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Spotlight on neighborhood impacts
| Tampa's Downtown Interchange is a source of congestion, frustration, and sometimes crashes, but unclogging the bottlenecks will impact neighborhoods like Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Ybor, and the Downtown Arts District.
 On Tuesday, March 22, engineers and planners took a bus and walking tour to view the areas where the Tampa Bay Express project is proposed to be built firsthand. The tour was organized by the Florida Center for Community Design and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to put the spotlight on the impacts of the wider footprint of the project. The reevaluation report is expected to be complete in late 2016 or early 2017.
FDOT opened the Tampa Bay Express - Community Engagement Office which is staffed by a local Public Information Office representative on March 28th. The office was established to provide the local community convenient access during the week and on Saturdays to a knowledgeable FDOT staffer that can answers questions regarding the project.
In March and April, FDOT has been holding a third round of community engagement workshops with interested citizens. The workshops focus on specific neighborhoods. A wrap up meeting will be scheduled following these remaining workshop dates:
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April 11
5:30p
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Community focus area:
West River
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@ John F Germany Library
900 N Ashley Dr, Tampa
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April 12
5:30p
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Community focus area:
Tampa Heights
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@ John F Germany Library
900 N Ashley Dr, Tampa
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April 18
5:30p
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Community focus areas:
Ybor/Historic/VM/East Tampa
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@ Children's Board
1002 E Palm Ave, Tampa
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| Plan to join us on April 20 @ 9a
Our Livable Roadways Committee welcomes Gil Penalosa!
|  Please join us as the MPO's Livable Roadways Committee presents international guest speaker Gil Penalosa. Chair of 8-80 Cities, World Urban Parks, former Commissioner of Parks for the City of Bogata, and founder of the 'open streets' movement, Gil's focuses on creating vibrant cities and healthy communities for everyone through the design and use of parks and streets as great public places. He is also committed to sustainable mobility: walking, cycling, and public transit.
Presented in partnership with USF's Live Move Student Group, this is a FREE public event with continental breakfast refreshments provided. Other Livable Roadway Committee business will take place after Gil's presentation at 10a.
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TIA celebrates expansion milestones
|  There's a lot on the menu at Tampa International Airport (TIA), and even more on the way! On February 15th, TIA celebrated historic expansion and concessions redevelopment as the Airport welcomed three new developments aboard: The Concessions Receiving and Distribution Center (CRDC), Bay Coffee & Tea Company, and Auntie Anne's.
The Airport's 20,000 square-foot CRDC facility will serve the 65 new shops and restaurants set to open in the next two years, including the Hard Rock Cafe, P.F. Chang's, Dylan's Candy Bar, Spanx, and a storefront for the Home Shopping Network. About 40 percent of the new food and beverage options are local, including: Cigar City Brewing, Buddy Brew Coffee, New York New York Pizza, the Columbia Restaurant and Four Green Fields.
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Traffic relief at Dover intersection
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 The Florida Department of Transportation is widening a section of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (SR 574) to make room for two new left turn lanes onto Gallagher Road in Dover. A new traffic signal will also be added as part of the improvements to this intersection. This should be a relief to the many drivers backed up waiting to make a left onto Gallagher Road.
Construction activities and lane closures are scheduled Monday through Friday from 8:30a to 4:30p and from 7:00p to 7:00a. The $1.1 million project is expected to finish in the spring of 2016, weather permitting. For more information, email or call 813/612-3200.
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| Adamo Drive widening this Fall | 
Construction will begin in the Fall of 2016 on a project that changes Adamo Drive east of US 301 to west of Falkenburg, from 4 lanes to 6 lanes. Drivers will also notice the existing ditches that currently capture storm water being filled and replaced with curbs, bicycle lanes, and storm drains. Not only does this add a safe place for cycling, but allows sidewalks to be constructed. This is great news for both drivers and people who've had to walk along the shoulder before.
For more information, email FDOT Project Manager Mary Lou Godfrey, P.E. or call 813/975-6621 .
