In terms of travel times, jobs, and facilities, Tampa Bay ranks last or close to last in every category that measures public transit service and spending.
Florida is the most dangerous state in the United States to be a pedestrian. Tampa Bay is no exception, as more people in the state and city turn to private vehicles and away from public transit, it's only going to become more dangerous.
"In Tampa Bay, local leaders have debated ways to fix the area’s limited public transportation system for 30 years — then time and again, chosen to do nothing, the Tampa Bay Times has found," report Caitlin Johnston and Eli Zhang in the Tampa Bay Times. Among the many ways the city government has ignored the low hanging fruit of public transit, Johnston and Zhang point out, "Almost every other top-20 metro area has at least 600 buses. Tampa Bay has the fewest, about 360."
Some officials point to the city's sprawl as a reason for the intractable problems of public transit in the city, but this argument looks weak when you compare it to the many sprawling cities throughout the country that perform better in transit service. What's worse is that argument is self-serving. The less the city invests in transit, the more they will be encouraging sprawl. If you don’t have good transit options within the city, there's little advantage in living close to town.
FULL STORY: Tampa Bay has one of the worst public transit systems in America. Here’s why.
Another Year of Falling Ridership for L.A.'s Metro System
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Bus Ridership Plummets Across the Tampa Bay Region
Bus ridership in the Tampa Bay region dropped for the first time after six straight years of growth.
Virginia Passenger Rail Sets Ridership Records, Seeks More Wins
Virginia’s commitment to intercity rail is paying off in record ridership numbers, but more work will be necessary to achieve the state’s ambitions for passenger rail.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
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Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
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Milwaukee Announces 60 Traffic Calming Projects for 2025
The city has successfully reduced traffic deaths and aims to eliminate them completely within the next decade.
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