In the current issue of CL, we write about Tampa mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik – well known as one of the region's biggest boosters of improving public transportation – as being critical of light rail. Specifically, we wrote that "he bitterly criticized the idea a week after the vote, telling CL that he now believes light rail will never work in Tampa, and instead is talking up bus rapid transit."
That conversation happened, but the other day Turanchik called us to say that there is one area in Tampa/Hillsborough which he believes "lends itself nicely" to rail – a corridor between downtown and the Westshore area. As we reported on Thursday, Turanchik has introduced what he's calling TBNnet, which would be establishing a 5-mile transit, building and new energy technology innovation corridor connecting Tampa International Airport, downtown Tampa, the scheduled to be built high speed rail station downtown, and Ybor City.
However, the man who mocks his own reputation as "choo-choo Turanchik" did tell CL late Friday afternoon that he doesn't think that the transit tax proposal featuring light rail that Hillsborough county voters rejected in November was a very worthy idea.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2011.