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The proposed action involves the identification and location of regional intermodal center(s). Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study to evaluate the factors related to the design and location of regional intermodal centers in Hillsborough and Pinellas County, Florida. For the purposes of this study, FDOT-District Seven identified Pinellas and Hillsborough counties as the study area, referred to as the Tampa Bay area as defined in the Environmental Assessment (EA) Technical Report. The Tampa Bay area, consisting of approximately 1,900 square miles (sq mi), is located on the west coast of central Florida. Old Tampa Bay/Tampa Bay separates the counties with connections provided via the Hillsborough Avenue/Tampa Road, Courtney Campbell Causeway (S.R. 60), Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275), and Gandy Bridge (Gandy Boulevard/ U.S. 92). Pinellas County is a peninsula west of the bay and Hillsborough County on the east side of the bay.
Study Purpose and Need
A purpose and need statement was submitted into the Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) system in August 2004. The Federal Transit Administration, the lead federal agency, accepted this statement on September 28, 2004. The purpose of the TBIC was to improve the quality of intermodal passenger connections in Tampa Bay so that regional mobility and accessibility by means other than personal motor vehicles are significantly increased.
Proposed Improvements
The proposed improvements will include two sites ranked as the leading candidates for regional intermodal centers in the Tampa Bay area. The proposed improvements included the design and construction of one regional intermodal center in Hillsborough County and one in Pinellas County.
In Hillsborough County, the top-ranking site was the Downtown Tampa site. In Pinellas County, the top-ranking site was the Gateway site. The design of these regional intermodal centers would provide accommodations for multiple existing and future modes of transportation. Therefore, construction phasing will be an integral component of the design and funding scenarios. For additional information regarding FDOT-District Seven site selection process, refer to the EA Technical Report. The proposed improvements are subject to alteration based on additional agency coordination, public involvement, and minor modifications to the conceptual plans.