Rapid Transit Investment Plan

David Armijo, CEO

March 19, 2010

Rapid Transit Investment Plan

• Tampa’s Rail History• Today’s Problems• Some Solutions & Recommendations• Benefits of the Plan• Referendum; transit and non-transit• What’s next

• 53 miles of streetcar lines Ballast Point, Ybor City,

Sulphur Springs and beyond

• In the 1920s… 24 million annual trips 3.2 million miles a year 22 hour service day

Tampa’s Rail History

Franklin Street, 1925

Gasparilla

Bayshore Drive

Area Transit Today

• 13 million trips in FY09• Current HART service

45 local routes and in-town trolleys 13 express routes TECO Line Streetcar System Paratransit services Flex and BRT on the way Steady annual growth of 7% since 2003

Today’s Problems:• Constrained Service

200 vehicles attempting to serve 1,200 sq. miles

• Traffic congestion (mitigation) Tampa has worst commute in US

according to Forbes Magazine• Commuting costs• Finding parking• Safety• Dependence on foreign oil• Few travel options

Rapid Transit Investment PlanA Citizen-Driven Plan to Improve

Mobility• Citizen-based Task Force formed by BOCC 16 meetings, 38 presentations, 2 years of work Recommended transit and non-transit projects Bus service expansion, light rail, roadways,

intersections and supporting projects Projects would be funded by 1% sales tax 75% transit, 25% non-transit

Limited Transit Investment

Source: Hillsborough County Budget Office

Some Solutions

• Transit helps Reduce the need for expensive right-of-

way acquisition Reduce the growth of

congestion Reduce the growth

of road construction

Some Solutions

• Transit helps Create jobs Lessen environmental impacts Offer more travel options Cut cost of commuting

Some Solutions• Transit helps cut the cost of auto ownership

$8,500 average annual savings in the Tampa area by not having a vehicle*

Factors in the cost of transit passes

• Transit in Hillsborough County creates a seamless connection to High Speed Rail for future travel to Orlando, Miami and other areas

*Source: American Public Transportation Association, calculated 2/25/10

*

•More service on existing routes•New local routes•New express routes•New FLEX service•New circulator service•Expanded service on evenings, weekends and holidays•More paratransit service for people with disabilities

Recommendation: System Expansion

Rapid Transit•45 miles of rapid transit •USF, Bruce B. Downs•Downtown•Westshore•Linebaugh•Brandon•South Tampa•Future regional connections

Recommendation: Rapid Transit

Recommendation:Rapid Transit Projects

• Studying investment travel corridors as part of HART’s alternatives analysis

• www.goHARTaa.org

• Various transit modes Light Rail Bus Rapid Transit

• HART has initiated action on the first two light rail system corridors plus a BRT

Non-Transit Projects•Roads, intersections, other supported projects•Managed by County•Areas of identified need

Recommendation: Non-Transit Projects

Benefits of the Plan

• Helps mitigate traffic• Job growth • Improve commute time• Safer • Stops erosion of green areas• Commute savings• Economic development (TOD)

Benefits of the Plan

• Provide Choices Light Rail HART Flex Local bus Express bus

• Regional Connections• High Speed Rail Connection

HART and High Speed Rail

HART and High Speed Rail• Marion Transit Center – adjacent to

the High Speed Rail station in Tampa

Funding Plan

• Comprehensive funding program – Local, state and federal – Major local funding source

• New 1 cent sales tax– 75% to transit, 25% non-transit

• Initiative under review by Hillsborough BOCC – Potential November 2010 Referendum

Accountability and Oversight

• Proposed Inter-Local Agreement language includes oversight committee Experts in finance, accounting, and

transportation• Not affiliated with government agencies

Appointed by the county, cities, and HART

Board oversight role for transportation expenditures and plan

HART’s Bus Rapid Transit

Enhanced bus service

Advanced technology

Faster travel times

What’s Coming Soon

What’s Next

Hillsborough Light Rail Concept

(Provided by Hillsborough MPO)

Rapid Transit•Light rail could connect residents to employment, medical and educational centers• Future rail lines include regional connections• Statewide high-speed rail would connect to local light-rail projects

HART

2009 Outstanding System

Recognized by the Florida Public Transit Association•Efficiency•Effectiveness•Customer Service•Fiscal Management and responsibility

For more information, visit our website at www.goHART.org