Creating the Future Bruce B Downs Blvd How things look today… May not be how things look in the future. Bruce B Downs PD&E Study 2003 Construction programmed 2009, Palm Springs to Pebble Creek Tampa Rail Project FEIS - 2002 Light rail on Bruce B Downs Blvd as far north as Skipper Road MPO Transit Study - Hunters Green 2007 New Tampa Tampa Palms Medical Centers Citrus Park Carrollwood Plantation/ USF Westchase Carrollwood Temple Terrace Village Busch Gardens Town & Industrial Country Park Seminole East Tampa West Heights Stadium Tampa Ybor City Westshore Hyde Park Downtown Wesley Chapel New th Tampa On February 27 , the TBARTA Board USF voted to support rail plans in Hillsborough County as the first phase of TBARTA’s Regional Master Plan. What can you do with a 20 foot transit envelope? •One line of rail OR •One lane of busway Problem: Outbound transit vehicle has to wait at a side-track for in-bound to pass, slowing ‘rapid transit’ What about building an elevated rail system? •Elevated rail can cost 2 – 3 times more than grade level systems Tampa Rail Project EIS (FY 2000 dollars) Capital Costs Segment Type per Mile Commuter rail in existing rail corridor $26 million Light Rail in existing rail corridor $30 million Light Rail at grade level in street running corridor with substantial right of way acquisition $50 million Elevated Light Rail in street running corridor with substantial aerial alignment $70 million Elevated Rail = Elevated Costs •Elevated light rail project for Honolulu: $206 million per mile estimate Source: Honolulu High Capacity Transit Corridor DEIS, NOV 08 •Charlotte Blue Line: $50.75 million per mile (grade level) Source: CATS, NOV 07, inflated to 2008 dollars •Portland Interstate Max: $84.57 million per mile (grade level) Source: FTA Before & After Studies of New Starts Projects, 2004 reported costs inflated to 2008 dollars Is rail transit needed on a suburban arterial? 2035 Needs Plan New Tampa BBD D Blvd Eight lanes will not be enough to accommodate future traffic. Bruce B Downs fails in 2035 even Fletcher Ave with New Tampa Blvd as a reliever. Transit Adds Capacity You can’t always add a vehicle lane, but you can add another car to the train Redesign Options to Accommodate Future Rail, Palm Springs to Pebble Creek Build 6 lanes, expandable to 8 Redesign: 8 months $800,000 Narrow the median, multi-use trail & shoulders Redesign: 10 months $1,000,000 Do not build right turn lanes on east (northbound) side Redesign: 8 months $300,000 All Redesign Options Mean Delay Moving forward immediately has advantages: Low construction costs Putting people to work About $50 million in federal funding – probably could roll forward to next fiscal year, but cannot be guaranteed Proposed Approach:All Redesign Options ProceedMean with Delay the funded project (Segment B/C). Segment D Replace turn lanes with rail Segment B/C in future. Redesign other segments Segment A (A and D) for 6 lanes. Segment A: Bearss to Palm Springs Redesign for 6 Lanes Building 6 lanes rather than 8 lanes could save about $23 million Traffic volumes are lower than on Segment B/C; some traffic diverts to I-75 Segment A: Bearss to Palm Springs Redesign for 6 Lanes Extending light rail north from USF thru Segment A could give Interstate access to Tampa Rail, with park & ride and express bus connections Segment B/C: Palm Springs to Pebble Creek Proceed with Funded Project . Build 8 lanes today . Remove right turn lanes at intersections in future when rail is extended north of I-75 Segment D: Pebble Creek to County Line Redesign for 6 Lanes Set aside right of way for future connection to Pasco Bruce B Downs in Pasco County is already designed for 6 lanes Recommendations Support immediate implementation of Segment B/C widening project Request Hillsborough County Commission identify Segment B/C northbound right turn lanes as potential right of way for rail in future Update Long Range Transportation Plan to show need for 6 lanes on Segments A and D Model Runs With I-75 at 6 lanes Model Runs With I-75 at 8 lanes Model Runs With I-75 at 10 lanes Next Steps “Footprint” Analysis Public Meeting – March 30 or April 1 (tent.) HART AA Decision – Summer ‘10.