Hearing on the Local Option Sales Tax for Transportation

Just a reminder, hearing tomorrow on the penny tax that is expected to build funds for improved transit. I realize the class is over, but I'd imagine you're at least interested in how this progresses. This is a very important event for transit in Tampa, and I'll be there (i.e. so it's even more important). Event details below, taken from the Hillsborough County Government Website. Hope to see you there!

County Commissioners Holding Transportation Tax Referendum Public Hearing

DATE: Thursday, May 13 TIME: 6-10 p.m.; doors open, speaker sign up and displays start at 5 p.m., hearing starts at 6 p.m. PLACE: All People's Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Ave., Tampa (one block east of 56th Street, beside King High School) The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to receive final public comment and vote on placing a proposed one-cent transportation sales tax referendum on the ballot in November 2010 for voter consideration. The proposed transportation tax would be used to pay for transit and non-transit projects, such as light rail, bus service expansion, roadways, intersections and supporting projects throughout Hillsborough County. The one percent sales tax will be split 75 percent for transit and 25 percent for non-transit. Hillsborough County Public Works and Planning & Growth Management departments, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization will provide displays and staff starting at 5 p.m. to provide information about the proposed transportation sales tax and the projects that it would fund. The hearing will start at 6 p.m. with a brief presentation from Hillsborough County and HART to explain how the proposed tax would work and the projects that it would fund. Public comments will be accepted afterwards by attendees that sign up. Written comments also will be accepted at the meeting from those that do not wish to speak. Parking will be available on-site at All People's Life Center, including disabled parking, and off-site to the west of the Center in the King High School parking lot and to the east of the Center in the large grassy lot. A map is available on the Transportation Referendum Web site listed below. This hearing will be broadcast live on Hillsborough Television on Bright House channel 622 and on channel 22 on Verizon and Comcast. It also can be viewed through live online streaming at: www.htv22.org. For more information, visit the Transportation Referendum Web site at: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/transportref/. The site includes the proposed list of projects that the tax would fund; the draft ballot language and Ordinance that would govern the use of the proposed tax; and the interlocal agreement that sets out how the money will be divided among the County, the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City, and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

Subway Systems Which Will Remain Nameless

Pros and cons of the referendum

These two articles show a little of both sides of the referendum issue with Iorio and Sharpe on one side and Norman on the other side.

Tough politics of transit

Tampa Tribune March 2, 2010

Rail will change how Florida, Tampa Bay move, think

St Petersburg Times August 23, 2009

Taken together, the articles do a fairly good job of trying to present both sides of the issue. The St. Petersburg times article describes Iorio's and Sharpe's position that Tampa needs light rail in order to remain economically competitive with other similar cities such as Charlotte. They state that Tampa's lack of rail is being noticed by businesses considering moving into the area and that a rail system coordinated with a stronger bus system would help make Tampa competitive for these corporate relocations and new offices. The St. Petersburg Times article also describes the relationship between the proposed high-speed rail and light rail in that the high-speed rail cannnot succeed without light rail for the obvious reason that high-speed rail needs a local system to connect to.

The Tampa Tribune article presents Commissioner Jim Norman's opposition position to light rail. He claims that voters will be confused about what they are voting for since in order for the referendum to succeed, it needs to be flexible however this flexibility can be confusing to voters. Norman also states that a rail line will primarily serve residents in the City of Tampa although residents of unincorporated Hillsborough county will also have to pay for it. The article does help to refute Norman's claim that the referendum is only or primarily about a train by stating that it can also help make progress on the county's road construction backlog. Finally, the article states that other cities have experienced the same issues and have been able to push through them and progress with their light rail systems.

New Bradenton Bus Station + Transit Options for Tropicana Field

Hey everyone,

Here is an article I found earlier this morning about a new bus station in Bradenton; interestingly, several of Bradenton's City Council members have expressed concern that this new station will be too far away from TBARTA's proposed high speed rail route (along existing rail lines and the I-75 corridor).

