Iorio Sees Rail In County's Future

BROOKSVILLE - Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio visited Silverthorn Country Club on Wednesday to hear firsthand from county commissioners and staffers how Hernando County fits into the big picture of mass transit.

Hernando County, with its population of 162,200 people, is not as dense as Hillsborough County. Nor does it have the congestion nightmares commuters deal with daily in Tampa.

However, Hernando is closely linked with Tampa because thousands of local residents every morning get on Interstate 75, U.S. 19 or the Suncoast Parkway and make the 30-mile commute to Hillsborough to get to work.

Add commuters from Citrus and Pasco counties and Hillsborough roads are that much more clogged.

Iorio and members of the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) met at Silverthorn to learn what kinds of roadways Hernando County has and what's in the works.

TBARTA's goal is to develop a comprehensive regional transportation master plan for the seven-county region that includes Hernando, Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.

The idea is to link Hernando County with other transportation corridors in the region to make it easier for people to travel back and forth.

The state has given TBARTA until 2009 to create that master plan.

And even though a mass transit system is decades away, now is the time to plan, Iorio said.

Iorio discussed the possibility of a mix of light- or commuter-rail linking Hernando to Tampa.

People would use it to commute to work, go to downtown Tampa events or for whatever purpose.

"I can see (rail) spreading its tentacles from Tampa to Hernando, and perhaps as far north as Citrus County, Iorio said.

Iorio also praised the benefits of the Suncoast Parkway, calling it a model of good planning.

"How did we function without it?" she asked.

County Planning Director Ron Pianta said the Suncoast Parkway has spurred population growth in Hernando County because of the accessibility of employment centers to the south.

"This road has been a major economic engine," Transportation Coordinator Dennis Dix said.

During the presentation, much discussion took place about THE Bus, Hernando County's mass transit system.

Iorio and TBARTA members called it ironic that, just when high gas prices are spiking ridership in other parts of the region, Hernando County is pondering cutting service to four days a week.

After hearing how other transit systems make use of business advertising on the outside of their bus to draw revenue, County Commissioner Rose Rocco instructed planning staff to make that a top priority.