News & Public Affairs
PSTA begins trolley routes from downtown St. Pete to southern Pinellas beaches listen
10/03/11 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Jeff Danner, psta, transit, pinellas beaches, Tampa Bay beaches chamber of commerce, St. Petersburg area chamber of commerce, Robin Sollie, Brad Miller, Chris Steinocher, transportation
Direct trolley routes connecting downtown St. Petersburg to south Pinellas beaches along Central Avenue began yesterday. Routes are now available from the Pier all the way to Pass-a-Grille beach for a two-dollar fare.
Before the opening of these routes, residents and tourists wanting to use public transportation to get from the Bay to the beach had to make several transfers. Now, they can hop on a trolley at any of seven stops and stay on that same bus until they reach their destination....
1 commentsHART passes $100 million budget for FY2012 listen
09/27/11 Josh HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: HART, budget, millage rate, transit, Transportation, buses, bus rapid transit, unions, collective bargaining
Yesterday the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, or HART, approved a 100 million dollar budget for the next fiscal year. Members of the transit union gave up on demands for a wage increase, as well as a separate step increase. The Board also voted unanimously to raise the millage rate slightly to half a mil.
The HART Board of Directors has been torn between maintai...
Be the first to commentHART proposes reducing budget, yet increasing tax rate listen
08/22/11 Josh HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: HART, budget, Transportation, transit, transportation funding, millage rate
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority plans to increase the millage rate on a typical property owner by about 41 cents per year. That’s even though HART’s overall proposed budget is being reduced by 3.2 percent. Director of planning Mary Shavalier said a decrease in revenue from property taxes is making matters more difficult.
And Shavalier said HART may partner with other organizations to compensate for any additional service needs around the county. ...
Be the first to commentUpgrades to Hillsborough transit include flex service and soon, bus rapid transit listen
08/10/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: HART, Transportation, Hillsborough County, bus rapid transit
Last year, Hillsborough County voters rejected a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for transportation, including a light rail network. Now the county’s transportation agency, HART, is considering a slight tax increase pay for bus service and make up for declining property values. Marcia Mejia, the public information officer with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority says the bus system has more riders than ever.
[Hillsb...
Be the first to commentDoes new Florida transportation plan call for privatizing public toll roads?
08/05/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Transportation, privatization, FDOT
Friday afternoon the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) released what it’s calling a Major Transportation Plan. It promises to advance projects across the state, including on these highways in the Tampa Bay area: State Road 50 in Hernando County, Pinellas Bayway in Pinellas County, and Veterans Expressway in Hillsborough County. The plan doesn’t use clear language, but seems to imply that new construction of managed lanes on these highways will be privatized. ...
Be the first to commentWill average auto fuel efficiency standards increase to 54.5 mpg?
08/03/11 Seán KinaneLast Call Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: League of Conservation Voters, Florida Conservation Alliance, Melissa Meehan Baldwin, Transportation, CAFE, Auto Industry, energy efficiency, bicycling
Last Friday, the Obama administration announced proposed fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and trucks should be 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The standards will be phased in.
Our guest is Melissa Meehan Baldwin. She's the Florida climate organizer for the Florida Conservation Alliance, which is the Florida affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters.
We took calls about the proposed CAFE standards, Congress' Transportation Reauthorization Bi...
Be the first to commentHART approves millage rate ceiling hike listen
08/01/11 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: HART, In-Town-Trolley, transit, taxes, Transportation
This morning, the Board of Hillsborough’s transit agency, HART, raised the maximum amount it can assess homeowners for the county’s bus and other transportation services. During the two hour meeting the board also addressed collective bargaining and changes to In-Town-Trolley routes.
Meeting rising costs without asking tax payers to pony up is becoming more and more difficult in a struggling economy and issues concerning transportation are no exception. In their first meeting since June, ...
Be the first to commentPSTA is cutting some transportation services listen
07/28/11 Andrea LypkaWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: psta, Transportation, Pinellas County Schools, transit
According to New York Public Transit Association, public transportation saves Americans the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually. But Tampa Bay might be missing out on some of those efficiencies because due to budget cuts, transit agencies are cutting bus services and next year, more citizens may be forced to carpool or drive.
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) community relations manager Bob Lasher says because of declining property taxes or ad valorem revenues, ...
Be the first to commentHillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe weighs in on all that is happening in Hillsborough County govt.
06/16/11 Mitch PerryLast Call Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Mark Sharpe, kathy castor, Transportation
Mark Sharpe discussed possibly running for Congress next year against Kathy Castor, but the 2nd half of the show was dominated by callers talking about transportation with the County Commissioner.
Be the first to commentPreliminary HART budget would raise ad valorem, cut routes listen
06/06/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: HART, transportation, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, Mark Sharpe, Sandy Murman, transit
Falling revenue may mean more cuts for Hillsborough County bus services. Today the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority’s Board of Directors approved a preliminary budget that would ax fifteen stops, and drastically reduce service in some areas. Philip Hale, the agency’s interim CEO, said drawing on reserves has prevented such cuts in the past, but that’s not an option anymore.
4 comments"For the last three years we have been, in essence, balancing the budget, adding additional service, but...
