Get some coffee. Here's the last presentation regarding rail given to the Tampa City Council last July 24 as part of their mass transit workshop series.

Click image.  Video will open up in your preferred media player (Windows Media by default).

The video itself is served up directly by this page.

The main presenter is John English, General Manager of the Utah Transit Authority. John is credited with overseeing the implementation of Salt Lake City light rail, for bringing it in under budget, and, one year ahead of schedule. He is also credited with addressing the public in an information campaign that turned the tide in regards to public support for light rail. As is often the case, but perhaps more in Salt Lake City than any place of such ideological construct, there was fierce conservative objection to building a light rail system prior to its local funding and eventual build.

And people wonder why the anti-railer's so-called message rarely succeeds.  They're nuts.

There's a lot to take from John's presentation but pay attention to his point that Salt Lake's situation was unique. The truth of the matter is that the federal government had come on board to pay for a large part of the system's construction even before Salt Lake citizens agreed to foot a community investment plan. This was because Salt Lake City was to host the 2002 Winter Olympics and could really use it ( - though you'll notice in the video that the presenter somewhat downplays that possibility).

That being said, citizens did agree on a tax, and indeed, this was after TRAX's information plan had kicked in. With a quoted 65 percent approval on the vote it's likely citizens were going to vote for the build whether the feds were in on it initially or not.  What's more, the "opposition" turned out to be an illusion when, upon opening for riders, TRAX wound up attracting nearly 40,000 daily riders instead of the anticipated 15,000.  The illusion was likely the result of the vocal minority who, as in Hillsborough County, it seems, get more press and more attention - thus over-magnified in their relevance.