Comments on: how to spend the 500M http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/ A very loose interpretation of the news and happenings in and around Tampa Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:40:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » roads to sprawlville on new transportation plan http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-119699 Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » roads to sprawlville on new transportation plan Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:57:30 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-119699 [...] can’t afford all the infrastructure we need WITHIN the Urban Service Area—we’re BILLIONS of dollars behind on the roads we need now. We should be spending our money on infrastructure where the people are, filling our existing needs [...] [...] can’t afford all the infrastructure we need WITHIN the Urban Service Area—we’re BILLIONS of dollars behind on the roads we need now. We should be spending our money on infrastructure where the people are, filling our existing needs [...]

]]> By: Pierre Mathurin http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-85011 Pierre Mathurin Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:55:50 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-85011 The proposed $500 million transportation program and the $40 million slated for transit is the least of our community's worries now. There is a greater threat to existing transit service levels provided by HART. The proposed property tax reform program that the state legislature is considering could have a serious impact on mass transit in our community. HART gets over 50% of their funding from the 1/2 mill property tax to fund transit service that provided over 10 million rides last year. Any cut in funding threatens existing levels of service and cancels any planned increases in service. Any cutbacks in service may involve late night service, Sunday service, Saturday service, holiday service and entire routes, as well as paratransit service. The Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation is holding a meeting on Tuesday June 5, 2007 at the University Area Community Center Complex gymnasium at 14013 North 22nd Street from 6PM to 9PM, to hear from Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City officials and the general public on the issue of property tax reform. Although HART was not scheduled on the agenda, it is important that these elected officials hear from the public how important it is to maintain transit service. In this time of $3 a gallon gas, is it wise for our community to cut back on transit service, and reduce mobility for many in our community and increase the negative impacts of auto-only transportation on our environment? Please attend this important meeting! Sincerely yours, Pierre Mathurin The proposed $500 million transportation program and the $40 million slated for transit is the least of our community’s worries now. There is a greater threat to existing transit service levels provided by HART. The proposed property tax reform program that the state legislature is considering could have a serious impact on mass transit in our community. HART gets over 50% of their funding from the 1/2 mill property tax to fund transit service that provided over 10 million rides last year. Any cut in funding threatens existing levels of service and cancels any planned increases in service. Any cutbacks in service may involve late night service, Sunday service, Saturday service, holiday service and entire routes, as well as paratransit service. The Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation is holding a meeting on Tuesday June 5, 2007 at the University Area Community Center Complex gymnasium at 14013 North 22nd Street from 6PM to 9PM, to hear from Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City officials and the general public on the issue of property tax reform. Although HART was not scheduled on the agenda, it is important that these elected officials hear from the public how important it is to maintain transit service. In this time of $3 a gallon gas, is it wise for our community to cut back on transit service, and reduce mobility for many in our community and increase the negative impacts of auto-only transportation on our environment?

Please attend this important meeting!

Sincerely yours,

Pierre Mathurin

]]> By: Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » tribune parrots developers' propaganda http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-83856 Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » tribune parrots developers' propaganda Wed, 30 May 2007 16:40:11 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-83856 [...] Contrary to these hysterical warnings of the economic doom that might come from letting citizens control development in our communities, unrestrained growth is NOT good for our economy. In fact, unrestrained growth is drowning us in debt. A new county study (the FIELD model) shows that unless we rein in development, in twenty years our county will be $3.3 billion in debt on roads alone, while schools and other infrastructure will increase that deficit. Each new house costs Hillsborough taxpayers several thousand dollars just in road costs not covered by impact fees. Our county is right now about to borrow $500 million against our future taxes just to make a small down-payment toward our $3.8 billion unfunded roadway need. [...] [...] Contrary to these hysterical warnings of the economic doom that might come from letting citizens control development in our communities, unrestrained growth is NOT good for our economy. In fact, unrestrained growth is drowning us in debt. A new county study (the FIELD model) shows that unless we rein in development, in twenty years our county will be $3.3 billion in debt on roads alone, while schools and other infrastructure will increase that deficit. Each new house costs Hillsborough taxpayers several thousand dollars just in road costs not covered by impact fees. Our county is right now about to borrow $500 million against our future taxes just to make a small down-payment toward our $3.8 billion unfunded roadway need. [...]

]]> By: Dave http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80169 Dave Thu, 10 May 2007 05:28:17 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80169 Take a nominal amount of that (even with Turanchik's proposal) and invest in intelligent mass transit information systems. For very little of that 500 million we could hop on the web and know exactly when the next bus is going to pull up to the bus stop down the street. Those plans are probably in the works anyway but surely now they could be speeded up. Take a nominal amount of that (even with Turanchik’s proposal) and invest in intelligent mass transit information systems. For very little of that 500 million we could hop on the web and know exactly when the next bus is going to pull up to the bus stop down the street. Those plans are probably in the works anyway but surely now they could be speeded up.

]]> By: Phillip http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80154 Phillip Wed, 09 May 2007 18:40:23 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80154 Out of $500 million only $40 million of it is being devoted to mass transit?? What a joke. Out of $500 million only $40 million of it is being devoted to mass transit?? What a joke.

]]> By: WP http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80148 WP Wed, 09 May 2007 13:49:44 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80148 I absolutely agree Mariella. Also, development needs to be managed to start concentrating densities in the urban centers. Although, because of such poor planning in the past, the infrastructure to support the increasing densities aren't there yet and will be so much more expensive now, and we'll find ourselves in chicken/egg arguments regarding on where and when, at every step of the way. Too bad our leaders weren't working for their constituents instead of the developers. Additionally, we really need to put the brakes on sprawling single-family developments at the fringes. *Tongue-in-cheek sidenote, all these folks should be required to play Sim City before they're eligible to take office I absolutely agree Mariella. Also, development needs to be managed to start concentrating densities in the urban centers. Although, because of such poor planning in the past, the infrastructure to support the increasing densities aren’t there yet and will be so much more expensive now, and we’ll find ourselves in chicken/egg arguments regarding on where and when, at every step of the way. Too bad our leaders weren’t working for their constituents instead of the developers. Additionally, we really need to put the brakes on sprawling single-family developments at the fringes.

*Tongue-in-cheek sidenote, all these folks should be required to play Sim City before they’re eligible to take office

]]> By: Mariella http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80147 Mariella Wed, 09 May 2007 13:26:15 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80147 The root of the problem is that development has not been paying for itself, so we are now $3.1 billion behind just on roads. Our county keeps allowing development to overwhelm our infrastructure, and then we taxpayers keep having to bail ourselves out of the mess the developers leave behind. The $500M is to be borrowed against our future taxes. We can't afford to keep digging ourselves into this stupid hole. Let's stop digging. The root of the problem is that development has not been paying for itself, so we are now $3.1 billion behind just on roads. Our county keeps allowing development to overwhelm our infrastructure, and then we taxpayers keep having to bail ourselves out of the mess the developers leave behind. The $500M is to be borrowed against our future taxes. We can’t afford to keep digging ourselves into this stupid hole. Let’s stop digging.

]]> By: Pierre Mathurin http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80139 Pierre Mathurin Wed, 09 May 2007 06:33:47 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80139 I was one of three members of the public who commented on the proposed transportation plan at Monday's meeting (May 7). As proposed, the $500 million bond will devote over 80% to roads and intersection improvements and just 8% to transit. If this community is serious about transit, then spending over 10 times more on roads than on transit does not reflect a serious effort. The proposed $500 million program is limited to capital projects, not for transit operations, which HART needs greatly. It is unfortunate that more transit projects were not added to the program. While county staff had worked to provide the task force members with information comparing Hillsborough County's transportation efforts to other Florida counties, we also compete with other areas nationwide. Other areas that have made the choice to invest in transit. In Eugene - Springfield, Oregon,(population of over 200,000) a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line opened earlier this year. So far, the new BRT line has managed to increase ridership to about 5,000 a day, an increase of 50% over the previous bus line it replaced. In Honolulu, the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (a transportation planning agency) approved a plan to proceed with a rail transit line. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, voters on Tuesday (May 8) approved a property tax renewal and an increase in the property tax rate to fund existing transit service and to expand transit service. With gasoline prices at near $3 levels, our community, unlike many other communities across the nation, is currently very limited in its efforts to meet the demand for transit service. If we don't make a commitment to transit now, then when? Next year? Next decade? Or, when it will be too late to do anything? I was one of three members of the public who commented on the proposed transportation plan at Monday’s meeting (May 7). As proposed, the $500 million bond will devote over 80% to roads and intersection improvements and just 8% to transit. If this community is serious about transit, then spending over 10 times more on roads than on transit does not reflect a serious effort. The proposed $500 million program is limited to capital projects, not for transit operations, which HART needs greatly. It is unfortunate that more transit projects were not added to the program.

