If You Thought Mass Transit Would Not Work..... (Tampa: construction, tax)

[The Villages Guy]

.........you were correct.

Classic example of why mass transit simple will not work in Tampa Bay.


Tampa's streetcar running into financial trouble - WFLA-TV News Channel 8

"if the streetcar line closes, the city of Tampa will have to repay 31-million dollars to the federal government that was used for construction.

Suarez says, "Until we find a way of funding it from another source instead besides just the endowment and some of the assessments from the money we get from the port and the city, we're never going to be a successful streetcar system."

[DUNNDFRNT]

I think or rather hope that you know the street car is not mass transit but rather a touristy thing.

[Not_liking_FL]

A street car geared toward tourist is a pretty poor example of how mass transit will not work.

[mrviking]

Trust me, people will be on here saying we need more white elephants. But they will never say how we will pay when they go belly up. see Detroit.

[mrviking]

Even the buses here need tax money. Please don't say we need this or that. JUST tell us where do we get the money.
OH wait I hear Crickets.

[vaughanwilliams]

Mass transit is never gonna happen so don't get yourself all in a lather. Just more cars, more roads, more traffic, more cars, more roads, more traffic etc etc. etc....

[D-R-B]

"Tampa's streetcar".........

More like the "channelside streetcar"

It runs in a very small area.......

That also happens to be failing miserably......

Just like this thread.

[gypsychic]

A little history on the streetcar system Tampa used to have:

Tampa

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by mrviking

Even the buses here need tax money. Please don't say we need this or that. JUST tell us where do we get the money.
OH wait I hear Crickets.

The problem with these things is they almost always need more money. More, more more. So now the taxpayers have to bail this transit system out or the taxpayers have to pay back millions to the federal government. Just great. Now if people didn't push transit systems thinking they actually would work here, then this horrible situation would not be happening. Either way now, tax payers got hosed. JMO of course.

[BucFan]

If the baseball stadium is in Channelside, the streetcar will be a goldmine. People will party at Ybor before and after the game and park at Ybor. I'd use the streetcar for every game.