TAMPA'S PUBLIC

TRANSIT SYSTEM
& RAILWAY
FEASIBILITY
2018
Presented by:
WILLIAM WALSH
JIM VERA GOMEZ
ISAIA STULTZ
CHASE ROGALSKI
TREVOR PRINDLE
 Contents
Letter of Transmittal - 01

Executive Summary - 02

Introduction - 03

Background, Methods, & Evidence - 05

Results & Data Set Discussion - 07

Recommendation & Feasibility - 11

Appendix - 13

References - 14

Figures
Figure 1 - 07

Figure 2 - 08

Figure 3 - 09

Figure 4 - 10

Figure 5 - 10

Figure 6 -  11
Florida Department of Transportation
November 7, 2018
Mike Dew
Secretary
605 Suwannee Street Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450
Subject: Recommendation Report - Florida Rail System Implementation
Dear Mike Dew:
On behalf of the Magic School Bus Transportation Division, we are please to submit
our recommendation report on the future rail system for the great state of Florida.
We have compelling evidence stating that Florida is in dire need for improvement in
transportation. A rail system will achieve the goal of making Florida the best state
out of the entire United States. Based on the collected data, we recommend that
FDOT pursues a light and high speed rail system focused around the major cities in
Florida. The attached report recommends running a trial system of a light rail for the
Tampa Bay Area, and high speed rail to Orlando. Details of the report include the
cost, environmental effects, tra c resolutions, and commuter surveys.All of us at
Magic School Bus Incorporated appreciate the opportunity to work with FDOT in
solving public transportation issues in Florida. Do not hesitate to contact us if you
have any questions or clari cations regarding the contents within the report.
 
Sincerely,
Chase Rogalski
Chief Bus Driver
Magic School Bus
4202 E Fowler Ave,Tampa, FL 33620
Enclosure: “Train Time in Tampa Bay”

01
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
     This report documents the data analysis performed by the Magic School Bus team in
their online survey to evaluate the interest from the public in revitalizing/creating the
public transportation system on the University of South Florida's campus.
     Based on the results from the survey and the interest attained from the students at
USF, the team was able to use that data to form a larger conclusion and list of
recommendations that could be used to reinvigorate the public transportation system for
all of the Tampa Bay area (and beyond).
     All of this was done to address future regional travel demand within the increasing
population of the Tampa Bay Area, and to legitimize Tampa as a metropolitan area on
par with others of similar population such as San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Denver. 
     This report also compiles information gathered from different articles and proposals
regarding Tampa's future plans for public transportation in an attempt to document past
attempts and improve upon what has already been presented in the past.
     The team analyzed the reasons why such past proposals failed and attempted to
re ne their recommendation for the new rail system based on resident feedback and
tailor it in such a way that would avoid the pitfalls of the typical rail system proposal, such
as using the already existing rail tracks in Tampa as a way to reduce initial construction
cost for a light rail. 
 
     As a result the team made 3 recommendations to improve Tampa Bay's public transit
system and avoid another rejection from the proposal committee:
Collect funds to create a light rail system throughout the city of Tampa and the
subsequent sister cities (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon) by using the existing
CSX freight rails
Integrate the light rail with the high-speed rail system that Brightline, the privately
owned railway organization, is pitching to the state of Florida that runs from Tampa
to Orlando along I-4
Launch programs and awareness campaigns to encourage Tampa residents to use
the rail public transit for their daily commute, thus reducing tra c within the city and
make the new transit systems be perceived positively by all of the public. 

02
INTRODUCTION
     Florida itself is an incredible state, sometimes seemingly in a world all its own if compared to

the rest of the nation. With a diverse population, home to countless attractions such as Cape

Canaveral, Disney World, stunning beaches, and expanding industries bursting with young talent,

with projection of more to come, the state has ourished, establishing itself as a hub for growth

and producing major urban areas chie y in cities such as Orlando, St. Petersburg, Miami, and

Tampa. Because of this, these areas have seen rampant migration in recent years, especially

within Tampa who has found itself being ranked 5th in the nation for highest population gain from

people moving there, adding more than 58,000 residents through migration. Orlando as well as

South Florida followed not far behind at 7th and 8th place. Given the properties for these areas

gravitation is only to be expected, but at the cost of exposing one of the greatest downsides for

Florida at large, that being the lack of a promising and effective public transportation system.

