Lane Shift On Platt Street Bridge In Downtown Tampa Starting on July 1Motorists Returning To Work On July 5 Should Expect Traffic Shift Beginning Friday, July 1, after the morning peak traffic time, the second phase of the Platt Street Bridge rehabilitation will begin.  During this second phase, the work will shift to the southern (right-hand) lanes of the bridge. The lane shift will be completed by the evening of July 1. The southernmost lane and sidewalk will be closed until October, with additional intermittent closures of a second lane as needed between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crosswalks will be marked to channel pedestrians to the sidewalk on the north side of the Platt Street Bridge. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the navigable waterway under the Bridge will remain open during the entire project. Starting in October, the third and final phase of the Platt Street Bridge project will start, closing the Bridge completely for approximately 105 days.  The complete closure is required to allow the contractor to open the drawbridge and perform replacement work on its components.  The City and County will place variable message boards along Bayshore Boulevard to warn drivers of the expected delays on the bridge and to allow them to seek alternate detour routes. Drivers also can find their alternative routes at: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/publicworks/traffic/platt/.  Ongoing work has closed lanes of the bridge since January 2011. The full project is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2012. The total budget for the project is $13.8 million, which is funded by Community Investment Tax proceeds and federal grants.  The complete rehabilitation of the Bridge is required as it has outlived its normal useful life span, and needs to be upgraded to current standards.  When the work is completed, the Bridge will be restored to its original functionality and historical appearance. The Platt Street Bridge has not had major maintenance work performed since the 1990s. For more information on the Platt Street Bridge project, call Hillsborough County at (813) 635-5400. For more information on alternate routes during the complete closure of the bridge starting in October, call the City of Tampa at (813) 274-8333. ### =====Hillsborough County News is the email address from which you should receive news releases and media advisories from Hillsborough County Administration. Should you wish to be added or removed from these news announcements, send a reply email to this account. This email address is not monitored every day. Call the contact provided or the County's Communications Office with specific questions on any news announcement - (813) 272-5314. Visit us on the Web at - www.hillsboroughcounty.org/communicationsBecome a Fan on Facebook - www.facebook.com/HillsboroughFL Follow us on TWITTER - http://twitter.com/HillsboroughFLBe part of the discussion on our Blog - http://hillsboroughfl.blogspot.com/Watch our Informational videos on YouTube - www.youtube.com/hillsboroughcounty  Click for a full list of upcoming County meetings, various locations and times Let us know how we are doing?  Please fill out our online department survey at: http://hcbocc.websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/10/COM-POS-AD25.htm.    Reply Forward

City of Tampa to Close Manhattan Brush Site September 1Limited operating schedule to begin Saturday, July 9 Tampa, Fla. (June 30, 2011) – Effective September 1, 2011, the City of Tampa Manhattan Brush Site will be officially closed.  This change is being implemented in order to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and reduce operating costs.  From Saturday, July 9 through August 31, the facility will have a limited operating schedule.  The hours of operation for the Manhattan Brush Site during this transition will be Saturdays only from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.   The McKay Bay Transfer Station, the alternative disposal location for residential customers, is located at 114 South 34th Street in Tampa.  The operating hours for the McKay Bay Transfer Station are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.   Currently, residential customers are permitted to dispose of six cubic yards of brush per visit to either location. Residents are required to present a valid Florida ID and City of Tampa utility bill. Commercial customers must use the McKay Bay Transfer Station at all times. For questions or concerns, please contact City of Tampa Utility Services Customer Care at (813) 348-1111, or visit the website at www.tampagov.net/solidwaste.  For additional information, please contact Solid Waste & Environmental Program Management Director Tonja M. Brickhouse at (813) 348-1146 or via e-mail at tonja.brickhouse@tampagov.net.

Solar-Powered Pay Stations Coming to Downtown Tampa - New pay stations accept coin, Visa and MasterCard credit/debit cards   Tampa, FL October 21, 2010 - Dining, shopping and visiting Downtown Tampa will soon be a little easier. The City of Tampa will be installing new solar-powered pay stations in the downtown area. The new stations are easy to use and provide more payment options. The pay stations accept nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins as well as Visa and MasterCard credit or debit cards.

Additionally, the new pay stations allow patrons to pay for parking at any pay station, regardless of the pay station location. All patrons need to do is remember their space number. "Pay Here" signs with directional arrows accompany each pay station location to help direct parking patrons.

Though the new equipment is intuitive and easy to use, the City is also taking steps to ensure help will be available if needed. The parking enforcement officers and the Downtown Guides are teaming up to help educate users on the convenience and how easy the pay stations are to use – even for first-time, downtown visitors.

The pay stations will replace approximately 1,000 of the City’s existing 1,425 single-space meters, primarily in the central business district bounded by Tyler Street on the north, Lee Roy Selmon Expressway on the south, Nebraska Avenue on the east, and Ashley Drive on the west.

Approximately 150 multi-space pay stations will be installed in four phases. The installation for phase 1 is scheduled to begin the week of November 1, 2010. The new pay stations for phase 1 are expected to be functioning on Monday, November 15. Phase 1 area is bounded by Madison Street (north),Washington Street (south), Morgan Street (east), and Ashley Drive (west).

The solar-powered pay stations are manufactured by Digital Payment Technologies. SP Plus Municipal Services, an operating division of Standard Parking, will be responsible for maintaining the new pay stations. For information about the pay stations, including maps and installation schedules, please visit tampagov.net/parking. For additional information, please contact Parking Manager Jim Corbett at (813) 274-8482 or via e-mail at jim.corbett@tampagov.net.