Despite vexing delay, transit choice is clear

Transparency in government is essential, even when it's confusing.

And the way the county's bus agency is working through complex issues in public is definitely frustrating to many observers. Details about its plans to improve transit have been trickling out, yet Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) has delayed the basic decision of where the first route would go. That might not be known until after the November election.

It is perplexing that HART has released cost estimates that appear precise, yet the agency cannot know today exactly what should be done, or exactly where. The public needs to remember that specifics such as operating and construction costs, travel times and ridership are educated guesses that will be refined as decisions are made.

For example, one question is whether a possible rail line from downtown to USF should follow I-275 or go farther east along a CSX railroad corridor. Lots of factors are involved, including how willing CSX is to negotiate.

With so many unknowns remaining, if HART were to choose a route now, it might have to change its mind later.

Future environmental studies, detailed engineering analysis and community reactions will also influence HART's decisions. Remember, none of those details is what the public will vote on in November.

Of course, details matter, but let's be clear about the ballot question: Do the residents of Hillsborough want to increase the local sales tax by 1 cent per dollar, with a cap on major purchases, to raise enough money to begin building a modern transportation system?

The money will be used for rail, buses and roads. Plans are to link the major population and business centers, including in future years Brandon and South Tampa. No one can say today how those links will be made or along which exact routes.

Much is unknown, and nothing can be done to shed more light on the future. We don't know how fast the economy will grow, what the price of gasoline will be in five years, or how much a future Congress will subsidize local rail.

Regional transportation plans include a visionary link to surrounding counties. But who knows when or if those counties will tax themselves to join?

What seems certain is that a regional system won't get started until Hillsborough, the heart of the urban area, starts it.

Here are some other factors to keep in mind as you make your decision about the plan.

Local gasoline taxes are not enough to keep existing roads repaired, much less expand buses and improve all the roads that need it, not to mention transit improvements.

The Tampa area only gets a return of 63 cents per dollar on our federal taxes for transit. Until more projects are built that qualify for federal support, taxpayers here will continue helping other cities build rail systems. That means subsidizing our competitors for the best jobs and businesses.

Even though HART's buses are increasingly popular, only 13 percent of the local population has access to frequent transit service. The new transit plan will provide frequent service to well over half of county residents.

Cities similar to Tampa that have built light-rail lines seem glad they did, even if they didn't have all the specifics nailed down before the vote.

Federal air quality rules are being tightened. As one of the largest metropolitan areas in the South, and one of the largest in the country without rail transit, the Tampa area needs to show how it plans to grow without greatly increasing emissions.

Without a funded plan to limit emissions, federal highway money could be withheld, as it once was in Atlanta.

This area has delayed transit improvements for too long. But to jump to conclusions, or take shortcuts, could disqualify HART for the federal assistance essential to completing the project.

If it were quick and easy it would have already been done.