Today's the day the Hillsborough BOCC is scheduled to vote on putting transit choice on the ballot this year!  I'll be trying to pay attention from my station, but good luck to you all!

The ConnectUS website presents a pretty good detail on the "what next" for Florida High Speed Rail.  There's been some murmuring that while Obama has authorized an allotment of funding for the project, actual construction of the system is not a foregone conclusion given the nation's economic situation.  You can bet that, quite naturally, everyone around Tampa and Orlando parts is eager to make sure that any notion of delaying the project until the war on terror is over, doesn't wind up sticking.  Not after all this.

Fresh HSR map detailing connection between Tampa and Orlando.  View much larger version.

So the move-forward strategy is pretty simple.  Use the money, no doubt in combination with a Florida contribution, to begin and finish construction of the first leg between Tampa and Orlando.  Maybe I'm tying that up a bit too tightly out of enthusiasm.  The ConnectUS folks more reservedly chart to go "as far as $1.25 billion will take us".  In doing so, though, they make a pretty solid political case that more money is coming.  Florida is now sort of the "default" high speed rail state, a position that virtually guarantees regular prep and advancement of HSR unless the Union truly has fiscally collapsed.  Besides, "as much as can be done" is not likely to mean a set of tracks that end abruptly in rural Florida.  If Florida starts work at all, the confidence that Tampa and Orlando will actually be connected when it's done will be very high.

True, budget restraints will be demanding - a nod to conservatives to enjoy some input now - but nobody is saying that high speed rail won't be here in 10 years.  The very birth of the system is intended to help put Florida and America back on track.

Laying Claim to National Birthplace

The title of "national birthplace of high speed rail" is one Florida should strive to keep and shore up.  But doing so puts us in competition with other states that have also been funded and are equally charged to move forward.  Obama's announcement in Tampa and our preliminary detail work based on the previous Constitutionally mandated HSR system which makes Florida's system the most "shovel ready", as you keep hearing, are fragile threads by which to hang the plaque.  Things can lag easily if we get caught up in any controversy or over-restraint. 

ConnectUS supposes that the low-hanging fruit of work such as clearing land and erecting safety barriers can start this year which is great, so long as any of that includes a groundbreaking ceremony, and preferably, it somehow occurs in Tampa.  This way Tampa can be the national HSR birthplace city.  Thanks to Obama's visit and announcement from, I think Tampa would still get the HSR moniker if first topsoil were turned outside city limits - between it and Orlando let's say.  But, it would be a nice feather for the city if there were no room for doubt.  Maybe Orlando wants the city title, or, maybe the entire designation down to any city level is inappropriate for this kind of construction project, so the whole novelty is moot.  But the point is, if it can be pursued and valued, it should be.

Art Museum Another Staple of Tampa Living

Speaking of a developing Tampa, I wanted applaud the grand opening of Tampa's new art museum.  The Tampa Museum of Art opened yesterday (TBO coverage), and, believe it or not, I was there.  Sort of.  I actually logged on to the Hillsborough County webcam and pointed it to the gathering outside.  It was a cool way to feel part of the crowd.

This seems like another great advance for the city as seeks to become more pedestrian and people-level oriented.  Between this and the high speed rail announcement, if there's a place to be today, it's Tampa!

Tampa's Big O!

Obama in Tampa Kicks Off National High Speed Rail

President's announcement today means Florida High Speed Rail is a reality.  Tampa will not be just a rail city, it will be the most modern rail city in the entire country!

The Buzz List

• ConnectUS HSR via Twitter: "We did it!"
• TBARTA: "We Have the Blue Print" (PDF File)
  
• Bay News 9: Obama: "High Speed Rail to Start Right Here in Tampa!"
• Tampa Tribune: Obama Tells Tampa Audience, "I Won't Stop Fighting"
• St. Pete Times:  Obama Revs Up Tampa With $1.25 Billion in Rail Money
  
• All the current Twitter chatter right now!

UPDATE: Bay News 9 is reporting that White House confirms Florida High Speed Rail funding!

