Weekend Update

A few stories from across the expanse of Tampa Bay and a little beyond the bay.

HART Chief "attacked".
Central Avenue BRT is running late.
Always be careful crossing the street.
Vision Zero Update.
I thought Vision Zero would fix this.
The true goal of Vision Zero.
"We simply must take more cars off the roads."
Tax them again until they get it right.
Or about half a days traffic on a one mile segment of I-275.
Because their riders value transit that much.
I thought Encore was working well.
The Luxury City is going bust. Our leaders actions appear to be on the same trajectory.
Ooh oooh that smell.
Just because its a non-profit does not mean people are not profiting.
Because the people have rejected the unprincipled establishment uniparty. And that's why we have Trump and Sanders.

HART Chief "attacked". Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) interim CEO Carolyn House Stewart does not like being questioned by reporters. She feels “attacked” by their questions and their reporting.

Central Avenue BRT is running late. Records obtained by The Guardian show that the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is not eligible for funding of its Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (CABRT) project. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has told PSTA so in writing.

Always be careful crossing the street. The death of a child in Brevard County has sparked legislation aimed at increasing pedestrian safety.

Personally, we've had three near misses with pedestrians and bicyclists in the last couple of weeks. In each case, the pedestrian or bicyclist were not following safe practices.

Vision Zero Update. A person was struck and killed by a Mardi Gras float during a raucous Saturday night street parade in New Orleans, the second person in days killed along a parade route in this year’s Carnival season, authorities said.

I thought Vision Zero would fix this. Injured on an E-Scooter? A ‘Mobility Claims Board’ Can Help.

The true goal of Vision Zero.  All Vehicle Traffic Imposes Danger. Vision Zero requires vehicle travel reduction Policies. Coming your way soon, as local governments have adopted Vision Zero.

"We simply must take more cars off the roads." "One thing I really liked about the All For Transportation Amendment is it insisted on 12% for bicycle pedestrian safety." That's over one billion dollars.

Watch for about 3 minutes, in their own words.

Tax them again until they get it right. 

Hillsborough County voters made it abundantly clear in 2018 that they wanted to tax themselves to fix a chronically failing transportation system that threatens their safety, prosperity and quality of life. That’s why it’s so encouraging to see Hillsborough’s political and civic leaders mobilize to carry out the voters’ will in the face of ongoing legal and political pressure by a handful of disgruntled opponents here at home and in Tallahassee. The people who drive these roads every day voted for action in 2018, and if that requires renewing in November what happened two years ago, then get on with it.

With Vision Zero policies adopted locally, expect more congestion.

Or about half a days traffic on a one mile segment of I-275.  STREETCAR RIDERSHIP GOING UP!: The TECO Line Streetcar carried almost 100k rides/trips in January!

Did we mention the TECO Line Streetcar is free?

Because their riders value transit that much.  Virginia proposes no-cost and reduced fare transit.

I thought Encore was working well.  The city of Tampa plans to once again seek proposals for an 18-acre, publicly owned property in the West River area — and this time, it's looking for developments focused on affordable housing, transportation and sustainability.

The Luxury City is going bust. Our leaders actions appear to be on the same trajectory.  

After roughly 20 years of big-city progress, measured by economic growth and demographic progress, the dense urban centers, including New York, are again teetering on the brink of decline.

Ooh oooh that smell. It’s an issue that’s divided Hillsborough County for years, but with a unanimous vote Wednesday, commissioners agreed to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana throughout the county.

Just because its a non-profit does not mean people are not profiting. 

The Florida House is now “cracking down” on the “taxpayer-backed” non-profit called the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), and governor Ron DeSantis wants to review contracts with additional private agencies. This after Tiffany Carr, the founder and CEO of FCADV, received $7.5 million in compensation over a three-year span while spending most of her time in North Carolina. 

And those are the headlines in just the last 24 hours. What we haven’t seen is headlines revealing that 99% of FCADV’s funding has come from state and federal funds for the last decade, or that the problems with FCADV were obvious already eight years ago.

Because the people have rejected the unprincipled establishment uniparty. And that's why we have Trump and Sanders. Long-time Republican strategist Mac Stipanovich explains why he has registered as a Democrat ahead of Florida’s presidential primary.

He's got to be feeling the Bern now!