Public/private partnership targets traffic congestion in university area
In cooperation with FDOT’s Commuter Assistance Program, the City of Tampa, and Hillsborough County, and with a matching grant from the University of South Florida, a new transportation management organization (TMO), has been established. The University North Transportation Initiative (UNTI) serves as a public/private forum among business, community, and government representatives to solve mobility problems in the area known as University North in Tampa.
Located 14 miles from downtown Tampa, the University North area represents a particularly challenging satellite destination center because it was built almost entirely after 1960 where the land development and transportation network were designed for automobile travel. Parking in University North is privately owned and in ample supply.
The development of TMOs nationwide represents an organizational response to the need for public/private cooperation in metropolitan areas as road building loses pace with increasing traffic congestion. With employment densities high enough to support a TMO, University North was identified as a major activity center in north Tampa, and CUTR is providing technical support for the start-up of UNTI.
UNTI’s organizational process began with seed funding by its four government partners. In July 1995, a report of baseline conditions and future trends was presented at a kick-off workshop for area employers and business leaders. Interested participants have established monthly meetings, installed a board of directors, and conducted a process for establishing UNTI’s mission, role, goals and objectives.
UNTI provides a real world "laboratory" for TMO formation processes and for the application and evaluation of transportation demand management (TDM) strategies. It incorporates these strategies as part of its work plan to reduce traffic congestion. TDM is used to change a commuter’s mode choice or route traveled, reduce trip length or trip frequency, or alter other characteristics of travel behavior.
UNTI must adapt its programs to the distinct travel patterns of the University North area, which is approximately 18 square miles in size and contains not only the 10th-largest university in the nation but also the largest shopping mall in Tampa, Busch Gardens, and several residential neighborhoods and mixed-use developments. UNTI members face several challenges, including increasing employer membership, improving commuter assistance services, and developing a funding plan. To maximize effectiveness and accountability, CUTR staff will use the Transportation Management Association (TMA) Evaluation Program pre-pared for FDOT, which outlines criteria for activity evaluation.
To date, UNTI’s efforts have targeted the following:
The role of CUTR staff is to inform UNTI of transportation conditions, issues, and opportunities; provide recommendations for action; and facilitate coordination among the public and private sectors and the community.
- prioritizing and planning bicycle and pedestrian improvements
- reducing safety and congestion problems along the main north-south corridor within the service area
- developing shuttle service between the university and the mall
- developing a transportation information service.
"UNTI monitors local mobility problems and advocates practical transportation solutions on behalf of the business and residential community," said Tom Locke, Manager of the University Mall and Chairman of UNTI. "With CUTR’s assistance and the cooperation of area businesses and residents, we can enhance the mobility of this rapidly growing area."
For more information, about the TDM approach of the University North Transportation Initiative, contact Research Associate Sara Hendricks at (813) 974-9801, or by email at unti@cutr.usf.edu.
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