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Transit funding revised

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: November 3, 2009

TAMPA - After hearing public sentiment about long-range dollars for transportation, planners are proposing a more even split between highway and transportation funding.

The county's 2035 plan calls for $5.9 billion for highways and $5.8 billion in transit improvements. That nearly 50-50 split stands in sharp contrast to the current plan in which about 83 percent of transportation money is being spent on roads.

The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization is nearing the end of its 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan update. The process will culminate on Dec. 9 with a 6 p.m. public hearing at the County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., at which time the document is expected to be approved.

The MPO will sponsor two "Town Call" meetings when 40,000 residents will be called each night to participate in a transportation discussion. The meetings will be Nov. 10 and Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.

Those who are not called and want to participate can dial 1-877-229-8493 and enter code 15177 to join the Town Call.

Roads will continue to be congested in 2035, Beth Alden of the MPO told the board of the Hillsborough Transit Authority on Monday.

But proposed light rail lines would greatly reduce congestion, the draft plan states. Plans call for light rail on parallel highways in Tampa on Interstate 275 north of downtown to Bearss Avenue and on I-275 west of downtown over the Howard Frankland Bridge, the draft plan states.

Expanded bus service could serve 1 million people and 900,000 jobs by 2035, the plan says.

Information on the 2035 MPO plan can be found at hillsboroughmpo.org.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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