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Editorial: Too many voices, too little transportation money

 
Spending for mass transit in the Tampa Bay area ranks among the lowest in the nation. Yet bay area legislators still seek little money from the state to significantly address regional transportation problems.
Spending for mass transit in the Tampa Bay area ranks among the lowest in the nation. Yet bay area legislators still seek little money from the state to significantly address regional transportation problems.
Published March 28, 2017

The Howard Frankland Bridge is a parking lot. Spending for mass transit in the Tampa Bay area ranks among the lowest in the nation. Commuting times have increased, as has the number of pedestrian deaths. Yet bay area legislators still seek little money from the state to significantly address regional transportation problems. This lack of vision and leadership is holding back one of the largest and fastest-growing metro areas in the country, and the first step forward is to speak with one regional voice.

The Tampa Bay Times' Caitlin Johnston chronicled the massive gap between what the region needs and what its elected representatives have sought in Tallahassee. Pinellas County has more than $1 billion in unfunded road projects; in Hillsborough, that figure climbs to $4 billion, not counting the billions more it would take to improve mobility through such forward-looking means as rail, express bus and ferry service.

Yet while legislators across the state have asked for more than $700 million for transportation projects next year, lawmakers in Pinellas have sought only a sliver of that funding — $6.2 million. In Hillsborough, the state's fourth-largest county, lawmakers have asked for only $1.9 million. In contrast, the state's two largest counties, Broward and Miami-Dade, together asked for about $50 million.

Not every request, of course, is granted, and state grants are just one part of the overall picture. The federal government invested in a key regional priority in 2009, providing $105 million in stimulus money toward the I-4/Crosstown Connector, a new lifeline for trucks moving billions of dollars in commerce in and out of Port Tampa Bay.

Still, these state funding requests can raise a region's profile and serve to build a financial base for major transportation projects. And Tampa Bay's state funding has fallen seriously short in the last several years; Pinellas and Hillsborough have received tens of millions less for transportation each year than similar-sized counties. Per capita funding in Pinellas ($249) and Hillsborough ($125) are among the lowest for any like-sized region in Florida. And as Johnston reports, that gap could widen in time because reports show other regions are pursuing funding more aggressively than the Tampa Bay area.

The funding gap is partly caused by the region's balkanized approach to transportation planning. Pinellas and Hillsborough operate separate bus systems. The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority has not lived up to hopes to manage transportation systems in a regional way. A bill moving through the Legislature this year would sharpen TBARTA's focus and make it a more relevant regional player. That's a start. Local officials also are scheduled to meet May 12 to discuss creating a single Metropolitan Planning Organization for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Replacing a county-centric approach with a broader focus on regional needs makes sense. It's encouraging that the state Department of Transportation has included funding for a MPO consolidation study in its work plan this year.

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A regional framework is the right structure for the metro area. It could lay the foundation for a more assertive presence in Tallahassee and for making the area more competitive for other grants and partnerships with the public and private sectors. The budget President Donald Trump sent to Congress this month could leave local governments to scramble for new transit funding to replace Trump's proposed cuts in federal assistance. By working together on regional priorities, the area stands a better chance to compete.

The city of Orlando and the surrounding counties in Central Florida showed that teaming up could make the difference when the local jurisdictions succeeded in winning state support for SunRail, a regional commuter rail line. The Tampa Bay region would need similar state support for any new regional mass transit service. It already is maneuvering to improve the state's interstate modernization plan, Tampa Bay Express. By working across a united front, the region stands to get its fair share and to make smarter use of its dollars in building a forward-looking transportation system.