I may not get a chance to blog again before the huge announcement on Thursday that Tampa will spring to the forefront of a national high speed rail policy.  It is mind-boggling to me that, as I sit here some 1,000 miles away in a New York City Union Square Starbucks, that Tampa is about to go hardcore rail without me.  Okay, hardcore might mean a complete light rail system, but a high speed rail terminus connecting downtown Tampa and its bevy of available high rise residentials (soon to be the core of an Orlando bedroom community if this really happens) is enough to jump-start light rail along with just about everything else. 

Tampa Rail, this website, has always been about Hillsborough light rail, high speed rail, and the Teco Line Streetcar system.  After Thursday, Tampa may well have two out of three.  A-Flippin'-Mazing.  No, wait, let's not contain ourselves: A-Fucking-Mazing.

Of course, the question on everyone's mind right now is whether or not Obama is really going to offer up the goods when he speaks at the University of Tampa, or, are all of us enthusiasts and hopefuls like me way off track, to use another track pun.   Could we possibly be?

Let me put my assessment this way.  If after all the talk out there about the prospects of Obama's visit to Tampa being to announce the funding and effective execution of high speed rail, were wrong, that would have been leaked information by now.  Someone on staff would have tapped Obama on the shoulder and said "You know, bunch of wackos down there - and one in New York City - think you're gonna sign off on that rail system, sir.  Should we let them go on that way for 2 weeks until you finally reach the podium?".  At that, Obama'd surely have had someone come down and pat the fire out ahead of his visit.  He sure as hell wouldn't leave Pam or Ed that close to a win only to punch them in their stomachs during a great speech about clean drinking water, or something. 

Pam in particular seems pretty optimistic.  And who among us would stand to see her cry?  It would be unbearable and surely the White House folks understand this.  Ed Turanchik, after falling under such criticism for his lofty light rail plans during Hillsborough's mid-90s Conservatism, and, later, his failed bid to bring the Olympics to Tampa/Orlando, would probably finally throw himself off the Skyway.  The guy saved his wins up for the big one, and he's about to get it at long last.

Yes, my take on whether Obama will be directing that fabled shovel to actually turn: Count on it.

Which means, I can only watch from afar, thrilled, yet anguished at my distance, while Channelside roars to life over the next decade; light rail becomes a natural extension to the new-mode thinking, and even the streetcar finds new life in sea of Channelside residents acclimating to transportation choice.

Folks, if I can make it to blog following a positive announcement - I will.  And surely, I'll be using the screaming font.

Spotted this in the Trib today.  This could be the starting drum roll....

As America's lightning capital, Tampa would be interested to learn of a project to finally manipulate lightning. 

Actually, in discussion of mass transit adoption in Tampa or Southwest Florida in general, one factor that is routinely underplayed is the role of mother nature's regular summer afternoon blitzkriegs there.  Anyone with a phobia of lightning storms such as yours truly will tell you that life in Tampa can be difficult during the thunder-boomer season between April and November (if I recall correctly). 

Tampa must lead the nation and innovate in the area of pedestrian lightning defense strategies.
Photograph courtesy of Jeff Houck @ Side Salad (www.sidesaladnet.com). 

Focusing on bus service alone, consider that by any official safety mandate Hillsborough County summer time transit service is, for all practical purposes, eliminated between approximately 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM - an exact amount which depends on your personal level of concern and adherence to the National Lightning Safety Institute's recommendation that one wait at least 30 minutes past the last observable stroke of lightning or thunder before moving around freely again.  The core of these storms typically last up to an hour. 

Many bus stops are "out in the open" or require traversing vast stretches of land with no place to retreat if things get bad, even in cases where the stops are covered.  If you need to walk to a bus stop just as the clouds are turning black and those sharp flashy strokes are closing in by the second, you can't.  Or you shouldn't.  Most people with less fear than I seem to have no problem taking a chance which is one reason Florida consistently leads the U.S. in lightning deaths.

