Suburban Commuter Backlog
$796 million of Hillsborough County tax money is going to the Rays Stadium Build. That money was your Road widening and Expansion.
I sent a letter to the Rays owners, Jane Castor, the Tampa city Council and Hillsborough County Commision back in April requesting critical upgrades to the Rays Memorandum of Understanding including The Raise Grant a Hud Grant and a few other things like empty muni-bonds to control interest rates of inflation rises, etc. Our current Congresswoman, Kathy Castor has chosen not to use these items to control the negative effects of the stadium build. I WILL. WE MUST.
Lithia/Pinecrest Road Widening
Big Bend Road Widening and Rays Stadium Build
As your Representative in Congress, my priority will be fighting for our fair share of federal infrastructure dollars. In 2027, I will work hand-in-hand with the Hillsborough TPO, our County Commissioners, and the Florida Department of Transportation to secure federal matching funds—including competitive USDOT discretionary grants—specifically targeted for the Lithia Pinecrest and CR 39 corridors.
By putting federal infrastructure tax dollars directly to work right here at home, we accelerate construction, relieve gridlock in FishHawk, Lithia, and Valrico years ahead of schedule, and safeguard Hillsborough County’s local transportation tax dollars for our neighborhood streets and sidewalks."
We don't have to choose between a stadium and our safety. We just need a leader who knows how to work the levers of the federal government to out-fund local deficits. Let's trigger the clawback, let's win our tax dollars back, and let's finally get this road moving.
Phase 1: Action Steps Before Going to Congress (Candidate Phase)
Objective: Build the local political coalition, secure baseline engineering data, and lock in regional institutional support.
Align with the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO): Meet with the Hillsborough TPO leadership to ensure the CR 39 intersection breakout is integrated into their Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
Coordinate with FDOT District 7: Schedule a briefing with the local Florida Department of Transportation District Secretary to align your federal proposal with their programmed $100 million state allocation.
Secure Current PD&E Data: Obtain the ongoing Project Development and Environment study data from county engineers to prevent redundant technical work later.
Engage County Commissioners: Build a working relationship with the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to ensure local matching funds are structurally ready.
Mobilize Local Advocacy Groups: Meet with community organizations and homeowner associations in Lithia, FishHawk, and Valrico to solidify grassroots support for my infrastructure platform.
Draft the Conceptual Grant Framework: Work with transportation policy advisors to draft the core narrative and cost-benefit arguments for the RAISE grant ahead of time.
HOA Outreach Package
[HOA Letterhead or Community Association Name]
[Date]
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Support for the Lithia Pinecrest Road & CR 39 Corridor Safety Project – USDOT RAISE Grant Application
Dear Secretary Buttigieg, On behalf of the residents of [Name of HOA/Community, e.g., FishHawk Ranch Homeowners Association], representing over [Number] families, I am writing to express our full and enthusiastic support for the discretionary grant application to fund critical capacity, safety, and multimodal improvements along Lithia Pinecrest Road. Our community has experienced exponential residential growth over the past decade, yet Lithia Pinecrest Road remains an outdated, narrow two-lane corridor. Our residents face severe daily gridlock during peak hours, significantly impacting quality of life and delaying emergency vehicles.
Furthermore, the lack of continuous sidewalks and protected pedestrian crossings presents an immediate safety risk for families and students walking near local schools like Pinecrest Elementary. Modernizing this corridor and its key junctions, including the CR 39 intersection, will dramatically reduce traffic congestion, improve emergency response times, and provide safe, dedicated spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. This project is a critical priority for East Hillsborough County. We urgently request that the U.S. Department of Transportation approve federal funding to accelerate this vital safety and infrastructure initiative.
Sincerely, [Signature]
[Name, Title / HOA Board President]
[Name of Association]
Help me take the next steps?
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LITHIA PINECREST CORRIDOR SAFETY & COMMUTE SURVEY
Your feedback will directly support our community's application for federal infrastructure grants to widen Lithia Pinecrest Road and modernize intersections like CR 39.
1. In which neighborhood do you live?
[ ] FishHawk Ranch / Starling / Trails
[ ] Lithia (Channing Park, Hawkstone, etc.)
[ ] Valrico (River Hills, Twin Lakes, etc.)
