Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA)
Slogan Connecting Our Region, Building Our Future
Founded 2007
Headquarters 4350 West Cypress Drive, Suite 700
Locale Tampa, Florida
Service area Citrus County, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Sarasota County
Website http://www.tbarta.com

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, or TBARTA, is a regional transportation agency of the U.S. state of Florida which was created on July 1, 2007. The purpose of the agency is "to plan, develop, finance, construct, own, purchase, operate, maintain, relocate, equip, repair, and manage multimodal systems in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota Counties."[1] The agency coordinates its efforts with the Florida Department of Transportation to improve transportation in the Tampa Bay Area.

Regional Transportation Master Plan

TBARTA adopted its first Regional Transportation Master Plan in 2009. The inaugural master plan identified the vision for the regional transit network. An update was completed in 2011 that introduced a regional freight and a regional roadway network to the plan.

The 2013 Master Plan Update was a minor update to refine all three networks, and incorporate the progress made locally and regionally towards implementing our regional vision.

The 2015 Master Plan Update was developed by TBARTA’s Board and Committees in collaboration with the West Central Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Chairs Coordinating Committee (CCC) — representing each of the region’s MPOs and TPO. The 2015 Update ensures consistency with the MPOs’ Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs) and updates the CCC’s Regional LRTP.

For 2015, TBARTA and the CCC eliminated duplication of efforts for the Master Plan and Regional LRTP Updates by making them one in the same. Consolidating these activities significantly reduces the cost for each organization and presents a clear, uniform planning process to the public.

Transit

TBARTA does not operate any transit system. However, the agency is discussing developing various modes of premium transit service, including express bus, bus rapid transit, light rail, and commuter rail.[2][3]

Corridor Studies

After the Regional Transportation Master Plan was adopted in 2009, several high-priority corridor studies were initiated by TBARTA, including:[4]

Priority Projects

In cooperation with its regional partners, TBARTA identified eight Regional Priority Projects for 2015, based on factors such as connectivity, regionalism, ability to implement, mobility, and support, among others. These projects are:[5]

Managed Lanes

Managed lanes are an important part of step-by-step implementation of the regional transportation vision. Managed lanes are commonly referred to as "express lanes", where operational strategies such as pricing, vehicle eligibility, and/or access control are implemented to regulate demand and utilize available capacity. Examples of managed lanes include toll lanes, reversible lanes, value priced lanes, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. The TBARTA Managed Lanes network includes the existing toll facilities in our region as well as a mid-term and long-term network of managed lanes identified by the TBARTA Master Plan and by FDOT.

Commuter Services

On April 30, 2010, TBARTA merged with Bay Area Commuter Services, the state-funded provider of commuter options programs in five of the seven TBARTA members counties (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas). In doing so, TBARTA became the official Tampa Bay Area regional provider of commuter options including: Carpool, Vanpool, Schoolpool, Bike Buddy, Emergency Ride Home (ERH), Telework, Compressed Work Schedule, and Commuter Tax Benefits.[6]

One Call One Click

The One Call, One Click program underscores transportation support needs and services for veterans, through a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Transit and Veterans Administrations. The aim of the grant is to better connect veterans, military families, the disabled, and regular citizens with the available transportation resources across the seven-county region, in one convenient online and call-center portal. Work continues on this program, with staff working to identify transportation service providers, contract services for call center activities, and develop a more robust online element. TBARTA was also successful in obtaining a secondary FTA grant to be used to promote and market the One Call/One Click program. The funds must be expended by September 2017.

Partners

Citrus County Transit, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), FDOT District One Commuter Services, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), Hernando County MPO, Hillsborough County MPO, Manatee County Transit (MCAT), One Bay, Pasco County MPO, Pasco County Public Schools, Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT), Pinellas County MPO, Pinellas Realtor Organization, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Polk County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), Sarasota-Manatee MPO, Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), Tampa Bay Partnership (TBP), Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC), Tampa Downtown Partnership, The Hernando Express (THE Bus), West Central Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Chairs Coordinating Committee (WCFCCC).

Governing Board

The governing Board of TBARTA has 17 members (15 voting members and two non-voting advisors). The voting members consist of the following:

The members appointed by the respective Commissions, TBARTA MPOs CCC, or Mayors serve two-year terms and may serve no more than three consecutive terms. The Governor-appointed members serve three-year terms and may serve only two consecutive terms.

Citizens Advisory Committee

The TBARTA Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is made up of residents and business persons from around the region. Members are appointed by the TBARTA Board members and volunteer their time to advise the Board on a range of issues that affect TBARTA and the region.

Transit Management Committee

The TBARTA Transit Management Committee (TMC) is made up of the region’s transit agency directors, who advise the Board on implementation of the Regional Transportation Master Plan.

Public Engagement

TBARTA maintains an ongoing public conversation about regional transportation, via social media on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. During periods of work to update the Regional Master Plan, TBARTA also holds telephone-based town hall meetings, which garner thousands of participants. The public is always invited to TBARTA's regularly-scheduled Board and Committee meetings as well.

References

  1. ↑ Summary of SB 506 Legislation at the TBARTA website
  2. ↑ McClure, Bob (September 25, 2007). "TBARTA tosses around different ideas". Tampa Bay Newspapers. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  3. ↑ Silva, Cristina. "Public transportation has new chief, new challenges". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  4. ↑ TBARTA Corridor Studies at the TBARTA website
  5. ↑ TBARTA 2015 Master Plan Update at the TBARTA website
  6. ↑ TBARTA Commuter Services at the TBARTA Commuter Services website
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