Connector Trail Update

Brian Eckman, owner of SWFBUD member store Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and a member of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, sent out this message this week:

This coming Wednesday, August 6th is the final County Commission vote
concerning the possible connection of the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the
Suncoast Trail.

The following is copied from an email from Charner Reese, Principal Planner,
Planning and Design, Hills. County:
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"UTBT Phase IV is the project that would link the existing 8-mile UTB Trail
in NW Hillsborough County to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail and the Starkey
Wilderness Trail. UTBT Phase IV is the top priority for the Hillsborough
Greenways committee, because the 7-mile link would create a 57-mile long
regional trail providing trail access to many more people and providing
non-motorized travel to many more destinations than presently available to
Hillsborough County residents. This citizen-based committee, which was
established in 1995, oversees implementation of the BOCC-approved
Hillsborough Greenways Master Plan.

The Phase IV project is funded for land acquisition, which is scheduled to
be completed this year.

The Greenways Committee has asked the BOCC to use Community Investment Tax
funds (a portion of the available $40 million) to fund design and
construction of Phase IV (7-mile trail segment from Peterson Road Park to
the Suncoast Trail on Lutz-Lake Fern Road, with 2 trailheads - one on
Lutz-Lake Fern Road to replace the existing temporary Suncoast Trailhead
that will be eliminated by the new Suncoast Parkway interchange on LLFR; and
another trailhead to be located on Gunn Hwy across from Keystone Park)."
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I've attached some info concerning this connector, including a fact sheet
regarding the project, a proposed mapping of where the trail connector would
be located, and a letter from the Greenways Committee to the Commission.

There will be a final CIT public hearing during the regularly scheduled BOCC
meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. to consider modifications to the
Phase 1, 2 and 3 CIT projects which includes the appropriation of the $40
million. You are welcome to attend the public hearing to present your
views. The Board meets at County Center, 2nd FL, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. in
downtown Tampa. The public can attend as early as 9:00AM to voice opinions
on the subject.

MY REQUEST IS THIS: IF YOU WANT THIS TRAIL EXTENSION TO HAPPEN, GO TO THE
HEARING ON THE 6TH, AND/OR SEND AN EMAIL TO THE COMMISSIONERS ASAP TO VOICE
YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT!

http://hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/about/contactus.cfm

Even if this project doesn't happen immediately, we need to keep our voices
heard so that it stays on the priority list!

Thanks for reading all of this. Please forward to friends or anyone else who
uses these trails.

Brian Eckman
Owner
Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium
www.cbebikes.com
(813) 963-5765
14407-B North Dale Mabry
Tampa, FL 33618