By Kyle LoJacono
Even though only $950,000 of the $615 million vetoed from Florida’s budget by Gov. Rick Scott was from Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA), it came as a shock to the organization.
The portion of the budget cuts could be crushing for the regional board, which has had an annual budget of $1.75 million since it was established in 2007 by the state Legislature. It was created to plan transportation strategies for the seven counties that make up the Tampa Bay area, which includes both Pasco and Hillsborough.
“The transportation needs of the region have not changed; traffic congestion has not diminished,” TBARTA officials said in a statement responding to the cut. “We need a vision for the long term and solutions for the short term.”
TBARTA spokeswoman Amy Ellis added, “Our funding and revenue vary year to year and some are multi-year contracts. Other dollars may make up the shortfall. It’s too early to know. We are still reviewing and will budget accordingly.”
TBARTA has yet to release its own budget, but one would have to be in place by the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
Ellis said TBARTA members are using information gathered during six recent telephone town hall meetings, which drew involvement from 60,000 people.
Pasco Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand is her county’s representative on TBARTA’s board and was disappointed with the cut.
“I think we’ve done a lot with the small budget we had,” Hildebrand said. “We’ll continue to do everything we can with the money we have for the growing region.”
TBARTA estimations show traffic congestion is expected to double by 2035 in its region and triple by 2050.
TBARTA currently has a staff of 13. Of those positions, three are vacant. It oversee the planning and operations of the Bay Area Commuter Services, a ride matching program including car and van-pooling alternatives in TBARTA’s five northern counties.
For more information on TBARTA or to read its entire response to the budget cut, visit www.tbarta.com.
