Transportation has become a central issue in Hillsborough County government. With the Tampa Bay area ranked consistently as among the highest in vehicular fatalities and serious injuries, safety concerns have come to the forefront, but transportation viability also significantly intersects with affordable housing, economic development, growth management, and voter rights.
The HCLWV Board recently voted to support the Hillsborough County Transportation Tax Referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. Read our letter, which was shared with the Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing, and La Gaceta.
The committee’s goal is to inform League voters on transportation-related issues in the Hillsborough County area and how those issues impact other League focuses. For example:
- Working on getting out the vote? Lack of safe and reliable transportation to polling sites is an impediment to significant portions of the potential voting population.
- Concerned about affordable healthcare and universal access to care? Transportation is a major expense for medicaid and medicare plans; being able to find ways to get to the doctor is an ongoing barrier to consistent care.
- Worried about equity in education? The children least likely to get an adequate public education are also the least likely to have a safe way to get to school.
The transportation committee is looking for League members to participate both in following local transportation developments but also in asking other committees to include transportation needs in thinking through their programming and positions.
- Write letters to the editor and work with third-party groups to build support.