Making Regional Mass Transit a Reality
Our Goal: “The City of Tampa will work on a regional basis to create a
mass transit system consisting of both rail and enhanced bus service to
serve future generations.” The establishment of mass transit as one of
Tampa’s strategic goals demonstrates the city’s commitment to working
with leaders across the Tampa Bay area to develop a mass transit system
that meets the needs of the entire region. Additionally, the city funded
a Transit Manager position in fiscal year 2007. The Transit Manager
serves as a catalyst to move the city’s mass transit initiative forward
and is focused solely on transit for the City of Tampa and the region.
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority
Established by the Florida Legislature in July 2007, the
Tampa Bay
Area Regional Transit Authority (“TBARTA”) includes the seven
counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and
Sarasota. The authority’s purpose is to plan an improved and expanded
transportation network for the seven-county region.
TBARTA
is represented by a 16-member governing board in which Mayor Pam Iorio
represents the City of Tampa. One of the goals of
TBARTA
is to promote a seamless integration between regional and local transit
systems, coordinate with existing agencies, municipalities and governing
bodies and develop and adopt a comprehensive Regional Transportation
Master Plan by July 1, 2009.
Tampa City Council Mass Transit Workshop Series
In November 2007, Mayor Iorio kicked off the first of her mass
transit information series with a workshop facilitated by one of the
transit industry’s leading experts Cal Marsella. Marsella, General
Manager for the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), is
leading FasTracks, a $4.7 billion program. FasTracks is a 12-year effort
that will build 119 miles of new commuter rail and light rail; 18 miles
of bus rapid transit; 21,000 new parking spaces at rail and bus
stations; and provide expanded bus service throughout an eight-county
district. During his presentation he focused on the role of elected
officials, mass transit funding initiatives and discussed a regional
approach to meeting the transportation needs of the City of Tampa and
the Tampa Bay region.
The City of Tampa continued its mass transit
information series with a workshop led by Richard Simonetta, Chief
Executive Officer of Valley Metro Rail (METRO) in Phoenix, Arizona.
Simonetta presented an overview to Tampa City Council on April 25,
2008 , on how the Phoenix region got its light rail transit system.
Phoenix is scheduled to open its initial 20-mile starter light
rail segment December 2008. Additional extensions are scheduled over
the next five years, totaling more than 57 miles of light rail transit. Simonetta
stressed that in order for the Tampa Bay area to reach its transit
goals, officials must galvanize the political will to form a single
vision.
Presentations
January 2009
Low bandwith
Mayor's Transportation Presentation* (wmv video
format, 16.6 MB)
January 2009 High bandwith
Mayor's Transportation Presentation* (wmv video
format, 39.8 MB)
July 2008
Low bandwith City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 198 MB)
July 2008
High bandwith City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 412 MB)
April 2008
Low bandwith City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 98 MB)
April 2008
High bandwith
City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 181 MB)
November 2007
Low bandwith City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 21 MB)
November 2007
High bandwith City Council Workshop presentation* (wmv video
format, 99 MB)
City of Tampa Mass Transit Stakeholders’ Mass Transit Roundtable
A stakeholders’ roundtable discussion concerning mass transit for the
future of the City of Tampa was held in November 2007. Leaders of the
following organizations were represented: Tampa International Airport,
USF, Westshore Alliance, Tampa Downtown Partnership, HART, Greater Tampa
Chamber of Commerce and Tampa Bay Partnership. The participation of
these strategic partners presented a great opportunity to exchange
dialogue and discuss the benefits of mass transit for both the city and
the greater Tampa Bay region.
The second mass transit roundtable was
conducted in April 2008. The discussion was led by Richard Simonetta,
Chief Executive Officer of Valley Metro Rail (METRO) in Phoenix,
Arizona. Simonetta is one of the leading experts in the mass transit
industry and he explained Phoenix’s light rail initiative. In response
to accommodating the Valley’s skyrocketing growth, voters cast their
ballots in November 2004 in support of Proposition 400, a half-cent
sales tax that helps fund projects in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
Combined with federal matching funds and other funding sources, revenues
from the half-cent sales tax will help provide $9.4 billion (adjusted
for inflation) for public transportation improvements over the next 20
years.
* Windows streaming media (wmv) files require a
software plug-in such as Windows Media Player. You can
download a free copy of Microsoft Windows Media
Player for the Windows and MacIntosh platforms, as well as an Apple
QuickTime plug-in.
