Forward Pinellas Board Meeting 10-14-26

Forward Pinellas Board meeting, October 14, 2026: The board approved amendments to the county’s five-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), including moving funding for the North Spring Boulevard bridge replacement from 2025 to 2027 and adding $16.5 million in federal discretionary grant funding for PSTA’s proposed third Tampa Bay Ferry vessel. Members questioned the vessel request and clarified that the funding is for a purpose-built Tampa Bay Ferry, not Clearwater ferries. The board also approved a letter urging FDOT to advance three priority US 19 projects in its five-year work program. No vendor or contract award was identified. PSTA’s fiscal 2027 budget and 7.168-mill rollback rate were reported as adopted at a prior PSTA meeting, rather than acted on at this meeting.

The board approved countywide plan amendments intended to streamline land-use reviews, with an added safeguard requiring public-hearing review for certain density or intensity increases where a local community overlay applies. It also approved 2027 transportation safety targets, retaining the existing targets, and discussed—but did not adopt—a draft model ordinance for standalone data centers. Regional transportation coordination remained under discussion, with staff describing a pause in the proposed MPO merger process and ongoing work on regional project prioritization. No other contract awards or purchasing decisions were identified.