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Politics

FTA Sending Almost $23 Million to Transit Systems Across Florida

June 2, 2018 - 6:00am

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that it is sending almost $23 million to public transit systems across the Sunshine State that were damaged by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is sending  $22.8 million to 15 public transit systems based in Florida. This is part of $330 million that Congress approved for the  FTA’s Emergency Relief Program back in February. The bulk of those funds--$223.5 million--are headed to Puerto Rico while Texas is getting $23.3 million and $6.7 million is for the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who advocated for those funds on Capitol Hill, applauded the news. 

“This is welcome news for a number of transit systems in Florida,” said Nelson this week.  “For months they’ve had to struggle to find ways to pay for damages caused by last year’s devastating hurricanes. Thankfully, they’re finally getting some relief.”

Most of the FTA money headed to the Sunshine State is penciled in for South Florida. The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works is getting $11.4 million while the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is getting $1.14 million. Broward County is getting $857,000, Collier County is penciled in for $226,000, the city of Key West claiming $209,000 and Lee County receiving $515,000.

Other systems across the state are also getting FTA money with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority getting $734,000, Lynx/Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority receiving $432,000, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority getting $80,000 while $111,000 is headed for Sarasota County, $153,000 to Brevard County, $57,000 to Charlotte County, another $110,000 to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, $70,000 to the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners and Tallahassee’s StarMetro getting $41,000.

Comments

we don't have a transit system, we have a poor network of bus routes. The equivalent of Kansas' transit system... Come to think of it, theirs is probably better...

So, mass transit doesn't make enough money to keep operating. Considering this fact let's begin to faze out this money pit. Mass transit is not for the masses. If it was, the fairs paid by the masses would cover the cost of its operation. Use that money for more road repair. The masses use roads, not the inappropriately named mass transit.

Do you really think an efficient transit system can survive on the fares collected? Consider the all the relevant costs of parts, labor, fuel, maintenance, operations, operators and support staff, then tell us how a $2 or $3 fare can cover those cost?

Proves my point. This system is nothing but a money pit and should be eliminated.

You do realize that roads are more subsidized than transit, right? That asphalt that you drive on costs WAY more than your pennies of gas tax pay for. Additionally, if transit was done away with your road driving experience would simply become more congested by the millions of transit users that would not have transit any longer. Your argument is so flawed and uneducated. Did you ever notice how all great cities have great transit (New York, Chicago, Toronto, Tokyo, etc...)? Enjoy your car.

Another inappropriately use word "great". They have transit systems that not everyone can use but everyones tax dollars prop up. If we did not waste tax dollars on "mass" transit that money could be used for better roads. You know, those things that everyone uses. Just look at Sun Rail. The ridership is so low they are begging people to use it.

Comments are now closed.

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