As Tampa moves closer to developing a permanent and solid transit-choice culture, it is worth pointing out the importance of giving thought to something innovative and never-before-done-anywhere stuff to compensate for this Southwest Florida fact of life.  Elsewhere on the web I have talked about the development of city maintained "lightning shelters" which could be scattered around pedestrian corridors.  As well, for those light rail or bus stops that can be so structured, it is always important to consider how to "cat walk" them to the nearest larger commercial structure where it is convenient and safe to wait out the boomers. 

If that isn't practical, then Hillsborough or Tampa governing bodies should enact ordinances forcing some commercial operators to subject their properties as official refuges to pedestrians trapped out in the open during lightning storms.  Sure, McDonald's might object to having to place a sticker in their window advertising their store as a temporary lightning refuge, but this is why pure capitalism is evil and why occasional interference by a non-profit democratically elected government is good (though, courtesy compels me to point out I have no idea whether McDonalds would actually object - many retailers already participate in a program that offers their businesses as a safe haven for children in immediate duress or danger, you occasionally see these store window stickers already).

Whatever.  To foster Tampa's latent pedestrian potential, keeping at ideas like these is important.

The new Phoenix light rail system is emerging as one of the most successful new systems in the country.  This is especially poignant for Tampa because in scale, project scope, and demographics, Phoenix represents the apogee of operating examples. 

You Tube Video Collage of Phoenix Light Rail - by BrightonZach

Over the course of its first year the system has received high marks in community integration, stunning ridership figures, and respectful financial constraint (making tough decisions on long-term planning that do not inhibit the value of its starter-line status today).  This is exactly what Hillsborough County is shooting for in its own implementation.  A perfect balance of conservative control and benchmarking combined with progressive action and democratic freedom, the latter which may finally come to Hillsborough County in the form of a referendum.  That all good stuff was achieved by such a strikingly similar auto-dependent culture is a great omen.  A starter light rail system can be championed by civic conservatives (Mark Sharpe), and civic progressives (Ed Turanchik) to great outcome.

• Phoenix Marks first Year of Light Rail Service

Of interesting note in the aforementioned link is a summary of how well the line did during a visit by Obama last May.  The line held up to the tune of 50,000 passengers in one night - without issue.  And things only got better from there.  Overall the success of this line attracted ink from the New York Times which marveled over the system's ability to nearly succeed almost entirely based on weekend patronage. Our own precursor to light rail in Tampa, the Teco Line Streetcar, owes its success to these venues of service as well.

Both pieces I link to here embarrass anti-rail or anti-tax groups who are, as the Phoenix article notes, "muted" if not definitively silenced.  Their arguments against community investment were loud, often intelligent (once one bought into the ideological premise that rail systems must 'pay for themselves' and that community investement is somehow inherently evil - points not firmly established by any means among rationale individuals), and grossly atypical.  I will forever hype on how mechanical, unchanging, and how pre-web these attacks were formulated.

It is done. 

Governor Crist signed the Florida rail bill into law today in Tampa (and Tallahassee), thus making Florida an official commuter rail state.  That means Florida joins the ranks of so many Northeast states where commuter rail is a standard way of life, as well as California and Texas which also have developed commuter rail networks.   Florida doesn't necessarily have those kinds of actual developed rail lines yet, of course - right now it only has Tri-Rail connecting Palm Beach, Miami, and all points in between.  But all this will change for certain over the next few decades, a fact which will, as I said in an earlier post, make this a revolutionary day for the state and most certainly Tampa and Hillsborough County.  That big word is up next.

The point is, urban commuter rail is now Florida State policy and a much bigger line item in so many budget policies, not just a stepchild pursuit.

Y'all should be jumping for joy down there.  Here's some quick coverage.

• ConnectUS Facebook Page with Photos of the Signing Ceremony
• Crist Signs Rail Bill in Tallahassee, Tampa (St. Pete Times coverage)
  

There's a lot in the oven right now and the area journalists and MSM are doing a great job covering it all.  From a local referendum on the radar, to, what looks to be like imminent word on a high speed rail terminus smack dab in the center of Tampa, it seems it took the kid getting out of there for things to finally kick in. 