[ ] Other: ___________________________
2. How often do you experience severe gridlock or safety hazards along Lithia Pinecrest Road?
[ ] Daily during peak commute hours
[ ] Weekly / Weekends [ ] Rarely
3. What is your primary concern regarding the current two-lane corridor? (Select all that apply)
[ ] Commute delays getting to Brandon, I-75, or Downtown Tampa
[ ] Lack of safe sidewalks and bike paths for kids near local schools
[ ] Difficulties making left turns out of neighborhoods
[ ] First responder / emergency vehicle delays
4. Would you support adding multi-use pedestrian paths, protected turn lanes, and modern traffic signals along this corridor?
[ ] Yes, strongly support
[ ] Yes, somewhat support
[ ] No
[ ] Undecided
🏛️ Part 1: Official Letter of Intent to the Hillsborough TPO Director
This formal letter is designed to establish my official positioning with the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) ahead of their project prioritization cycle. It leverages the advocacy work of county leaders like Commissioner Christine Miller—who pushed for the initial $100 million state program commitment via the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)—and positions you to work alongside board members like TPO Vice Chair Joshua Wostal to clear the remaining funding deficit.
MEMORANDUM OF INTENT
TO: Executive Director, Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)
FROM: The Office of [Your Name], Candidate for United States Congress (FL-14)
DATE: September 16, 2026
SUBJECT: Federal-Local Alignment Blueprint to Fully Fund the Lithia Pinecrest Corridor Expansion
Director,
I am writing to formally declare my campaign’s infrastructure prioritization policy for Florida’s 14th Congressional District. This policy establishes a strategic framework to inject federal capital into Hillsborough County's highest-priority, underfunded surface transportation corridors.
The passage of the $2.36 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark agreement has created an acute structural deficit in our local infrastructure funding. By allocating $350 million from the Community Investment Tax (CIT) sales reserves toward the sports franchise, the county's baseline budget for community safety and lane capacity is severely strained.
Following the historic efforts of Commissioner Christine Miller to secure a $100 million FDOT programming allocation for the Lithia Pinecrest Road project, a major capital shortfall still remains to fully transition this corridor from preliminary Local Agency Program design stages to active heavy construction.
Upon my election to the United States House of Representatives in November, my office will immediately initiate the following legislative steps:
USDOT RAISE Grant Mobilization: We will work in direct lockstep with the TPO Board, including Vice Chair Joshua Wostal, to submit a unified, shovel-ready federal RAISE Grant application for the Lithia Pinecrest Corridor (Fishhawk Blvd to Lumsden Ave). This federal infusion will match the state’s $100 million commitment, closing the remaining multi-million dollar design and land acquisition gap.
Contractual Clawback Execution: Securing federal obligation for this project well before the stadium contract's December 31, 2031 deadline will directly trigger the legal safeguard embedded in the ballpark agreement. This will successfully return $100 million of our local sales taxes back into county municipal coffers for high-injury school walking routes and intersection safety updates.
Regional Integration: We will request that the TPO officially elevate this corridor within its newly implemented Transportation Project Prioritization Pilot, recognizing the artery as a vital regional economic engine and hurricane evacuation route rather than an isolated suburban roadway.
I look forward to collaborating closely with your technical advisors and the entire TPO board to ensure federal infrastructure dollars are effectively deployed to fix our most critical commuter corridors.
Sincerely,
Keith Varian
Candidate for Congress, FL-14
Time Lines
The precise timelines for each program dictate how long it would take from your first day in office to successfully securing the funds:
🛣️ 1. The USDOT RAISE Grant Timeline (Lithia Pinecrest & Big Bend Roads)
Because the state of Florida has already allocated preliminary planning and design dollars via FDOT, these corridor projects are positioned to be "shovel-ready," significantly speeding up the evaluation phase.
Month 1 (January 2027): You take office. You coordinate with the Hillsborough TPO to ensure Lithia Pinecrest and Big Bend Roads are prioritized at the top of their project lists. [1]
Months 2–4 (February – April 2027): The annual USDOT Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) opens. The TPO submits the highly technical application, backed by your formal Congressional Letter of Support. [1, 2]
Months 5–6 (May – June 2027): You use your legislative position to directly lobby the Secretary of Transportation to greenlight the project.
