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'People get ready, there's a train a-coming'

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 29, 2009

Two years ago, Florida's Legislature created the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, called TBARTA, with the dream of generating a "world class transportation network" that will serve as a "catalyst for a vibrant economic future."

Our regional economy may look a little different today, but the need for such a catalyst is, arguably, greater than ever.

Much discussion about transit has been spawned over the past year, along with more than a little controversy. But too much public conversation has been fueled by rumor, conjecture, knee-jerk reactions to hot-button issues and pre-conceived notions about everything from what light rail might look like to the threat of gasoline priced at $5 a gallon.

On Friday, TBARTA rolled out a transportation plan, posted information at www.TBARTA.com and initiated a series of interactive telephone meetings so Joe and Jill Public can add their two cents' worth.

So here's my advice for those of us living in and around the seven-county metroplex. Let's expose ourselves to the facts, formulate reasonable questions, and then commit ourselves to moving forward as best we can.

If you're not convinced, or if you're one of those folks who routinely resists change and would rather sit in gridlocked traffic and twiddle the controls on your car radio, consider this sampling of facts:

•Tampa Bay Partnership in 2006 cited transportation as the primary issue affecting the region's economic competitiveness.

•Florida's Department of Transportation estimates a 300 percent increase in travel delays in West Central Florida by 2030.

•More household income is spent on transportation in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater area than any other category, according to a 2007 report by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership.

•A $1 billion investment in public transportation typically creates 47,500 jobs, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

I'm impressed with the scope of the plan and the potential for far-reaching results. TBARTA is not talking just light rail or any single aspect. The group is imagining an integrated, long-term, unified vision.

It's a vision that needs to be looked at seriously, fine-tuned and then implemented without delay.

Check out the TBARTA Web site. Think the thing through. Generate some conversation. Then get behind the future. Your job may depend on it.

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

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