Plan emerges for shared costs of light rail line to Tampa airport

By Ted Jackovics, The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 28, 2010

TAMPA - Hillsborough County aviation authority and transit officials have estimated they would share√ $95.9 million in costs to build a light rail line through Tampa International Airport and a transit station at the main airport terminal.

Tampa International Airport and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority officials in recent weeks have discussed how to extend the proposed light rail line both to and through the airport, possibly by 2015 if voters on Tuesday support a sales tax increase to fund light rail, bus and road projects.

The first phase of light rail would run to the airport and continue about 1.1 miles north to a 13-acre site at the northeast intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and Hoover Boulevard, where passengers could make multiple bus connections,.
That's if HART officials choose a downtown-West Shore rail corridor to be built ahead of or along with a line between downtown and the northeast suburbs.

Until this summer, the first phase of a downtown-West Shore light rail line would have ended at a bus transit center to be built next year at O'Brien and Spruce Streets, just off the airport's southern boundary,regardless of whether the tax passes.
Interim airport director John Wheat and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio backed a 11th hour study in June of extending the first phase of light rail onto the airport.

HART executive director David Armijo pushed for extending the line to Hillsborough Avenue, where the airport also offered to lease land for a light rail maintenance facility. , Light rail would eventually would head north from the Hillsborough-Hoover station to Linebaugh Avenue.

One issue to be worked out: Airport officials are concerned that a HART park-and-ride facility at the Hoover Boulevard site would detract from airport parking facilities and revenue, and said controls would be needed to discourage airport users from parking there.

The Hillsborough County aviation authority would pay $68.4 million of the light rail airport project, including a $35 million for the transit station. HART would pay about $27.5 million for its share of various airport, road and fencing modifications in addition to costs for light rail planning, design and construction.

Original article: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/oct/28/aviation-authority-hart-would-share-costs-to-bring/news-breaking/