Transportation authority plans community workshop
 7/8/2008,  Tampa Bay Newspapers Weekly
 Light rail or bus rapid transit? Commuter rail, managed lanes, or waterborne transit?The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority will be asking the public to imagine the possibilities and share their ideas on different transit modes for our region at the next series of community workshops that will be held from July 23 to Aug. 7. A community workshop will be held locally Thursday, Aug. 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive. The format will be an “open house” and will contain information on all options. The workshops are part of TBARTA’s effort to develop a transportation master plan for the 7-county West Central Florida region, including Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties.
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HOT lanes taking shape along I-95
6/30/2008, Miami Herald
Somebody forgot to tell the folks in the South Florida transportation business that these are supposed to be the slow, lazy days of summer. Crews are furiously working to finish the first phase of a high-profile experiment that will transform the old, underused HOV lanes on Interstate 95 into the first variably priced High Occupancy Toll (HOT) facility in Florida.
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TBARTA Wants Its Own Director
6/27/08, WUSF-NPR
Since its inception, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority has relied on Bob Clifford, a planner on loan from the state Department of Transportation. Now that Gov. Crist signed a bill giving them $2 million, members want their own director at the helm.
Listen now

Have you changed your July 4th travel plans because of the cost of gas?  Send us a comment.

The Brookings Institue released “A Bridge to Somewhere: Rethinking American Transportation for the 21st Century” on June 12, 2008.   Authored by the Brookings Institue Fellow Robert Puentes, the report calls on the federal government to empower major metropolitan areas by giving them direct transportation funding and the flexibility to make unbiased decisions between different modes of transportation. The federal government can then maximize performance by committing itself (and the recipients of federal funds) to an evidence-based, outcome driven, and benchmarked way of doing business.     

The report recommends the development of a the following three-pronged strategy for our national transportation program: 

• The federal government must lead in those areas where there are clear demands for national uniformity or else to match the scale or geographic reach of certain problems. The U.S. needs to define, design and embrace a new, unified, competitive vision for transportation policy—for both passenger and freight that includes its purpose, its mission, its overarching rationale.
• The federal government should empower states and metropolitan areas to grow in competitive, inclusive, and sustainable ways. Major metropolitan areas should be given more direct funding and project selection authority to enable them to embrace market mechanisms, pursue a strategy of “modality neutrality,” and develop truly integrated transportation, land use, and economic development plans.
• The federal government should optimize Washington’s own performance and that of its partners to maximize metropolitan prosperity. In order to rebuild public trust, the rationale for the federal program should be apparent to the American people and contain an explicit set of outcomes.

This report offers an interesting perspective on federal transportation policy and illustrates the challenges regions like Tampa Bay will face as we start to seek Federal Funding for our regional projects.  This report is definitely worth a quick review.  For the findings and recommendations click here to read the policy brief or click here to read the full report.

Big Investment In Rail Will Help State’s Economy Keep Rolling
6/29/2008 - The Tampa Tribune   

The high price of fuel is a huge threat to Florida tourism and the state’s overall economic growth.
Airlines are raising prices and cutting flights at the same time families are rethinking vacation plans involving long trips in big cars.  Passenger rail, the most efficient way to travel medium distances, has been neglected for so long in this part of the country that it can scarcely be considered an alternative. You can ride the train from Tampa to Orlando for only $9, but you can’t come back the same day. Read more

Tampa Contemplates Transit-Oriented Development Concept
 6/30/2008- Tampa Tribune

Neighborhood activists and builders know that when a new development is planned for a part of town, the project can’t have more housing units than what the zoning allows. Now Tampa is looking at turning that concept upside down by regulating the minimum number of units allowed. The concept is known as minimum zoning, and if Tampa were to adopt that philosophy in its comprehensive plan, the city could be the first in the state to do so. The planning tool is lauded as a way to encourage transit and a way to better prepare for an influx of people, but it is sharply criticized as a threat to neighborhoods and property rights. Read more

