The team creating the Regional
Transit Feasibility Plan is rolling out an online survey this week to obtain
additional public input on the draft plan while hearing more about how
residents would use transit.
The survey includes questions about respondents’ transit
preferences. It also asks for feedback on the team’s technical recommendations,
released earlier this year, regarding a proposed “catalyst project” and the regional vision.
The draft catalyst project is a 41-mile rubber tire transit
concept that would run from Wesley Chapel in Pasco County, to downtown St.
Petersburg in Pinellas County, while connecting the University of South Florida
area, downtown Tampa, Westshore, and the Greater Gateway/Carillon area along
Interstate 275. Urban passenger rail is also a high performing recommendation,
using an existing CSX rail line that runs between downtown Tampa and USF.
Feedback is being sought on both projects in the online survey.
Identifying the “catalyst project” is not an all-or-nothing
proposition - it’s the first of many steps in building the regional transit vision for Tampa Bay. The online survey is available now through the end of
summer. The draft plan will be modified after incorporating feedback from the
public with the final expected in the fall, allowing the region to move towards
engineering, design, and implementation.
There has been no shortage of transit studies in the Tampa
Bay area in recent years. In fact, over the past 30 years, more than 55 plans
and studies for transit have been conducted by Tampa Bay area agencies.
But the question remains: How can we turn planning into
projects? Answering this question is the goal of the Regional Transit Feasibility
Plan.
Creation of the plan started in November 2016, with a review
of those 55 previous plans. After that work is complete, the process will move
into creating a plan for a regional transit network, culminating in
recommendations for improvements that address needs in the community and have a
solid chance of getting funding.
The ultimate goal: identify the top transit corridors in the
Tampa Bay region, while determining one “catalyst project” that would be
eligible for federal funding and could be implemented first.
The plan is being funded by the Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) and is being administered by the Hillsborough Area
Regional Transit Authority (HART).
“Our mission is to create a ‘route map’ to implementation,”
said Katharine Eagan, Chief Executive Officer of HART, the agency administering
the plan. “The result, we hope, will be a catalyst project that’s the first of
many projects that will be competitive for federal funding, forward thinking,
and makes the best use of today’s technology.”
The Tampa Bay region is defined for this plan as the
urbanized areas of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.
The Regional Transit Feasibility Plan will be conducted in
two phases. The first phase consists of a year of technical analysis to identify
the most competitive projects. During the first year, the milestones will
include identifying the most promising corridors for transit, then identifying
what type of transit mode can best serve those corridors, and finally,
determining which projects could potentially be implemented first.
How did we get here?
The starting point for the Regional Transit Feasibility Plan
is the adopted county and regional Long Range Transportation Plans and the more
than 50 plans and studies completed by Tampa Bay area agencies over the past
30-plus years. The step-by-step process will then determine which projects are
the most competitive for implementation.
During phase one, public involvement will be heavily focused
on digital communication (website, online surveys, social media, and e-communication)
but will also offer many in-person opportunities to get engaged (community
workshops, small group meetings, and a stakeholder working group).
Phase two will involve vetting and refining plans for those
specific projects to make sure the catalyst project selected is the best
project for the region and is supported by the community. During phase two, a
wide range of communication tools will be utilized, including public meetings,
workshops, special events, the website, social media, town halls, and regional
transit forums.
“The simplest way to describe what it takes to build a
premium transit project is by answering the following three questions: What is
the project? How is it funded? And who is responsible for building and
maintaining it?” Eagan said. “During this plan, we will be addressing the first
question and identifying possible next steps so the region can move forward
with answering questions two and three.”
To learn more about the Regional Transit Feasibility Plan,
and to participate in our transit preference survey, visit the project website
at www.tbregionaltransit.com.
14.3 million trips were taken on HART buses in FY 2012!
The latest numbers are in to
close out HART fiscal year 2012, which ended Sept. 30. Ridership highlights:
Fiscal year
2012 bus ridership was up by nearly 600,000 trips or 4.3 percent,
compared to last year (2011: 13,730,705; 2012: 14,314,610)
Fiscal Year
2012 bus ridership marks an all-time high for HART and breaks the annual
record for the third year in a row!
Fiscal Year
2012 bus ridership breakdown:
Express
average ridership up 11.4 percent
Saturday
average ridership up 4.7
Sunday
average ridership up 2.2 percent
"Transportation has
occupied the attention of this community for the past few years, and although
we may not yet have light rail to serve commuters and visitors, record
ridership for the third straight year in a row shows that this community has
noticed HART's transformation from the bus system of an earlier time,"
said HART Board Chair Fran Davin. "HART is on pace for even greater
transformation next year, as we move forward with significant transit system
improvements, including upgraded facilities, MetroRapid North-South, and a
compressed natural gas fueling station."
HART Highlights in fiscal
year 2012:
Secured $6.3
million in federal grants to build a compressed natural gas fueling
station and purchase buses powered by CNG. Design-build of the fueling
station is scheduled to begin early 2013.
54 shelters
installed, 319 stops improved (i.e. landing pads, sidewalks,
etc.) throughout Hillsborough County, including Cities of Tampa and
Temple Terrace
2012 Summer
Blast Pass ridership increased by 48 percent! This year, 66,215 trips
were taken as part of this program, compared to last year's ridership of
44,732.
New, smaller
HARTPlus vans were added to the fleet, providing cost-savings and
flexibility to operations. These vehicles are less expensive to purchase
and operate, and can be assigned to paratransit trips with fewer
passengers.
