Planning Context

The county’s Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan (TDSP) has been the primary venue for addressing the transportation needs of historically disadvantaged communities in Hillsborough County. Using 2010 census data, a demographic profile was prepared to identify potential transportation-disadvantaged populations (HMPO, 2015a). Variables included:

population density for ages 60 and above; census tracts with median income less than 80% of the county median; density of households with an income to poverty ratio of less than 125%; density of zero-vehicle households; disabled people and all OASDI beneficiaries; and total employment by Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ). A trip factor was applied to the number of severely disabled (0.049) and the number of low-income who were not disabled with no access to vehicle or transit (1.899), resulting in a total number of needed trips for these populations.

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The last countywide needs assessment conducted for the transportation-disadvantaged population indicated that 32% of the Hillsborough County population qualified as transportation disadvantaged, 15% were living in poverty, 29,000 children were defined as disabled, and residents ages 60 and above were scattered about the county. The unmet trip need in

Hillsborough County was estimated at 12,123 trips on a given day or 4,424,941 trips for the year of 2011.

The analysis further revealed that the needs of the transportation-disadvantaged

population relative to access to employment and education, healthcare, shopping and recreation are often not met due to a lack of funding, limited fixed-route services, gaps in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, land use and bodies of water (the bay), and a long history of low- density development. The plan also outlined regional needs within and beyond Hillsborough County, such as the need for regional fixed-route/express services, infrastructure improvements, and regional paratransit services.

Another equity-related planning study was the Tri-County Area Regional Mobility Needs study conducted in 2007 to meet funding criteria for the Special needs of the Elderly and

Individuals with Disabilities, Job Access and Reverse Commute, and New Freedom programs under SAFETEA-LU. Census data was used to identify and map concentrations of persons living below the poverty line, other low-income households, population density, persons with

disabilities, and elderly populations (persons 65 years of age or older) (HMPO, 2014b). One- quarter-mile and three-quarter-mile buffers were placed around all fixed and paratransit routes to determine accessibility to transit in these areas.

A 2014 update of the Tri-County Area Regional Mobility Needs study further identified key healthcare and long-term care facilities outside of the transit service area. A Transit-

Orientation Index was also created to identify transit-dependent segments of the population or those historically more likely to use public transportation, such as older adults, youth, and low- income or no vehicle households. The Transit-Orientation Index was calculated using block group data from the 2011 American Community Survey. Demographic characteristics, including population density per square mile, proportion of population ages 60 and above, proportion of population ages 16 and below, and proportion of population living below the poverty line were mapped to identify concentrations of transit-oriented persons, as defined by the index (HMPO, 2014b).

Concentrations of transit-oriented persons were compared to existing transit routes to determine if the routes were serving populations in the region most likely to need public transit. The analysis revealed that although Hillsborough and Pasco counties have underserved areas with high or very high transit orientation, many existing routes serve areas identified as high or very high transit-orientation index areas (HMPO, 2014b). The transit agencies did not make any substantial changes to service based on the findings of the report or the transit-orientation index. The 2040 long-range transportation plan has addressed equity in the context of safety and access to jobs and services. The development of the LRTP began with asking the public, through online surveys and MPO meeting surveys, about preferred growth scenarios termed Bustling Metro, New Corporate Centers and Suburban Dream. Each growth pattern was evaluated with a set of standardized performance measures to give the public an idea of how these types of growth would impact a variety of indicators. Among these performance indicators was “Access to Jobs from Under-Employed Communities,” the average home-to-work trip length for environmental justice communities, and the percentage with access to transit service that operates at 30-minute frequencies as forecasted using the regional travel demand model (HMPO, 2014a, p. 33).

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The 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) estimated the size of the population unserved by the fixed-route transit system in 2040, and used existing census data to estimate the potential 2040 transportation-disadvantaged population. The LRTP recognized that fixed-route bus service serves 52% of the county’s population, leaving 48% without access to the fixed-route bus system, though paratransit service (Sunshine Line) is available for eligible transportation disadvantaged residents with needs-based transit. Paratransit will pick up and drop off

transportation disadvantaged residents at their destination, or take them to an accessible fixed- route bus stop depending on the needs of the passenger.

The LRTP makes investment-level projections (low-high) for bus routes, with each level identifying the transportation disadvantaged population unserved by transit in 2040 and the annual paratransit trips needed in 2040. The plan evaluates eight financial scenarios and expenditures based on those scenarios. Transportation-disadvantaged services remain constant regardless of increases in revenue (HMPO, 2014a). Although under these different scenarios fixed-route bus service is anticipated to increase in frequency and spatial coverage, which will naturally provide accessibility to transportation disadvantaged populations, the funds are not specifically targeted at addressing these populations.

An additional performance indicator in the LRTP includes reducing crashes and addressing vulnerable road users. Hillsborough County, at the time of the LRTP’s adoption, ranked 12th in the nation for traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents. The Hillsborough MPO developed the Congestion Management/Crash Mitigation Process: Crash Severity Reduction Report in 2012 to identify the most common types of severe and fatal crashes. The LRTP outlines the goal of reducing injuries and crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and improving safety for all road users through a multitude of safety enhancement project strategies (e.g., roundabouts, medians, bike lanes, sidewalks, pedestrian islands, etc.) (HMPO, 2014a).

Hillsborough County’s LRTP is updated on a five-year cycle and the Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan is updated annually. The 2040 LRTP was adopted at the end of 2014, and the adoption of the 2045 LRTP update can be expected in 2019. Since the

Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan is updated on an annual basis, its update will be adopted in mid-2017.