On this week’s Florida Matters, we’ll explore what went wrong with Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) — and what happens next.
Tampa Bay’s regional transit authority is going away. Members of the authority voted on Friday to dissolve it.
RELATED: It's the end of the road for the Tampa Bay Regional Transit Authority
The organization was formed 16 years ago to tackle mass transit needs for the region, but it has ground to a halt due to lack of funding and lack of agreement between the cities and counties that make up TBARTA.
Host Matthew Peddie talks with WUSF host/reporter Craig Kopp about the TBARTA dissolution.
We also hear from Ruth Steiner, a professor of Urban and Regional Planning and director of the Center for Health and the Built Environment at the University of Florida.
Back in 2012, Ruth Steiner completed a study on regional cooperation in transportation planning. In the study, she recommended better coordination of transportation planning in the Tampa Bay Region.
If not TBARTA, Steiner said, Tampa Bay still needs a region-wide transit plan. We also talked about places in the U.S. where regional transit works well and where Tampa Bay leaders could look for inspiration.
To start the episode, we get an update on Andrew Warren with WUSF's Steve Newborn.
The state attorney for Hillsborough County was suspended last August. When he announced his suspension, Governor Ron DeSantis said Warren had indicated he would not enforce current or potential state laws — namely around abortion or transgender health care.
Warren sued DeSantis in federal court to try and get his job back. Last Friday, Judge Robert Hinkle released his ruling, saying the governor was wrong to suspend Warren but he can’t reinstate him.
RELATED: Andrew Warren may still have avenues to become reinstated as Hillsborough State Attorney
You can listen to the full conversations by clicking on the “Listen” button above. Or you can listen on the WUSF app under “Programs & Podcasts.”
