the great train oddity
The powers-that-be are at it again, this time it’s Pinellas county with the idea that it’s time to push for rail solutions to ease congestion:
“We have to do something,” said Ronnie Duncan, a Pinellas County commissioner and chairman of the Pinellas Mobility Initiative steering committee. “We can’t build any more roads. This is something that’s achievable.”
Pinellas officials want to copy the plan Pam Iorio touted earlier in the year with regards to a rail system that uses existing freight rail lines/right-of-way. The good news is Ronnie Duncan has already touched base with CSX about moving forward.
It also helps that there is only one client in Pinellas that currently uses CSX for transportation - the St. Petersburg Times gets newsprint shipped via rail - making it easier to share the line without causing disruptions in any existing freight or passenger service.
The bad news about this is that it continues a separate-but-equal approach to regional problems. While Iorio discussed regional cooperation and support, this article says the Pinellas’ plan might link to Hillsborough.
I can picture Pinellas officials now: “Why would anyone want to go there anyway?”
A serious discussion about rail in Pinellas County is long overdue. Remaining determined about rail or mass transit solutions, however, is something that has proven all too challenging for Pinellas in the past.
Tags: county, one bay one love, pinellas, tampa, transportation
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December 12th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
We are going to link the two counties together. There is a consensus of elected officials to work toward this. So let’s not let parochial politics take control of this “lining up of the stars”.
December 13th, 2006 at 10:31 am
I’ve said it before…
Until this REGION gets together on transportation we’ll never get anything useful accomplished.
December 13th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Come up with a plan and then ’sell it’ — float those bonds locally and we will buy them!
December 13th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Being a native of Clearwater, after living in Tampa and now back in Pinellas, I think the Pinellas is ready and willing to be part of a region system. We must make sure that both airports, beaches, business centers and downtowns are connected. I just hope the folks on the Hillsborough County Commission wake up and don’t kill it like they did inthe 1990’s.