News & Public Affairs
Regional transit in Tampa Bay is getting an updated vision listen
04/26/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: TBARTA, PSTA, HART, transit, rail, buses, transportation
The board coordinating transit agencies from all over the Tampa Bay area is updating its master plan this year. The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority discussed the changes during its meeting Friday. Even though the board considers the update minor, it includes opportunities for increased regional connectivity.
Much of the focus will be on making it easier to get between Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties. Bob Clifford is TBARTA’s executive direct...
1 commentsEast Hillsborough Avenue corridor study seeks input to mend high accident statistics listen
04/22/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough Avenue, transit, pedestrian safety, Hillsborough County MPO, Gena Torres, transportation
The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a corridor study for part Hillsborough Avenue in response to staggering vehicular and pedestrian accident statistics. In March, the Hillsborough County Commission voted to workshop ideas on how to improve transportation, including road safety.
Transportation planner Gena Torres talks about what might lie ahead for East Hillsborough Avenue.
There will be a [public meeting](http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/r...
Be the first to commentUSF students suggest transit improvements that include pedestrian and bike safety listen
04/02/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County MPO, transit, transportation, roads, USF, bicycles, pedestrian safety
The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization wants residents to help make some transit decisions in the county. The MPO’s Lynn Merenda doled out markers and crayons during a summit at the University of South Florida Tuesday asking faculty and students to draw their ideas.
Be the first to comment“… to get their ideas on how we can improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and reduce crashes with cars, make the roads more user-friendly for everyone and what they would like to see as we move tow...
Tampa Mayor Buckhorn says region needs transit options including rail listen
03/26/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Bob Buckhorn, Tampa, RNC, rail, transit, transportation
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn gave his annual State of the City address Tuesday morning.
He used the example of a squirrel causing a power failure at a water treatment plant last month resulting in a city-wide boil water notice to emphasize the importance of investing in infrastructure.
Buckhorn said Tampa Bay should be a region with a first class transportation system with mobility options.
“That means bus rapid transit, that means HOV and it darn sure means rail.”
Buckhorn also sai...
Be the first to commentHillsborough County Commissioners will accelerate transit talks listen
03/20/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: transit, transportation, rail, buses, bicyclists, Hillsborough County Commission, Mark Sharpe
Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously agreed to start planning how to improve transit during a meeting today in downtown. Despite more than a dozen speakers who were in favor of multi-modal transit, Commissioner Victor Crist said his vote doesn't necessarily mean he will support rail.
Be the first to comment“I’m going to be judging them solely on the ROI – the return on investment. I’m going to be looking at whether or not it remained an objective process. I’m going to be scrutinizing it very closel...
Pinellas keeps breaking its bus ridership records listen
03/11/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: PSTA, transit, transportation, transit tax, Pinellas County
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) broke another ridership record in February.
It’s the sixteenth month in a row that more people rode the bus in the county than did the same month the previous year.
Bob Lasher, the spokesperson for PSTA, says ridership numbers have been outstanding.
HART also announced Monday its ridership continues to be strong.
Be the first to commentTampa City Council wants more solutions for pedestrian safety listen
02/28/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: biking, pedestrians, safety, traffic, Tampa, bicycle, Tampa City Council, Florida DOT, FDOT, Florida Department of Transportation, transportation, roads, transit
Tampa is consistently ranked in the top five most dangerous metropolitan areas for bicycle and pedestrian deaths.
A recent accident where a child was killed crossing a section of Busch Boulevard that lacks crosswalks prompted a discussion on safety at Tampa City Council Thursday morning.
Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern questioned Debbie Hunt from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Be the first to commentPinellas will have transit tax referrendum on 2014 ballot - where will those funds go? listen
02/27/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pinellas County Commission, transit, transportation, light rail, PSTA, sales tax, referendum
Despite push-back from more than a dozen tea party activists, five Pinellas County commissioners said it was time to get moving on transit. At a meeting Tuesday in Clearwater, commissioners approved a 2014 ballot measure asking for an up to one cent sales tax increase to fund transportation. During a follow-up Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority board meeting Wednesday, transit officials started talking about how to allocate the money if voters approve the referendum.
1 comments“The transit impro...
Pinellas transit officials react to a Hillsborough Commissioner's suggestion to start transit talks listen
02/27/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: transit, transportation, Mark Sharpe, Ken Welch, PSTA, Brad Miller
As officials in Pinellas County gear up to expand transit options, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe has said he wants to start talking about funding some enhancements on his side of the Bay. The Tampa Bay Times reports Sharpe said he wants to start building support for a 2014 referendum. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority CEO Brad Miller says that’s a good thing.
2 comments“PSTA has worked very hard to try to develop our Alternative Analysis in a regional way and one of the challen...
Some transit officials want lawmakers to support gas tax hike listen
02/22/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: gas tax, tax, TBARTA, transportation, transit, Sarasota
Some transit officials want the Florida legislature to let localities increase their local gas tax as much as ten cents per gallon. A Sarasota planning official suggested several possible ways to boost revenue during the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority meeting Friday in Tampa.
Michael Howe, executive director for the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is pushing for a 2-cent increase to local gas taxes every year for the next five ...
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