News & Public Affairs

James Howard Kunstler Interview listen

05/12/10 Kelly Benjamin
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Tags: transit, transit referendum, Hillsborough County Commission

Tomorrow, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on a referendum that proposes a one-cent sales tax for rail and other transit projects. It would be up for a vote this November.

Last Sunday, The St. Petersburg Times ran an op-ed penned by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio calling on the county to invest in a comprehensive modern mass transit system that would create jobs, sh...

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TBARTA Talks transit-oriented development, rail on Bruce B. Downs listen

04/30/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: TBARTA, HART, Pam Iorio, David Armijo, Transportation, transit

Imagine going days without getting into your car – having a bus or rail line within steps of your door to get you to work, and being able to walk to nearby restaurants. Many cities already have this type of layout, something planners call transit-oriented development. Today the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority Board heard from Bob Hunter, head of the Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission, on the concept.

Hunter said that the commission is trying to amend Hillsborough’s comp...

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Hillsborough Commissioners still torn on transit tax ballot language listen

03/11/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: transit, Penny Tax, Referendum, Rose Ferlita, Mark Sharpe, Ken Hagen, Jim Norman, BOCC, Hillsborough County Commission

The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners deadlocked today on a a vote that would have adopted ballot language for November’s penny transit tax referendum.

For the commissioners who want to see the one-cent tax on the ballot, the issue was what the referendum’s wording should be. They debated whether to indicate that 75% of the money the tax would generate would go to mass transit, while the remaining 25% would go to rail. Commissioners Rose Ferlita, Ken Hagan, and Jim Norman voted do...

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Iorio talks transit and more in State of the City Address listen

03/10/10 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: transit, trasnportation, one penny sales tax, Mayor Pam Iorio, state of the city address

In this morning’s State of the City Address, Mayor Pam Iorio reminded Tampa citizens of the city’s accomplishments and hardships over the past year and spoke of future goals.

At the front of the packed room, Mayor Pam Iorio proudly praised Tampa as a city that has endured serious challenges, yet continues to grow and flourish.

“In spite of the difficulties we face, I can not help but look back on 12 months of growth and progress and be proud of our many accomplishments. We are not si...

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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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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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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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Pinellas County Talks Move for an Improved Transit System listen

12/07/09 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: Pinellas County Schools, hillsborough board of county commissioners, TBARTA, psta, light rail, transit, transit referendum

Pinellas County is on the move toward an improved transit system. A Pinellas County Transit and Land Use Workshop was held today in Pinellas Park to discuss the county’s plans for future transportation improvement.

The workshop today was headed by several Tampa Bay transit groups including TBARTA and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority or PSTA. Tim Garling is the executive director for PSTA. He said Pinellas County is currently in the beginning stages of mapping out a comprehensive tr...

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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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