The Global Transit Guidebook by HARTride 2012
Public Transit told from a unique perspective
You’ve likely been hearing about it over the past few months, but now the official public outreach process has begun in Hillsborough County. What is this outreach process about exactly? It’s about building a better transportation network throughout the county. Because let’s face it, we’re at a pivotal crossroads right now, and unless we act to fix the situation at hand, things will only get worse from here.
Several months ago, I blogged about the Greenlight Pinellas initiative, which is aimed at dramatically changing the public transit landscape in Pinellas County, and how it’s funded. My previous post provided a summary of how the Greenlight plan will work, what successes the plan has had as of mid 2014, and what challenges the initiative faced at the time. In this update, the last before the November 4th General Election, I’m going to highlight how important Greenlight is for Pinellas County, and why voters need to say YES on the ballot.
Now I know this post comes a bit too late for many who have either submitted their ballots through the mail, or have taken part in Early Voting. However, for those Pinellas voters who haven’t made up their minds yet, there’s still a chance to get the information that you need so that you can make an informed decision. Many speculate that the final outcome of the Greenlight Pinellas vote is as too close to call as the Florida Governor’s race. And it’s true; both races are currently in a dead heat! Things are going to come down to the wire come November 4, and it’s up to the remaining Pinellas voters to get out and vote YES for Greenlight!
Now, I don’t want to portray myself as a transportation expert, because I am not. I am a passionate public transit supporter and have been gradually shifting towards an activist role as Hillsborough County prepares to put forth its second attempt at a voter referendum for transit in 2016. I therefore do not want to give you any information that isn’t accurate. So if you haven’t had a chance to read up on how Greenlight Pinellas will work, I strongly encourage you to visit the official Greenlight Pinellas informational website at http://www.greenlightpinellas.com. If you have a good idea about the plan, but just need that boost to make your final decision, you can visit the Friends of Greenlight PAC’s “Vote YES on Greenlight” website at http://www.voteyesongreenlight.com. I strongly encourage you to visit both sites if you can!
Moving onto the main point of my post, why is voting YES on Greenlight important?
Many in Pinellas know about the failure of the 2010 referendum in Hillsborough and how poorly planned out it was. Most voters didn’t know what they were getting. Pinellas has long refused to repeat Hillsborough’s mistakes, and Greenlight isn’t all about rail, as I described earlier, it’s about modernizing and expanding the bus system first. Once the bus system is strengthened, the rail lines will follow!
Currently in Hillsborough, elected officials have gradually been putting together their own plan to put their own referendum on the ballot by November of 2016 that will include a mix of bus improvements, funding for a starter light rail line from downtown Tampa to Tampa International Airport, roadway improvements, and pedestrian/bike facility improvements. If the Greenlight measure passes this November, the chances of Hillsborough pushing ahead with their plans will greatly increase, as well as the chances of their 2016 initiative passing!
The northbound Howard Frankland Bridge is now functionally obsolete and needs replacement by 2025! The passage of both referenda will increase the likelihood that the replacement bridge will have the necessary accommodations for a cross-bay light rail line to connect with both counties’ starter lines, creating a much-needed transit link. This will also allow for further bus and rail improvements to follow more easily. Passing Greenlight builds this foundation, and will allow for numerous transit links to be developed much faster than if PSTA remained on the status quo funding situation.
To date, the support for Greenlight has been overwhelming, with a vast majority of municipalities within the county supporting the initiative, additionally, many businesses, political, and community leaders, as well as all three regional sports teams (the Rays, the Bucs, and the Lightning) have all thrown their support behind Greenlight, knowing that it will not only improve Pinellas transit, but also build that needed foundation for a modern regional transit system!
Sadly, along with the increased support, NTFT has increased their opposition tactics by instilling classic Tea Party style fear mongering tactics. The recently exposed racist video put out by one of these Tea Party insiders, along with efforts from outside conservative groups like The Cato Institute, show just how desperate NTFT is to not only shutting down Greenlight, but to privatize our region’s transit system.
Greenlight should NOT be a partisan issue! Greenlight has received support from both sides of the aisle! It’s only the Tea Party insiders and activists who don’t want Greenlight to pass, because they don’t want any public investment in transit…period! Why do you think the Tea Party has been so adamant at attacking transit all over the country? They clearly do not want the taxpayers investing anymore money into the system…simple! They’d rather have the private sector run our transit systems while we pour more money into toll roads. How’s the infusion of toll roads and tolled express lanes going to fix our crumbling bridges? I mean really?
