Health & Fitness
Tips to Write A Letter to County Commissioners to Save the Friendship TrailBridge
Love the Friendship TrailBridge? Call and email Hillsborough County Commissioners with these talking points to save the beloved FTB.
I know you love the Friendship TrailBridge (FTB), that incredible 2.6-mile bridge that was off-limits to cars and was a safe and beautiful haven for walkers, bicyclists, roller-bladers, runners and tourists. It was closed in 2008.
Hillsborough County Commissioners wanted to destroy this treasured public resource, but a group of residents including SWFBUD submitted a business plan that outlines a new game plan to save the FTB.
Now we need your help. Please contact the county commissioners by phone or email and tell them to save the TrailBridge by accepting the business blueprint. Here are the talking points:
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Economic survival: Tampa Bay competes against othe cities around the country and in the Southeast such as Atlanta and needs amenities to set Tampa Bay apart from competitor cities. Let's invest in our strength: showcasing the Bay.
Popular amenity: Before the TrailBridge was closed in 2008, the FTB drew more than 600,000 annual users from all backgrounds and both sides of the bay.
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Safe haven: Tampa Bay is known as the bicyclist and pedestrian death capital of the country and needs a safe and attractive refuge to walk and bike.
New business model: Residents will create a nonprofit, and that nonprofit will team up with Hillsborough County to create a private-public partnership.
How much to fix?: $13.7 million in donations and grants. Save good parts of FTB and replace the bad parts damaged by salt water. By replacing the low span approaches with new metal structures, the life expectancy is increased to more than 30 years.
Where will money come from? Donations, grants and fees. Money to maintain the new life of the bridge will come 55 percent of funds will come from donations (55 percent) and revenue (45 percent) such as vendor rentals, parking fees and special events.
Economic clout: More than 680,000 people will visit the FTB a year and increase direct spending by $14 million per year or more in both counties. That's $786 million in spending and 35 million visitors during the FTB's extended new life.