TAMPA, Fla. — Regional transportation leaders are pushing Florida lawmakers to expedite plans to bring high-speed rail to the Tampa Bay area.
For Mallorie Collert, traffic on I-4 has become so frustrating that she doesn’t drive on it if she doesn’t have to.
“I really try to avoid it as much as possible because of how bad it’s gotten,” Collert said. “I remember you used to hit traffic going towards Tampa a little bit but now you’re getting traffic all the way from Lakeland going to Plant City, so I really try to stay off of it.”
Kolby Ward said traffic congestion on I-4 gets even worse when driving to Orlando.
“Orlando is definitely worse. The motion is just bad. I can never get through it sometimes. It's really a day-to-day thing,” Ward said.
That is why the Sun Coast Transportation Planning Alliance and Central Florida MPO Alliance approved a resolution Friday, that urges the state to move forward with expanding passenger rail service along the I- 4 corridor.
“Growth and development in that corridor is affecting travel time reliability, safety, economic development and a whole host of other issues,” said Whit Blanton, executive director of Forward Pinellas.
The resolution says bringing the Brightline train and increasing Amtrak services between the Atlantic Coast, metro Orlando and Tampa Bay “will complement our continuing multi-[Metropolitan Planning Organization] and multidistrict regional collaboration efforts to ensure productive traffic flow and safe, reliable travel along the I-4 corridor.”
Brightline has had plans to expand from Orlando to Tampa but a request for $50 million to assist in that effort was denied last legislative session. Drivers hope the new resolution will make high-speed rail a reality.
"I think having public transportation that will take us farther will be helpful for everybody,” Collert said.
Brides, families fighting for refunds after event venue closes suddenly
“We’ve struggled so hard to scrape the money to be able to do this for her,” Irizarry said. “She’s my only girl and I wanted this so much for her.”
Couples and families who had weddings and events planned at a well-known venue that abruptly closed claim they’re out thousands of dollars and aren’t being given refunds. Annette Irizarry was supposed to hold her 15-year-old daughter’s quinceañera in August at the Clearwater location and said she’s now out the $6,160 she paid. Without that money, Irizarry said she can’t afford to have her daughter’s celebration somewhere else.
