Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on Streetcars:
Hillsborough transit authority discusses upgrades to streetcar
CAITLIN JOHNSTON
Tampa Bay Times
Monday, January 5, 2015 3:48pm
TAMPA —Transit authority board members Monday discussed extending Tampa’s struggling streetcar through downtown and upgrading it to a modern streetcar or light rail.
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority board had commissioned HDR Engineering to conduct the study in light of an ongoing discussion on how to improve the floundering transit option.
“People don’t ride it because it’s slow and costs too much,” board member and County Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “For a family of four to go Ybor and back, it’s $20. That’s too expensive.”
The intent of the $35,000 study, which was preliminary and did not include information on ridership or traffic impact, was to provide some data and pave the way for future discussions and studies, said Steven Shukraft of HDR.
In his presentation to the board, Shukraft explained the four options evaluated in the study. One is along Ashley Drive, another down Franklin Street, one on Marion Street and a final one which uses both Tampa Street and Florida Avenue.
Each has its pros and cons, Shukraft said, including issues with right of way, single-track sections, tighter turns to navigate and other hurdles. The cost for building any of the options ranged from $30 million to $60 million.
Shukraft also outlined the potential of upgrading the system to a modern streetcar or light rail. Buying eight newer streetcars would cost $32 million. Other costs — including a new storage and maintenance facility, new tracks, and a power upgrade — would bring the total to more than $60 million.
It is unclear from where the money might come. On top of construction and upgrade costs, there is also a $400,000 insurance fee to cross CSX tracks.
Part of the problem with the streetcar, board members said, is that it has no clear leading force at its helm. HART is in charge of operating and maintenance, but the right-of-way is owned by the city and the streetcar is managed by the Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. Board.
“Frankly, the streetcar is not owned by anyone and we’ve seen the effects of the neglect,” HART CEO Katharine Egan said.
HART chairman and Tampa city councilman Mike Suarez pointed to Jeff Vinik, the Lightning owner and downtown developer, as a possible catalyst for its transformation. Vinik mentioned the streetcar when he unveiled his plans for downtown Tampa in December. Other board members agreed that any changes would have to be done in tandem with the Downtown Partnership, Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the Tampa Port Authority.
Monday’s meeting also included an election of board positions and outside board appointments, a messy process that took about an hour. Suarez was re-elected as chairman, and Karen Jaroch and Murman were elected as vice-chairwoman and secretary, respectively.
The board also approved a $177,000 contract for Egan, active from November 2014 through May 2017. Egan was confirmed as HART CEO on Nov. 3, 2014, after serving as interim CEO since May.
Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston@tampabay.com or (813) 661-2443. Follow @cljohnst.
