Hillsborough TPO adopts $2.5 billion TIP and five‑year priority list after public push for transit, objections to I‑275 widenings

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization on June 11 approved its fiscal‑year 2026–2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and adopted the fiscal‑year 2027–2031 priority list after public comment urging transit investments and repeated calls from the Citizens Advisory Committee to remove two I‑275 widening segments from planning documents.

The TIP, which staff said programs roughly $2.5 billion in federally funded and regionally significant projects over five years, passed on a roll call vote with unanimous support from board members. The FY27–31 priority list — a ranked list of 72 candidate projects that guides future programming and grant applications — was adopted after debate and a separate roll‑call vote.

Why it matters: The TIP funds projects that will enter design and construction in the next five years; the priority list signals projects the region wants considered for future funding. Several neighborhood groups and advisory panels urged the TPO to shift resources away from highway widening toward bus service, bus stop upgrades, an expanded streetcar and other multimodal projects. Advisory committees recommended removing two I‑275 widening segments from the documents, but the board approved the TIP and the priority list as presented.

TPO staff presentations framed the decisions. Wade Reynolds and Elizabeth Watkins of TPO staff said the TIP reflects federally funded projects and FDOT work‑program priorities. Staff noted there are more than 180 projects in the TIP and that roughly half of the TIP dollars are programmed to major projects…