Share your thoughts on transit alternatives
6/29/2008 - Sarasota Herald Tribune

The newly formed Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority wants the public’s opinions about what types of alternative transportation would be viable at various locations in its seven-county region. The authority has scheduled two forums in this area: July 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the community room of Northern Trust Bank, Suite 203, 6320 Venture Drive, Lakewood Ranch. July 24, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Venice Community Center, 326 S. Nokomis Ave., Venice. Participants can join online forums as well: July 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at www.tbarta.com. Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the same Web address. The state Legislature established the authority to work on a master transportation plan linking Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Citrus and Hernando counties. Read more

TBARTA Wants Its Own Director
 6/27/2008 - WUSF 89.7 FM

SAN ANTONIO (2008-06-27) Since its inception, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority has relied on Bob Clifford, a planner on loan from the state Department of Transportation. Now that Gov. Crist signed a bill giving them $2 million, members want their own director at the helm.  Listen Hear:
http://publicbroadcasting.net/wusf/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1308716§ionID=1

Have a comment or question regarding regional transportation in Tampa Bay?

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Regional News

Transit Authority Receives Funding
6/12/08 The Tampa Tribune
Finally, planning can begin in earnest for a regional transit system many think is long overdue. The $66 billion state budget signed by Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday includes $2 million for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority. The one-time allocation is to be used by the agency to come up with a long-range transit plan for Hillsborough, Pinellas and five other West Florida counties
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Meet Your Regional Transit Authority TBARTA. It’s Staying
6/12/08 TampaRail.org
Yes, it’s true. Governor Crist approved $2 million for TBARTA, allowing TBARTA to pick itself up and transform from an agency obscured by its own fiscal ambiguity, to one validated with a sense of budget and purpose. Read more

Future Demands More Connected Tampa Bay
6/11/08 The Tampa Tribune
Three cheers for Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Her remarks in response to questions concerning public transportation (Tampa Tribune commentary, June 1) strike the right chord of optimism and common sense. Read more

The day is dedicated to raising awareness that riding public transportation helps improve the environment and conserves fuel. It also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted into our environment.

On June 19, public transportation agencies from coast to coast will join together to ask you to park your cars and ride public transportation instead.

To Learn more about bay area commuter options visit the Bay Area Commuter Services website at www.tampabayrideshare.org.

Frustrated by a lack of options, stay tuned to the work of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, www.tbarta.com- they are working to bring transportation choices to Tampa Bay.

In the meantime you can take out your frustration by playing Whack the Pump. Click here to play the Whack-A-Pump game.

Here’s a video showing the new Charlotte NC light rail system. It’s a great opportunity to take a ride and learn how others are approaching these efforts.

We all know we have one of the best airports in the country. Imagine we would all get to it via a transit system. Here’s a great video animation showing the potential for serving TIA and Tampa Bay with a transit system.  

Tampa International Airport Regional Transit Way Video Animation

Governor Charlie Crist signed the 2008/09 budget today, which included a $2 million appropriation for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA). This appropriation is a huge step forward for our region and we extend our gratitude to Governor Crist and his administration for their support.
Our region has also been well served by the members of our Bay Area Legislative Delegation especially our Chair, Senator Mike Fasano and our Vice-Chair, Representative Seth McKeel. We also must extend thanks and appreciation to Representative Bill Galvano and Representative Will Weatherford for their efforts in securing these funds.
We would also like to acknowledge the hard work and leadership shown by the TBARTA Board as well as the support of the Florida Department of Transportation who have advanced the effort to this point.
Our community is demanding choices that provide cost efficient, environmentally sound and effective transportation options. This funding is a first step towards transportation choices in Tampa Bay.
It is not, however; the last step. This funding will provide start-up dollars that will allow TBARTA to establish a staff, utilize legal resources and increase its public outreach. TBARTA will still need to secure local funding dollars to design, build and operate a transit system.