  Problem
     This is a signi cant issue that if not solved in a timely manner, could inhibit or even halt our

projected growth toward becoming an even greater state that houses the nation’s most major

metropolitan areas, and that, we believe, starts with the advancement of Tampa Bay. De cient

roads and tra c plague the Bay area, and constant construction to simply add more lanes to

accommodate said tra c woes are not sustainable in the long-term. Tampa indeed has a public

transit structure, a public bus system referred to as the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit or

HART system, however it is just as ineffective due to its branching bus routes, lack of designated

lanes, debilitating buses, in addition to low frequency of buses available at each stop.

  Obstacles to Reccomendation
     These issues could be resolved if not for the fact that this city’s transit budget is horri cally

miniscule. According to the Tampa Bay Times, as of November 2018 Tampa Bay's transit

spending per capita is half of San Antonio's, a third of Denver's and a quarter of Pittsburgh's. At

$57 per person, it's comparable to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and Macon, Georgia. 

03
Hillsborough County spends $20 million less on buses than the transit agency for Cincinnati, Ohio,

and $60 million less than the agency for Detroit, even though both serve similar populations. With

startling facts such as this, it is painfully obvious that we retain a strained network that is unable

to provide adequate transportation services to a district the size of Rhode Island.

 
Potential Solution
     The key to solving this is not only to optimize our current transit system, but to diversify it as

well using a means that was previously used heavily throughout the U.S. during the turn of the

century, and that is the rail. Tampa has countless railways some being used commercially, and

most underused or not at all. If revamped, a light rail with direct routes in addition to a multitude

of space would allow for speedy and affordable travel for the masses thus minimizing the

necessity for automobiles, theoretically nipping troublesome tra c in the bud. However, many

ideas of alternative means of travelling inter- and intra-city despite a radically increasing

population size, all have met similar fates in being struck down, due to necessity for tax increases

or understandable fears of taking on state and federal loans.

     If citizens are averse to be the source of funding for better transportation, there is one more

option that should be considered: privatization. Companies such as Brightline have been on the

forefront of privatizing and reinvigorating travel in the state of Florida, currently having a high-

speed rail set in place connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach that is showing

promise in its rst few years of operation. In utilizing a company such as this to ful ll transit

needs, Tampa can reap the bene ts of affordable alternative forms of travelling without enduring

grueling tra c, and potentially save money long-term considering reduced need for gas, car

maintenance, and tax increases. The initial plan includes a light rail linking Downtown Tampa to

USF as this will alleviate the most tra c for commuters while also serving as a microcosm for

Tampa at large if this private railway is a success at the local level. Then an expansion project can

ensue leaving us money left over to improve current systems such as the HART network.

04
BACKGROUND
     Fortunately, several solutions to Tampa's public transit problems have been researched

extensively before. So, with congestion as bad as it is, and with the projection that congestion

could only get worse as time goes on, the data that needed to be collected had to be centered

around solutions that were already being worked on to be implemented. The chosen data

gathering procedure for this recommendation report was to create an online survey in order to

gather information and opinions regarding Tampa’s current public transit system and what can

be done to improve it. By using USF students, the data gathered was intended to be a good

representation of Tampa’s young adult population aged 18-34, which is currently the fastest

growing demographic in Tampa. In order to most effectively reach USF students, the survey was

posted on Canvas and created using the Qualtrics Research software.

     Another reason the team decided to use USF as a sample of Tampa's

population is that USF deals with many of the same problems regarding

public transit that the Tampa Bay area does. That being lack of

alternatives to the slow and ineffective bus system, and the subsequent increased tra c, leading

to longer travel times and more money wasted for residents. 

     Using an online survey was also bene cial because it allowed the team to easily keep track of

each response and get instant tally updates on how many people took the survey, and what each

person answered. Giving a written survey can lead to miscounting and tedious record keeping if

many respondents are recorded. 

05
PROCEDURES
1. Discuss what information needs to be researched.
2. Organize group into research, data collection, or documentation; Divide team into 2
segments - Research: city/county/state budget and spending, alternate travel systems +
cost, feasibility and implementation; Data collection or Survey creation and observation.
3. Decide what information needs to be collected by Survey. Team will; Record survey data
to see if citizens believe proposed alternative or alteration would be useful and chart data.
4. Pinpoint audience: review affected parties e.g. University students and pitch to valid
source for funding or platform formation.
5. Share survey on Canvas; Compile research teams ndings such as reasoning of rail
system, nancial/budget requirements and feasibility, cost to citizens, and methods of
implementation
(~add more)

06
Body 2

SURVEY FINDINGS
     The data collected from the online survey has been separated into 5 different data sets, each
of which come from the 5 questions given on the survey. This data set is to help the team de ne
the target demographic, and then to get a general consensus from the target demographic
about the current state of USF's transportation system, and what possible alternatives, if any,
that the target demographic would like to see based on the team's recommendation for a rail
system.
     The team chose USF for the target demographic as the team feels it is an accurate
representation of what is and what will be Tampa's largest demographic. Using USF as an
isolated demographic of Tampa allowed for easily accessible survey creation and response
tracking through USF's subscription to the Qualtrics survey creation service.

