As cities around the world invest in mass transit, the sprawling Tampa is being left in the dust.
Mayor Pam Iorio has urged the construction of a mass transit route since 2007.
The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) was established to expand and improve the transportation systems in Tampa and surrounding counties.
Since the early 90s, talk of upgraded mass transit has been abundant but yielded little results.
Plans have begun to take shape, though, as the mayor has proposed the Tampa Rail Plan, which extends from USF to downtown Tampa and on to Tampa International Airport.
The routes would then be expanded, according to the proposed long-term plan.
TBARTA approved the plan in Febraury, and the Hillsborough County Commission is expected to also approve it.
Local funding would come from a sales tax referendum on the 2010 ballot, and government aid would follow.
The proposed route would allow UT students to be within walking distance from the train stations.
Current students would probably not experience the railway as it’s not up for vote until 2010, but many welcome the plan.
‘The bus system is really hard to use. I don’t even know where the trolley goes,’ said junior Ali Ettis.
‘I’m not informed about transportation here at all, but you can’t get around without a car. Tampa needs a train. It’s so spread out,’ said Freshman Lauren Gangemi.
‘I always take the T in Boston,’ freshman Lauren Gangemi said. ‘It’s so easy.
Here the cab fairs are so expensive. It’s hard to get around.’
Tampa and Detroit are the only two cities out of the 20 largest in the U.S. without light rail, according to tbarta.org.
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