Plant City Vice Mayor Rick Lott has seen many projects come and go during his decade-long service on the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planing Board for Transportation. Jokingly known as “the historian,” Lott has noticed that Plant City projects have started to rise in importance.
The reason is simple: responsible city staff and reputation.
“(Plant City has) a great relationship with FDOT and the county,” Lott said. “We do what we say. We try our best to start on time and end on time.”
The MPO is the transportation policy-making board comprising of representatives from local governments and transportation agencies. Its 2035 plan, adopted in December 2009 with amendments in 2010, includes projects such as road repairs and widenings, new sidewalk miles and even adding a high-speed rail between Orlando and Tampa.
Hillsborough County is expected to grow by 500,000 residents in the next two decades.
CREATING THE LOOP
Plant City also has seen growth — a 28.5% jump in population from 1995 to 2005.
To accommodate this growth, the MPO began working with the city to create a four-lane loop around the city.
“We have two goals with this project,” Lott said. “First, we want to move the truck route from out of downtown Plant City. And, we want to alleviate traffic flow and stimulate development.”
Currently, trucking routes take large semi trucks through congested downtown. The loop, which connects Alexander and Park streets on the north side by Sam Allen Road, will alleviate congestion.
The project has been going on for about seven years but still has remained one of the top priorities for the 2035 plan.
The $8 million Park Road expansions are complete. Park Road is the smallest segment of the road project, but it is located in the middle of the northeast portion of the city and one of the most strategic enhancements. Alexander Street was widened to four lanes in two segments, at a cost of about $80 million. The last part of the project is completing Sam Allen Road extension from State Road 39 to Park Road north of Interstate 4. That has cost about $30 million and is planned to be finished by 2017.
MIDTOWN
For the past few years, the MPO has paid for and conducted a corridor study on Collins Street in Plant City. The study has been just been completed and presented to the City of Plant City. The city has had goals to dress up Wheeler and Collins streets even before its adoption of the Midtown Redevelopment Vision Plan.
“We want to have better traffic flow, for it to be better for pedestrians and bikers and add some nice landscaping,” Lott said.
OTHER PROJECTS
Roads have been a major goal for the city, as well. Until a new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plant City was drafted, roads only were budgeted for repairs and repaving every 75 years. The commission voted to triple the budget for that item, which has changed it to every 25 years.
“We’re trying to take care of our city,” Lott said. “Our road system was deficient.”
The MPO has helped support some of these projects, including enhancements to Turkey Creek and Trapnell roads. Also on the list are Martin Luther King Boulevard, from McIntosh Road to Sammonds Road, and Wheeler Street.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.