Politics & Government

Have Your Say on Beach Transportation Issues

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority is getting ready to host a series of town hall-style meetings over the phone.

Want to have your say on the future of transportation on the Gulf beaches and the entire Tampa Bay region?

All you’ve got to do is pick up the phone and make a call on April 4.

That’s when the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, or TBARTA for short, plans to host a town hall-style telephone meeting with Pinellas County residents. The meetings are meant to provide residents throughout the region with an opportunity to talk about such things as the future of transportation, the Regional Transportation Master Plan and priority projects coming up, according to a media release from the agency.

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TBARTA was formed by the state Legislature in 2007 to create and implement a master transportation plan for the seven counties it serves. Those counties include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas. Transportation projects included in TBARTA’s master plan are those that typically get a high priority for funding from local, state and federal agencies.

TBARTA is in the process of putting together its 2013 Master Plan Update for the counties it serves. As that process moves forward, TBARTA has already launched a new website, TellTBARTA.com, to get input and ideas for the future of transportation in the Tampa Bay area.

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Now, it’s playing host to the call-in meetings.

“Between 40,000 and 80,000 people will be called each night through an automated system and invited to participate in the telephone forum,” the release said. “TBARTA Board Members will answer questions and respond to comments each night.”

Those who decide to call in will be able to materials and documents online while listening to the call as it unfolds. The agency will also take questions and comments via its Facebook page, Twitter account and email.

The Pinellas County town hall takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 4. A toll-free call-in number will be posted on the TBARTA website by Monday.

What projects do you think are necessary to improve traffic on the Gulf beaches? Let us know by commenting below.

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