Quick Friday 4th of July blurbs!

• HART is running the streetcar for 4th of July festivities.  Park your car and take the streetcar!
• The Tampa Bay Partnership is trying out blogs as a great "vehicle" (heh-heh), for reaching the public.  I think they're serious, and are likely to do a seriously great job!  Visit It's Time to Get to Work.
• I'm still grumbly about the whole re-org affair, so here's a link back, just to keep it fresh dammit.
  

Be safe, and enjoy your holiday everyone!

Well, at work yesterday, I was shocked to get word that Teco Line Superintendent Tim Borchers had been given his walking papers.

WTF?

Yeah, that was my reaction, too.

Given the magnitude, I had to check this tip out just like a real reporter (cough) to make sure I wasn't being fed a line. To my horror, the tip was true. Apparently it's all part of what was described to me yesterday and confirmed to me this morning as a "restructuring". Hoo boy! I've been through a "restructuring" or two myself in life and I can tell you that the ride through one of those is taxing, particularly when it ends with you being shown the door, or, moved close enough to it where you might choose to walk out without a fuss.

Hey, I'm just sayin'.

First year in town, Mr. Tim Borchers poses during streetcar barn tour.

I won't get beyond myself, however. I'm not privy to the economics or politics that tied HART's hands on this. I can only say that, as a casual observer (sigh), finding no room for such an apparently gifted, competent, and truly dedicated streetcar professional, particularly one that has proven so key in the system's successful development, after any sort of restructuring is frustrating and perhaps a little (thought process: should I qualify politely with a 'little' or not) odd. A restructuring? That's it? A restructuring? Reorganizing Teco Line operations does still leave someone needing to actually run things, right?

HART spokeswoman Kathy Karalekas explained that it does, of course. Running things now means starting from the top with recent HART hire Carlos Tobar, new Chief of Bus Operations who will report to HART Executive Director David Armijo. It ends for TR purposes in this post with a bit of shuffling in between right on down to streetcar operations.

"Tim was integral in getting the streetcar system started", Kathy warmly acknowledges, but in HART's view, the end result is money saved.

Back When the Line First Started (Actually After)

Tim was conceived to run the Teco Line in minor press controversy when first brought in from Australia, shortly after the streetcar line's grand opening the previous October. He was supposed to be working here even before the line's opening, but things got a little mucked up with immigration paperwork. HART worked to qualify his profession as a speciality to enable his work visa, which it is, given the stark lack of operating streetcar lines of such scale as the Teco Line in America, and, considering the top-scope position in question. At the time, Steve Polzin, a HART board member then, remarked to ABC Action News that scarcity of this skill was truly a problem wrought by the fact that we (America) were "20 years too late" as a nation in keeping up with the technology. Many of the experienced hands in streetcar operations were retired.

Explaining operations to group of potential streetcar volunteers.

Meanwhile, in Australia, tram systems (an Aussie streetcar line if you will) are much more commonplace, including the Bendigo Tramway where Tim then worked and where he was considered a master. Even at-the-time-streetcar-detractor ABC Action News conceded:

Borchers ran the Bendigo Tramway in Australia and is highly respected there. He is considered an operations and maintenance whiz.

When he finally arrived in this country to start work, Tim took the personal step of coming forward in person and thanking me for Tampa Rail coverage of the line's launch. Apparently TR was just one of the scarce sources he could rely upon for interesting news and perspectives of it all from way down under. Had it not been for at least this one questionably rail-obsessed screwball with access to a computer keyboard, it would have been a lot tougher. The blog format since adopted by TR was a big help to him. Since then, the relationship has been cordial and Tim proved to be an enthusiastic liason to the inner operational workings. Face it, what the heck do I know about streetcars?

So, Tim, I'm afraid I'm shocked that such a great run ends so abrubtly and with so much shrug. The streetcar has indeed flourished under your expertise and philosophy. That's what Tampa sought, and it got, and then some. The Whiting Street extension would not have been possible had it not been for the demonstrated potential of today's existing line, and, it is clear that as the line grows to eventually loop downtown, and, eventually connects or morphs into light rail itself, you will forever be part and parcel of Tampa's historic mass transit revolution. It would have been a better story if Tampa had left you great, but we'll have settle for the reverse - you left Tampa great. Rail here has a future, thanks to you.

Thanks for everything Tim!

Earlier this week there were two stories that popped up in Google reader involving local transit politics. The first deals with the idea of Tampa adopting something called a "minimum zoning" policy, which is a deliberate effort to lay the foundation for transit-compatible communities by increasing densities. You can read about it in the Trib's Tampa Looks to Ease Traffic.

