER AND THEN DOWN FLORIDA AVENUE AND CENTRAL AVENUE INTO THE DOWNTOWN. ANOTHER OPTION IS GOING ON -- USING FLETCHER OVER TO THE I- 275 AND AS WELL COMBINING WITH CENTRAL. AND THEN THIS IS THE -- THIS IS THE -- THE CSX ALTERNATIVE. IT'S A VARIATION OF THE CSX ALTERNATIVE. THE CSX IS COMING THROUGH YBOR AND THEN GOING UP ON THAT DIAGONAL LINE. THIS TAKES IT OVER -- INSTEAD OF ALONG FOWLER WHERE THE PREVIOUS ALTERNATIVE -- LOCAL PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WAS, IT WOULD TAKE IT ALONG FLETCHER AND THEN UP BRUCE B. DOWNS. THIS IS JUST A COMBINATION OF NEBRASKA AND FLORIDA, TO TAKE IT THAT NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION, IN ON FOWLER AVENUE, AND THEN UP ON BRUCE B. DOWNS TOO. AND THEN FINALLY, THIS WAS THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE. THIS WAS THE ALTERNATIVE THAT THE -- THE HART BOARD ADOPTED IN 2002. IT WAS AGAIN ON BRUCE B. DOWNS FROM NORTH OF USF. THERE WAS A RAIL LINE ON -- SOUTH OF FOWLER, AND THEN IT CAME DOWN THE CSX WITH NEW TRACKS ON THAT -- THE CSX DOWN TO YBOR, AND THEN IT WAS SHARING THE CSX TRACKS INTO THE DOWNTOWN. IN TERMS OF THE -- THE WEST CORRIDOR, SEVERAL OPTIONS WERE DEVELOPED. THIS OPTION IS STARTING -- ACTUALLY, THIS OPTION STARTS AT -- THE AREN'T WAS VERY GENEROUS, AND WE'VE GOT A LEASE FOR A BUS TRANSFER CENTER AT O'BRIEN AND SPRUCE. IT'S RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THIS OPTION TAKES IT FROM THAT PROPERTY, THAT TRANSFER CENTER, IT TAKES IT THEN ALONG SPRUCE, DOWN WESTSHORE, STRAIGHT ACROSS CYPRESS AND CASS, AND THEN INTO THE DOWNTOWN ON THE CASS STREET BRIDGE. THIS OPTION WAS DEVELOPED TO TRY TO LOOK AT TWO LINKS THAT WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY LOOKED AT, A LINK GOING DOWN TO WESTSHORE MALL, YOU KNOW, SOUTH OF THE I-275, AND OVER -- IT WOULD EXTEND ON CYPRESS, AND THEN IT'S TAKING THAT LINE SORT OF INTO THE SOUTH PART OF THE DOWNTOWN VIA THE ONE-WAY PAIR OF CLEVELAND AND PLATT. WHAT ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS ALTERNATIVE, IT WOULD BRING THAT ALTERNATIVE AGAIN INTO THE DOWNTOWN WHERE SOME OF THE KEY ATTRACTIONS ARE. IT WOULD HOOK UNDER THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT WOULD SERVE THE ST. PETE TIMES FORUM, AND IT ALSO COULD CIRCULATE THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN UP TO THE NORTH AREA, SO THAT IS A VARIATION, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE TO LOOK AT. THIS OPTION IS JUST A VARIATION OF THAT, BUT IT'S BRINGING IT THROUGH THE NORTH END UP TO THE -- AGAIN TO SPRUCE STREET AND TO THE AIRPORT CONNECTION. THIS OPTION IS -- IS LOOKING AT WHAT IS IT -- HOW WOULD THE PROJECT OPERATE ON 275, INTERSTATE 275. THERE'LL BE VARIATIONS OF THIS OPTION. WE'VE COORDINATED CLOSELY WITH FDOT AND BEEN HEARING ABOUT THEIR PLANS TO -- AGAIN TO HAVE THAT MEDIAN AVAILABLE FOR TRANSIT FROM THE DOWNTOWN TO HIMES AREA, SO WE'LL BE STUDYING THIS OPTION AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DEVELOP THE PROJECT IN THE MEDIAN FROM HIMES STREET TO THE WEST. AND ANOTHER INTERESTING PROJECT ALTERNATIVE HERE IS TO TAKE IT ON KENNEDY, KENNEDY INTO THE DOWNTOWN AGAIN, CHALLENGING FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY ISSUES. AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE HART BOARD IN 2002. THAT -- THAT ALIGNMENT WENT FROM SPRUCE STREET DOWN TRASK, ALONG CYPRESS, AND THEN IT HAD A LITTLE -- IT HEADED NORTH ALONG MAIN STREET AND THEN INTO THE DOWNTOWN ON THE CASS STREET BRIDGE. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS RULE OUT ANYTHING RIGHT AWAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WE'VE LOOKED AT 40th STREET, BUT TAKING THIS PROJECT FROM - - FROM BRUCE B. DOWNS AREA AND THEN VEERING OVER TO THE EAST ON 40th STREET WOULD BE SOME CHALLENGE -- CHALLENGES, BOTH WITH TRAVEL TIME AND THERE'S SOME COMMUNITY ISSUES AND RIGHT-OF-WAY ISSUES ON THAT 40th STREET CORRIDOR. THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA TALKED TO US. THEY CAME OUT TO OUR INFORMATION CENTER AND WE'VE DISCUSSING WITH THEM. THEY WOULD PREFER AN ALIGNMENT ON THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSITY ON BRUCE B. DOWNS, AS THEY FEEL THERE'S SOME VERY IMPORTANT MEDICAL FACILITIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR THAT THEY FEEL THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SERVE. THERE'S PIECES OF THE ALIGNMENT DOWN ON SWANN. SWANN WAS VERY WEST -- OR VERY SOUTH END OF OUR WESTERN CORRIDOR. THERE'S SOME ISSUES THERE WITH BOTH TRAVEL TIME AND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES. WE'LL BE GOING TO THE HART BOARD ON OCTOBER 19th AND TALKING TO THEM IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THESE PIECES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO DROP. JUST WANTED TO TALK REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT LAND USE. LAND USE IS IMPORTANT FOR TRANSIT TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER, AND TO TRY TO GET THAT IMPORTANT FEDERAL MONEY, IT IS BECOMING A MORE IMPORTANT CRITERIA. THIS SPAGHETTI IS TALKING ABOUT HOW DOES FTA LOOK AT PROJECTS TO DETERMINE WHO SHOULD GET THE MONEY. LAND USE IS IN THAT -- ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA FOR PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AS WELL AS SOME OF YOUR RIDERSHIP AND YOUR COST-EFFICIENCY ISSUES. IN JULY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT APPROVED GUIDANCE THAT MADE LAND USE A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT CRITERIA. IT IS NOW COUNTING FOR 40% OF THE PROJECT JUSTIFICATION SCORE. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO SCORED ON THOSE LAND USE CRITERIA, SO 40% OF OUR PROJECT JUSTIFICATION IS -- FOLLOWS THAT LAND USE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND I KNOW PATRICK LEDUC AND SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, STAFF AND OTHER CITIZENS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT PROJECTS AND SAYING EVERYBODY ELSE HAS LIGHT RAIL OR HIGH-INTENSITY PROJECTS EXCEPT FOR TAMPA. WITH THIS NEW FEDERAL GUIDANCE THAT THEY'VE ISSUED, MORE PROJECTS, THEY SAY, WILL BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR FUNDING, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE NOT INCREASING THAT FUNDING, THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE COMPETITION. SO LAND USE AGAIN IS ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AS WE GO FORWARD. AND AGAIN, HOW DOES FTA LOOK AT LAND USE? THEY LOOK AT WHAT YOUR CONDITIONS ARE NOW, AGAIN SOME OF THOSE IMPORTANT DENSITY ISSUES. THEY LOOK AT WHAT PLANS AND POLICIES ARE IN PLACE TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE MORE TRANSIT-FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY WANT TO SEE YOU AS YOU GO THROUGH THE PROCESS HAVING AN IMPACT, GETTING SOME SUCCESS THERE. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROJECT, LAND USE BECOMES A MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE TO WORK ON. WHAT IS -- WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING AT IN PLANS AND POLICIES? WELL, TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, WHICH MEANS MORE INTENSE DEVELOPMENT AROUND YOUR STATIONS. THEY WANT TO SEE WALKABLE, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY WANT TO SEE SOME LIMITS ON PARKING, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY WANT TO SEE IF YOU'VE PUT THIS IN PLACE AND ARE GETTING SOME SUCCESS. WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE MPO. WE BROUGHT IN A GREAT LAND USE EXPERT, G.B. ARRINGTON. USED TO BE WITH PORTLAND TRI-MET, AND WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND HELPING THEM SORT OF WORK ON THIS TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STATION PLANS, AND THAT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT -- WHEN WE TRY TO GO INTO THE NEXT STEP, IF IT IS LIGHT RAIL, TO GO INTO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WE HAVE TO WORK ON SOME OF THOSE IMPORTANT STATION PLANS AND SHOW THAT WE'RE STRUCTURING THE LAND USE TO BE EASILY SERVED WITH TRANSIT. WHAT -- WHAT IS -- WHAT THE EXPERT WAS SAYING, THEN, IT'S REALLY THE MOST -- THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA AGAIN IS AROUND YOUR STATIONS. THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO THE STATION, THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT YOUR MORE INTENSE DEVELOPMENT, SO IT'S, AGAIN, THAT WALKABLE