Has Any One Heard Anything About TBARTA? (Tampa, Orlando: 2010, light rail)

[tallygabe9905]

I have heard about the multi-county transit system known as TBARTA, and I was wondering if anyone had heard about it as well. I think the system is the first step towards developing a light rail or elevated rail system.

[nitokenshi]

I read in the newspaper that they are hoping for a rail system by 2010. I will believe it when I see it. It seems like Tampa is in light rail competition with Orlando. My money is on orlando getting theirs before tampa.

[tampaguy03]

Originally Posted by nitokenshi

I read in the newspaper that they are hoping for a rail system by 2010. I will believe it when I see it. It seems like Tampa is in light rail competition with Orlando. My money is on orlando getting theirs before tampa.

Tampa had light rail in planning back in 1995, the higher ups felt we were not ready for it, and shelved the plans...Mayor Iorio brought back the ideas that were generated back then, TBARTA has formed, and they plan to have BRT by 2010, and light rail by 2012, and commuter rail linking the seven county area by 2015.

Orlando has already begun working on their light rail plans from years ago, but I recently heard there was a major snafu regarding the right of way and CSX that owns the freight line tracks through Central Florida. The mayor of Tampa does NOT want to rely on CSX, and has a study indicating that with all the monies being spent to build more, and wider roads, all the rights of way and tracks can be purchased and built, without relying on CSX or frieight who's bottom line is ideally the bottom line, and not the people of the region.

Here is a GREAT link to keep "track" of the BRT, Light Rail and Commuter Rail initiatives in the Tampa Bay Region.

Tampa Rail