Not too surprisingly around here many people shivering about it. It's all rather "liberal" sounding or something. Someone must have raised it (the article quotes Cyndy Miller by name, but otherwise it's referred to as the product of 'city officials'), but to read the story you'd wonder how the idea got any traction. Virtually no-one of high profile on the City Council is quoted as agreeing with the idea. And the developers? Forget it.

Convenient Calculation Errors

Oh, and speaking of developers fighting any effort that might help the case for mass transit, have you all seen Hillsborough Road Hype a Dead End which ran in the St. Pete Times last week? Holy smokes. Turns out that developers and, well, just about everyone supporting their projects, have been turning a blind eye to the fact that what they stipulate for support in road development may not, sorta, really, kinda actually happen by the time their projects finish. Well, give or take 30 percent. Mostly take.

Tsk tsk.

Ed Still Got Some Moxie

Regarding the death of Hillsborough County's premiere anti-tax monkey, a one Ralph Hughes, Ed Turanchik observed:

I think with gas at $4 a gallon, a lot of people are unhappy we don't have a transit plan," Turanchik said. "To the extent that Ralph had a hand in that, that's not a very good legacy."

Ouch! And he sure as hell isn't wrong, is he?

Ralph seemed like an earnest enough individual fighting and funding what he believed in. Apparently, credits the St. Pete Times article covering all this, he's the guy chiefly responsible for the BOCC's overly conservative value system today. People like Ronda Storms and Brian Blair, antagonists of effective government (while copping a government paycheck out of the deal no less) owe their political careers to this guy.

Rest in peace, Ralph.  Surprise: You inherited the Earth.

Here's something refreshing. One of the new developments in Channelside is really doing its best to tie in its existence with the streetcar. The place is called Seaport Channelside, and it's the only true rental community that's gone up admist all the $200 thousand condos. TR doesn't poo-poo those condos, of course, but with gas prices where they are and demand for urban living about to get pretty hot around here, Seaport may very well be the only residential effort offering average Joes an entirely different deal for living in Channelside.

It's not an incidental fact at Seaport; its proximity to the streetcar line gets top billing!

They're really on it, too. Their website sports several pictures of the streetcar, and then, there's this very promising plug on the main page itself:

Do you want to save on your monthly gas expense? Tampa`s historic streetcar stops just feet away, so leave your car in the garage and let Tampa`s transit system take you where you want to go!

Sounds like the Seaport people get it.

My game plan in life is to rent one of the condos (and I'm really taken by the Kennedy at Grand Central for some reason, even though they aren't right off the line), cuz "buying" just isn't in the cards. However, I think I'll give these folks an up front gander and let you all know what I find.

As for all the other residential beach heads, they're all going to succeed eventually. That's for sure. But, it wouldn't hurt if all the real estate brokers made a bigger deal out of the streetcar line today, not to mention HART's Green line which more or less directly caters to the Channelside residential community.

Looks like the streetcar stations have been prepped up with top-quality, effective signage. The new signs clearly specify the station stop number, underscore the station name (of some importance I'm guessing to their respective sponsors), and, best of all, specify to waiting passengers which direction they want to go. Click any image for a larger version.

One side of Streetcar Society Station sporting new, and helpful, signage.

The other side, with streetcar pulled in to unload.

Long shot from one side.

Long shot from the other side. They're sharp!

As well, here is a supplemental video. It's just of a streetcar sailing by, but it gives a better feel of how professional the new signage looks in real time.

That latter point is a lot more important than you might think in terms of trip flow. I can't tell you how many times a streetcar helpfully stops to engage a waiting passenger about which streetcar they should get on to go to, say, Ybor. The stopping isn't the problem. The problem is the time it takes for the conversation that takes place between the motorman and any confused traveler to clear up the fact that said passenger needs to wait for a streetcar coming in the opposite direction. Imagine that you're on a city bus and the bus driver had to stop at each stop, open the door, lean out, and carry on a similar conversation with any person who happens to be standing there. You'd be happy the bus company provided such helpful individual assistance. But, at the same time, you'd be checkin' your watch a lot.

With these news signs, a percentage of travelers will now better understand how it all works before they even see a streetcar. I am positive this will lead to more of them properly waving a streetcar on, or, hailing it. People, out-of-towners in particular, are always herding the kids or reading maps, so this isn't a panecea for avoiding the situation completely. People are always going to be a little confused, and the Teco Line folks are always going to be helpful. But, I'm sure the clear signage will lead to an overall reduction of such awkward pauses, and in turn, make for better streetcar trips. Just another tweak, and another step, if you will, to gearing up the system for commuter adoption when Whiting Street is complete.

