Monday morning the board of HART (the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority) conducted a three-hour-long workshop that predominantly was focused on looking at the proposed light rail system that Hillsborough citizens will probably get the chance to vote on in November (we write 'probably' because at this time there is no actual rail proposal officially on the ballot yet).
The first two lines of the proposed rail line would connect USF to downtown Tampa and then to the West Shore business district. But where at USF? The original proposal had been at Skipper Road in North Tampa. But an Alternative Analysis study that was discussed at the meeting has now focused efforts on a stop in the Cross-Creek area of North Tampa. HART officials said that this would also better coordinate with the ongoing I-75/Bruce B. Downs Blvd. interchange design.
The board authorized their staff to work with consultants PB Americas on studying the costs and schedule for this proposed different stop (or starting point).
Because of that adjustment, Ed Turanchik, who runs InTown homes in West Tampa, made a pitch to the HART board today to shift their southern-most stop from the Westshore area to one in West Tampa, where his InTown homes is located. Specifically, he mentioned St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Raymond James Stadium and Hillsborough Community College's Dale Mabry campus as possible sites. (Turanchik contacted CL after this initial story was posted, saying it indicated that the story indicating that his request was simply for the benefit of his business. As we wrote below, we noted that Ed said that he was speaking in 'pseudo-capacity' for the West Tampa Chamber, which along with the Westshore Business Alliance, has suggested that a transit stop be in the HCC/Stadium/St. Joseph's corridor. We have also changed the headline above).
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2010.