As I’ve mentioned in my previous Greenlight post, privatizing public transit does not always bring out the intended results. Buses continue to run very late at times, creating the environment for unstable and unpredictable schedules, various performance issues, and episodes of miscommunication between the public transit boards and the private contractors have also been ongoing issues. Out in California, a few agencies have seen infusions of privatization, including Fairfield and Suisun Transit, and the merged body today known as SolTrans. Both agencies continue to have operations contracted out, but the inefficiencies still exist according to one transit rider I’ve spoken with, who resides out in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Believe it or not, there’s still time for you to be able to make an impact on how Greenlight will fare at the polls! Every hour that you can spare to tell Pinellas voters who have not yet made their decision, can help bring the vote closer to passage! Below is a quick breakdown of volunteer opportunities that were outlined in an email sent from Connect Tampa Bay earlier today.
View the full email from Connect Tampa Bay.
The Pinellas Realtor Organization is coordinating all volunteering efforts and can be contacted in case you have any questions, or would like to put in an RSVP for volunteering (which is strongly advised). You can email the campaign at jfarrell@tampabayrealtor.com or call 727-216-3029.
As I mentioned earlier, the Greenlight referendum race is in a dead heat right now, and it’s up to the remaining Pinellas voters, who have not yet cast their ballot, to make a difference! Regardless of the final outcome of Greenlight, the issue of building a better transit system will not disappear. In fact, the issue will only become ever hotter as other metro areas like Charlotte, Phoenix, San Francisco, Norfolk, and now even Detroit, surpass the Tampa Bay region when it comes to having meaningful public transit systems. Hillsborough County will be trying again in 2015/16, and if Greenlight should go downhill, there’s no doubt that Pinellas will try again before 2020, even before 2018.
I want to end this piece by mentioning a few websites that you’ve probably at least heard about, that are full of lies and misinformation about Greenlight, and I want to point these sites out to you so that you don’t get swept into them thinking that they are providing the real stuff. These sites are operated by Tea Party insiders, the same Tea Party insiders that are vehemently opposed to the Affordable Health Care Act (or Obamacare). They are also among the same group of insiders that likely would support a government shutdown…AGAIN! Don’t get sucked into their websites. They want Greenlight to crash and burn so that they can push their underlying agenda, which is to fully privatize public transit throughout Tampa Bay. Later in this post, I’m going to re-iterate why privatizing transit is NOT A GOOD IDEA.
So onward to the misinformatonal websites in brief; first the No Tax For Tracks Pinellas (referred to in this post as NTFT) website at railtaxfacts.com. Believe me, this website, despite its URL, is not full of facts. But full of blatant lies, many of which NTFT has already been exposed for. There are also two blogs notorious for lies and misinformation; greenlightpinellasfacts.com and sunbeamtimes.com. Both of these blogs are run by staunch Tea Party insiders who are also passionate NTFT supporters/contributors. Both are also known for insulting voter intelligence when their debunked talking points get refuted. Yet Greenlight opponents continue to reference both of these websites in their social media posts. I don’t about you, but I sure don’t believe anything that is posted on any of these three sites.
Now, there are a few other websites that you should avoid. But I don’t want to take up anymore time going in-depth, as it will derail from my main points of this post. However, you need to be aware that there’s lots of misinformation being spread, and for you to be able to make an informed decision, you need to be able to decipher fact from fiction.
Good Luck Pinellas Voters!
HARTride 2012
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Several months ago, I published a post that outlined concerns about HART’s MetroRapid system. Among those concerns, was the fact that MetroRapid stops are physically separated from local stops, which created a lot of rider confusion.
Unfortunately, to this day, HART still has not resolved this issue, and riders are still confused. In a hot Florida day, most people want to board a bus…ANY BUS! Some don’t care what bus they get on, as long as it is A BUS. If it is raining and storming outside, people are going to flag down the first bus they see. Unfortunately, instead of HART taking this matter seriously, they simply dismissed rider complains about the issue as an “Invalid Complaint” – See page 7 of HART Operations Division Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) presentation, which was presented to the HART Board during its September 8, 2014 meeting.
I’m very sorry HART, but this matter regarding bus stop confusion between local and MetroRapid needs to be taken very seriously. If people are voicing their dismay about this, they need to be listened to! Not thrown off to the side! Hillsborough County is gearing up for a second attempt at a sales tax referendum to improve county transit, which includes YOUR system, OUR system…I should say, because many of us Hillsborough residents use HART daily. Having to differentiate between a local stop and a MetroRapid stop should not be a responsibility that a transit customer has to take. That should be something that HART is able to resolve rather quickly and efficiently, without having to bust the bank. After all, HART boasted about the “time savings” of MetroRapid over Local Route 2 when the service first rolled out last May. If HART wants to keep the “time savings” up to par, or even improve the flow of MetroRapid, I strongly suggest that HART look into merging local stops with MetroRapid stops.