While county staff had worked to provide the task force members with information comparing Hillsborough County’s transportation efforts to other Florida counties, we also compete with other areas nationwide. Other areas that have made the choice to invest in transit. In Eugene – Springfield, Oregon,(population of over 200,000) a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line opened earlier this year. So far, the new BRT line has managed to increase ridership to about 5,000 a day, an increase of 50% over the previous bus line it replaced. In Honolulu, the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (a transportation planning agency) approved a plan to proceed with a rail transit line. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, voters on Tuesday (May 8) approved a property tax renewal and an increase in the property tax rate to fund existing transit service and to expand transit service.

With gasoline prices at near $3 levels, our community, unlike many other communities across the nation, is currently very limited in its efforts to meet the demand for transit service. If we don’t make a commitment to transit now, then when? Next year? Next decade? Or, when it will be too late to do anything?

]]> By: WP http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80131 WP Wed, 09 May 2007 00:27:47 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80131 Tommy, Perhaps you should link to some of the previous discussions on transportation/traffic as well. The commercial corridor gridlock referenced by Abberger will not be addressed with these funds. Most of the corridors in the urban/suburban areas are as wide as they should ever be. Could anyone imagine adding additional lanes to Hwy 60 or Dale Mabry north of 275? Or making BBD look the same as Fowler from USF up to New Tampa? Everytime I fly out of TIA I'm astounded at the huge scars that the east-west arterials create on our landscape. Semantics aside, gridlock is caused by too many cars not too few roadways. I agree with Ed that we need to galvanize development of a true alternative to driving. We need to utilize this money to procur funds that will allow for a full-fledged transit system instead of a piecemeal effort that will inevitably lead to a protracted project that will offer very little long-term relief. Tommy,
Perhaps you should link to some of the previous discussions on transportation/traffic as well.
The commercial corridor gridlock referenced by Abberger will not be addressed with these funds. Most of the corridors in the urban/suburban areas are as wide as they should ever be. Could anyone imagine adding additional lanes to Hwy 60 or Dale Mabry north of 275? Or making BBD look the same as Fowler from USF up to New Tampa? Everytime I fly out of TIA I’m astounded at the huge scars that the east-west arterials create on our landscape. Semantics aside, gridlock is caused by too many cars not too few roadways.
I agree with Ed that we need to galvanize development of a true alternative to driving. We need to utilize this money to procur funds that will allow for a full-fledged transit system instead of a piecemeal effort that will inevitably lead to a protracted project that will offer very little long-term relief.

]]> By: chris peattie http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/comment-page-1/#comment-80125 chris peattie Tue, 08 May 2007 20:46:39 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/05/08/how-to-spend-the-500m/#comment-80125 more roads equal more cars equal more congestion. just ask LA. Good public transportation means most people don't even need cars. Boston or New York for example. I leave my car when i visit these cities. Developers want new roads for the same reason they want anything; a quick buck. Then they leave us Brandon, Lutz, Riverview etc. Aw Gee, looks like a lot more traffic, Maybe you should build a bigger road more roads equal more cars equal more congestion. just ask LA. Good public transportation means most people don’t even need cars. Boston or New York for example. I leave my car when i visit these cities.
Developers want new roads for the same reason they want anything; a quick buck. Then they leave us Brandon, Lutz, Riverview etc. Aw Gee, looks like a lot more traffic, Maybe you should build a bigger road

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