Transportation
Updates:
40th Street ~ Transit Enhancements ~ 22nd Street
40th Street Widening Project Begins
If you regularly travel McKinley Drive/40th Street, you may have
noticed construction vehicles and equipment along the segment from Fowler
Avenue to just north of the Busch Gardens entrance (Segment E).
Construction has begun on the long-awaited 40th Street project, which will
improve 4.2 miles of 40th Street from Hillsborough Avenue north to Fowler
Avenue.
In order to move the project along as quickly as possible, part of
Segment E - from Bougainvillea to just north of the Busch Gardens entrance
- will close to traffic on March 8, 2004. It is anticipated that it will
remain closed until December 2004. The City will be rerouting traffic from
the north to 30th Street via Bougainvillea. Traffic from the south will be
routed to 30th Street via Busch Boulevard.
Segments D (500 feet north of Busch Boulevard to Humphrey) and B
(Hanlon to Hanna) are at 90% complete design status. Design must be
complete and remaining parcels acquired before construction can begin.
For more information on the 40th Street project, go to the City of
Tampa's website at www.tampagov.net. For email updates on lane/road
closures for this project and others in the NNTA service area, you may
sign up for the NNTA listserv at www.newnorthalliance.org.
HARTline Announces Service Enhancements in
University Area
Effective April 4, 2004, several routes will be modified to better
serve HART riders. Some fare changes will also take effect April 4. Route
changes in the New North/University Area are shown below. For a complete
listing of route changes, visit www.hartline.org or pick up a new route
schedule, available beginning March 29 on board buses and at HART Customer
Service Centers.
Route 1 - Florida Avenue: Modified route will travel between
downtown Tampa and University Area Transit Center (via Florida Avenue to
Fletcher Avenue to UATC) providing faster travel time and more direct
service between these key destinations. Service north of Fletcher Avenue
will be provided by the revised Route 83 (University Area Connector).
Route 33 - Fletcher Avenue: Circulation around Mission Bell
Plaza will be eliminated to improve travel time. The revised route will
also provide service south of Fletcher Avenue on 15th Street and 131st
Avenue to the UATC.
Route 83 - University Area Connector: This neighborhood
circulator is being modified to serve Florida Avenue north of Fletcher
Avenue, Bearss Avenue, and Nebraska Avenue currently served by Route 1 -
Florida Avenue. Connections to University Mall or USF Lot 43 will no
longer be available via this route. Service to the University Mall will
continue to be provided by Route 7 and Route 12. Service to the USF campus
will continue to be provided by Route 5, Route 6, and Route 18. Sunday
service will be added. Thirty minute service will be maintained Monday
through Saturday.
Regular Route Fares*
Cash Fare $1.30
Discounted Cash Fare $.65
20-Ride Local $26.00
20-Ride Discount Local $13.00
31-Day Local Unlimited Ride $48.00
31-Day Discount Local Unlimited $24.00
* Express Route fares, paratransit fares and 3-day visitor/group rates
will also increase. These fare prices are listed on www.hartline.org.
22nd Street Project Enters Engineering Phase
The 22nd Street project has entered the engineering design phase.
Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2005.
The 22nd Street Master Plan calls for on-street parallel parking, bus
bays, large sidewalks on each side of the roadway, and bicycle lanes.
These design elements will make traveling along 22nd Street safer for
pedestrians and bicyclists. On-street parallel parking will provide needed
parking for future business while also calming traffic. Bus bays will
allow traffic to flow more smoothly by creating a place where buses can
load and unload without blocking the roadway.
More information on the 22nd Street Master Plan can be obtained from
Hillsborough County's Community Planning website:
www.hccommunityplanning.com.
Regional
Clean Air and Telework Programs Now Have Online Presence
www.cleanairpartnership.com
The Clean Air Partnership (CAP) website provides detailed information
on how YOUR business could become a Clean Air Partner and receive the
recognition it deserves for providing commute options, using alternative
fuels, and being a good community steward. The website contains
information on CAP program criteria, commute options, and alternative
fuels. Current CAP partners should look to this website in the future for
a list of participating companies, case studies, and online reporting
forms.
www.teleworktampabay.org
The Telework Tampa Bay website serves as an excellent resource for
businesses that are interested in learning more about telework, commonly
referred to as telecommuting. Obtain information about free technical
assistance services provided by Telework Tampa Bay, get answers to common
questions about telework, download sample telework surveys and agreements,
and view the schedule of upcoming telework seminars. In the near future,
the website will also contain links to various telework resources,
including case studies of businesses that have already implemented
successful telework programs.
County
Planning Agencies Seek Input from Community Groups
The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization for
Transportation (MPO) and the Hillsborough County City-County Planning
Commission will be visiting community groups in the upcoming months to get
feedback on the Long Range Transportation Plan as well as the
comprehensive plans of Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City, and Hillsborough
County.
Transportation issues will be a special focus of these visits.
Anticipated traffic congestion growth will create challenges for
communities concerned with maintaining air quality and pedestrian safety,
and with managing the transportation needs of an aging population.
The community groups will be asked to express how they value various
transportation issues and will be given the opportunity to share their
ideas and concerns in open discussion. The groups will also be asked to
brainstorm about the most critical issues they see facing their
community's future, with regards to schools, libraries, parks, police and
fire protection, the environment, and urban growth, among other topics.
The agencies currently have more than 25 visits to community groups
planned, to groups ranging in interest from the Sierra Club to various
neighborhood, civic, and homeowners associations to the Tampa Bay Builders
Association to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
If you are interested in having the Planning Commission staff make a
presentation to your group, or if you would like more information on the
comprehensive plans, contact Chris Waldman at 273-3774, ext. 350.
To invite a MPO staff member to make a presentation to your group, or
for more information on the Long Range Transportation Plan Update, contact
Beth Alden at 273-3774, ext. 318.
Want to save money & make
better use of your time by carpooling or vanpooling-
but don't know anyone to share the commute with?
We may be able to help! Join the regional rideshare
database by following the link on the Commuter page of our website, www.newnorthalliance.org,
or by calling 813-974-9799 to speak with a New North Transportation
Alliance representative.
Tampa Bay Interstates Website: New Photos
& Project Information
The FDOT's Tampa Bay Interstates website, www.mytbi.com,
has new photos and project information for current and future projects
throughout the region, including the Downtown Tampa Interchange Project,
the Links Project (SR60/I-275/Veterans' Expressway), the
I-75 Widening Project, and many others.
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