Get around ’round ’round ’round
Pete Gordon notes the Census Bureau’s 2002 commute times survey results. Tampa ranks 43rd worst in travel time to work with a time of 21.5 minutes (each way). That’s better than the median time of all areas, about 23.3 minutes. Tampa’s commute time is about the same as Memphis, and slightly worse than Cincinnati (20.6) and Kansas City (19.4) The worst: New York City averages 38.4 minutes, Chicago 32.7, and Philly, 30.3
It sounds as if Pete is grumbling about subsidized mass transit, but does not offer a solution, or even suggest there is a problem… Deb, who lives in Tampa Bay, and came from DC, wants more (better) mass transit here.
I tend to lean toward mass transit as a viable solution. Driving around the area this past weekend, I came across construction everywhere. They’re doubling the number of lanes on I-4 and the Selmon Expressway. Those improvements are necessary, just to keep up with current traffic. But if we want to keep attracting people here (and we do), and we force them to use their cars, then road expansion will be needed again in no time.
The current state of mass transit here is a mess. Only very few people use the bus system. It needs a complete overhaul. I think some kind of train system – with the correct stops, commute times, and prices – would be able to work just fine here.
Tags: tampa
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