About 30 people turned out for a followup forum on the the parking/traffic problems in the SOHO area. Tampa's Transportation Manager - Roy LaMotte - brought together representatives of Hartline and other city departments to continue in the efforts to solve the area problems. At this meeting, for the first time, some specific proposals were put forward. Several ideas are still in the formation stage.
First, the problem of narrow roads with parking on both sides that significantly restrict emergency vehicle access will probably be solved soon with the elimination of parking on one side. The streets affected will be Westland, Horatio, and Azeele.
Second, the possibility of adding parking on one or both sides of Platt Street along with bicycle lanes would add a significant number of spaces. This proposal is still being evaluated.
Third, limited parking times. The building on the 300 block of S. Howard (occupied by Sangrias, SOHOSushi, and others) will have new signs posted soon. This will stop the abandoning of vehicles in this valuable spaces for extended times.
Fourth, a designated trolley route to serve SOHO and Hyde Park. While the exact route is still being evaluated, current plans are centered on a Bayshore to Cleveland Street route that extends down part of Platt Street and also into Old Hyde Park Village. You can see the proposed route here: www.sohotampa.com/trolleyroute2.html And see and hear some of the discussion here: www.sohotampa.com/trolleyroute3.html
Most specifically concerning the trolley is that it is being proposed to run from 5 PM to 2 AM, Friday and Saturday only for a one year trial. Fare to be determined.
The process will require a series of hearings and public discussion. (PLEASE NOTE: while a specific proposal is being presented, your input will determine what the FINAL decisions will be) Funding is being determined as to costs and sources. With pending legislation in the Florida Legislature, funds could become scarce right away. Businesses will be approached to help with the costs. Fares actually make up a small portion of the costs involved. If all goes forward as currently planned, the trolley could start running in November.
We are not fans of Hartline. In less than 60 days our federal government mobilized 100,000 troops and took over a country on the other side of the world, but Hartline needs over 6 months to implement a trolley service for South Tampa. Pretty scary. The current trolley service from downtown has been a bad joke at very best. At the forum we were told that the trolley is "event driven". That is just plain false. The Downtown to SOHO route usually ends prior to downtown events ending. With the excitement of the Lightning playoffs, the trolley failed to prove itself as event driven. Hartline's trolley service has been a miserable failure so far. Suffering from high costs, declining ridership, and slowness to respond to problems and issues, Hartline is in need of new leadership that can make things happen.
Thank you's do need to be made to the Hartline staff that has helped to put this proposal together. It needs some work and input, but it is a very good start. Thank you's also need to be made to Roy LaMotte, Jonathan Scott, Tampa Police, and Tampa Firefighters and other city staff that have been working on this problem for a long time.
The proposals above will not solve the problems, but they will help. With Hartline's slowness to enact virtually anything, we reminded them to have the forethought of planning for downtown route and service links and to additionally think about and plan for the Armory project on North Howard that could be less than 4 years away.
Finally, progress in addressing the parking problem in SOHO.
