I'm getting my butt kicked up here, but I'm alive and well enough to post this quick blurb about how the feds are now spending more on state rail projects.  Apparently, we're also avoiding driving more too.

...Americans, coping with high gasoline prices, drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in July 2008 than July 2007 — a 3.6 percent decline. July also marked the ninth consecutive monthly decrease in vehicle miles traveled, Peters said.

So, we're driving less, where we can, and that means less gas tax money for mass transit projects.  Ergo, the reason for more apparent direct spending on rail by the federal government. 

As for me, sit tight dear TR readers.  Things are going slowly for me but my attention to this site and all my others is the end game.

I've taken to the bus and subway system here in New York like a smaller drop of water joining up with a much larger one.  I wasn't wrong about the freedom inherent to a no-car lifestyle as I have been criss-crossing Manhattan on foot in trips that start from my point here in Queens on the subway. 

Riding the LIRR

On Saturday, my relatives were eager to show me the alternative rail method which is even faster and more direct via the Long Island Railroad.  Located quite a few blocks from my address here, the station is still walkable (for me anyway), and I may wind up using it instead once I begin work.   For this demonstration run, however, I thought I'd use it as an opportunity to speak directly to TR readers.  Enjoy the quick video above of me riding the LIRR into Manhattan.

As a reminder, Tampa Rail is in editorial transistion as I myself am.  You may follow my progress in New York City at my personal blog.

Hi everyone, I've made it to New York City.

They, they  should have sent a poet.

I am chronicalizing my relocation at my personal blog, so please visit it until I get back to regular TR programming.

I'm leaving for New York City next week and, outside periodic trips back, will no longer be a Tampa or Florida resident.  If you follow my personal blog to any degree you've known about this for at least a month's time (see the postings).  And in any event, you may have noticed a thinning of attention here lately that is in direct relation to the overhead of such a life change.

I'll be where that dot is.

Among all the details I've had to cater to in this transition, none have been more dogged or problematic than what my leaving means for the future of Tampa Rail.  I've mentally touched on the issue lightly here and there, hoping for an intuitive solution that would somehow keep this operation in strict line with my reasoning, logic, and voice; all while dealing with the reality that I will no longer be on hand to personally provide in-time local content, which I view as critical.  The ability to provide such content is really the stuff besides voice that keeps a blog from running as little more than a glorified RSS reader.  Alas, with this, the final weekend of my Tampa presence, no such solution that fits all corners has yet come to mind.  Still, it's decision time, so here's what happens now.

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I've got job interviews I need to attend to, so I decide to get my suit dry cleaned.  There's this dry cleaner on the way to my current job I always pass, so I figure, hey, I'll finally stop in and give them some of my business. 

In I wheel into the parking lot when, slam, this is what I encounter staring back at me:

Brian Blair mocks me.

I freeze, not even reaching to turn the car's motor off.  I literally sit there for a moment contemplating the next course of action.  As I saw it my options were as follows:

1.   Immediately throw the car into reverse and skid out of there
2.   Immediately throw the car forward, into the building
3.   Put aside political differences in favor of my fragile timeline which demands a clean suit, fast

Ultimately I sanely opted for boring option number 3.  Number 1 had half a shot but I wasn't positive the store owner was working the front desk, and before I screwed around with my timetable, I wanted to be sure he or she saw me cutting out of there.  Number 2 would have actually worked - I won't need my car much longer anyway - but, you know, innocent people, destruction of property, plus, I'm not actually crazy, and so on. But it's still a nice if not simply riveting fantasy.

Brian Blair did in fact defend his commission seat (see the Trib's Commissioners Blair, Hagan Win Easily), probably due to his energized whacko-right base acting on election day when most normal people were out doing something else and thereby leaving the low-key election day alone.  It's all I can figure.

When I left there to go pick up some passport pictures, I drove through Carrollwood, and don't you know, these are the people that apparently just love the guy.  That is if yard signs are any indication

Hey everybody, sit down, I have exciting news!  There are places now where you can find gas for as little as $3.40 a gallon!  Yes, you read me right.  $3.40! 

Did you ever think gas would be this cheap again?

Yes, cheap gas abounds once more.  We are free to return to our automobiles and make light of the most whimsical of trips.  Forget the bus.  Forget all this "rail" talk.  When gas gets this cheap, folks, it might as well be water, and we might as well all be fishies in the ocean.  Suck it all right up, baby!  Ding ding ding ding ding, keep it coming!  And to think, we almost seriously contemplated transportation choice in Hillsborough County.

The Tampa Tribune is coming out in support of Hillsborough County, and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's, action-day light rail initiatives.  Read Visions of Regional Transit Bump Against Local Realities.  Reasoning that any plan excecuted and implemented sooner than later will still float in an eventual TBARTA implementation, and, will serve as a pilot catlyst for other TBARTA counties in selecting their transit modes, the Trib editorial supports seeking a 2010 local referendum.

Looks like everyone is happy with the direction HART is taking, particularly in regards to the streetcar and light rail development in general.  The Tampa City Council Board meeting, held August 7 and where HART was asked to explain its recent steps in restructuring; turned into a good opportunity for both HART and Tampa City leaders to affirm their new found political support for rail.

Tampa City posted the complete board meeting transcript online, but for purposes of this focus, you can review my abbreviated snippet which appears to reflect conversations between HART Director David Armijo and various members of the Council.

Remember that the true impetus for this meeting was the decision to let go popular Teco Line Streetcar Superintendent Timothy Borchers, who's name is incredibly mis-stated in various forms throughout the transcript as "Ken Borchard" (huh? - You'll notice at the Trib story, as well, he is referred at arm's length only as the "streetcar manager", not by name, either.  What's up with that?  People gotta read blogs for everything nowadays <wink>).  The legitimate questions raised by the Streetcar Board, and, several Tampa City Council members including Mary Mulhern who also sits on the Streetcar Board; center around the committment HART has towards the system and towards an urban rail solution, if it could so seemingly capriciously drop a center-oriented operations manager from its helm.  During the course of question and answers, HART concedes it might have communicated better and would certainly seek to do so in the future.  David Armijo describes the reasoning behind his actions (if you'll pardon the choppy transcript-speak, thank you):

10:55:11 Purpose of the street car reorganization is to in fact
10:55:14 integrate the service operation of the streetcar
10:55:16 within the park family of services.
10:55:18 Those services being the bus system and of course our
10:55:21 paratransit program.
10:55:22 Why do this?
10:55:24 This will provide in my mind a greater access to the
10:55:27 staffing and resource available within Hart.
10:55:32 On the latter, this includes both line and streetcar
10:55:36 functions.
10:55:36 On the latter, the previous streetcar structure
10:55:39 included both the streetcar manager and two assistant
10:55:41 managers within those 25 positions to manage the
10:55:44 service.
10:55:45 Having a manager in both the maintenance and the
10:55:47 transportation side, assistant manager reported to the
10:55:52 streetcar manager.
10:55:53 While this is not a great opportunity to manage the
10:55:55 system, it was also somewhat impractical and not very
10:55:58 cost effective.
10:56:00 The new organization structure splits the
10:56:02 responsibilities of transportation and maintenance
10:56:03 between two assistant managers, having them report to
10:56:07 manager that is support both bus and paratransit
10:56:10 operations.
10:56:11 These two manager versus access to greater amount of
10:56:13 resources, staffing, maintenance and facilities
10:56:16 support, but they will require -- services than the
10:56:21 previous structure had.
10:56:22 The elimination. Manager for the streetcar did result
10:56:26 in about a $100 that you savings within the budget.
10:56:29 That allowed staff to add those services that were in
10:56:32 fact underserved, including additional mechanic, to
10:56:36 add to the -- there was no mechanic at night.
10:56:40 And a maintenance attendant to assist those vehicles
10:56:45 to close down for the next day.
10:56:47 This will help in the maintenance of the fleet.
10:56:48 It was a results in a net reduction in the '09 budget
10:56:51 of $29,000.
10:56:52 And I believe that that's going to improve upon the
10:56:55 service of the street car.
10:56:57 And it will also help reduce or mitigate any
10:57:00 additional support required from the endowment.
10:57:02 I feel confident that changes we made will improve the
10:57:04 quality of services and Hart's commitment to improving
10:57:08 service now and in the future and I will be happy to
10:57:10 entertain any questions you may have.

 This was a well-presented and likely valid explanation.  Granted, no-one countered the highly potent observation by Mulhern in regards to Tim's firing:

11:20:04 And I did want to point out that the total savings
11:20:09 that Hart is gaining in this, with this layoff and
11:20:14 reorganization, is only $29,000.
11:20:18 And I think that we are going to have to compare that
11:20:21 in the future with not having a dedicated director of
11:20:26 the street car system.

Which is a good point right?  Well, apparently no-one wants to go there.

I would also point out that anyone taking time to read the entire transcript, to pay attention to Mary's excellent summary of the streetcar as basically light rail, and, as such, basically an inherent component to our light rail ambitions.  Again I point you to the snippet.

And let's face it, things are going so well for HART, so good for Tampa's rail future, and, David Armijo is so effective in general, that nearly everyone is on board to forgive and trust the situation.  In fact, here's a glow piece by the Tampa Tribune,  HART Sees Upgrades in Leader's 1st Year which reads like a timely if not purposeful editorial nod to the way things are going in light of the most recent flak.  Through it, too, is a reassertion of urgency to get light rail up and running.

Indeed, a few minutes ago I consulted with Tampa Rail's own Editorial Rants and Analysis Department and concluded that indeed things are going so well, it's tough not to cut the guy some slack.  After all, the occassional casualties of people aside, the mission of this site and a good many transit advocates now working toward the complex manifestation of light rail in Hillsborough County, is to make it happen.  Let freedom to do so ring.

