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TBARTA

Will cross-county commuters have a new option?

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Commuters in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties could have a new way to get around, as planning continues on a proposed 41-mile bus route connecting the counties.

The plan being considered calls for designated rapid bus transit lanes to be built along the shoulders of Interstate 75 and Interstate 275.

Chris Jadick is the communications director for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA). At a North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast on Feb. 4, he explained to attendees the agency’s plan to expand bus services cross-county. (Courtesy of Chris Jadick of TBARTA)

The route would run from Pasco to Hillsborough County — beginning at State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, heading south to the University of South Florida and ending in downtown Tampa. The system also would have a leg continuing into Pinellas County, ending in downtown St. Petersburg.

Various bus stations would be built adjacent to the highway and within a 1-mile radius of communities with larger concentrations of commercial development.

Chris Jadick, of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA), outlined aspects of the proposed bus rapid transit system during a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting on Feb. 4.

The proposed project carries a price tag of $455 million, and is now in the project development and environment phase, Jadick told those gathered at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus.

Alternatives are now being evaluated to determine which would be most beneficial to the public, Jadick said.

The current plan being studied calls for designated lanes to be constructed along Interstates 75 and 275 shoulders, catered for buses only.

Increasing the number of stations could result in lower bus fares for commuters, Jadick said. But, it also affects how quickly riders can get from Point A to Point B.

“This all comes down to speed,” Jadick said. “The more stations you have, where they are, determines how quickly you can get somewhere,” he explained.

The study is scheduled to wrap up by August 2021, he noted.

When 30% of the design plan is set, federal funds will be allocated toward the project, Jadick said, aside from state and local assistance.

The project aims to help address Florida’s low-performance ranking in the area of public transportation, Jadick said.

“There’s no question we have great local transit providers. The problem is regionally. How do we connect Pasco County with the great opportunities in Hillsborough (County), or Hillsborough (County) to Manatee (County)?” he asked.

The regional transit agency oversees five counties: Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas.

The tri-county bus rapid transit system is just part of TBARTA’s 10-year vision plan. Another project in that long-range plan calls for expanded car and vanpool services.

The regional transit agency has been working in conjunction with the Enterprise rental service to provide feasible transportation options for government workers.

Plans are in the works to create a ride-sharing program to help reduce the number of vehicles on the road — which would decrease congestion, shorten commute times and result in cleaner air.

It is not yet clear when either of these new initiatives could begin offering commuters new alternatives.

Published February 12, 2020

Pasco considered for new cross-county bus routes

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Pasco County commuters may soon have easier access into neighboring counties, as two new bus routes are being explored along the Interstate 75 and Interstate 275 corridors.

Bus stops along State Road 56 and State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel would allow riders to catch buses traveling to Tampa and Saint Petersburg.

The bus rapid transit project would help travelers move around, while reducing congestion on the highway.

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) has been working on the idea in conjunction with the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) of Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

The regional transit authority began a study in 2019 to evaluate the 41-mile bus route.

If implemented, those in Pasco could travel south into Tampa, stopping near the University of South Florida and in downtown Tampa. Bus riders would have the option to continue riding southwest, ending up in downtown St. Petersburg.

The highway also may be widened to accommodate a designated lane for buses as well.

The initiative has transitioned into the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study, with the support of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Trying to find a way to improve transit and ease congestion has been an issue for decades.

Providing more public bus services across Tampa Bay could help reduce the estimated 50% increase in motorists expected over the next two decades, according to TBARTA.

Other cities across the nation —  including Los Angeles, Cleveland, Minneapolis and Las Vegas — already have bus rapid transit.

Routes can be selected based on where there is a high volume of businesses, attractions and daily needs.

Kurt Scheible is the director of Pasco County Public Transportation and sits on TBARTA’s Transit Management Committee.

He pushed for two bus stops when one was originally being considered for Pasco. This resulted in both State Road 56 and State Road 54 being selected, near their intersections with Interstate 75.

“(State Road) 56 is not really a good starting point for Pasco County, (State Road) 54 is,” Scheible said. “(State Road) 54 is where the customers are actually going to be. That’s where the people are and that’s where they’re going to go.”

Currently, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) Authority offers bus rides from Wesley Chapel into Tampa.

While the exact locations of the proposed stops haven’t been pinpointed yet, they will be two new alternatives to the HART bus service.

With the support of FDOT, the project could cost up to $455 million.

Studies are scheduled for completion in 2021, but a construction timetable hasn’t been determined yet.

