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The Sarasota Bus Rapid Transit project has the capability to be a gamechanging project for the Tampa Bay region. The construction of BRT in dedicated lanes to alleviate a congested corridor in Sarasota-Manatee would be a model for the region.
But the project would not be possible without Sarasota-Bradenton Airport and their commitment to assisting the project’s success.
In most regions, it is impossible for airports to be regional transportation hubs. Airports in New York are built in reclaimed marshes, two of the three Washington airports are in the woods, and Denver’s airport seems as close to Wyoming as it is to the Mile High City. However, some airports are expanding to become transportation hubs. Tampa Bay has an ability to embrace that role with three airports located in major population centers: Tampa International Airport, St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
TBARTA and Pinellas On Track have found in their research that residents and workers want to connect to their airports. TBARTA responded by strengthening a vision for multi-modal connectivity near the south entry of Tampa International Airport, which has been discussed as a part of the airport’s long term plans. TBARTA is also working with Manatee and Sarasota on transit services that connect to Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. Pinellas On Track’s planned route for light rail or BRT was changed from 49th Street North to Roosevelt Boulevard, in order to connect to St. Pete-Clearwater Airport.
Our region’s airports are near major employment centers like Westshore, Gateway, and colleges in Sarasota-Manatee. This is in addition to each airport employing thousands in passenger service, cargo service and manufacturing based near each facility. While it seems obvious that any regional transit service must connect to our airports, we might not think of airports as our Grand Central Station.
To imagine this concept, we only have to look south to Miami. The Miami Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport “will provide connectivity where none existed.” The core of the new facility is Miami Central Station, which will provide direct connections to Tri-Rail commuter service, Metrorail in Miami-Dade, Amtrak, local bus service and future high-speed rail. The facility will also make provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians.
It might be hard to imagine our airports acting in such a role, but if they can connect us to the world, they can connect us to our communities.
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