Similarities, Conflicts, and Common Themes: 1. Many of the community plans identified a desire for a more pedestrian and bicycle friendly environment, a town center, and improved transit service.
Potential Conflicts:
Some roadways included in town center visions are major regional through traffic and evacuation routes not conducive to town center “Main Street” treatments with high levels of pedestrian and bicycle activity. Examples are US 301 and Big Bend Road (Riverview) and US 41 (Ruskin). Complete streets designs were not evident among the roadway studies reviewed. Existing land uses, street network configurations, and planned densities are generally not currently aligned with the type and location of town center that is expressed in community plans and visions. Additional master planning and form based codes are an opportunity to advance these visions. 2. Several community plans noted growth in truck traffic on major routes as an area of concern. Potential Conflicts: The expansion of Port Redwing, construction of the Amazon Fulfilment Center, and designation of a freight logistic zone in the study area indicate a potential for growth in truck volumes in the study area. This growth corresponds with projections for significant job growth in the industrial sector in South County. The population in South County is also projected to grow rapidly; therefore, measures may be needed to balance increasing demand for goods movement and the desire for more livable and walkable communities as expressed in the community plans. Designated truck routes (other than I-75) include US 41 (State designated truck route), US 301 (State designated truck route), SR 674 (State designated truck route), Big Bend Road (County designated truck route), Gibsonton Drive (County designated truck route), Symmes Road (County designated truck route), Rhodine Road (County designated truck route), Balm Riverview Road (County designated truck route), Balm Wimauma Road (County designated truck route), and CR 672 (County designated truck route). These routes traverse some of the town centers and pedestrian villages identified in the community plans (e.g., Gibsonton, Ruskin, Wimauma, Riverview, Balm). 3. Several plans and studies identify growing congestion as a significant concern in South County. Extensive investments are being made to address roadway capacity issues and the MPO is currently collaborating with HART on undertaking a major transit study (SouthShore Transit Study) to expand transit service in South County.
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