With more than 54,000 jobs, the Westshore Business District is one of the largest employment centers in the Southeast United States, attracting commuters from all over our region. Employment projections show that another 7,000 to 26,000 jobs could be added by 2040. The area has also seen significant growth in multi-family housing.
Westshore has been served primarily by automobiles operating on a roadway system that experiences severe congestion at peak hours. To get ahead of this problem and meet future demands, the Florida Department of Transportation is planning a system of express lanes, and transit connections to Westshore from the rest of the Tampa
Bay region. The centerpiece of this plan is a regional multimodal transportation center that would serve as a hub for local and regional buses, taxis, hotel shuttles, and in the future, rail.
FDOT conducted a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) study for the proposed Westshore Regional Multimodal Center (WRMC). The study identified Site C, the strip of parcels north of I-275 between Trask Street and Manhattan Avenue, as the recommended site for the WRMC. The study determined the configuration, benefits, costs, and impacts of developing and operating a regional multimodal center at this location. On July 17, 2014, FDOT held a public hearing to present the findings of the study.
The WRMC would improve connections between Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, maximize the effectiveness of the transit in both counties, and enhance transportation systems in the entire Tampa Bay region. The impetus for the this study was to help provide answers for related efforts in the Westshore district, including the I-275 at S.R. 60 Interchange design project.
In addition to improving the connectivity of the existing and planned transportation modes in the Tampa Bay region, the Westshore Multimodal Center will also help revitalize adjacent areas spurred by the economic growth and commercial, office, and residential development associated with Transit Oriented Development.
For more information, visit the Westshore Multimodal Center website.