DRAFT

High-Speed Rail (HSR)In April 2009, the federal government unveiled a new national plan for intercity passenger rail. On January28, 2010, President Obama announced Florida was awarded $1.25 billion in American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to start construction of the Tampa-Orlando leg of the federally designatedTampa-Orlando-Miami high speed rail corridor. The Tampa-Orlando line will run 84 miles from downtownTampa to Orlando International Airport and is estimated to cost $2.6 billion to build. Trains will operate atspeeds as high as 168 m.p.h.FDOT is responsible for building the project with oversight by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).Construction is projected to start in 2012 and system operation is scheduled for 2015.LOCAL PLANS AND POLICIES2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)The 2035 Pinellas County LRTP is the fundamental planning document for long-range transportationsystem development in Pinellas County. The LRTP and Comprehensive Plan provide goals for the futureof the County. Although these goals are determined at the local level, they must be consistent with federalandstate-level requirements to maintain funding.The 2035 Pinellas County LRTP assesses the transportation needs of Pinellas County and sets forthimprovements necessary to meet those needs over a 25-year period. The LRTP addresses all principalmodes of transportation as an integrated system, including highways, public transportation, bikeways, andpedestrian facilities. To update the transit element of the LRTP, the MPO used information from theadopted 2025 LRTP, PSTA’s TDP, and the priorities that emerged from the Tampa Bay Area RegionalTransportation Authority (TBARTA) Regional Transportation Master Plan. A visioning and scenarioplanning process is also being used to develop and test alternative land use and transportation scenariosfor Pinellas County. The 2035 LRTP continues the MPO’s increasing emphasis on alternatives toautomobile travel, including mass transit, walking, and bicycling. Of particular relevance to PSTA, masstransit is a specific area of focus with the 2035 LRTP, as it introduces a proposed rail and premium busnetwork that takes advantage of advanced technology systems and vehicles.The LRTP has two specific objectives dedicated to public transportation. To accomplish these objectives,16 policies are provided. These policies address governmental coordination, transit-friendly design,intermodal development, and transportation disadvantaged services. Public transportation is also an areaof concern in other objectives dealing with congestion management, system management and operations,environmental protection and neighborhood preservation, safety, and intergovernmental coordination.Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.Pinellas Suncoast Transit AuthoritySeptember 2010 2-6 Transit Development Plan