SARASOTA – Area government officials were excited Monday at the prospect of the president and vice president coming to Tampa.
At the meeting of the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, they discussed the possibility that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden might announce a rail plan that could bring 23,000 jobs to the region. Even if the tracks don’t reach into Manatee or Sarasota counties, it could be a boon for the area.
Manatee County Commissioner Donna Hayes, a member of the board of the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority, told government officials they need to write or call Obama and ask for his support, and said the most effect could come from regular people writing or calling the president.
TBARTA has received two infusions of money, said Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson, who attended a recent meeting of the organization. It’s received $2 million for a study of light rail connecting Clearwater and St. Petersburg, she said, and $1.8 million to study bus rapid transit from Sarasota to Palmetto.
”Those dollars come from FDOT and not the member agencies, so we’re very pleased with that,“ she said.
Stanley Cann, the District One director of the Florida Department of Transportation, said that the recent rail bill that was passed during the Legislature’s special session set up the structure of the statewide passenger rail commission, and the commission is under the secretary of the DOT.
”The primary functions of the passenger rail commission include monitoring the efficiency and productivity of the publicly funded passenger rail systems throughout the state, advising the DOT on policies and strategies related to various aspects, and coordinating the statewide system and evaluating the policies used to prioritize the funded systems and rail projects within Florida,“ he said.
The bill also created the Florida Rail Enterprise, which Cann said is very similar to and modeled after the Turnpike Enterprise. It will develop and operate the rail systems, including high-speed rail, and can set fares in the same way the Turnpike Enterprise does.
The bill calls for $60 million for rail projects starting in 2014-2015, he said. The system is set so that operating costs are funded for seven years; after that, rail operations have to earn enough to pay their bills.
Local involvement
Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash asked how the MPO could get involved in the rail plans.
Cann said it’s more than lines on a map but a policy. It’s being done now as needs are compiled for passenger or freight service, and input is being sought from local governments.
McClash said there is a need for a rail plan at Port Manatee, and the MPO should put its voices together to make the needs known.
Hayes said the funding process can’t be forgotten, and TBARTA is seeking federal funding for a rail project from Orlando to Manatee County. ”It’s going to be very, very important for our area,“ she said. ”It’s predicted to create 23,000 jobs in the next two to three years.“
There’s $5 billion left under a 2008 passenger rail bill, $8 billion from a new economic stimulus plan for high-speed rail, at the federal level, she said, and they are asking for $2.53 billion to get his started.
”It’s shovel-ready, it’s looked at very favorably because I believe that we’re in a very competitive position, although there are 24 applications in there, 24 different states, we can get our voice heard,“ she said. ”We can do this.“
She said people should visit the ConnectUs Web site for the latest news on the rail projects.
Other issues
The MPO board also:
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