Published January 29, 2020

Trails putting Florida on the map

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Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp wants to get residents moving when it comes to supporting and building a network of trails and greenways.

The first-time county commissioner recently invited trail experts to give residents an overview of current and future projects in Hillsborough and the Tampa Bay region.

Regional trails coursing through Pasco County include the Coast to Coast Trail tying together east and west coasts; and, the Suncoast Trail, with trail heads in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties

Dale Allen, executive director of the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation, left, received an award given to the foundation by the Florida Bicycle Association. J. Steele Olmstead is the association’s president; Pat Kemp is Hillsborough County Commissioner.
(Kathy Steele)

Nearly 75 people attended the April 4 meeting at the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library in Tampa. Speakers included Dale Allen, executive director of the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation; Wade Reynolds of the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization; and Anthony Matonti of Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, or TBARTA.

“Trails are just exploding,” said Kemp.

But, she came away disappointed when she attended a regional meeting on trials in Venice in February. At least seven counties made presentations.

“Pasco had a great demonstration, good programs,” Kemp said.

Hillsborough didn’t have as much going on, but that wasn’t always the case, she said.  “It seemed like something happened in Hillsborough because they went dormant.”

Kemp hopes that the April 4 meeting will spur efforts to follow through on trail projects in Hillsborough and regionally. An annual summit on trail development in Hillsborough also would keep momentum going, she said.

On April 5, Hillsborough County commissioners asked the county’s staff to prioritize a list of hiking and bicycling trails for future projects, and to make a biannual report on progress.

All across Florida, a trail system is taking shape.

It’s one that largely began with local projects, but now is emerging as a statewide network, Allen said.

The Coast to Coast trail, for instance, includes about 14 individual trails built by local governments. When the trail opens in 2020, it will connect Volusia County in the east with Pinellas County in the west. A portion of the 250-mile trail will cut through Pasco.

Kathryn Starkey is a Pasco County Commissioner.
(File)

People can ride bicycles from the Kennedy Space Center to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Allen said.

“The economic impact of this is tremendous,” he said.

Florida’s trail system benefits from a number of factors, including year-round warm weather. But, Allen said the state has other assets as well, including its state parks.

Florida is the only state in the nation to win the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence three times for the maintenance of its parks.

The state also has thousands of miles of abandoned rights-of-way along railroad lines. Many trail systems around the country are being built on those old routes, including the Coeur d’Alene Trail in Idaho along 71 miles of the Union Pacific rail line, and the High Line in New York City on an abandoned, elevated rail road trestle.

Allen said the High Line is the second biggest tourist attraction in New York City.

In Pasco, a trail is proposed to follow the Orange Belt rail line. Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey often mentions the trail as an economic boon to Land O’ Lakes.

Dade City often is cited as a future hub for bicyclists traveling the trail network.

The Coast to Coast trail could benefit Dade City’s efforts, said Allen, in response to a question posed after his presentation. But, he added, “They’ve got to do it right. Putting lanes for bicycles along roadways won’t do it.”

The trails must be safe, scenic and lead to destinations people want to visit, Allen said.

In Florida, safety is a critical issue. The state consistently over the years ranks at or near the worst among states in annual pedestrian and bicycling fatalities.

Data shows that nine out of 10 Floridians own bicycles. But, Allen said one out of 10 owners don’t ride them. “The roads are too dangerous,” he said. “To go to best from worst, we have a lot of work to do.”

Published April 26, 2017

TBARTA picks Don Skelton as interim executive director

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Don Skelton is the new interim executive director of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority board of directors.

He replaces Bob Clifford, TBARTA’s first executive director, who resigned to join the engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, according to a release.

Skelton has a lengthy career in transportation planning and programs, including serving as secretary of the District 7 office for the Florida Department of Transportation for seven years, ending in 2012. During that time, he was on the board of directors as an “ex officio” member, and was instrumental in providing support for the development of TBARTA’s master transportation plan.

Right now, however, he is vice president at H.W. Lochner, where he provides transportation engineering services for the Tampa Bay region and Central Florida.

“Don was there when we started, and played a major role in our early success,” said Ronnie Duncan, TBARTA’s chair, in a release. “There could not be (a) better person to serve in this capacity as we work through the process of selecting a permanent executive director.”

TBARTA was created in 2007 by the Legislature to plan and develop a multimodal transportation system that will connect the second counties of the Tampa Bay region — Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota.