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Chairman discusses transportation authority’s mission
Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007 |
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![[Image]](/content_images/121107_pco-02.jpg) |
| Shelton Quarles |
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TAMPA BAY - Shelton Quarles, chairman of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, and his staff recently responded to questions about the authority.
Q. Planning for regional transportation is a massive undertaking. What steps will the authority take to ensure that plans don’t fall by the wayside because of costs or other concerns?
A. The TBARTA legislation outlines significant powers of the authority – including the ability to plan, design, finance, build, operate and maintain regional transportation systems. What makes this agency different from others is its ability to implement. The TBARTA Board is acutely aware of all the planning that has been done in each of our cities and counties. It is a goal of mine – and of the board’s – to get beyond planning to implementation. We are very focused on this and will be discussing many ways to accomplish the tasks before us.
Q. What sources of funding are being envisioned for mass transit projects?
A. Right now, the board is going through an education phase. We are going to explore all our options – and everything is on the table. Over the next six to eight months we will be discussing everything from federal and state matching programs to national best practices for dedicated local funding and private sector investment programs and policies. Only after we have discussed all our options, will we make the funding and financing decisions needed to make the plan a reality.
Q. From time to time critics of mass transit say that rail systems won’t work here because “people won’t give up their cars.” What must the authority do to ensure adequate ridership?
A. What I say to these people is – who thought Texans would get out of their cars? Dallas has a very successful transit program that includes commuter rail, light rail, and HOV lanes for buses. They’ve also been able to boost their ridership with good planning and development around station areas.
In terms of making transit work here, we need to consider how we are going to continue to accommodate our growth. Congestion certainly isn’t going away – so we need to focus on choices. As people have to move farther out from their jobs to afford housing, they end up spending more on transportation – which is already one of the highest costs in the country. What are our options for getting where we want to go quickly, safely, and affordably? Do we have all the lifestyle choices we deserve?
Q. What are economic benefits of a cohesive long-term regional transportation plan?
A. We have great opportunities for business development and growth. The lack of a balanced, comprehensive regional transportation plan that includes transit and roadways keeps this region from attracting business growth that relies on good access to our labor force. By maximizing our options on a regional scale, we can connect our housing options to employment options and improve our quality of life, which in turn, is good for the economy.
On a location specific scale, transit options can focus our growth and maximize our investment in infrastructure.
Q. How does the authority plan to fund its own operational costs, studies, meeting costs, consultants – in other words initial start up costs?
A. The board will have to discuss long-term options for funding administrative operations. In the meantime, we have requested assistance from the Florida Department of Transportation to help us with the technical work mandated by our legislation. The FDOT is dedicated to providing quality transportation and the TBARTA efforts are a piece of that puzzle. We have also requested funding for independent legal counsel from the five Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in the region, and the private sector, through the Tampa Bay Partnership, has pledged to match this funding.
Q. How important is having the support of the Tampa Bay Partnership?
A. Support from the business community is critical to our creation and our success. The Tampa Bay Partnership has been at the forefront of the charge for a balanced, comprehensive regional transportation system – as it truly affects our economic competitiveness. Their continued leadership will be a key element of the ultimate outcomes of the TBARTA efforts.
Q. What will happen if plans for regional transportation fizzle out for lack of support?
A. We all recognize that our region has transportation challenges. If we think we are a world class metro area, we need to start thinking like one – and make sure that we get all the choices a world class area deserves. Around the state, other regions are moving forward with their plans. If we do nothing, we’ll continue to have the same problems, only much worse and we’ll fall further behind other areas. We can’t afford that, so we need to make sure that we put a plan together that is effective, reasonable and makes sense to people so that they can support it.
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Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007
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