Hillsborough County MPO approves TBX project – with accountability measures added

The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization approved the Florida Dept. of Transportation’s controversial Tampa Bay Express project on Thursday morning, adding it to its annual Transportation Improvement Plan for the next five years, despite intense passionate opposition. The final vote was 12-4, with Les Miller, Lisa Montelione, Kevin Beckner and Guido Maniscalco dissenting. It came after eight hours of public hearings and discussion, with the meeting concluded at 2:18 a.m. Thursday morning. More than 180 people signed up to speak, though not all…