Anyone who has tried to drive on I-75 through Hillsborough County during morning rush hour, navigate the U.S. 301 corridor in Palmetto, or get across the Manatee River on a Friday afternoon already knows the problem: the infrastructure that serves this district has not kept pace with the explosive population growth of the past decade. Manatee County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida — and Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.
Population growth is good for property values and the local economy. But it creates real costs in roads, bridges, water systems, and public transit. The question for voters is how those costs get paid — and whether their representatives in Washington are securing their fair share of federal infrastructure dollars.
The State of Infrastructure in District 16
- The I-75 corridor through southern Hillsborough County is one of the most congested stretches of interstate in the Tampa Bay region
- State Road 64 connecting Bradenton to Lakewood Ranch carries far more daily traffic than its original design anticipated
- The Manatee River bridges represent critical chokepoints for emergency evacuation routes
- Water and sewer infrastructure serving the booming communities of northern Manatee County is aging and in need of significant investment
What John Peters Will Fight For
John Peters believes that infrastructure investment is one of the most legitimate functions of the federal government — and one of the clearest examples of where federal dollars directly improve the daily lives of constituents. He will advocate for:
- Prioritizing I-75 capacity improvements through Hillsborough County
- Federal matching funds for planned Manatee County road network expansions
- Bridge replacement and rehabilitation funding for the Manatee River crossings
- Water and sewer infrastructure grants for rapidly growing communities
- Ensuring the Tampa Bay metropolitan area gets its proportional share of infrastructure funding based on population and growth rate
Good infrastructure is not a political issue. It is a quality-of-life issue for everyone in this district.
John Peters will bring federal infrastructure dollars home →