Just this week, Bay News 9, the Times, and WUSF Public Media published the results of a poll showing strong support for expanding transportation options in the Tampa Bay area. Following that news, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad said in remarks to the Tampa Bay Partnership yesterday that the state will commit to building a substructure to support light rail on the upgraded Howard Frankland Bridge.
Prasad said the state will add the estimated $25 million light rail substructure to the cost of the $390 million cost for upgrading the Frankland, to be completed by 2025.
Prasad’s big commitment to a big project, coupled with the strong polling results, bode well for the 2014 transportation referendum.
