House passes transit funding bill

By NICHOLAS AZZARA

nazzara@bradenton.com

Funding for the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority took a major step Tuesday when the state House unanimously approved a bill that would earmark surcharges from rental cars for three regional transit authorities in Florida.

The bill would allot 80 percent of the revenues from a $2 rental car surcharge - $71 million last year and up to $78 million a year by 2013 - to three state regional transit authorities, including the new TBARTA. The money is now deposited into the State Transportation Trust fund, which is used for road and other transportation projects around the state.

Final approval could mean more than $14.5 million for TBARTA, which it could use to leverage the issuance of bonds.

The vote was a victory for state Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who led the charge to create TBARTA during last year's legislative session. Funding has been the most pressing question for TBARTA, which aims to build a network of rail lines, bus routes and toll roads connecting a 100-mile stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast, between Citrus and Sarasota counties.

A companion bill has not moved as quickly through the Senate, where there is concern the Florida Department of Transportation will lose money or discretion in spending. But Galvano said if all the pieces fall into place, it could mean an estimated $250 million more for state transportation projects.

"Anybody who says that this bill will impact roads in a negative way . . . that funding obligation should actually help the DOT significantly. In the meantime, the dollars for RTAs , instead of going into discretionary funds, will go to RTAs."

Galvano said he's dedicated to working with Senate leaders to make the bill a reality. Minority Leader Sen. Steven Geller, D-Hallandale Beach, did not return a call Wednesday. But state lawmakers are likely to work together to get some version of the bill adopted, to qualify for money under the federal transportation reauthorization bill that comes before Congress every six years.

"My fear is, we'll lose federal dollars if we don't accomplish this," Galvano said. "They're going to look at projects throughout the nation and regional commitment is the type of program that will enable our congressional delegation to bring down dollars. The feds are not going to piecemeal a project if they feel (Florida) RTAs don't have a dedicated source of funding."

The bill also does away with the old Tampa Bay Commuter Transit Authority, inactive since the early 1990s. It also releases FDOT from paying for commuter rail service projects in areas where RTAs are receiving funds from the rental car surcharge.

Nicholas Azzara, county reporter, can be reached at 745-7081.