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HART seeks public input transit options

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: September 19, 2009

Updated: 09/22/2009 01:31 pm

TAMPA - The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority began soliciting ideas from the general public today for possible alignments of light rail, bus rapid transit and other mobility systems in a series of open houses that continues through Thursday.

Several dozen people walked into the first of the HART open house sessions at One Tampa City Center at 201 N. Franklin St. to study charts and discuss transportation options with HART officials.

"The main thing they need to be concerned about is interconnectivity," said Tampa architect John Howey.

Howey expressed concern that previous transportation planning sessions he attended did not provide enough detail about proposals to link a possible light rail network with high speed rail and other transit improvements in the area.

HART officials are considering multiple alignments within a "reverse L-shaped" study area from USF-Downtown and Downtown-Westshore that contains 18.5 percent of the population and 56.7 percent of Hillsborough County's employment.

The public input will become part of an "Alternatives Analysis Study" that consultant PB Americas, Inc. began conducting in June as part of a required federal funding process.

The plan will compare an alternative to rely on existing services and improvement alreAdy funded, a so-called "no-build option," to considerations of enhanced bus and light rail alternatives.

HART will have an additional session today from 4 to 6 p.m. at One Tampa City Center.

On Wednesday, the meetings will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Loretta Ingraham Recreational Complex, 1615 Hubert St.

And on Thursday, HART will hold a meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 Fowler Ave.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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