What up with that, anyway?

Another development as I've noted is the vast array of transit-positive online media Tampa and Hillsborough County enjoy, largely due to the Tampa Bay Partnership's enthusiastic and well-studied Web 2.0 approach to keeping the mission of regional transit and rail development "real".  HART is on board with that too having recently revamped its website, and, also, introducing a Facebook and You Tube pages.

What I'm Talking About, Sample Hillsborough Transit Online Outreach

Here are some of the most recent new transit effort sites I'm talking about:

• The Transportation Lounge (by TBARTA)
• TBARTA Twitter Feed
• TBARTA You Tube Channel
• TBARTA Facebook Page
  
• HART You Tube Channel
• HART's Northeast/West Corridors Analysis Page (BRT/Rail Routes)
• HART's Facebook Page
  
• Mark Sharpe's Twitter Feed (Dude!)
• Hillsborough County MPO Twitter Feed
• Teco Line Streetcar Whiting Street Extension Project Page
  

This is a top-o-the-head list, but, if you know of another shining example I will top-post any additional suggestions.  Leave a comment about what I missed and I will highlight it in a new entry similar to this

And Now for Something Completely Different: A Singing Cowboy

While we wait for the next big word on something - which seems like nearly every other day now - let's take a brief entertainment intermission with Tampa local talent.   Folks, let me introduce Wally Cowboy.  About four months before my departure from the city, I met up with Wally and his then girlfriend "Diana".  They were attending an imaging conference in town and, ever content hungry for Tampa Rail, I convinced them to allow me to videotape them using the streetcar to get to the convention center from their hotel in Ybor. 

Unfortunately, after shooting a lot of random footage, I could never realllly get the entire "production" together - or at least haven't yet.  But, amid all the material just sitting around was a spontaneous serenading by Wally Cowboy, who turned out to be a great guitar-strumming country crooner.  Twice.  So while I may never stitch together all the scenes from my collection, I thought it imperative to at least share this local talent gem directly with the TR readership.

If anyone is interested in contacting Wally about these videos, feel free to contact me.  He's an offline sort of guy, but I'm presently helping him with his You Tube Channel.  He's probably available for booking or something.

Commuter rail around Florida State became a zillion times more tangible with the Florida Senate passing of a bill (or, click here for the St. Pete Times coverage) that will permanently fund the eastern stateside Tri-Rail, and, the hereunto proposed SunRail system which focuses more on connections in central Florida.

Central and Eastern Florida are getting theirs.  And, in a way, it's all about Tampa getting its, too.

What about Tampa?  These newly funded plans have been in the works for awhile and only under the shimmering burst of fireworks for high speed rail have they sprinted to the forefront, which is great news in general.  But I ask again, what about Tampa?

Well, the entire point of this, and, the hope now, is that this demonstrated zeal and commitment by the state in a real commuter rail foundation will be the last magnet needed to draw Obama's nod to a Florida high speed rail system.  A system that will connect Orlando and, over time, the rest of the state, to downtown Tampa.

A decision that will revolutionize Tampa should come out of Washington this month or darn soon thereafter.  You can follow these developments more precisely through the Ed T. flank of the pro-rail movement at the ConnectUS website, which has taken the lead in speaking up for the hoped for high speed rail line and much of the advocacy for SunRail with a Tampa/Orlando slant. 

Meanwhile, Governor Christ will likely sign the new Rail Bill immediately, and one way or another, the world as we once knew it in Florida, will begin to change.  Let's just hope when this action blitz is over, Tampa is at the forefront.

From the TR mailbag - yes, I actually do get e-mails from an insatiable public:

A member of the TR community writes me:

I don't know if you're aware CSX just replaced the tracks of the line that parallels US41 in Lutz/Land O Lakes with longer segments having welded joints. Freight doesn't demamd a smooth ride. I don't think CSX would have spent the money unless the fix was in.

