Tampa City Council approved on first reading an ordinance adopting an updated multimodal transportation impact-fee schedule based on a consultant study and directing a phased four-year increase to the new rates.

The study, presented by consultant Catherine Telles, used recent person‑trip factors and travel‑demand data to convert vehicle capacity to person‑trip capacity for fee calculations. Telles said the study used a factor of 1.69 drawn from Florida Department of Transportation data; she told council that if the factor were reduced to 1.4 (a figure used by Hillsborough County's mobility fee) the average fee would fall only about 0.5%.

Staff and the mobility director explained the multimodal fee can be used for projects that add transportation capacity, including left‑turn lanes, signals, multimodal corridors and bicycle and pedestrian facilities, but not for routine pavement maintenance. Adam Purcell of the transportation services department emphasized that the fee is limited to new-capacity items identified in the city's impact list; decisions about precise allocations will be made when projects are identified and funding is assigned.

Council discussed public concerns about prioritization — some members urged limits or clearer guidance on how much of the fee could go to bike lanes versus automobile capacity; others said multimodal spending is necessary to reduce vehicle demand over time. The ordinance passed first reading and will return for second reading and the higher approval threshold required of impact‑fee changes.