TAMPA, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) – The path is cleared to make big changes to transportation in Hillsborough County.
A Tampa judge ruled more than $500 million can be used. Now it’s up to the state legislature to decide how that money will be spent.
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Expanded roads, filled potholes and more buses are the improvement people want
“With these gas prices, I think having more affordable forms of systems like buses and trains would help a lot of people in the community,” said Rebecca Doloski, Tampa resident.
“I mainly see a lot of traffic, a lot of potholes,” said Erika Mitchell, a Tampa resident.
There’s a lot of work to be done.
“Expanding the interstate, expanding that public transportation so there’s less people driving,” said Doloski.
“If there’s room and availability, sure, definitely, the more roads and streets the better it is. There’s not as much traffic. People are happier overall,” said Mitchell.
Doloski wants to see more public transportation and less construction.
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“I realize construction is slow but it slows things down and then there’s uneven roads,” said Doloski.
Mitchell wants the sidewalks fixed.
“Cracked or when I ride my bicycle I have to go around it, otherwise I’m going to fall or something,” said Mitchell.
The changes are a long time coming .
“But since we did not have those revenues, we have plenty of projects that have been sitting there,” said Kimberly Overman, Hillsborough County Commissioner.
Money collected from a 2018 penny tax has been tied up in a legal fight for the last few years, but a Tampa judge ruled last week that the $562 million can be used in the county.
Now county commissioners are letting the state legislature know which projects get priority.
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“They are road re-surfacing, sidewalks, intersection improvements that can also add to safety, we’re looking to improve the roads and the transit service,” said Overman.
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