-- Maybe, but I wouldn't call it a "fix" per se.  More like, a "realization" or an "ephinany" on the eventuality of Hillsborough County light rail.  Today, tommorow, later, it's coming.  One vote cycle, two, three...it's coming. 

My guess is that if these longer segments have anything to do with future light rail at all, and it is a fix, why, the fix is only to CSX's light rail heart.

The other writes:

From a business standpoint, what types of new businesses do you think will come to the area when this vote is approved and we start gearing up to create our light rail system?

I'm not an expert on commercial migration patterns following the implementation of light rail systems.  However, I am willing to gamble that at least one or two major corporations might eventually want to call downtown Tampa "corporate headquarters".  With an expanding streetcar system, light and high speed rail, and, of course thousands of high rise condos and apartments - Tampa might easily attract them.

Diane e-mailed me to point out that TBARTA, ever active on the communication and outreach front as they are in honing the region's transportation future, has introduced the Tampa Bay Transportation Lounge.  This is another website - up to date with all the social web outlets you could ever want - electrifying our region with the promise of a new transit rich Southwest Florida. 

Heh-heh, they even cover TR's Twitter feed, god bless them.

Tampa Bay's Newest Lounge

In fact, Tampa Bay seems quite hopping with online media associated with transit and the area's transportation future.  A fact I think is reflective of the community's unified and singular support for transportation choice and our favorite subject here, light rail.  The political and social support, speaking as a guy who's popped in on the debate as much as possible around the country, in Tampa, is a remarkable change over as little time as 5 or so years ago.

The St. Pete Times took a critical look at Steve Polzin and CUTR's research interests, raising questions about the integrity of either's committment to light rail progress in the community.  I'm a little astonished because I too began a road toward such an article several times.  Most recently, when I stumbled upon a quote by Polzin in the Seattle Times in which he questions the integrity of light rail planners who, according to him, "obviously" want to lowball ridership figures:

Steven Polzin, a traffic expert at the University of South Florida, suspects that U.S. transit agencies commonly set the bar low at first.  

"You want to be successful, and obviously you want to lowball, so you can say you beat expectations," he said.

That sort of pissed me off in reading it at the time because, you know, he is technically one of our own local transit agency members if you loosely define such a person as someone who sits on the transit board. 

The reason I never ultimately posted my own suspicions had to do a lot with the same struggle the St. Pete Times article encounters.  While clearly no fan of light rail, Polzin can take on a pragmatic's role on cue.  There's just something in the end, despite his comments and backhanded derisions, that always leaves you giving him the benefit of the doubt.  He's an academic after all, and academics are by nature complicated in regard to the field of their interest.

But, at this time, I think it's important to underscore something most people have long forgotten.   Steve Polzin was the guy who first raised a key question during a Hartline Board meeting.  The question was, did HART want to authorize spending money to update a consulting report that the Federal Transit Administration required in order to keep Hillsborough County's efforts valid?  Failure to do so would knock Hillsborough County out of line for light rail in 2004. 

You can read the online ghost of the article, "Light Rail Plan Sputters Amid Doubts Over Funding".

Mind you, he didn't do this without cause, or, in absence of controversy (in 2004, many people thought light rail in Hillsborough County was a pipe dream).  In his own words, when that round of the fight for light rail really did collapse, Polzin put his position like this:

"There are others who feel like the public is probably not there right now and that we're prudent to move on to solutions that make more sense at this point in time," ... "I'm personally in the camp that we have spent too much time on something that is perhaps too visionary."

You can read the full article, "It's the End of the Line for Light Rail".

The current St. Pete Times article points out the potential in conflict between Polzin's public policy role in the direction of transit and light rail in Hillsborough County, and his association to CUTR, which has research-dollar interests in potentially competing solutions like Bus Rapid Transit.  TR actually made this connection in the website's iteration before this, but, the world was spared my grist too much because I favor evolving transit over competing transit technologies.  BRT in Tampa, as I see it, is clearing the way for light rail, and laying down a strong foundation for a dramatically improved bus network that will be needed to support it. 

But it's still a brave question by the St. Pete Times which I suppose, then, makes this a brave echo.