Residents have until 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 to weigh in on 22 transportation projects that could affect roads, transit routes and port infrastructure across Hillsborough County.
The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization will vote Wednesday, Sept. 9 on the first amendment to its Fiscal Year 2027–2031 Transportation Improvement Program. The deadline for written comments falls the day before the board meeting, according to the TPO's announcement.
The amendment covers 12 transit projects, three safety projects, two resurfacing projects, two seaport projects, one capacity project, one signal project and one bridge-planning project. The TPO's public announcement does not identify which projects, if any, are located in or directly serve Apollo Beach or Ruskin. TPO planner Elizabeth Watkins is the contact for questions about individual projects in the amendment.
Why this matters now
The TPO calls this a "Roll Forward" amendment. It aligns the TIP with the Florida Department of Transportation's Work Program. Projects expected to be authorized and encumbered before June 30, but not authorized in time, automatically roll into the next FDOT Work Program year. Those projects do not automatically roll into the TIP, requiring the TPO to amend the plan.
The TPO Board adopted the full FY2027–2031 TIP on June 10.
The Roll Forward is the first change to that plan.
Fewer projects than last year
Last year's Roll Forward amendment, considered at the Sept. 10, 2025, board meeting, covered 39 projects. This year's list sits at 22. The TPO's announcement does not explain the reduction.
For context, a November 2024 TIP amendment added approximately $3.9 million to a US 301 resurfacing project from the Manatee County line to south of SR 674, also known as Sun City Center Boulevard, including buffer lanes and turn lanes. That project runs through the South Shore corridor and shows how TIP amendments can directly shape local road conditions.
How to comment
Residents can submit feedback through several channels before the 3 p.m. Sept. 8 deadline:
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: Hillsborough TPO, Attn: Cheryl Wilkening, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 18th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602
- Voicemail: (813) 272-5940 (press 9)
- Social media: The TPO's Facebook page (HillsboroughMPO)
- In person or virtual: Register to attend the Sept. 9 board meeting
For questions about specific projects, contact Elizabeth Watkins at [email protected] or (813) 582-7382.
The board meets Wednesday, Sept. 9. Residents can also provide live comments during that meeting.
