existing or planned public transit corridors to provide public transit facilities according to size thresholds of the development proposal. Policies relative to transit corridors in the current comprehensive plan include: Policy 1.5.7: Where appropriate, work with the Florida Department of Transportation, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization to reserve a future transit "envelope" within existing or acquired rights-of-way in the following designated future transit corridors (see Map 15). Policy 2.1.5: With respect to the design of roads and rights of way, establish an on-going program to support transit prioritization treatments in constrained and congested corridors, with a special focus on designated Transit Emphasis Corridors. Incentives that support transit could include: dedicated lanes or transit/HOV use of shoulders on rural section highways; metered freeway ramps with "slip lanes" for transit/HOV; bus bays or pull-outs at key stops; traffic signal preemption or queue jumpers for buses to reduce delays at signalized intersections, and intersections designed specifically to accommodate wide-turning buses. The Draft Mobility Section (February 2022) of the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan also includes a new objective (5.4) to identify and increase frequency of service to higher density and intensity areas, bus emphasis corridors, transportation disadvantaged communities, Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas and Low-Moderate Income Areas as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). New Policy (5.5.1) calls for collaborating with HART “to implement technologies and traffic management strategies that support the efficiency and reliability of the transit system, such as queue jumps at key intersections and transit signal prioritization.” A transit strategy suggested by HART staff for the Corridor Plan is to promote the increased use of transit on designated corridors as an alternative to widening. A goal is to coordinate areas with somewhat higher density with programmed increases in service frequency and efficiency, as well as other transit supportive facilities and transit compatible land use decisions on these corridors. HART has several projects underway with implications for the corridor plan. For example, HART is working to expand service coverage to weekends and increase weekday service frequency through improvements to Route 31 in South County. In addition, the SouthShore Transit Study Reevaluation generated a phased plan of transit alternatives for the Southshore area and outlines five implementation phases for recommended service. It covers six communities (Gibsonton, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Sun City Center, and Wimauma). Figure 2 identifies mobility hubs that will serve as focal points for transit connections.
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