News & Public Affairs

HART looks at New Tampa for a light rail stop listen

02/15/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: Transportation, transit, transportation funding, transit referrendum, light rail, HART

There are seriously crowded roads in the New Tampa area. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit board members decided today that they may have a remedy for the traffic jams. HART officials in Ybor City agreed to look at improving congestion on Bruce B. Downs.

HART is seeking to provide some alternatives to the use of cars, such as express buses, road improvements and a light rail network. HART’s Chief of Planning & Program Development Mary Shavalier says that in addition to the USF, Downtown,...

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Hillsborough County Transportation Task Force on transit funding. listen

02/10/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: TBARTA, HART, Transportation, transit referrendum, transportation funding, transit, Mark Sharpe

There was hot debate today about the future of transportation at the Hillsborough County Commission. Their Transportation Task Force is working out plans for governance and oversight of the latest road, bus and rail projects, but time is running short to decide who will oversee regional transportation funding.

Working with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, or HART, the County’s Transportation Task Force is reaching out to municipalities, as they plan for transportation priorities. To fu...

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Hillsborough Transit Planning Forum listen

02/09/10 Mark Anderson
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Tags: Transportation, transit referrendum

Around 50 people gathered in Sun City Center this morning to hear more about transit improvements in Hillsborough County. County Commissioners asked for citizen feedback before scheduling the ballot referendum that would raise sales taxes by 1 cent to fund transit improvements.

Later this year, Hillsborough County voters will make the call on the tax hike proposal, which would provide $180 million annually for road, bus and rail transit. The commission is seeking citizen feedback prior t...

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HART to begin its Flex service in April listen

02/05/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: HART, Transportation

Beginning in April, people in southern Hillsborough County and Brandon will be able to take the bus in a new way. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, or HART, will begin its on-demand Flex service.

WMNF spoke with Kathy Karalekas, HART’s public information officer.

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Sinkholes cost the state over half a million dollars. listen

02/01/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: sinkholes, Transportation

Sinkholes and depressions along the I-4 corridor have cost Florida taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in repair costs. WMNF spoke with Marian Scorza from the Department of transportation.

Marian Scorza: "The preliminary costs are approximately $675,000. That's doing the grouting, that's checking with the ground penetrating radar,and in some cases milling and resurfacing the area, so it's a variety of different things. There was an actual sinkhole on the Branch Forbes entrance ...

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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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Rock Mining: An economic asset, or environmental hazard? listen

01/26/10 Joshua Lee Holton
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Tags: mining, Sierra Club, Everglades, Transportation

Florida’s economy is known for its housing market, which takes tons of concrete to maintain. Roads that span the state also require limestone for construction, but environmentalists say there’s a high cost of mining the rocks for housing and highway projects.

Swamp lands in South Florida are cheap. They aren’t ideal for commercial development, and no one can build a house on wetlands. The wetlands also provide a pristine aquatic resource, but limestone reserves held deep beneath their sur...

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Mayor Pam Iorio is optimistic about Obama's Thursday visit listen

01/22/10 Arielle Stevenson
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Tags: high speed rail, Pam Iorio, obama, Transportation, transit

Next Thursday President Obama and Vice President Biden are coming to Tampa for the first time since the election. Proponents of high speed rail are hoping he will announce that Florida received the $2.5 billion for the project.

This morning WMNF asked Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio if she thought Obama was coming to Tampa to announce if Florida had won the bid.

Iorio: Well all indications that I have received, there is a very positive vibe I'll say in the direction of us getting high speed ...

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Two Billion Cars

01/11/10 Jon Butts
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Tags: Transportation, environment, sustainable living

Today’s special guest was Deborah Gordon, the co-author of the book Two Billion Cars - Driving toward Sustainability. Deborah is a transportation policy analyst who has worked with the National Commission on Energy Policy, the California Energy Commission, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Chinese government to develop policies for its burgeoning auto fleet. She has also served as the director of transportation and energy programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists, as a senior research sch...

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HART On The Move Toward Better Transit listen

01/04/10 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: HART, Mark Sharpe, light rail, high speed rail, bullet train, Transportation, transportation funding

The drive for major transportation changes in Hillsborough County continues to progress. At the Hillsborough County Transit Authority (HART) meeting this morning, members evaluated the progress of the county’s transit plans and the next move for Hillsborough.

Over the past few months, Hillsborough County has picked up speed on the move toward major transportation reform. Such changes include talks of transit improvements like better bus systems and a light rail and non-transit upgrades lik...

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