Hillsborough TPO approves changes to project-prioritization process to emphasize readiness and transparency

The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization on Jan. 14 voted to accept short-term recommendations to improve how the TPO prioritizes projects for about $25 million in annual federal funding.

Elizabeth Watkins, TPO staff, told the board the prioritization evaluation focuses on project readiness and delivery: staff will screen projects for readiness to move to design or construction funding, reformat the priority list to show development status and next steps, and add a status column identifying projects that are symbolically included on the list to support discretionary grant applications.

Watkins said the effort responds to board and advisory-committee feedback and aims to make the list both a programming tool and a public statement of priorities. She noted that of the previous year’s list of 72 projects, only 17 were actively competing for federal funding; the proposed changes are intended to clarify which projects are ready to receive the pooled funds and which are maintained for strategic or grant-support reasons.

Board members praised the approach as a needed improvement to communication and transparency. Council member Clendenin called the effort “an easier way to communicate” project status, and other members asked staff to avoid bias in framing projects and to consider separate visual treatment for projects not yet ready for funding.

The board approved the short-term recommendations by voice vote; staff will return with reformatted priority lists and continue outreach with municipal partners including Plant City, Temple Terrace and Hillsborough County.