The automakers want the government to cover their losses similar to the way the government is covering losses for the financial sector.

My question is, is their claim of imperative action based on any real notion that they are in fact still relevant as a major economic force in our country, or, is it merely an indicator of their solidified 50s-style entrenched access to Washington D.C. power? I mean, does America even lead the world in the manufacture of automobiles anymore? 

How about taking the money that might be used to bail them out and maybe use all or some of it to kickstart some mass transit development instead.

Recall the tight rope controversy of funding a Hillsborough County light rail transit project and funding a regional approach that might, by virtue of its multi-county scope, prove the more effective money magnet.  Well, if all the naysaying about raising taxes in these hard times is correct, Pam will have the best justification of moving forward after all which is that Tampa/Hillsborough can.  Before it was simply a matter of which logic you preferred, but TBARTA is suggesting their funding perspective might be held up a little bit given the current economy.

I think the area is tax-starved and people will instantly vote in a good tax plan.  I think building a light rail system would be one way of providing emergency jobs to the local populace.  But, assuming those who put a high priority on eliminating taxes (notice I don't refer to "them" as those who seek to keep them well-managed and meaningful), Hillsborough County might not fare any better by that logic.  That doesn't matter though because it's easier to at least try as one county, a leading one at that, than it is to try as 4 or 5 that TBARTA must uniformly rope.  And that alone will likely give Pam and Hillsborough County the moxy to move forward.

Nobody wants to wait another 10 years for action on rail.  Maybe TBARTA can get innovative.

I may not have a job yet, but Bob Clifford does. 

Bob Clifford, who has been acting as temporary TBARTA's Director, is now the permanent one.  This is a good application of continuity, and Bob seems more than willing to give rail transit its shake in TBARTA's final plans (read last May's St. Pete Times Tampa Tracks a Sensible Future: Rail for his quotes).  In my opinion his appointment is also a shoring up of FDOT support for mass transit development in Hillsborough and TBARTA counties, as he was, of course, FDOT's Tampa Bay District Transportation planner.

The agency will now try to secure permanent funding which will most likely involve a wise community investment.  Oddly, Pam Iorio didn't vote on Clifford on the premise that no-one was quite sure about how TBARTA would continue beyond its recent $2 million start up money.  She also didn't vote for the new Executive Director's assistant, whoever that may be.  I'm sensing some tension here.

Speaking of Twitter in my last post, I notice tonight that TBARTA itself has a Twitter feed.  If you're using Twitter, here it is.

I thought I'd take a quick breather this morning to keep Tampa Rail oiled a little.  While I don't necessarily post during my ongoing woes up here, I am paying attention.

It did not escape my notice, for example, that Tampa's Transit manager Elaine McCloud has prosposed and is actively pursuing a transit based website.  Much like Tampa Rail dot org of past, McCloud envisions an in-house website exhibiting transit options and Tampa's future adoption of them.  Excellent idea, this very site as Exhibit A.  The key difference between McCloud's proposal and a site like this of course is that the site would be run in-house, and, perhaps to notable underscore, lack the voice of a one David E. Pinero.  As an in-house operation the site would be politically safer while its proven need met, and its proven value, appreciated.  An official Tampa Transit website would validate Hillsborough County's quest toward mass transit and control the message more precisely.  On the downside, as I say, it would lack the voice of a one David E. Pinero (wink!), but that's a plus or minus depending on who you talk to.

An official website cast during the uptick of rail interest in Tampa was attempted once before.  Recall the Tampa Rail website run back 2001.  I forget the specific agency behind it, but it was a straight up exhibition by parties close to the Tampa Rail Project that unfortunately, didn't sustain its walk.

Also, the streetcar continues to thrive even during hard times. My thanks to Mellow Joe for attempting to publicize this fact in the hollow drifiting shell of Tampa Rail.  During this year's Streetcarfest, the streetcar served up 14,000 rides.  Overall for the operating fiscal year ridership was also up - which is, as Mellow Joe indicates, astounding in the current economic climate.  I remain convinced that when the water of high times recedes, Tampa citizens are going to cling to the few precious accomplishments that stick to the shoreline; one of which the Teco Line Streetcar will be.  See the official report.

This of course is but a scant bit of coverage.  TBARTA continues its search for an executive director, for instance.  My battery power hastens me to wrap.

But, quickly, my efforts to settle in New York City continues - but it's not going well.  The battle continues, however, and to maintain more intimate contact with Tampa Rail drop-ins, I developed a custom Twitter badge for the top of this site.  This will bridge my place in the universe to those TR readers curious about how I'm doing and perhaps the direction Tampa Rail is going in.  For the forseeable future it will lead the content on this page, even ahead of these occassional articles.

At about the time Tampa wasn't qualifying for light rail funding several many years ago, another system was using monies that might have easily been slated for the Tampa Rail Project, had we been in position politically and with local funding.  The system that got funded instead was the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail project.  I was at a job interview in Jersey City last week when I accidently stumbled on the Hudson-Bergen line in person.  I was, naturally, ecstatic.

The Hudson-Bergen in action, straight from my cell phone cam.

You'll notice that in terms of its overall appearance and operating mass, the system looks a lot like a slightly modified Teco Line Streetcar system.  It's an opportune moment for me and TR readers to see just how far you can take a starter line, even a heritage line with a starter presumption for light rail.

Again, I am in the process of relocating the New York City so TR is in temporary idle mode.  You can catch up on my progress at my personal blog.

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