Those of you who may have ridden the streetcar during the first year may recall a ride wrought with numerous coordinating stops and trawl-like speeds.

Click the video screenshot to load video. Or click here.

To be sure, there are parts of the trip today that require caution and reserve, but years of learning and no doubt the best ongoing training in any city anywhere with an operating streetcar system, have contributed to the confidence of streetcar motormen who, today, glide with skill and speed. A ride on the Teco Line today is not your ride of 2002.

New Orleans St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line is Back

Speaking of streetcars, we should take a minute in our idle blog grazing to acknowledge recent news that New Orleans has restored its St. Charles Avenue streetcar line. It's taken three years since Katrina to get the 13 mile line back in complete operating order, but it's very important to the long-range restoration of mass transit there. In New Orleans, streetcars, and the St. Charles line specifically, were never completely phased out unlike just about every other American city. They remained on as much a tourist attraction as perhaps our own heritage line does today, but, they were also completely integrated with the mainstream transit infrastructure. In other words, New Orleaneans were using the streetcars to do things like shop and go to work, too. Their system was charming, and, darned relevant to the mass transit puzzle. The restoration of this line puts the city back on track toward regaining that balance.

I stayed in over the weekend growing a beard and picking my toenails (yeah, I get scuzzy sometimes and I loooove it. Leave me alone!).

I wanted to make a reappearance at the Urban Home of Tours which took place Saturday, but well, did you all get a dose of the weather, too? I wonder how it went this year. The Trib seemed to be shoring up dissemination of the event with its Tour Lures Potential Condo Buyers, but I'm guessing not too many people ventured forth.

Meanwhile, the Trib also ran Back on Track, which updates us all on the progress of work with Amtrak to increase the number of trains in and out of Tampa, a potentially minor but effective step towards creating a commuter rail system along the existing Amtrak corridors (least-wise, till we can get a commuter rail system developed for that very purpose). $2.5 billion was just allocated to Amtrak for the specific purpose of beefing up its intercity operations, and some feel there is optimism that part of that can be used. Commuter rail that helps get people to and from work regularly is far more important to me as a publisher than it was a few years ago, particularly now that I am cognizant of just how embedded Tampa Union Station is with the Tampa Rail Community.

Just in time for this year's Urban Home Tour to be held this Saturday, MSNBC is running this video remarking on the sense it makes to consider life back in the city. Or, at least closer to city center. Turns out the cost of gas, the cost of maintaining a car and insuring it, and, the creeping run on life that sitting in traffic takes, may all be making the case for getting into one of those new condos and lofts in downtown Tampa and Channelside, as soon as you can.

MSNBC: High Gas Prices Reversing Urban Sprawl

Face it, wouldn't it be the ultimate irony against critics of the so-referred "empty units" of Tampa if everything Tampa has been doing for the past 5 years actually caught the upswing on a major housing trend?

Folks, we are in position to sail the great wind.

By the way, I took advantage of the urban home tour last year, so perhaps I will again this time around and try to take some better notes (dammit). It's always a great time to take another whiff of the dream to one day live there, but as well, I have to wonder if in keeping with the thought of the MSNBC story, will there be a larger and more capable turn out. I want see if so with my own eyes.

Oh, and don't forget, it's fun to combine your tour with an all day pass on the streetcar which will run you by many of the exhbited condos between Ybor and Channelside, or downtown (if you don't mind a little walk - the Whiting Street extension isn't in quite yet).

Update 6/17: TR is pleased to call your attention to a more thorough answer to the question below by TBARTA Chair Mr. Shelton Quarles himself in the comments. He describes himself as someone familiar with the situation - a humorous understatement. Tip of the hat to Mr. Quarles for participating directly in this wonderful forum we call the blogosphere. We and the readers much appreciate your response!

One of the joys in running this blog is learning about the complex processes that lead to rail systems getting developed in the first place. I do know that, generally, such processes are dynamic. And by that I mean there is no "one way" even if there are "popular" ways or ways that it's "always been done".

Still, it's always a pleasure to have an excuse to post questions related to the basics when TR receives them. Here's one that came in this weekend from an Orlando attorney:

I enjoy reading your blog. I have a question that I'm curious about. I haven't had a chance yet to attend a TBARTA meeting yet, and they don't really post their minutes as far as I can tell.

...has there been talk about how TBARTA is going to raise operating capital? I know that the statute gives them the right to issue bonds, but there's no way that passenger revenue would pay for everything, and TBARTA can't assess taxes, as far as I know.

