This is their plan and they have to make the choices. Finally, people have the opportunity to get involved and influence the outcome of the future transportation system. That hasn t happened in the past. The Mobility, or Major Investment, Study now underway is looking at land use and quality of life issues as well as traffic patterns and transit systems. The goal is a plan that will provide a balanced, integrated combination of transportation elements that can serve pedestrians, bicyclists, nondrivers and commuters while preserving neighborhoods and enhancing communities.
People look out the window at the legacy of road building and realize it s time for a change.
When Tampa and Hillsborough jointly engaged in a competitive process to be designated a sustainable community , transportation was high on the list of areas needing improvement. In a recently conducted poll of 1,000 Tampa residents, three-quarters said traffic conditions had gotten worse over the past three years. The same number think traffic conditions will continue to worsen over the next five years. The overwhelming majority want a balanced solution that includes expanded bus service, improved pedestrian walkways and bikeways, and new and improved roads. A rail line was also viewed as desirable by half the respondents even though no such line currently exists.