News & Public Affairs

Protesters Demonstrate Outside Obama Townhall Meeting listen

01/28/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Barack Obama, 9/12, teabaggers, protests, high-speed rail, Joe Biden

The line outside the Bob Martinez Sports Center wound throughout the University of Tampa campus. It reportedly had begun forming in the early morning hours. Most in line, like UT music major Alison Weinstien, were elated that the President would come to town on the heels of his State of the Union address.

Some, like Curtis, an engineer from Tampa, wanted to hear concrete ways on how the President plans to approve the economy.

Many, including USF graduate student Joshua Yanapa, wanted to...

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Obama announces high speed rail funding during Tampa visit listen

01/28/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: obama, high-speed rail, State of the Union Address, federal stimulus money, transportation funding, Transportation, Connect Us, Tampa City Council, Bill Nelson, Joe Biden

President Barack Obama announced that thirteen major corridors will receive awards today to help develop new high-speed rail infrastructure or begin the transition to high-speed rail. Obama visited Tampa today with Vice President Joe Biden to announce his plans for rail, economic recovery and jobs following last night’s State of the Union address.

Obama plans t...

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Castor says Obama will announce high-speed rail grants in Tampa tomorrow listen

01/27/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: high-speed rail, kathy castor, Bill Nelson, economic stimulus, Barack Obama

President Barack Obama is coming to Tampa tomorrow with Vice President Joe Biden. Tampa-area member of Congress Kathy Castor says Obama will announce $8 billion in grants for high-speed rail. Florida has applied for $2.5 billion to build a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. Castor, a Democrat, will be with President Obama tomorrow when he announces bullet train funding in Tampa.

In an audio statement today, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson predicted that if Obama does announce that F...

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High-speed rail supporters call for citizens to lobby president listen

01/12/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: high-speed rail, commuter rail, light rail, Connect Us, Pam Iorio, Bill Nelson, kathy castor, Barack Obama, stimulus money

Today at Tampa’s Union Station, about forty proponents of high-speed rail unveiled their new campaign to lobby the president for stimulus funding. The rail supporters, including Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, hope citizens will ask Barack Obama to award Florida part of $8 billion in stimulus funding for a bullet train from Tampa to Orlando.

The union, business, environmental, and political leaders on hand are confident that Florida’s request for $2.5 billion will be awarded, but say that contactin...

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Florida Representative Bill Heller on why he opposed the rail bill listen

12/16/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: transit, special session, rail, TBARTA, high-speed rail, Sunrail

State Representative Bill Heller voted against the rail bill that Governor Crist signed today. The Democrat from St. Petersburg says he supports mass transit, but opposes the multi-million dollar handout to the rail company CSX.

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TBARTA meets after transportation bill passes listen

12/11/09 Arielle Stevenson
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Tags: TBARTA, Transportation, light rail, high-speed rail, commuter rail

In a special session this week, the State Legislature voted to pass the bill which will provide funding for commuter and light rail in central and south Florida. Many in the state felt that this legislation was critical to acquiring the federal funds necessary to build high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando. Today, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) discussed what the passing of that legislation means for the future of TBARTA’s transportation efforts. Bob Cliffor...

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Federal funding sought for high-speed Tampa-Orlando train listen

11/20/09 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: high-speed rail, transit, Connect Us

Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik pushed for a high speed rail system during a talk at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center early this afternoon, as part of the move to bring some major transit changes to the Tampa Bay area.

Florida has applied for funding for a high speed rail system that would connect Tampa to Orlando. One proponent for this new rail is former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik. In efforts to gain support for the move, Turanchik spoke to ...

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Florida High-Speed Rail supporters rally for federal funding listen

08/18/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: high-speed rail, Transportation, transit, kathy castor

Many Florida elected officials, community groups, and business leaders are pushing for the state to construct only the second high-speed rail line in the country. Gatherings in Orlando, Lakeland, and Tampa today hoped to rally support for $2.5 billion of federal stimulus funding to connect those cities with 150 mile-per-hour train service.

According to U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, “Florida is ready to get moving. Florida is ready for high-speed rail.”

Castor stood on a balcony at ...

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Iorio touts high speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando listen

05/29/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Transportation, high-speed rail, Pam Iorio

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is in Spain today to speak with companies involved in high-speed rail construction. LaHood traveled to other European countries this week and rode on France’s 200 mph bullet train because President Barack Obama has allocated $13 billion in stimulus funds to improve existing rail lines and construct new high-speed lines.

Last week in Orlando, the Florida Department of Transportation met with officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation and...

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