Daniel Ruth has rebutted a commenator to his piece on Tampa's bid to charge on rail, by name of "TampaSeer" (who sees too little, ironically).  Worth a look today!

None of those tweaks to fortify the Teco Line's long-term business plan and to accommodate the Whiting Street extension seem to be hurting said business.  HART released a report yesterday indicating there were 44,000 streetcar riders in July which was an apparent increase over the previous year by almost 7 percent.  In general it was another gangbusters month for Hillsborough County mass transit.

From the release:

Bus ridership is the second highest on record, despite July traditionally being HART's lowest ridership summer month. The all-time high is 1,066,695 rides, set last October. This is the fourth time HART ridership has topped the million-ride mark for a single month. Previous months to record one million rides were May of this year, and August and October of 2007.

Click for the full report.

Actually, It's Been a Busy Summer for HART

Again alluding to my inability to pay full attention among the several other threads of issue in my life at present, HART nonetheless had some interesting things going on last month, including the opening of its Northwest Transfer Center. 

Oh, and relative to an earlier post,  let's not forget that HART did in fact vote to move forward with its rail agenda.  More wonderful news, and another key step.  Of course, if you haven't heard, Pinellas County may be bucking for the local first-with-rail spotlight, too.

Daniel Ruth has chimed in on the pacing rift developing between Hillsborough County and TBARTA mass transit efforts.  As usual, some of the better (well, at least more interesting) commentary can be found in the comment section - no offense to Mr. Ruth.  Not that he doesn't ultimately unveil the obvious himself, but a reader leaping from here should know that, as you suspect, he's being sarcastic.

I worry about the danger of two ideas potentially colliding to delay rail implementation once more.  But, I am happy to see heat from the friction between people, politicians, and other local writers.  What this amounts to, really, is an argument between local power brokers over how fast we get rail.

Now, tell me that isn't a Hillsborough County miracle.

It looks like the Tampa Historic Streetcar board folks are finally taking public positions on the recent dismissal of Timothy Borchers a few months ago.  You can read Firing of Tampa Streetcar Chief Bothers Board by the St. Pete Times, and, the first mention of this as it appeared here at TR last July 3.  By days' end there could be more to say about it since there's likely to be some attention paid during today's Tampa City Council meeting.

Update August 8:  WMNF has a more detailed account of this controversy (click the little speaker where it invites you to listen to the show).  If you listen to the podcast of it, the conversation and in-person quotes by most relevant personalities begins at 42:29.

Tim Borchers stands front and center.

It's an interesting thesis being openly suggested now that HART is somehow, and it's frankly difficult to describe the scope of this, "soft-pedaling" the streetcar system.  The story by the St. Pete Times portrays the Whiting Street extension as something HART feels bullied into supporting.  On the one hand I can see where HART would feel upset about answering to pro-rail and streetcar interests who, like I, believe the streetcar is a symbolic victory for the battle of "rail in the ground", whenever they want to do something as innocuous as move monies around for different projects. 

On the other hand, HART has never given any (public) notice that it intends to back off long range plans (or expectations, at least) to encircle downtown's core with the system over the next few decades.  These plans were discussed as recently as last month during HART's presentation to TBARTA.

The Teco Line's actual status as a tourist's heritage line with some use and potential use as a commuter tool for locals does not deter from its theoretical value as a root for light rail.  In the above linked story, for instance, Mary Mulhurn aptly notes that the system is essentially light rail.  You may not all agree, but try to drop 2.4 miles of urban rail into a city with anti-tax front groups that doesn't have any yet, and you appreciate the significance and achievement of it.  Thanks to the streetcar, we're ahead on the rail game before local front groups even have their pants halfway up.

Relative to my last post, it looks like we see that Pam is pushing the case for local progress on rail.  Her arguments are compelling, and there is a certain clarity to the logic that Hillsborough County is so far ahead in rail planning that it's only a shame that TBARTA would be injected now.  However, this cannot stagnate Hillsborough County (nor invalidates TBARTA's rising role), quoted officials believe.

Tampa Tribune: It's Train Time For Tampa

The report indicates that HART will vote Monday to persue the scenario of a referendum in 2010, which would be a vote to enhance all local mass transit as well as advance on the Tampa Rail Project, which is the established starter light rail system between USF and Westshore.

It could be the beginning of everything we have waited so long for.

Here's an interesting scenario:  Hillsborough County successfully promotes and passes a penny tax for mass transit development and rail, just as TBARTA is working to fund its own vision for a more regionally-scaled rail rollout.  The question arises, do the two agendas, that of Hillsborough County, and that of TBARTA, suddenly cross purpose?  As well, does this force people to choose between what would likely be a (relatively) rapid light r