City of Tampa invites public input on streetcar route extension

The City of Tampa is looking for input from residents as it continues the first phase of a project that aims to update and extend the Tampa Historic Streetcar System.

At a series of public meetings, city officials have discussed the project while surveying attendees. The most recent “brainstorm session” took place on April 4 and focused on evaluating corridor options for potential additions to the streetcar line.

City Director of Transportation and Stormwater Services Jean Duncan began the meeting by saying that the decisions made in updating the streetcar system must reflect the ongoing development of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

“We want to make sure that our transportation decisions are supporting those near-term and long-term land development plans,” she says.

So far, the city has received about 800 comments during phase one of the two-phase InVision: Tampa Streetcar project and Duncan says it is looking forward to receiving more.

“That is valuable information for us to take into consideration,” she says.

According to the city’s website, the planning effort is being funding largely by a $1 million contribution from the Florida Department of Transportation. The city has dedicated $677,390 to the effort.

The first phase of the project will establish options for extensions of the line and seek to open the door to federal funding before proceeding with a more detailed second phase. Lead consultant on the project is HDR Engineering.

At the April 4 meeting, Steve Schukraft of HDR said right now his team is looking for feedback on what areas are best suited for potential extensions.

“We’re trying to understand different corridors downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods that have the characteristics that might support transit,” he says.

An important factor in determining if a corridor is viable is whether or not it can generate enough ridership to justify an investment, Schukraft adds.

The final public meeting will focus on results gathered at the previous two sessions and is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on May 2 at the Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus.

For more information or to submit a comment on the project, visit the city’s website.