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School collaboration convenes soon!
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 Expanding on our partnership with the Hillsborough County Public Schools since adding the School Board as a voting member of the MPO Board last year, the MPO's new School Transportation Working Group (STWG) will hold its first meeting on April 27th.
Our transportation network serves the 8th largest school district in the nation, with more than 26,000 employees, and transporting almost 90,000 students to and from school each day, making this close collaboration between schools and transportation very important in Hillsborough County. Coordination is needed on many levels for problem-solving traffic circulation to walk/bike safety to school-pools and transit. A regular, periodic meeting of transportation-focused professionals representing local governments, transit agencies, public safety organizations, and several functional groups within the School District would be beneficial, and didn't exist... until now.
A real-life example of how needed this working group is, an email was forwarded to the MPO from a concerned citizen in the Apollo Beach area who observed traffic signal issues on Big Bend Road when school lets out at East Bay High School and Eisenhower Middle School. Adjusting the signal timing and phasing of that light is the type of issue the School Transportation Working Group will try to tackle.
For more information, contact Lisa Silva, liaison for the working group, via email or call 813/273-3774 x329.
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District 7 is keeping busy!
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Transportation designed for health
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We know transportation directly impacts our ability to access employment, shopping, medical needs, and entertainment. But did you know that it also greatly impacts our health? According to experts at the Department of Health, if given choices to travel by a combination of safe walking, cycling, and transit, there is a good chance we will be more active, socialize with neighbors, relieve stress, and even be happier.
The MPO had its first collaboration with the Florida Department of Health on the George Road Complete Streets Study. The number of residents in the study area near the growing network of trails that the George Road study would help connect were assessed. Surveys of those residents confirmed that being in nature and active on the trail would have a restorative health benefit.
The MPO looks forward to continuing this healthy collaboration for future transportation studies!
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Get connected. Stay alert.
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With hurricane season just around the corner, April is a great time to check your evacuation area and sign up for HCFL Alert, Hillsborough County's official mass notification system. The system is designed to inform you about emergencies and certain non-emergency events. Registration is free. Simply click the link here to get started: Get Connected. Stay Alert. Features include:
You Decide - Customize your profile to get voice, text or email messages on the devices you choose at home or work - one, some or all. You can update your contact information instantly. In addition to Emergency Alerts, you can receive optional important Informational Messages and Severe Weather Alerts. Emergency Alerts - Include evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions, hazardous-materials incidents, wildfires that threaten homes and other structures, mandatory boil-water notices, flooding that could result in a loss of life or significant property damage, and other critical public health and safety messages. Informational Messages - Cover major road work, closures, and detours on County roads, aerial spraying for mosquitoes, large-scale precautionary boil water notices, and other important events that may impact your daily life. Severe Weather Alerts - Include major weather events such as tropical storms, hurricanes, flood, and tornado warnings. The information is provided directly by the National Weather Service for the location information you provide. For additional information or assistance registering, call 813/272-6602. Even more resources are available through the Tampa Bay Area Regional Planning Council. Their website has evacuation maps, shelter lists and other guides to help you get prepared. Too access the latest information, go to TBRPC's web page.
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ePublications & eNews from our agency are always associated with an email address ending in: @plancom.org |
April MPO Board
& Committee
Meetings
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MPO Board :
601 E Kennedy Blvd, Tampa
County Center, 2nd Floor
Committees:
Plan Hillsborough Room
County Center, 18th Floor
Date Meeting
Apr 5 MPO Board - 9 AM
Apr 8 TMA - 9 AM
Apr 13 CAC - 9 AM
Apr 13 BPAC - 5:30 PM
Apr 14 ITS - 1:30 PM
Apr 18 TAC - 1:30 PM
Apr 20 LRC - 9 AM
Apr 21 TDCB - 6 PM
Apr 26 POLICY - 9 AM
Apr 27 STWG - 3 PM
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The MPO does not discriminate in any of its programs or services. Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.
Learn more about our commitment to nondiscrimination.
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