I imagine that financing, especially in the early stages, is going to take commitments from the counties and cities in the service area to pitch in with local option tax money. Has there been talk about how finance responsibilities are going to be apportioned to the counties, and whether individual counties like Hillsborough, Pinellas and cities like Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater are going to put sales tax options up for referendam?

The $2 million that Charlie secured for TBARTA is great, but how is TBARTA going to sustain itself for the next few years in planning, and in the future for financing bonds for construction?

So what's the answer? I am posting the e-mail to attract more qualified response and discussion. But, in the interim, here is my understanding.

TBARTA can only spend the money from any funding they actually pick up. Their ability to acquire money directly, at least in the form of a direct tax, is not part of their authority. When they are finished planning a system or perhaps any series of them, they are limited, as any plan holder would be, into convincing local authorities, and by extension, local constituents, to fund them - which is where those local referendums come into play. But that quest for local referendums would be independent of the authority itself. Generally speaking, it is presumed that TBARTA would gain such a benevolence that member counties more or less agree to its plans and thus tie in their efforts as a matter of understanding.

As well, TBARTA could find another way to pay for build outs and maintenance which does not involve taxation. When there is public support, local business community support, and, general political will, light rail and other transit systems get done whether taxes have anything to do with them or not. That's one of the major values of TBARTA despite the overhead of this county by county pitch it will eventually have to engage. TBARTA is now the branding epicenter for transit in our region which is crucial in terms of mind-share, irrespective of its ability to tax directly.

I should point out that as a rail development enthusiast, I could care less whether I am taxed to build rail or transit or not. I just as soon see the "big old nasty government" come in tomorrow and declare that they are going to plow out Florida Avenue to make way for a monorail system, and be done with it (though, I guess I'd be talking about roads then because that's about what happened throughout much of American road building history it seems), as anyone else private or public. But, I live in a conservative town and TBARTA is the best manifestation of a pro-rail development agenda we can reasonably hope for as normal people who must contend with the conservative reality. When people begin to work for big objectives exactly as they are, rather than succumbing to the way they are, things get done. Finally.

I think my summeration is a good one, but folks, the floor is open.

With the last day of Mayor Pam's light rail tour being today, I thought it would be good to shoot some You Tube's of the city light rail systems that she and the other mayors visited. It's kind of like taking the very same tour in the space of time it takes to glean a blog posting.

Charlotte North Carolina

Charlotte opened its LYNX system to much fanfare last November. It is therefore the freshest operating light rail system in the country, and at just 9.6 miles, is about 10 miles shorter than our own anticipated starter system between USF and Westshore.

Here's some previous TR attention we gave regarding Charlotte's system:

• So, How'd Charlotte's New Lynx Light Rail Do On Opening Day?
• In Charlotte, Light Rail Opens to the Public!
• Charlotte, NC Election Results
• Vote on Future of Charlotte Light Rail North Carolina (huh?)
  

Denver Colorado

Denver's implementation of light rail is part of its wider FasTracks project to slowly roll out 122 miles of light and commuter rail services over 12 years. I can't find a specific "name" for the light rail system itself (really odd), but Wikipedia refers to it as TheRide Light Rail, where "TheRide" is the Denver transit agency's general catch phrase for all its services.

How does it do? This feature piece by Minnesota Public Radio speaks it up rather nicely, pointing out that the line was 20 percent ahead of projections. And, unlike we can here in Tampa, people are appreciating the choice in these gas-pricey times.

The video below takes you on a 7 minute ride with the point of view of a passenger looking ahead. It's about as good as being there, really, and is surely something our Mayor experienced.

Dallas Texas

You might say Dallas Texas kicked off the "Railvolution" for southern states like Charlotte and Tampa, and countered the strongest grist against such initiatives which goes along that lines that rail can't work in sprawling cities where cars took over long ago. DART proved that notion to be a big Texas tale because DART is by far the most successful and popular light rail system implemented in modern times.

Sure, this video is a little campy, but it was produced to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. With its fantastic reception and wonderful adoption by a city sorta and kinda like Tampa in its present car-captive ways, I say, hey it can be as campy as it wants. Where do you think Hillsborough County will be in 10 years?

Like Denver's TheRide, DART light rail expansion is taking place like crazy.

Put Aside Your Rail Envy

Light rail is coming to the Tampa Bay region. People are working hard now to make the case, chart the plans, and pitch for real-world funding.

There's a reason Mayor Pam and the other mayors are out scoping these systems and talking to the bigwigs that are driving them. All three systems are predicated on winning battles against rail foes and their inept strategies to keep transportation choice at bay. When the group returns from their tour, we are ever closer to the eventuality of light rail groundbreaking in Tampa.

Y'all, don't get envious about something that is going to happen here, and that, in all likelihood, will happen in