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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thank you for this Sherrill. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> NFBF-Tampa [mailto:nfbf-tampa-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sherrill O'Brien via NFBF-Tampa<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2017 5:30 PM<br><b>To:</b> nfbf-tampa@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Sherrill O'Brien<br><b>Subject:</b> [NFBF-Tampa] article from the Tampa Bay Times spotlighting local transportation<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello to all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I thought you might find this article of interest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It is pasted below my signature.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Warm regards<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sherrill O’Brien, Secretary, Tampa Bay Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>After six years of growth, Pinellas and Hillsborough see sudden drop in bus ridership<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Monday, January 23, 2017 5:30am<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority reported its ridership fell more than 6 percent to just over 14 million rides — nearly 1 million fewer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>trips than in fiscal year 2015.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Bus ridership saw a sudden drop in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties last year, mirroring a nationwide trend.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority saw the steepest decline, dropping 10 percent. The agency provided about 1.5 million fewer passenger trips, falling<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to 13.4 million trips from fiscal year 2015 to 2016.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Plummeted might be the right word," said PSTA CEO Brad Miller.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Across the bay, the slide was smaller but still substantial, with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority ridership falling more than 6 percent to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>just over 14 million rides. That's nearly 1 million trips fewer than in fiscal year 2015.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It was a sudden drop for the Tampa Bay region after six straight years of growth. The two agencies last year logged the fewest passenger trips since 2011.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Transportation experts attribute this to a number of factors: lower gas prices, a still-rebounding economy and service cuts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This national trend is especially noteworthy in a region that has heavily debated the costs and benefits of investing more in transit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Transit advocates say not to fear: This is a blip on the radar and all other indicators show bus ridership will rebound and continue to grow in future<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>years. But for those who have spent years opposing increased sales taxes to pay for bus and rail, this is more evidence for why the region should spend<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>less on transit and focus more on roads.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There's little contesting the causes. Experts agree it's a combination of the drop in gas prices along with many transit agencies having to reduce routes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and frequency during the Great Recession.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"When you have a combination of reduced gas prices, which makes driving more attractive, and service cuts that make some trips more difficult, that leads<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to shifts in use," said Darnell Grisby, director of policy development and research at the American Public Transportation Association.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But Hillsborough County Tea Party co-founder Sharon Calvert, who opposed attempts to raise the sales tax to fund transit in 2010 and 2016, said those factors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>don't do enough to account for the fact that most people, when given the choice, don't want to take the bus.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"I'm sure the gas prices have something to do with it, but the bottom line is the choice riders, their choice is not taking the bus," she said. "They're<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>driving."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She said the numbers also validate last year's decision by Hillsborough County commissioners to not put a sales-tax increase on the ballot in November.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The 30-year measure would've increased the sales tax by half a penny to raise money for road maintenance, bike and pedestrian improvements, and transit<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>options such as increased bus service and a light rail between downtown Tampa and the airport.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"We need to avoid going down these paths of spending billions of dollars on something that truly may become irrelevant in the not-too-distant future,"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Calvert said. "It would be better to make sure you remain flexible and nimble."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Neither Miller nor HART CEO Katharine Eagan are concerned that the lower 2016 ridership numbers will hurt their chances of getting local, state and federal<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>funding. Part of the reason is because most of the money HART is applying for isn't for traditional bus service, but instead for more innovative projects<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>such as van service to help get people to and from bus stops, commuter service to the airport and a voucher system for people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"If we were asking for the same thing that was losing ridership, that would be a different situation," Eagan said. "That's one of the reasons why the things<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>we're asking for are not the traditional solutions."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Instead, HART is asking for support to move innovative partnerships into new markets where officials think they're capturing more riders, such as van service<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in Brandon and 15-minute frequency between busy hubs such as Tampa International Airport, Westshore and downtown Tampa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"If the portion of your market share is shrinking with the tool you're using, get another tool out there," Eagan said. "It's really basic economics."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Similarly, PSTA launched a partnership last week with Uber and taxis to provide rides to and from stops for $1. The program helps expand the agency's coverage<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>at a fraction of the cost of running a traditional bus route. It's also investing in more frequent bus routes between downtown and the beach, which will<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>run in their own lanes during rush hour.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"I know having more frequent bus service will generate additional riders because it will be more viable to more people," Miller said. "If the bus came<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>every 10 minutes or even 5 minutes . . . we would have more riders and we would be shielded from some of these economic factors that right now we have<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>no control over. But that would take more resources."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PSTA and HART already have smaller budgets than most major metros in the country. But lower ridership translates to less income from fare boxes, further<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>exacerbating the problem.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Grisby said it's unfair to make decisions about funding and the worth of a system based on one year's ridership numbers. Before 2016, bus ridership had<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>been rising steadily over the past decade. And, though it doesn't affect Tampa Bay, rail ridership has either stayed steady or increased nationwide.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Transit ridership is much like the stock market: Overall, you will face an increase over time," Grisby said. "It's unfair to take a snapshot in time."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In fact, all major variables are pointing to longer-term gains in ridership, Grisby said, such as an increase in population, shifting demographics and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>new technologies that make getting a ride easier.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"I think public transportation around the country is becoming a more viable option for people because of new technology and these partnerships with companies<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>like Uber," Grisby said. "It's definitely a time to make more investments in public transit."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But Calvert noted that, at least with these most recent numbers, bus ridership declined as Hillsborough's population continues to rise.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"You're talking about bus ridership going down while your population is going up," Calvert said. "So there's a total disconnect between a growing county<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and transit."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8779. Follow @cljohnst.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>