Interview: David Green

Bay. Last July, Gov. DeSantis signed off on a budget that included a record $2.5 million in funding for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) to develop the transit technologies of the future. TBARTA was established in 2007 to oversee the transport needs of Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties in coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The authority was designed to study and develop transit innovations and as of 2019, it manages a variety of services such as Vanpool, Carpool and BikeBuddy that promote decongestion and affordable transit for residents.

In 2018, Tampa Bay’s transit authorities, including the HART, the Florida Department of FDOT, Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT) and the Tampa Bay TMA Leadership Group, launched the Regional Transit Feasibility Plan that aims to optimize already high-performing assets such as the Wesley Chapel to St. Petersburg connection and Downtown Tampa to USF. Because of the high cost of the plan at almost $3 billion, the authorities decided to implement a smaller-scale catalyst project that would help stimulate the remainder of the plan. The final 41- mile bus rapid transit will run from Downtown St. Petersburg to Wesley Chapel in the I-275 corridor and TBARTA will be the primary recipient of the plan and will be responsible for its implementation at a cost of $380 million-$455 million.

But TBARTA is also overseeing much more innovative projects. In December, the agency was given the green light to go ahead with a $220,000 feasibility study on a potential hyperloop project in conjunction with Virgin Hyperloop One. Likely connections would be TampaOrlando or Tampa-Miami but the technology is still far from ready. This is part of a $1 million package allocated from the Florida Legislature to study and develop innovative transit opportunities that include Hyperloop, aerial gondolas and air taxis.

Ride-sharing Tampa Bay desperately needs an innovative solution to its traffic problems that may be provided by the outside-the-box thinking of TBARTA. But there are questions over whether transit agencies go about their incentives in the right way.

For example, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Agency began subsidizing Uber, United Taxi and Wheelchair Transport journeys for those taking public transport in an attempt to solve the “first mile-last mile” issue. The Direct Connect program provides a ridesharing service at a cost of just $1 to incentivize David Green Executive Director Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA)

Why is TBARTA essential for fixing the transportation issues in Tampa Bay?

If you ask people in Tampa Bay what the most important issue facing our region is, transportation is always No. 1. We have many problems related to transportation, including congestion and limited mobility options. All of this is the result of not having enough regional mass transit options for people to take advantage of. There was a study done a couple of years ago indicating 80% of Tampa Bay commuters are in single occupant vehicles. The reason people are in their cars alone is because they have no other choice. In addition, the study showed 20% of commuters in Tampa Bay travel outside of the county in which they live to get to work. That’s where the need for regional transit comes in, transit to get from major activity centers in one county to another, but there is very little of that right now in Tampa Bay. TBARTA’s role is to work with local transit operators to come up with viable solutions and mitigate these problems.

What is the expected impact of the 41-mile BRT project connecting Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties?

We’re calling that Regional Rapid Transit, or RRT. It’s a project that came out of a previous feasibility study called the Regional Transit Feasibility Plan. We looked at all the transit studies that had been completed in Tampa Bay for the past 40 years, and all the corridors that those studies covered to identify the most feasible corridor for a regional transit solution. This 41-mile RRT project covers service across three counties, and it’s a highway BRT utilizing the interstate as opposed to a traditional, arterial BRT. Regional Rapid Transit will be high quality transit with many of same features people want from light rail, but at a fraction of the cost. It’s quick, frequent, safe and reliable, a great alternative for commuters who do not want to get in their cars and drive by themselves in an hour’s worth of traŸc to get to work.

Cesar Hernandez Founder & CEO – Tampa Bay Mobility Alliance

In order to achieve a sustainable rate of growth we have to get our transportation system in order. Every day, 150 people move into Tampa Bay. Currently, Tampa Bay, Orlando and Miami are megaregions in the United States that lack serious connectivity, which makes us an anomaly. Eventually, growth will slow down and people will stop coming into the region if we cannot connect them. We are reaching a critical mass where we have to get this right. Once we do have a robust and sophisticated transportation system to move people, then we will be competitive with not only the country but the world. Simply put, if a region like ours isn’t growing, it’s dying.

people to take the ride to the bus stop. While trying to encourage residents to ride the bus, the move has been criticized as counter-intuitive as it creates more traffic for the first or last leg of the journey and the participating company charges the full fare, which is then subsidized by taxpayers. “By reducing the cost of individual rides, Uber and Lyft also draw a privileged subset of passengers away from public transit systems. That, in turn, undermines support for public transportation,” said an op-ed piece in the New York Times criticizing the move. “Researchers have also found that ride-hailing tends to make cities more congested and polluted, not less ... All of this erodes the fundamental idea of public transportation as a service that everyone uses.”

But it is not just discounted services that ridesharing companies such as Uber are offering to entice new customers. In July, Tampa was one of the first cities in which Uber Comfort was rolled out, a service that comes in at 20-40% more expensive but provides extra perks, such as a more spacious trip in newer cars and the option to have a silent journey and even set the temperature on the car’s arrival. All of these options seem to be diminishing support for services that are provided at no cost. Free ride-sharing company The Nickel Ride closed down in July as a result of a failure to attract funding for its operations in Saint Petersburg, Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

Road work Despite best efforts to promote ride-sharing and public transport, authorities are running into the same congestion problems across Tampa Bay. Late last year, two separate projects were proposed for road widening because of the level of congestion on the roads. In October, Hillsborough County commissioners approved the widening of the Bell Shoals Road between Bloomingdale Avenue and Boyette Road, allocating $65 million to the project that adds two vehicle lanes, a bike lane and a sidewalk in both directions. The latest draft of the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan also includes the widening of State Road 60, a $1.4 billion project that has created controversy among residents and commissioners alike.

While widening of the roads and adding tolls can reduce budgetary burdens for authorities, many residents believe there should instead be more mass transit options and protected cycling options so that more use of State Road 60 through Brandon is not encouraged. In November the issue was debated at length, after which point the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization voted not to include the proposal in the final plan.

Looking ahead There is no mistaking that transportation infrastructure in Tampa Bay is a priority for authorities, which was clear with projects such as the $1.4 billion allocated to the reconstruction of the Interstate 275/ State Road 60 Westshore area interchange in Tampa. Tampa is ranked ninth in the state in terms of shortest commute time, at just 18.7 minutes. And through groundbreaking initiatives such as Hyperloop, air taxis and autonomous vehicle test tracks driven largely by TBARTA, Tampa is finding its foothold in innovative transportation. But the immediate future is uncertain given the emergence of the COVID-19 virus and its widespread economic impact that could result in a juggling of priorities if containment measures go on for too long .