Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Business Journal article on HART:

Murman: HART should become a stronger player on transit issues

Jan 4, 2016, 2:54pm EST

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority should be striving to become a stronger player in the regional transportation scene.

“We’re in a unique position right now,” said County Commissioner Sandra Murman, following HART’s Board of Directors meeting Monday morning. “We’re the leader of the bus service but we know we can do more. If we’re going to be a true transit authority, we need to start asserting ourselves.”

Her comments came after the meeting in which the board voted to have HART CEO Katharine Eagan write an op-ed letter listing the accomplishments and priorities of the agency.

During the meeting, board member Kathleen Shanahan suggested the op-ed letter be a tool to help the business community better understand HART’s role in transportation issues.

“I continue to believe that this organization should be the platform of leadership for transportation, both policy as well as opportunity for implementation for this region,” said Shanahan, CEO of Uretek Holdings Inc. “If they don’t see a platform of leadership, then they’ll create another one. That’s just the way businesspeople do it,” said Shanahan, who also once served as chief of staff to former FloridaGov. Jeb Bush.

Acknowledging the situation, HART Chairman Mike Suarez said, “The toughest thing with transportation is that there are so many other players.”

Murman, both at the meeting and afterward, noted that HART’s funding is limited to what it receives through millage and the federal government. She wants to see more public-private partnerships for transit projects that aren’t devoted solely to cars. She noted that younger citizens, particularly millennials, want mass transit options.

Separately, the board voted to re-elect Suarez as chairman; Karen C. Jaroch as vice-chair and Murman as secretary of HART.