Let me ask this, to put things into a different perspective? What about the out of town visitors, who don’t have more than a very basic idea of the HART system? Let’s say that I was coming from a city, where bus stops are able to serve all types of bus service provided by my local transit agency? Stops that can not only be utilized for local and express routes, but also circulator, Flex, shuttle, and even BRT. I know that there are at least several agencies out there that do this. Do you all expect these riders to be left to their own device when a MetroRapid bus passes them by on a local stop because local stops are for local buses only? And MetroRapid stops for MetroRapid buses only? Get it together HART! Seriously! If you all expect Hillsborough’s referendum to be placed onto the 2016 ballot…AND PASS…things like this have to be fixed! And soon, rather than later.
I can imagine that Sharon Calvert and the other transit critics have already taken note of this unresolved issue concerning bus stop confusion. Remember that your board member, Karen Jaroch, has a good relationship with Sharon. I have no doubt in my mind that she must be dismayed at how customer complaints like this just get dismissed for not being valid complaints. Unless HART wants to be the laughing stock of 2016, just as they were in 2010, and watch another referendum crash and burn, because people find out about these issues essentially being thrown into the trash bin, and then feel that Hillsborough doesn’t need an expanded bus system, or light rail, I strongly suggest that HART take another look at the issue regarding bus stop confusion along the MetroRapid corridor, and this time…please take it seriously.
HART staff members, if you are reading this post and have any questions about my concerns, please email me at hartride2012tampa@gmail.com
Thank you.
HARTride 2012
Greetings everyone!
Just a quick update on the construction of HART’s MetroRapid line. Roughly a dozen shelters have been set up along the route, and all 14 Gillig Low Floor buses to be used on the line have been delivered to HART. However, it is my understanding that there have been some delays with construction of shelters and concrete landing pads. From what I’ve been told by HART staff, utility poles have impacted construction of concrete landing pads and thus have had to be relocated. Other than that, things appear to be going as planned.
A couple weeks ago, HART announced that MetroRapid will likely go into service during its June service cycle. HART currently evaluates its transit services and makes changes as needed three times a year: March, June, and November. Although there was no reason mentioned for the setback, I suspect that it is nothing major. Many project completion dates are adjusted for a variety of reasons, including those that are beyond one’s control. With that said, I hope to report back soon with some photos of shelters that have been constructed. Perhaps at some point, I’ll be able to encounter one of the green/white buses in testing mode along the Nebraska Ave or Fletcher Ave corridors.
Have a great week!
HARTride 2012
Great news to everyone residing in the Tampa Bay area (particularly Pinellas County)! The PSTA board decided unanimously to move forward with plans to place a penny sales tax increase to help fund transit improvements. The current plan is to have the question on the November, 2014 ballot, however this could change if more time is needed to hash out all the details.
Although I’m very excited that the measure is moving forward, I must stress that the one thing that Pinellas County cannot do is make the same mistakes that Hillsborough County made in 2010. Specifically, I speak of the fact that not enough time was put in to really present a comprehensive plan that would benefit residents throughout the county. For instance, the plan was heavily marketing light rail, when the plan also included expanded local and express bus services, bus rapid transit, and roadway improvements. I also feel that the plan was “rushed” so to speak, because not everyone had a chance to really provide their opinions on the plan prior to the election season. Perhaps if more time was provided (let’s say putting the measure to 2011 instead of 2010), there would have been more time to convince those who typically do not use public transit that the plan would benefit them. On top of that, opposition groups quickly mobilized to associate Hillsborough’s penny tax plan with President Obama’s high speed rail plan, calling the whole issue a nightmare for taxpayers. Unless Pinellas spends the time and resources analyzing all the options available for their transit expansion plan, voters may end up feeling more confused about the Pinellas effort than Hillsborough residents felt about their’s in 2010.
In the coming months there are going to be lots of meetings and discussions on the matter so that residents can have their say. I am also confident that the with the help of Connect Tampa Bay, the public will be better informed about the Pinellas plan than Hillsborough residents were in 2010. However, I feel that county leaders, PSTA, and others involved with the plan need to use extra caution in respects to economic conditions in the region and throughout the world. 2010 was clearly a bad time to bring up a transit referendum, as the economy was still in very bad shape from the 2008 financial crisis. Although the economy is slowly recovering now, things are still very fragile. Should economic conditions deteriorate again within the next few months, it is possible that the referendum could get called off completely.
If you have any feedback to provide, please feel free to comment!
