TBARTA(TBCX) Transportation Multimodal System in Tampa Bay, Florida

[Isaacg]

The Tampa Bay Area, next to Detroit, is the ONLY Metropolitan Region in the United States of America which doesn't have any proper transit system or rail system to compliment its buses.

The Tampa-Orlando Megapolitan Area will add over 70% more people by the year 2040.
American Planning Association, Planning Magazine, “America 2040: The Rise of the Megapolitans”, January 2007.

In member surveys conducted by the Tampa Bay Partnership, transportation was named the number one issue affecting the region’s economic competitiveness.
Tampa Bay Partnership, 2006

The Interstate System accounts for 3% of total public lane miles in Florida, but carries 30% of our total traffic.
Florida Department of Transportation, 2006.

By Year 2030, the miles people are expected to travel in the West Central Florida region will increase by almost 100% – and will cause a 300% increase in travel delay.
Florida Department of Transportation, 2006.

From 1990 to 2005, the population of the Tampa-St. Petersburg region has grown by 31% - in that same time, the total annual delay in travel time has increased by 119%.
Texas Transportation Institute, The 2007 Urban Mobility Report, Mobility Data for Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL, September 2007.

In response to this, The RTA, or better known as the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, or "TBARTA" for short, was born in 2007, as legislated law as Florida Constitution Statute Title XXVI/Chapter 343

 

[Isaacg]

Title XXVI
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONChapter 343
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT AUTHORITIESView Entire Chapter
PART V
TAMPA BAY AREA REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
343.90 Short title.
343.91 Definitions.
343.92 Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.
343.922 Powers and duties.
343.94 Bond financing authority.
343.941 Bonds not debts or pledges of faith and credit of state.
343.943 Covenant of the state.
343.944 Remedies of the bondholders.
343.945 Pledges enforceable by bondholders.
343.946 Lease-purchase agreement.
343.947 Department may be appointed agent of authority for construction.
343.95 Acquisition of lands and property.
343.96 Cooperation with other units, boards, agencies, and individuals.
343.962 Public-private partnerships.
343.97 Exemption from taxation.
343.973 Eligibility for investments and security. 343.975 Complete and additional statutory authority. 343.976 Effect on local government action.

TBARTA was created to plan, fund, build, maintain and operate a multimodal regional system in the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Area for the citizens in the counties of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando, Citrus, and Pasco. The expansion of TBARTA can happen if counties in the area(Polk, Sumter, etc.) have any desire to do so. The following modes are in the masterplan that is to be finalised soon. This is probably the largest transit undertake in the history of Florida, and so far the citizens, demographics show, have been overwhelmingly for the system.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

TBARTA is working with the current Transit agencies on creating these modes, then kicking in and starting their work, by expanding them and creating a more mobile region

PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY

SARASOTA COUNTY AREA TRANSIT

MANATEE COUNTY AREA TRANSIT

HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT

THE HERNANDO EXPRESS BUS

PASCO COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
PSTA has been assigned to work with CSX to create a small commuter rail demo service and design 5 Bus Rapid Transit lines connecting many Pinellas Attractions. Pinellas MPO/Pinellas Govt is assigned to test the ITS/ATMS system on SR 60, US 19, SR 580, and other selected major arterial roads. HOT, HOV, Bus Lanes, and SunPass tolling systems are in this area

SCAT AND MCAT are assigned to BRT, managed HOV/HOT lanes within the Sarasota/Manatee area. US 41, I 275, US 19, and another selected highway will be in testing with ITS/ATMS as well as utilizing the SunPass tolling system

HART/HARTline has been assigned to create 3 BRT lines connecting TIA, Ybor City, Hyde Park, Channelside, and Downtown. They are also assigned to restoring Tampa Union Station to its full passenger rail potential, working with CSX to create a small demo service for Hillsborough citizens. Port Tampa, Tampa Electric Co. Streetcar Society, and the Tampa H'Borough Xway Authority have a part in managing lanes, tourism services, and a ferry connection to areas around the Bay area.

THEBus is assigned to expand their 7 - vehicle fleet and expand the system to fill the western portion of the county

PCPT is assigned to BRT and also the resurrection of an old railway line that was abandoned and will be used for commuter services serving Railway Square in New Port Richey.

__________________________________________________________________________

Back on December 17, 2008, TBARTA expressed support and endorsed the Federal Stimulus plan set up by Congress which is supported in the Obama-Biden Administration:

TBARTA pledges its active participation to secure federal funding
through economic stimulus legislation for projects that have been identified by local
governments and transit agencies within TBARTA’s seven-county region and which are
ready to be implemented and meet the criteria for federal funding.

Seeing that Kmothersil has posted his region's data, for SunRail and the CFRTA, I decided to post some information about the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Area.

Isaac

 

[illinoiscentral]

I Agree

Its a shame there is no proper transportation in Tampa! I was so exited when they added a system in Nashville. It will come, with money, time and vision. Did I mention money?:hehe: It takes time for these things, where I used to live [Tuscola Illinois] our nearest city [Champaign Illinois] had been talking about a transit system between Champaign and Danville over ex-Conrail trackage for years, I guess money is just not there. TRI-RAIL over there by Miami is a great system, so why isn't the local government not funding it? Florida is a booming tourist and citizen state, its time for some good transportation! By the way, this is a great thread for the discussion of Commuter Train needs across the country.
Thanks for a great thread, Isaac.
Cheers, Woody.

 

[brickbuilder711]

I agree that there is no sufficent form of transit over in Tampa. Tri-Rail here is great but many different opinions in Florida have halted improvements and funding. I really would like to ride Tri-Rail to downtown areas and have a faster ride to Tampa / Orlando rather than drive by car.

I cannot wait to see the day that TBARTA opens. I may move to Orlando in a few years and SunRail seems interesting too. Maybe there should be a link between the two, especially given the statistics given in the beginning.

I concur with illinoiscentral, thanks for a great thread!

 

[PerRock]

The Tampa Bay Area, next to Detroit, is the ONLY Metropolitan Region in the United States of America which doesn't have any proper transit system or rail system to compliment its buses.

Ahem:
http://www.thepeoplemover.com/

peter

 

[Winterpaw]

dont forget channelsides little inside-joke: http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/

 

[Isaacg]

Ahem:
http://www.thepeoplemover.com/

peter

Proper, Peter. I didn't say there was any rail system in either city. We have our pitiful Tampa Electric Streetcar Co. line that spans from the Convention Ctr. to 33rd St.

 

[Winterpaw]

Proper, Peter. I didn't say there was any rail system in either city. We have our pitiful Tampa Electric Streetcar Co. line that spans from the Convention Ctr. to 33rd St.

that thing always made me giggle any time i was down there

 

[Isaacg]

that thing always made me giggle any time i was down there

The last time I was on it, I ended up walking the rest of the way because the ride was so bumpy and rocky