LINDA CHION KENNEY Photos
A midday view of traffic from a McDonald’s off U.S, Highway 301

Residents push back on traffic, unbridled growth

By LINDA CHION KENNEY

Concerns with growth, development, infrastructure and traffic were among the top issues noted in comments attached to a citizen survey now under review in Hillsborough County.

Three of the 31 questions asked for comments, including one that asked if the respondent could choose one improvement to make in the community, what would it be?

“Stop approving new development without the infrastructure to support,” read one response, which received more than 600 check marks in agreement. “The deterioration of quality of life due to the irresponsible growth being approved beyond current capacity should be illegal. At a minimum it is immoral and needs to stop. Prioritize infrastructure to keep up with growth.”

“Put a pause in construction until infrastructure catches up,” wrote another respondent. “Urban sprawl is ridiculous here. We went through a community planning exercise with the County years ago (Riverview), and, apparently, it was a pointless endeavor.”

Overall, more than 14,800 respondents answered at least one question in the 31-question, 2021 Citizen Survey posted online by Hillsborough County officials, of which 96 percent said they were year-round Hillsborough County residents.

The 368-unit Sentosa Riverview luxury apartment complex under construction off U.S. Highway 301

One respondent asked that county officials “use some of that giant pile of stimulus money to revitalize local small communities like Ruskin’s main street and downtown so that people could have a clean, modern central location to do business and interact as more of a community.”

“The traffic on Big Bend Road is dangerous, from U.S. 301 to 41,” wrote another respondent. “There is simply too much volume, and people do not drive safely.”

Officials are expected to review the survey findings and respond accordingly, such as with new initiatives or further communication of existing ones. There is plenty to digest.

Two write-in questions asked respondents to comment on what it would take for them to stop using their own vehicles. One question asked what it would take to “walk and bike to run errands and get around.” The second question asked what it would take to get residents to “take mass transit options such as buses and streetcars more often.”

“I have lived here for 24 years and have watched the South County area grow into an over-populated area without benefit of better roads and other infrastructure” and “we are now paying the price,” one respondent wrote. “How in the world can you permit building thousands of homes and apartments and not improve the roads and water systems, just to name two?”

With some road and water projects in the works, it’s not clear to many respondents whether it’s too little too late, a great start or not nearly enough.

“Stop building multifamily developments on already clogged roads in Brandon/Riverview,” wrote one respondent. “The County is making the commuting and just everyday errands miserable.”

“Too many cars, too many people, crammed into every square inch,” wrote another. “It is ridiculous. There are not roads capable of handling all this extra bull. I grew up here, and this is NOT my hometown anymore.”

Other respondents focused on safety issues, such as motorists performing “rolling stops” at red traffic lights and motorists not keeping an eye out for bicyclists, even those “hugging the shoulder.”

Calls for “free, integrated bike locks” and “better, safer bike and walking paths” were among the many suggestions, with one respondent noting, “It’s too hot and far too dangerous on many roads to run an errand on a bike,” and that “Sadly we make kids walk those same dangerous streets to get to school.”

The open-ended question that asked what would entice residents to use mass transit drew many responses as well.

“Regular and frequent bus routes with some type of bus/van service for the many very long side streets between major roads,” wrote one respondent. “Bus service is worthless if the rider then has a very long walk home.”

“My concerns is always how do I get to where I need to go after taking public transit,” wrote another. “Will I still have to call Uber after taking the bus?”

There were calls for light-rail service between Tampa and other locations (including Tampa International Airport and Pinellas County), as well as high-speed rail connections to such places as Sarasota, Orlando and Miami.

Accessibility to the suburbs, safety, cleanliness, affordability, dependable arrival and departure times, better routing and time-saving scheduling were suggested as well for mass transportation, along with streetcars and smaller buses for smaller routes.

Still, the overwhelming concern centered on the reason for the traffic and the justification for mass transit improvements, most notably unbridled growth and sprawl.

“Stop the increased development of housing units, especially in the South Shore area,” wrote one respondent. “Traffic is congested, trees and other natural habitats are being destroyed [and there is] extremely poor infrastructure to handle rapid population growth.”

The online survey, posted on the Hillsborough County government web site, closed for responses June 25. Visit: www.HCFLGov.net and search for, “2021 Citizen Survey.”