TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tampa Airport Announces Plan For Light-Rail System

ADVERTISEMENT

By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 1, 2007

Tampa International Airport

TIA Light Rail Animation

TAMPA - Tampa International Airport officials said today that they want to build a 3.5-mile light rail system at the airport to link with a possible regional rail system that Tampa Bay area leaders have discussed in recent months.

Such a regional system, if built, is still several years away. But airport officials said they need to begin planning their own rail system now to resolve right-of-way and other issues in case a regional rail system is built.

Still, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who also sits on the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, called the airport's decision to plan ahead an important step by helping to create momentum for a regional rail system.

"I am very excited about this plan," Iorio said at this morning's meeting of the aviation authority, which governs airports in the county.

The mayor said she hopes interest among Tampa and Hillsborough residents in improving transportation could lead to a referendum on funding by 2010.

Iorio said regional rail is essential for environmental, quality of life and economic development.

Light rail at the airport would involve elevating some track and would cost between $190 million and $235 million to build, according to estimates provided by Parsons Brinckerhoff, a Baltimore consulting firm retained by the aviation authority. The plan, which took about seven months to create, considered bus and rail solutions. Louis Miller, the airport's director, said his staff favors the rail plan.

If built, the airport's rail system would link with a regional rail network along the north side of West Spruce Street, the east side of George Bean Parkway to the main terminal and through the existing terminal area along one of three optional alignments.

From there, the airport's rail system would continue to a proposed northern terminal that the airport believes it will need to build several years from now. From there, the airport's rail system would cross Hillsborough Avenue and re-connect with a regional transit system.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT