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Future Demands More Connected Tampa Bay

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

Three cheers for Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Her remarks in response to questions concerning public transportation (Tampa Tribune commentary, June 1) strike the right chord of optimism and common sense.

She hit the nail on the head when she made the case for anchoring development in terms of light rail.

Detractors will doubtless complain about cost, but cost is more than a matter of dollars and cents. It is a question of dollars and sense. Do we have the sense to put our dollars to good use when investing in our future?

The mayor threw out some mind-boggling numbers vis-À-vis the dollar cost of ongoing road projects. She pointed out that many of these colossal expenditures have the effect of Band-Aiding gridlock at best. Diverting such money to light rail is a great example of using dollars with sense.

Light rail could realize numerous benefits, including fewer cars clogging the roads and competing for parking, reduced emissions and more predictable travel times.

Additionally, light rail systems that feature multiple stops promote economic development in proximity to the stations. We could see innovative urban landscapes emerge around transportation centers and communities defined by pedestrian traffic rather than suburban anonymity.

Some argue that drivers will dig in and refuse to trade transportation freedom for community transit. But such logic loses impact when our definition of freedom is stuck in gridlock, costs more to operate than we spend on groceries and breaks our hearts at the pump.

Iorio also made the important distinction between light rail and commuter lines. There's more to Tampa than herds of people heading to work. We have culture, the arts, an international airport, education, shopping, major-league sports, busy cruise lines and historical sites.

A light rail network that features frequent departures, connections throughout the Bay area and support from buses we could count on has the potential to inject economic, social and cultural adrenalin into Hillsborough and its bordering counties.

Such a vision is grounded in the mayor's fundamental belief that this region wants a city of the first order. Such a future is not something we can passively wait for or a ready-made product other people will provide for us. A future like this is possible only if we each step up and move forward with deliberate intention and robust belief.

The question remains: Are we comfortable with the status quo, or do we dare to imagine a future that might both stretch us and challenge us to grow?

Columnist Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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