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HART board members insist autonomous technology won’t cost bus operators their jobs

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

A week ago, officials with the Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) held a news conferenceĀ unveiling four Tesla Model X electric SUV vehicles that became part of theĀ agency’s HyperLinkĀ first-mile, last-mile service in the USF area. Advocates of autonomous technology say it will ultimately make America’s streets safer. But there is also a human factor involved. ā€œNinety percent of accident deaths areĀ caused by human error. If you remove the human element, it can save lives,ā€ St. Petersburg state Senator Jeff…

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Hillsborough transit system staring at $8-million-plus deficit

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Board members with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) received some rough news Monday when they were informed that the agency is staring at a budget deficit of more than $8.5 million going into the 2018 fiscal year. There are a number of factors behind that number including a continuing decline in ridership, a national phenomenon that has been reduced by more than 11 percent at HART since 2014, amounting to more than $2.5 million in lost revenue since…

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Hillsborough Commission expresses caution about fully investing in Cross-Bay Ferry for second year

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Hillsborough County Commissioners sounded impressed by the relative success of the Cross-Bay Ferry pilot project between Tampa and St. Petersburg that concludes at the end of this month, but whether they are prepared to spend another $350,000 to fund aĀ repeat performanceĀ later this year remains uncertain. After hearing a presentation fromĀ St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, whose leadership led to the project happening, the board passed a motion to have County Administrator Mike Merrill review whether the board can find the funds…

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The end for SaintPetersBlog

Ever since I acquired the rights to the perfect domain for my efforts ā€” FloridaPolitics.com ā€” I knew that one

Hillsborough Citizen Advisory Committee proposes $3B budget savings, possibly spent on transportation

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A new report issued by the Hillsborough County Citizens Advisory Committee identified potential savings in 14 specific areas could save more than $3 billion over the next three decades, which could beĀ spent on transportation, infrastructure and/or tax cuts. The 13-member committee has metĀ twice aĀ month since July analyzing the budget beforeĀ handing off itsĀ list of recommendations to the BOCC last week. “We determined you don’t have to have a sales tax to raise this amount of money,” says Spencer Kass, a member…

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Frank Reddick worries that community members are getting ‘paid off’ to back TBX project

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

In an effort to retool and “reset” the troubled Tampa Bay Express project, the Florida Department of Transportation led a coalition of local public officials and members of the community this week to St. Louis, where itĀ spoke with officials there about how they worked with the community to rebuild a highway construction project. Speaking before the Tampa City Council on Thursday,Ā Bill Jones with the FDOT gave an update on TBX, andĀ discussed the trip and how officials will meet next monthĀ to…

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Hillsborough Commissioners add themselves to new lobbying ordinance

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Hillsborough County Commissioners added themselves to a previously drafted amendment to an ordinance thatĀ would prohibit registered lobbyists from communicating electronically during commission meetings. The proposal before the board would have only penalized lobbyists on Wednesday, prompting Commission ChairĀ Les Miller to say that it was insufficient, and that “we as the County Commission should also adhere to the lobbying ordinance.” Miller offered two new amendments that the board ultimately approved. One added “commissioners” to theĀ provisionĀ that in the case that an electronic…

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Can Les Miller and his BOCC colleagues find a way to begin to adequately fund HART?

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

In 2017, talk has been more than ever about the lack of transportation options in Hillsborough County and the greater Tampa Bay region. The Board of Hillsborough County Commissioners is finally investing in improving roads and bridges to the tune of more than $800 million, withĀ just one percent of those funds allocatedĀ toward public transit. In an interview earlier this week with HART CEO Katharine Eagan and the board’s relatively new chairman, Les Miller, the two expressed their hopes and dreamsĀ for…

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