Months 7–8 (July – August 2027): The USDOT formally announces the winners. [1]
Total Time: 7 to 8 months from your first day in office to win the award notification. The federal government will then formally tie up and contractually obligate the cash over the subsequent months, safely beating the December 31, 2031 stadium clawback deadline. [1, 2]
🏢 2. The HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Timeline (West Tampa)
Because this grant awards up to $50 million for deep urban revitalization, HUD mandates a much more competitive and comprehensive application process. [1, 2]
Year 1 (2027): The Strategy Phase. You cannot rush into a massive Implementation Grant without a solid foundational strategy. You will work with the Tampa Housing Authority to secure a $500,000 HUD Planning Grant. This initial phase takes 12 to 18 months to draft a comprehensive "Transformation Plan" alongside West Tampa residents.
Year 2 (2028): The Big Application. Armed with a completed transformation plan, the Tampa Housing Authority officially applies for the multi-million dollar Implementation Grant. The open application period typically spans roughly 90 days.
Year 2.5 (Late 2028 / Early 2029): The Award. Following rigorous HUD site visits and evaluations, the final awards are announced.
Total Time: 2 to 2.5 years. While it takes longer than a transportation grant, this timeline aligns perfectly with the heavy construction phase of the stadium build, allowing you to deploy the federal housing shield exactly when gentrification pressures in West Tampa begin to peak. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Is there any way to infuse cash into the community and collect HUD grant after the fact?
Yes, there is a legal mechanism to infuse cash into West Tampa immediately and collect HUD grant funds after the fact, but it requires highly precise structuring.
Under federal guidelines, you cannot simply spend random local money and ask HUD for a retroactive check. However, HUD explicitly allows for "Pre-Award Costs" and "Section 108 Loan Guarantees," which serve as the perfect legislative vehicles for your "Immediate Cash Infusion" platform. [1, 2]
A strategic multi-step playbook allows you to deploy capital immediately in 2027 while securing federal reimbursement later:
1. The Pre-Award Cost Strategy (The Short-Term Cash Drop)
Under HUD federal regulations (24 CFR § 92.212), a local municipality or housing authority can begin spending money on a project before the federal grant is officially awarded. [1]
The Action: You will direct the Tampa Housing Authority (THA) to formally amend its consolidated action plan to include the West Tampa Transformation Project. [1]
The Cash Infusion: Once the plan is amended, the city can legally front up to 25% of its anticipated federal allocation using local municipal reserves or short-term bridge financing. This cash can immediately hit West Tampa in early 2027 to start land acquisition, architectural drafting, and community program rollouts. [1]
The Retroactive Collection: When HUD officially approves the multi-million dollar Choice Neighborhoods or CDBG grant later that year, the federal funds are used to retroactively reimburse the local city accounts that fronted the cash. [1, 2]
2. The HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee (The Mass-Scale Shield)
If a $10 million pre-award drop isn't big enough to combat the stadium's immediate real estate pressure, you can use HUD's most powerful financing tool: The Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program. [1, 2]
How it works: Section 108 allows a city like Tampa to borrow up to five times its annual CDBG allocation from private investors, using its future federal HUD grants as collateral. [1]
The Cash Infusion: Instead of waiting years for annual grant cycles, this program infuses a massive lump sum of $30 million to $50 million in cash directly into West Tampa in 2027. This capital is used to aggressively buy up local property, build affordable housing units, and issue commercial grants before land values skyrocket from the stadium. [1, 2]
The After-the-Fact Payoff: Over the next 20 years, the City of Tampa repays the loan directly out of its annual federal HUD allocations. The community gets the protective cash shield today, and the federal government pays the bill tomorrow. [1]
🗳️ Campaign Messaging: The "Day One" Economic Shield
This strategy allows you to shut down critics who claim federal help takes too long. You can weave this exact point into your town halls and debates:
"My opponent wants you to wait three years for standard federal bureaucracy while stadium gentrification pushes you out of your homes. I won't wait. On Day One, I will work with the Tampa Housing Authority to trigger HUD's Pre-Award and Section 108 Loan mechanisms. We are going to legally leverage our future federal dollars to drop a $40 million economic shield into West Tampa immediately. We will buy the land, lock in affordable housing, and protect legacy residents in 2027—and we will make the federal government reimburse our city after the fact. That is how a strategic Congressman protects a community." [1, 2, 3]