ENVIRONMENT AND REALLY CONCENTRATE YOUR DEVELOPMENT BY THE STATIONS. MIX OF USE AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE PARKING ISSUES. WE'RE WORKING ON AN IDEA OF A FLOATING ZONE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION SO THAT IF WE HAVEN'T NARROWED DOWN SOME OF THESE STATIONS THAT SOME OF THESE MORE CONCENTRATED PLANS AND POLICIES CAN BE PUT IN AT A LATER DATE. THIS IS ANOTHER CRITICAL ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING, AND WE'RE REALLY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE MPO ON THIS ISSUE. THE MODEL IS USED FOR BOTH -- THE TRAVEL DEMAND FORECASTING MODEL IS USED TO PROJECT THE RIDERSHIP AND THE TRAVEL TIME. WHEN WE MET WITH FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ON THE MODEL, THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FLORIDA MODELS IN GENERAL AS BEING ORIENTED FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS, ROAD PROJECTS, BUT NOT GOOD TO ANALYZE TRANSIT PROJECTS. BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON THAT MODEL SO THAT IT CAN PRODUCE THE -- THE INFORMATION THAT FTA WILL ACCEPT. WE'VE WORKED WITH FDOT AND MPO. WE'VE GOT A SCOPE. WE'RE GOING BACK TO FTA ON IT, BUT IT'S A GREATER PARTNERSHIP, AND ONCE THIS MODEL IS IN PLACE FOR TRANSIT, IT'LL HELP OTHER AGENCIES IN THE AREA THAT WANT TO WORK ON ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS STUDIES. SO HART IS SORT OF BEARING THE BRUNT IN TERMS OF THE TIME IN THAT EFFORT, BUT WE FEEL THAT COORDINATION WITH BOTH FTA -- OR FDOT AND THE MPO WILL BE -- HELP US GET THAT SOLUTION THAT WE NEED. WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OPEN HOUSES THE LAST WEEK. WE'VE BEEN GOING TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS. WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT WEB SITE, WWW.GOHARTAA.ORG. ALL OF OUR INFORMATION IS GOING ON THAT WEB SITE, SO A LOT OF THE DETAILED POWERPOINT AND PRESENTATIONS ARE ON THERE, AND AGAIN, WE'RE REACHING OUT, GOING TO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCY MEETINGS. WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS THEN? AGAIN, IT'S CONTINUED WORKING ON THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE SOME OF THESE ALTERNATIVES IN MORE DETAIL, WORKING ON THAT MODEL PROGRAM, WORKING ON THE LAND USE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE MPO, AND AGAIN, ON OCTOBER 19th, WE'RE GOING TO THE HART BOARD AND TALKING IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES TO TAKE FORWARD INTO THE NEXT PROCESS. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: VERY GOOD PRESENTATION, MARY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, MR. SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF YOU COULD SUPPLY MY OFFICE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE FLOATING ZONES, HOW THEY WORK. >>MARY SHAVALIER: SURE. RIGHT. GLAD TO. RIGHT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR -- YES. >>HUNG MAI: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MARY. NUMBER ONE, DOES ALL THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS CONSISTENT WITH TBARTA MASTER PLAN? THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, HOW DO YOU -- HOW THE CONNECTIVITY WITH THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION AT THE OLD JAIL COMPARE WITH YOUR ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS? IS THERE ANY PROVISION FOR THAT? AND NUMBER THREE, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I GOT A COPY FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BOB HUNTER, SENT TO YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONCERN ABOUT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP. IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ENHANCED BY NOW? AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WORKING ON THE TOD AS WELL - - SO I JUST WANT A COHESIVE BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND, YOU KNOW, THE HARTLINE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY -- ANY GLITCH. >>MARY SHAVALIER: RIGHT. >>HUNG MAI: SO -- >>MARY SHAVALIER: OKAY. IN TERMS OF THE THREE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED, TBARTA, WE ARE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH TBARTA. BOTH OF THESE ALIGNMENTS ARE IN THE TBARTA, YOU KNOW, MASTER PLAN, AND TBARTA, FDOT, THE MPO, CITIES, THE COUNTY ARE ON OUR STEERING COMMITTEE, SO WE'RE REGULARLY WORKING WITH THEM REVIEWING THESE ALTERNATIVES, SO WE ARE COORDINATING, YOU KNOW, WITH THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. SO RIGHT NOW THEIR PLAN IS PRETTY BROAD IN TERMS OF THOSE CORRIDORS. AGAIN, THEY'RE -- THESE ALIGNMENTS ARE IN THOSE CORRIDORS. WE'RE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH THEM. IN TERMS OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, YEAH, OUR DOWNTOWN CONNECTION FOR THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS OUR MAIN TRANSIT CENTER, OUR MARION TRANSIT CENTER IS RIGHT THERE AS WELL. WE KNOW WE HAVE TO CONNECT BOTH TO THE NORTHERN END OF THE DOWNTOWN TO THAT LOCATION AS WELL AS WE KNOW THAT CIRCULATION INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE DOWNTOWN IS ALSO IMPORTANT, SO IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DOWNTOWN, HOW DO WE CONNECT AND HOW -- YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE IT AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE. THAT'S WHY LOOKING AT OPTIONS THAT ARE COMING IN THE SOUTH BUT GOING -- YOU KNOW, CONNECTING THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN TO THE NORTH, YOU KNOW, HAVE -- DO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, ADVANTAGES AS WELL THAT WAY, SO YES, THAT HIGH-SPEED RAIL CONNECTION, THAT NORTHERN CONNECTION WILL BE IMPORTANT, RIGHT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? >>MARY SHAVALIER: AND THE THIRD ISSUE, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO COORDINATE VERY CLOSELY WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND MPO ON LAND USE. THAT IS WHY THAT JOINT LAND USE GROUP WAS FORMED. HART HAS BROUGHT IN AN EXPERT, THIS G.B. ARRINGTON, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE NATION'S EXPERTS IN TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. ACTUALLY, HE'S MORE THAN A NATION'S EXPERT, HE DOES PRESENTATIONS IN DUBAI, AUSTRALIA. WE HAVE -- WE BROUGHT HIM IN WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION COULD MEET. WE GAVE TWO DAYS OF HIS TIME IN REVIEWING YOUR PLANS AND POLICIES. THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, TOOK MONTHS TO SET UP BECAUSE OF HIS SCHEDULE. WE ARE BRINGING HIM IN AGAIN AS A SEPARATE CONTRACT WITH HART BECAUSE WE KNOW LAND USE IS SO IMPORTANT. WE KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW. LAND USE IS IMPORTANT, BOTH THE NEW STARTS AS WELL AS GENERAL TRANSIT, SO WE ARE INVESTING THAT RESOURCE AND WORKING WITH THE MPO AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION. SO THAT IS OUR COMMITMENT ON THE PROJECT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? >>HUNG MAI: LET ME MAKE A LAST, YOU KNOW, COMMENT. ALSO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFFER OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO YOUR BOARD AND MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THE TOD. >>MARY SHAVALIER: RIGHT. RIGHT. >>HUNG MAI: SO THE OFFER STILL, YOU KNOW, OPEN. >>MARY SHAVALIER: RIGHT. WE WOULD LOVE TO, AND WE'VE BEEN SHARING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION PEOPLE -- SOME OF THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS BEFORE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN FROM, CHARLOTTE, TYSONS CORNERS, THAT DULLES RAIL. WE'VE BEEN SHARING THOSE PLANS AND HOW THOSE AGENCIES GOT INTO SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WERE IN PLACE, SO THAT'S THE KIND OF WORK WE NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, IN DETAIL AS WE MOVE FORWARD. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THANK YOU, MARY. >>MARY SHAVALIER: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. IF NOT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. OH, WAIT. WE HAVE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT, BUT NEITHER CHAIRMAN IS HERE, SO IF YOU WOULD, JUST READ THEM IN YOUR PACKET. ONE IS THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN, AND THE OTHER ONE IS -- YEAH, IN -- YEAH. