On March 20, 2024, the Leadership Tampa Class of 2024[1] was fortunate enough to meet with local leaders related to every resident’s favorite topic: Transportation! Routinely referred to as one of the major challenges facing our area, to go along with affordable housing and other issues related to the population increase over the past few years, the class was anxious to hear upcoming developments in transportation and their impact on the local population.
Starting the day at the gateway to our fine city, Tampa International Airport (“TIA”), we met our Day Chairs Vik Bhide (LT’ 23) the Mobility Director with the City of Tampa and Gary Holland (LT’ 23) the Toll Systems Manager with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, and were treated to a presentation of the past, present, and future of TIA while enjoying a wonderful breakfast. Jon Vaden, the Director of Marketing for TIA, presented and covered the increase in passenger traffic, upcoming destinations, and exciting developments in the future of transportation that are coming in the next few years.
The class then met with Eric Sugrue who first presented information related to the baggage handling system before leading us on an in-depth tour behind the scenes of baggage handling at TIA, highlighted by showing us the complex grid that tracks each individual belt and any stops or jams along the way. It is safe to say that your baggage is in good hands with the TIA staff!
[1] The Leadership Tampa Class of 2024 is widely known as the “Best Class Ever Ever”.
After the tour, the class heard from a panel related to the downstream impact of transportation in the area, moderated by Vik Bhide, that included:
- Keisha Pickett Boyd, the Director of Communications and Community Engagement with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA);
- Leroy Moore, the Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with the Tampa Housing Authority; and
- Laura Hill, the Director of Transportation for Hillsborough County Schools.
The panel discussed the challenges and opportunities in the transportation community presented by the significant population increase. This included a reference to the ALICE Report, struggles with connecting affordable housing with resident’s place of employment, and Tampa’s presence as a “car-centric” city with the need for expanded mass transit options. The group further covered how transportation impacts our students’ ability to succeed, specifically as it relates to attendance, timeliness, and after-school programs.
After a delicious lunch, also sponsored by TIA, the group boarded the bus and departed. On our way to our next stop, we made a small detour to the Howard Frankland Bridge. Our fabulous Day Chairs decided that they would take what was initially a wrong turn for the LT Class of 2023 and turn it into an opportunity to view an ongoing transportation construction project for the LT Class of 2024.
On our drive, we heard from Vik Bhide about the construction, the reasoning behind the same, and the next steps for this key thoroughfare connecting the City of Tampa to its partners in Pinellas County. After this short jaunt, we were on to Strategic Property Partners (“SPP”) at their Water Street location. Darren Morse, a Vice President at SPP led a highly informative and detailed presentation that included a history of Water Street all the way from 1817 forward.
The presentation covered everything from why people are choosing Tampa to how and why the local grid was established (for instance, two-way roads are better for local traffic, while one-way roads are better for regional traffic). Everything about the presentation, the space, and the knowledge of those at SPP were extremely impressive and informative, including their 3D model of the City! The growth of Water Street is well-known but seeing pictures of the development from as recently as 2017 to 2021 was absolutely fascinating.
After the presentation concluded, it was a short walk to our next stop, a Pirate Water Taxi Tour of the Port of Tampa Bay. During what was a wonderfully relaxing way to end a full day, the class heard from Karl Strauch, the Vice President of Marketing for the Port of Tampa Bay as he covered the history of the Port itself, the day-to-day operations, and an in-depth look at the ships that come into the Port each and every day.
Docking back at shore, next to the newly christened Craft Tampa vessel as they were about to set sail, the group had the opportunity to reflect on an immersive and educational day spent learning about the future of our great city and the leaders in the transportation sector responsible for continuing our growth.
Thank you to our Day Chairs, all the presenters, and the leaders who made this day possible. While it can be challenging at times, the class was left with great optimism when looking towards the next steps in Tampa’s transportation journey.