Warmest Regards,
HARTride 2012.
Hi everyone!
I know that I’ve been lagging behind on posting as of late. I’ve been trying to get into a regular schedule, but November and December have been much busier than I thought. Holiday event planning is definitely no easy task, and I’ve been having to help my family out with several different events that took place during the past couple months. Add to that; my computer problems during August and September, and my hiatus from earlier in the year. I know that in the end, I probably let down some of my viewers, and I sincerely apologize for that. I hope that with the new year, I can finally devote some time to make some major updates.
For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I would like to wish you, and your family a very Merry Christmas! I certainly hope that you are able to enjoy this wonderful day, no matter where you are located!
With all this said, I would like to take some time to reflect back on some of the major transit-related developments that occurred in 2012. I have grouped everything by month, and color coded each event as they pertain to the particular focus region that I cover in my blog.
BLUE: Tampa Bay (HART, PSTA, MCAT, SCAT, PCPT, Hernando THEbus, Citrus County Transportation)
GREEN: Orlando Area (LYNX, SunRail)
RED: Hampton Roads, VA (HRT)
TEAL: New York City, NY (NYCMTA)
PURPLE: Paris, France (RATP, STIF, SNCF)
I have two small updates for my fantasy subway project that I’m doing on Google Maps that revolves around the Hampton Roads, VA area. The first update consists of the addition of five tramway (light rail) lines throughout Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth. I will briefly go through where each of the lines travel to. You can view the map here.
I will likely make more changes to the LRT lines later. I now realize that T5 could really be a part of T3, but I’m not sure whether to merge the lines. And you may notice how I number each of the LRT lines. The naming/numbering convention used is similar to how the LRT lines are numbered in Paris, France.
My second update is a stand-alone map of the Line 7A subway. Since it is the smallest subway line, I thought I would make an individual line map of Line 7A first. Line 7A basically runs along the beltway that partially surrounds Suffolk. Originally, it was part of Line 7 when it terminated at Holland Rd. However, when Line 7 was extended towards the outer fringe town of Courtland, a bypass tunnel was built along Holland Rd to facilitate quicker service into Norfolk. Thus, the original beltway line was made independent. You can view a map of Line 7A here.
I want to stress that these are just fantasy systems, just like the Mushroom Kingdom transit system. There are actual efforts to try and extend the existing LRT line in Norfolk towards Naval Station Norfolk, as well as Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. However, I am not sure if the proposed extensions will ever make it out of the planning books. It sure would be nice to have a neat network of light rail lines, as well as BRT lines throughout Hampton Roads.
If you want to share any comments, or have questions, feel free to drop me a line via the Contact page.
Warmest Regards,
HARTride 2012
With HART’s MetroRapid System inching closer to completion, I thought I would take a moment to share a few things that have been happening in regards to the construction of the system.
First, and foremost, I’d like to mention again about the buses. As of November 29, 2012, eight out of twelve MetroRapid buses have been delivered. As I mentioned before; these buses are similar to that of the 25XX buses (but with a standard front). The interior is similar to the 10XX buses, but with a different livery for the seating cushions. Additionally, there are a few new features that will be noticeable to HART operators.
HART recently announced that they are putting the new buses on the road in order to test out the transit signal prioritization system that has been put into place along the MetroRapid corridor. Although many bay area intersections are being upgraded to include this system, it plays a very crucial role in the operation of MetroRapid because the MetroRapid buses will have the ability to lengthen green light cycles and shorten red light cycles as need-be. Additionally, this time frame will be used to promote the MetroRapid system and train operators on using the new buses. So be sure to look out for the buses!
If you want to see one of the MetroRapid buses from the operator’s perspective, Yo Bus Driver has a Youtube video that you can watch.
Secondly, HART also recently mentioned that the station canopies for the MetroRapid system are currently being constructed, with the first canopy installed recently at the University Area Transit Center near USF. Unlike the traditional green bus shelters that you’re used to seeing, the new MetroRapid canopies will utilize a sleek, modern design and silver and light green tones. Many canopies will be equipped with ticket vending machines and most (if not all) will be equipped with bike racks and information screens displaying arrival times of the next bus.
If you’ve seen the renderings of all of the elements that are put together for the MetroRapid stations, then you already know how awesome they look!
I hope to be able to get some photos of the MetroRapid buses, as well as other snapshots of the HART system real soon. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had the chance to do anything significant for my blog, nor reopen my Tampa Bay Transit site as originally planned. I know that some of my readers may be in a not-so-happy mood because of all of the delays. I do sincerely apologize and hope to get everything back on track with the new year.
Warmest Regards,
HARTride 2012
