TAMPA BAY STRATEGIC FREIGHT PLAN

Florida Department of Transportation, District 7

The economic productivity of a region relies on a transportation system that can move freight efficiently and reliably and also accommodate market expansion in the region. Renaissance partnered with the Florida DOT to develop the Tampa Bay Regional Strategic Freight Plan to address short and long term freight mobility needs in a rapidly changing region. The Strategic Freight Plan defines an integrated regional freight transportation system identifies localized freight issues and prioritizes regional freight investment strategies to sustain long term economic growth in the region.  The plan provides a comprehensive vision of the context, needs, strategies, and implementation of short- and long-term improvements to the region’s freight infrastructure. 

Building on the concepts included in the Strategic Freight Plan, we also developed a guidance document to supplement existing manuals and provide procedural and contextual advice for planners and engineers when defining corridor and project level transportation solutions and project level transportation solutions relative to balancing livability and mobility factors. Ongoing work in the Tampa Bay region also includes developing a white paper to help guide local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on how best to reflect concerns of freight community in regional MPO planning process.