Why light rail is wrong for Tampa and Hillsborough County

Since 1981, two dozen communities across this country have created light rail systems. Not one of these systems has validated the rationales or lived up to the rosy projections used by planners and advocates to justify investment in rail. All systems have been abject failures in reducing congestion.

http://www.hotpolitics.com/rail/hetrailcom.htm

Hillsborough's Transit Initiative

http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/program/florida_matters (10/05/2010)
“But critics of the plan say light rail's not the answer to our traffic problems, and argue that a down economy is no time for a tax increase. Other counties are watching, and this Hillsborough referendum may help determine the future of transportation in Central Florida.”

Anti-rail group says it represents the people's interests

http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/anti-rail-group-says-it-represents-the-peoples-interests/1112694 (08/06/2010)
“TAMPA — Moving Hillsborough Forward, a group pushing for passage of a 1-cent sales tax in November to pay for transportation improvements, bills itself as a grass roots effort.”

Defining Success: The Case against Rail Transit

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11608 (03/24/2010)
“Over the past four decades, American cities have spent close to $100 billion constructing rail transit systems, and many billions more operating those systems. The agencies that spend taxpayer dollars building these lines almost invariably call them successful even when they go an average of 40 percent over budget and, in many cases, carry an insignificant number of riders.”

Rail subsidy does NOT make sense

http://verbumsapienti.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/rail-subsidy-does-not-make-sense/ (07/11/2010)
“The world changed since Commissioner Hagan's Transportation Task Force took up the study 3 ½ years ago. 77,000 county residents are now unemployed, with twice that many underemployed.”

Why Cities Are Broke or, There is Something Tragic About a Train…

http://reason.com/blog/2010/07/08/why-cities-are-broke-or-there (07/08/2010)
“… or a light rail system or a streetcar boondoggle that just makes people (well, pols and their civilian enablers) wet their pants over the prospect of tossing 19^th-century technology and 21^st century debt obligations at cities and states and countries that are already dead broke.”

Opposition turns out for meeting on Tampa light rail plan

http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/masstransit/article1104618.ece?nsm=true (06/24/2010)
“to drum up support for a penny sales tax referendum have been greeted with nodding heads and smiling faces.”

Is high speed rail Tampa's Trojan horse?

http://www.examiner.com/x-48675-Hillsborough-County-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m6d19-Is-highspeed-rail-Tampas-trojan-horse (06/19/2010)
“While local officials continue to salivate in Pavlovian anticipation about a new high speed train that will connect Tampa and Orlando (Florida High Speed Rail), some are expressing concern that Tampa is being short-changed with only one station in the works.”

The Cost of Slow Travel

http://www.planetizen.com/node/44518 (06/04/2010)
“One of the most widely cited numbers in contemporary transportation media coverage and policy discussions is the cost of congestion estimates that Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) annually produces as part of the Urban Mobility Report series.”

Shanghai High Speed Rail Line Shuts Down

http://reason.org/blog/show/shanghai-high-speed-rail-line-shuts (06/04/2010)
“In an apparent nod to reality, a high-speed rail line opened just a few days ago was closed abruptly on July 11^th. According to Mass Transit magazine, the line was a victim of low ridership even though it was fast tracked with Chinese stimulus money to meet expected demand to attend the World Expo in Shanghai.”

Why light rail is wrong for Tampa and Hillsborough County

http://www.hotpolitics.com/rail/hetrailcom.htm (01/16/2005)