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: LIVABLE ROADWAYS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: LIVABLE ROADWAYS. SORRY ABOUT THAT. LIVABLE ROADWAYS, MARY MULHERN IS NOT HERE, AND THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MICHELLE IS NOT HERE, SO JUST READ THEM. THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET. OKAY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. I'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS PRESENTING THE MPO PLAN, INCLUDING THE WESTCHASE AREA, BALM AREA, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY. I WANTED TO COMMENT ON HART. WE'VE BEEN MEETING A LOT MORE WITH HART IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, AND I WANT TO THANK DAVID ARMIJO FOR SETTING UP A SPECIAL MEETING FOR ME AND MY STAFF AND G.B. ARRINGTON, WHICH WE HAD LAST WEEK, WHICH WAS VERY FRUITFUL TO HAVE ONE-ON-ONE WITH HIM FOR AN HOUR TO REALLY ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS. THE CHAIRMEN'S COORDINATING COUNCIL -- THAT'S THE ORGANIZATION OF MPOs FOR THE TAMPA BAY REGIONS -- HAVE HAD MEETINGS AND ARE PLANNING THEIR MAJOR QUARTERLY MEETING IN NOVEMBER; MPO-AC MEETINGS IN ORLANDO I HAVE ATTENDED; MAYOR IORIO'S MEETINGS ON THE TRANSIT, WE'VE HAD ABOUT FOUR OF THOSE MEETINGS; ALSO THE HILLSBOROUGH TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE, THERE'S BEEN ABOUT FOUR MEETINGS THAT I'VE ATTENDED THERE; GANDY BOULEVARD PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP MEETING LAST WEEK; AND JUST OTHER MISCELLANEOUS MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT TO COMMENT. WE HAD A DISPLAY AT THE TRANSPORTATION SUPER SESSION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. IT WAS ON A THURSDAY NIGHT, WHICH WAS A VERY GOOD EVENT, TO GET ATTENTION TO OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN. I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT ON OCTOBER 16th WE HAVE OUR TRIP TO CHARLOTTE, AND OUR NEXT MPO MEETING IS NOVEMBER 3rd AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE BOCC CHAMBERS. GOING BACK TO THE CHARLOTTE TRIP, I WOULD LIKE OUR ATTORNEY TO SPEAK TO THE MEMBERS ON KIND OF THE PARAMETERS OF THAT REGARDING SUNSHINE LAWS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. >>ADAM GORMLY: THANK YOU, RAY. THE TRIP THAT HAS BEEN ARRANGED FOR CHARLOTTE IS NOT GOING TO BE A SUNSHINE MEETING. IT'S GOING TO BE A FACT-FINDING MEETING FOR THE PURPOSE OF GATHERING INFORMATION AND SEEING HOW THE CHARLOTTE RAIL SYSTEM WORKS AND HEARING THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE ATTENDING THE TRIP. CONSEQUENTLY, ANY DISCUSSION AMONGST THE BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE SYSTEM OR ANYTHING THAT RELATES TO SOMETHING THAT MAY COME BEFORE THIS BOARD FOR DECISION SHOULD BE HELD FOR THE NEXT MPO MEETING SUBSEQUENT TO THE TRIP. BASICALLY TAKE THE INFORMATION IN. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR DISCUSSIONS YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE AS THAT MAY RELATE TO THINGS THAT WE MAY BE DOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHOULD BE HELD AND NOT DONE AT THAT TRIP BUT RATHER HELD, AND THAT DISCUSSION CAN TAKE PLACE AT A SUNSHINE-NOTICED MPO MEETING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>ADAM GORMLY: YEAH. SPORTS -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, ADAM. THANK YOU. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WE HAVE ABOUT -- JUST TO LET YOU KNOW - - I THINK ABOUT 21 OR 22 PEOPLE GOING. WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM PINELLAS AND PASCO ALSO ATTENDING FROM THEIR MPOs, SO WE REALLY DO HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE GOING ON THE TRIP, SO IT SHOULD BE GOOD. I WANT TO REMIND YOU THE POLICY COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 27th AT 9:00 A.M. AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. THAT'S IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THAT'S IT? OKAY. THERE ARE NO STATUS REPORTS. PUBLIC INPUT, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE MPO BOARD? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OLD BUSINESS? ANY NEW BUSINESS WE NEED TO DISCUSS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. WE ADJOURN. 1