Tampa Metropolis Council unanimously endorses All For Transportation plan – Florida Politics

The Tampa Metropolis Council on Thursday unanimously handed a decision supporting the All For Transportation plan on the November 8 poll.

The vote got here the identical day the All For Transportation marketing campaign formally opened its marketing campaign workplace in Ybor Metropolis.

New marketing campaign indicators present an replace to this yr’s marketing campaign from the one it ran efficiently 4 years in the past, with the phrases “Sure For Transportation” emblazoned on yard indicators, posters and T-shirts.

The permitted Tampa Metropolis Council decision supplies a sturdy background on Hillsborough County’s urgent and rising transportation wants, together with a $13 billion backlog of “highway, security and transit wants,” that are “rising by $1 billion a yr, making the price of doing nothing terribly costly and an elevated burden on residents who have to journey safely” by the neighborhood.

The decision additionally notes the county is “experiencing unprecedented progress with greater than 700,000 individuals anticipated to maneuver right here within the subsequent 30 years,” the lifetime of the proposed All For Transportation plan.

The decision cites knowledge regarding site visitors congestion, security, different modes of transportation and financial profit.

“Site visitors congestion continues to extend, with the typical time Tampa drivers spent caught in site visitors in 2021 hitting 48 hours and rising to the twelfth worst congested metropolis within the nation,” the decision reads.

A staggering knowledge level exhibits 44 persons are killed in site visitors accidents on Hillsborough County roads yearly. The Tampa metro ranks within the Prime 10 nationally as one of the vital harmful locations to stroll.

In the meantime, the decision additionally notes 80% of residents “would favor to stroll, bike or use transit relatively than a automotive.”

“And but we spend as a lot per capita on transit as Macon, Ga., and town of Tampa solely builds 1 mile of sidewalk per yr, improves secure routes at 1 college per yr and paves about 30 miles of roads per yr whereas sustaining 2,477 lane miles,” the decision reads.

Data shows the typical Tampa metro commuter spends greater than 53 hours a yr sitting in site visitors. Underneath present funding situations, simply 1% of roads are repaved annually, which means present roads are repaved simply as soon as each 70 years. The fee to repave a highway sits at about $1 million per mile, a price that may double when roads will not be correctly maintained. Underneath the All For Transportation plan, roads can be repaved each 20 years, lowering total prices and enhancing highway situations.

Additional, bridge upkeep wants are estimated at $10 million per yr, but the present funds allocates simply $2 million.

Transportation fatalities within the county have risen practically 40% since 2014. All For Transportation estimates the tax would save greater than 1,100 lives, forestall greater than 55,000 accidents and stop greater than 140,000 automotive crashes, which might additionally scale back site visitors congestion.

Funding underneath the plan, in line with All For Transportation, would create greater than 350 miles of security initiatives, fill greater than 1,400 miles of lacking sidewalks and scale back deadly and damage crashes by 35%. It helps 500 miles of recent streetlight corridors on at the moment unlit roads, which contribute to just about 40% of pedestrian deaths.

“Everybody will profit from the All for Transportation Plan, which is an area funding supply for native roads, security, and transit initiatives all through Hillsborough County and can present the Metropolis of Tampa with $40 million per yr to make badly wanted enhancements,” the decision reads.

It additionally notes “a balanced strategy to assembly our transportation wants” together with a 28% allocation to “upkeep and vulnerability discount, 26% to congestion discount, 27% to transportation security enhancements, and 12% to transportation community enhancements.”

The Tampa Metropolis Council “strongly helps the All For Transportation plan and encourages all voters to forged ballots in favor of the plan on November 8, 2022.”

The All For Transportation referendum would levy a 1% gross sales tax on qualifying purchases, with carve-outs for family requirements akin to drugs and meals and a $5,000 cap on the tax’s per buy applicability. If handed, it’s anticipated to generate $342 million in income inside its first yr of assortment.

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