Port Tampa Bay sits at the center of how goods, energy and people move through West Central Florida and throughout the state. That role should be reflected in how we plan for its future.
Port Tampa Bay is not a peripheral voice in regional transportation; it is one of West Central Florida’s primary economic engines. As an independent special district of the state of Florida, we serve not only Hillsborough County but the broader Tampa Bay region. As the state’s largest port by tonnage, Port Tampa Bay handled more than 32 million tons of cargo in 2025 across diversified cargo streams, a role defined by both scale and responsibility.
Strategically located as a deepwater port serving Florida’s fastest-growing population and the I-4 distribution corridor, Port Tampa Bay is a critical link in the movement of goods across the state. Port Tampa Bay’s operations exemplify intermodal transportation, integrating water, rail and road to move cargo efficiently through the region. The port moves the commodities that sustain daily life and economic activity, including fuel, food and other essential commodities. That responsibility does not begin or end at a county line; it is regional by design and necessity.
Every day, the port supports supply chains that extend across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties and beyond. The data reflects that reality:
• More than 192,000 jobs are tied to port activity
• Over $34 billion in regional economic impact annually
• At least 43% of Florida’s fuel supply moves through Port Tampa Bay
Those figures are not abstract. They translate directly into how this region functions, how people commute, how businesses operate and how communities grow across the region.
Pinellas County is deeply connected to the port’s operations, but the impact is far greater. West Central Florida’s supply chain depends on the consistent movement of goods through our terminals, including lumber, steel and aggregates that support residential and commercial growth across surrounding counties. This is shared infrastructure in the truest sense, and it depends on a reliable network of roads and highways to move freight efficiently across the region.
In addition, the port’s cruise business continues to expand, with a record 1.6 million passengers moving through our terminals last year and an estimated 1.8 million this year. Those visitors stay in local hotels, dine in area restaurants, explore our beaches and museums, and support businesses across West Central Florida, underscoring the port’s role as an economic driver well beyond its gates.
The proposed MPO will make decisions that shape freight movement, roadway access and long-term infrastructure investment. Those decisions will directly affect the port’s ability to operate efficiently and support the broader regional economy.
That is why this matters.
If the MPO is intended to reflect how our transportation system actually works, then its governance must include the institutions that carry the greatest operational responsibility within that system. Excluding the port from a voting role does not create balance; it creates a gap between decision-making and real-world impact, particularly in freight movement across the region.
Over time, that misalignment has consequences: missed funding opportunities, slower project delivery and reduced competitiveness at both the state and national levels.
We support a collaborative regional model grounded in a transportation network that moves people and goods throughout West Central Florida. We have a long history of working alongside partners across all three counties to align priorities, strengthen trade and expand economic opportunity. That approach has produced real results and will continue to do so.
Collaboration should be matched with representation.
I respectfully urge you to support a governance structure that reflects the full scope of the regional transportation network, including a voting role for Port Tampa Bay.
We are ready to continue this work with you and ensure the MPO is positioned to support the region’s long-term growth, resilience and competitiveness.
Paul Anderson is president and CEO of Port Tampa Bay. Anderson sent this letter to Dave Eggers and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