Unfortunately I could not copy and paste the entire article, but it can be located at:
www.bradenton.com/2010/04/15/2207076/bradenton-approves-downtown-bus.html

Also, a recently-published letter to the St. Pete Times by George Steffener of Gulfport. In his letter, Mr. Steffener proposes several ideas for integrating public transportation to and from Tropicana field in St. Petersburg, including revamped bus schedules and routes, as well as a system of ferries and water buses as an alternative for those who live across the bay. It's brief and doesn't necessarily take into account the difficulties in making such drastic changes, but was an interesting read.
www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/transit-options-could-make-tropicana-field-viable/1087071

Analysts: Rail project would provide spark for transit system

“Analysts: Rail project would provide spark for transit system”
By Margaret Cashill
Tampa Bay Business Journal
August 24, 2009
http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2009/08/24/story4.html

Transportation advocates say that with the construction of a high-speed rail line in Florida, jobs would be created and it would have a positive impact on the environment by removing cars from the roads. The rail is also predicted to have significant impacts on businesses around Tampa Bay. Edward Mierzejewski, director of the Center for Urban Transportation at the University of South Florida, said that the cluster of population surrounding a rail hub could attract retail and would also introduce the need for a well-integrated public transportation system. Tampa Bay does not have the density or the public transit system that makes it easy coming off a train and getting to a destination like other cities such as New York and Washington. An investment in bus systems could help integrate rail stops with bus routes to take travelers along the edge of Tampa’s downtown to the Westshore Business District, and also to tourist beach destinations or Tampa Bay Rays’ games. Well-integrated transit at each major station is an important part of the success or failure of the rail system. The high-speed rail link between Tampa and Orlando is not nearly as important as the link connecting to Miami, which will offer major time savings. If the initial Tampa to Orlando link is not implemented correctly with proper transit planning in both cities, the Miami link may never hit the construction phase.

Stimulus Plan for Rail Line Shows System of Weak Links

“Stimulus Plan for Rail Line Shows System of Weak Links”

By Michael Cooper

NY Times

March 22, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/us/23train.html

Recently, the Obama administration awarded Florida $1.25 billion in stimulus money to link Orlando to Tampa with a fast train to encourage high-speed rail service in the United States. The train would reach speeds of 168 miles per hour and make five stops along the 84-mile route. It is expected to make the trip in 54 to 58 minutes, while test drives along the same route took 82 minutes; shaving off only 30 minutes of the trip. Travelers may also be disappointed with their transit options upon arrival in either city; Tampa, in particular was noted in Frommer’s travel guide as being nearly impossible to navigate to major sights and restaurants without a car. Light rail is planned in both cities, but no connections to the high speed rail are planned. Also, the rail would go to downtown Tampa, but not the airport, and it would go to the Orlando airport, but not downtown Orlando. America 2050, a planning group, found that to capture riders, cities must be at least 100 miles apart; an estimate that is nearly 20 miles longer than the proposed route. Studies have estimated that the train would draw 11 percent of the 4.5 million people who drive between the Tampa and Orlando each year, but this would not be sufficient numbers to improve traffic flow on Interstate 4. The Obama administration saw the route as the fastest and cheapest way to get a high-speed line up and running because most of the right of way has been acquired and plans have been in place for decades. If the project is built and not successful, it may be harder for other high-speed rail projects to get money in the future.

on the wording of the Hillsborough tax referenda

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/hillsborough-transit-tax-issue-bogs-down-again/1078886

This article details on how the Hillsborough County commissioners have come into a deadlocked in a 3 on 3 vote on how the proposed transit sales tax referendum is worded. which is how the money is going to be used and if it isn’t, for the tax referenda to be repeal. The detail is that 75% is to go for the new rail system and expanded bus service while the remaining 25% would go for other road and transportation needs. The article goes on to specify how and why Commissioner objected to how the wording of the propose tax referendum. Commissioner Ferlita wants two things. 1, that no more that 25% would go for road needs and 2, if the county cannot obtain the needed state and federal funding for the rail system that the tax would be repeal. In that last part the commissioners decided to create an oversight committee. the committee would be 9 people in size, each with some form of education that can be related to the transportation issue.