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Wishful thinking or not, city leaders hope a proposed light-rail system can help boost Tampa Bay Rays attendance and even quiet rumors that the Rays are Tampa-bound.
Witness the comments at a Thursday night St. Petersburg City Council meeting.
Speaking about Tropicana Field, Councilman Wengay Newton said light rail "is going to be a huge factor, because if you've been there, getting out of there is a huge nightmare."
Councilman Karl Nurse noted how the Rays supported the failed campaign to build light rail in Hillsborough County. The Rays have a "clear understanding" of light rail's importance, Nurse said.
Linking rail and the Rays hasn't comforted some skeptics of the huge price tags they may bring — a half-billion plus for a new stadium these days and as much as $1.7 billion in light-rail startup costs.
What's more, any talk of a link so far has focused on Tropicana Field — a home the Rays say they want out of.
Still, exploring the idea isn't that far afield: Other baseball cities have invested heavily in light-rail stations near their ballparks. And by some measures, fans seemed to have embraced them.
Meantime, Rays or no, light rail supporters in Pinellas County are deep into planning for a 24-mile route connecting downtown Clearwater, the Gateway area of central Pinellas and downtown St. Petersburg.
One idea is to pay the startup costs with a new penny-per-dollar sales tax and some federal funds.
For the full article, visit the Tampa Tribune.
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