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Olivia George - Tourism and Transportation Reporter

Tourism and Transportation Reporter

I’m a business reporter covering transportation and tourism in Tampa Bay, focusing on the infrastructure and people who help keep this region moving. Born and raised in London, U.K., I’m struggling to adjust to the heat and humidity of Florida. But I’m thrilled to be here and committed to telling stories that keep power in check and amplify the voices and experiences of this community, my new home. I attended Brown University, where I won scholarships from the Overseas Press Club Foundation and Investigative Reporters and Editors. Have a question or story idea? Let’s chat. I’m here to listen and learn.

  1. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, left, and Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Carlos Monje Jr. ride in a streetcar during a tour of the downtown area on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tampa.
  2. One sedan rear-ended another early Sunday on Interstate 75.
  3. The sheriff's office and partnering agencies are searching Lake Eloise around-the-clock for two men, according to a news release. Lake Eloise will be closed to the public until they are found.
  4. A Texas man died in a head-on crash with a semitrailer truck early Sunday in east Hillsborough County.
  5. Police have arrested a St. Petersburg man and charged him with murder after a shooting that left another man found dead in a St. Petersburg alley on Thursday.
  6. Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties each have their own Metropolitan Planning Organizations which oversee transportation planning at the local level. They serve as conduits for financing major transportation projects with the state and federal governments.
  7. Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak, District 3, speaks to people during a watch party at the Corner Club on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Tampa.
  8. Adelee Le Grand, CEO of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, or HART, speaks during a board meeting Monday, March 6, 2023 in Tampa.
  9. New bills filed in the Florida Legislature would require the Florida Department of Transportation, or its consultant, to study whether combining the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority would boost efficiency, reduce administrative costs and enhance “regional transit service and connectivity" in the Tampa Bay area.
  10. Under a proposed settlement, Adelee Le Grand, CEO of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, would collect 20 weeks of paid compensation in a lump sum on her way out — more than $110,000. She also would receive her accrued sick and annual leave balances if the transit board approves the deal. An investigation of her would be stopped and its findings would be withheld from the public.
  11. Clearwater Beach is flush with visitors on Wednesday, Dec 28, 2022, in Clearwater.
  12. An FDOT engineer at the site of the Diverging Diamond Interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 in Lutz last May.
  13. A look at the SunRunner’s elevated platform lane and dedicated station at the 40th Street N. and First Ave. station on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 in St. Petersburg.
  14. The City of Tampa envisions new pedestrian connections in the northern stretch of downtown.
  15. Motorists drive past a sign indicating photo enforcement at the South Westshore Boulevard and West Gandy Boulevard intersection in Tampa on Oct. 31.
  16. The crash comes less than a day after another fatal hit-and-run along U.S. 92 in east Hillsborough County.
  17. An all-electric bus is seen in front of St. Petersburg City Hall.
  18. Crossing guard Robin Graham assists pedestrians while they cross the street near the intersection of North Florida and West Linebaugh avenues in Tampa on Feb. 7. “This is my ministry,” she said. “My little ministry.”
  19. A 52-year-old man from Holiday was driving northbound on 34th Street North when he turned left at Ulmerton Road and struck a man walking across the highway.
  20. Passengers look at a board to check flight statuses at Tampa International Airport on Dec. 23 in Tampa.
  21. The maiden voyage of the SunRunner pulls up to the St. Pete Beach stop as the sun rises on Oct. 21 in St. Petersburg. The SunRunner, the new bus line run by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, started service at 6 a.m. that day.
  22. A passenger prepares to board a No. 6 Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority bus on Jan. 9 in Tampa. HART is facing a fiscal cliff in 2024 — two years sooner than previous predictions.
  23. Rad Power Bikes' new Warehouse Arts District store, at 2400 5th Ave. S, just off the Pinellas Trail.