Do you live on campus?

Figure 1

Yes

No

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

80%
     The rst of the 5 questions from the team's online
survey were to acquire the percentage of students
that live on an off campus. The team already knew
that the number of students living off campus far out-
weighed the number of students that live on campus, of USF students live off campus
but the data was gathered to be used as a (according to survey)
comparison value to the number given in o cial

82%
publications. 
     By gathering an accurate percentage of students
that live off campus, the team was able to better
hypothesize what the target demographic thinks
about the public transportation in the USF/Tampa Bay of USF students live off campus
area and whether the survey's respondents actually
(according to US News)
use public transit in Tampa.

07
 Figure 2 How do you commute to campus?

Car

Bus

Walk/Bike

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

     Now that the team has established what percentage of USF students live on and off
campus, there needs to be information regarding how commuting students get to campus.
This information will give the team an idea of how most young people get around and will
gauge the need and/or want for more convenient transportation options presented in the
later survey questions. ~ (more information) 
     Within the study area, existing inner-city travel is found to be almost exclusively by car.
According to the Census Bureau, 76.9% of Tampa residents primarily use a car for
transportation. According to the team's own survey, 55% of respondents primarily use a car
to commute to campus. The discrepancy in the two numbers is more than likely a result of
the fact that commuting university students tend to live closer to their campus to reduce
commuting time needed to get to classes. Many affordable off campus housing options are
open within 5 miles of campus, speci cally those located North of campus across Fletcher
Avenue. These housing options allow some students to walk or ride their bike to campus
without a longer commute than those driving who live further from campus.
   
~(more to be written)
 

08
 Figure 3 How do you feel about the public transportation system at USF?

It's bad.

It's okay.

It's good.
What public
transportation
system?
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

     The third set of responses from the team's online survey reveals how the target
demographic feels about the current state of public transportation at USF. This was an
important statistic for the team to gather as the foundation of the recommendation for a
revitalized/new rail system comes from whether there is interest. The foundation for the
interest comes from the current satisfaction with Tampa's public transit. Currently the
primary and sole public transit offered to students at USF is the BullRunner bus system,
which has several buses and bus routes on USF's campus and in the surrounding area.
Judging by the 10 "it's okay" and 6 "it's bad" responses from the survey it is clear that the
general consensus of USF students regarding the bus system is that of discontent. This
combined with the 2.4 star rating on Google gives a slightly more speci c insight into the
complaints that students have about the bus routes on USF's campus. 
     The most common complaints levied in the reviews for the BullRunner are that it is
slow, and that it does not properly notify students when the buses are out of service or
late. There are also complaints that some of the buses are old and dirty. Many drivers
complain that the bus routes often go along one lane roads on and off campus, and that
the bus has to stop in the middle of the road to let students on and off. This not only
slows tra c, but it is also less e cient when buses have to be routed out to several
smaller bus stops around speci c developments off campus. ~ (add more)

09
 Beyond what is currently available, would you like there to be another way
to get to campus?
Figure 4 (train, electric scooters, etc.)

Yes

No

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

After learning how each respondent feels about the current state of USF's public transit, the
fourth question is the rst to gauge a general interest in new alternatives to the BullRunner
transit system. According to the chart above, 90% of respondents declared an interest in
some (non-speci c) new alternative form of public transit to and from the university's
campus. This is parallel to the feelings of the larger Tampa Bay area regarding new public
transit systems. According to itstimetampabay.org, 52% of 814 respondents said they would
be interested in seeing improved public transit options in the Tampa Bay area. 

If available, would you use a train or monorail system to/from USF?

Figure 5

Yes

Maybe

No

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

The fth and nal question of the team's survey was the most speci c to the solution to
Tampa's public transit situation. The team decided that asking respondents for approval of a
speci c type of public transit (rail system), it would be very bene cial for the conclusion and
recommendation. Seeing explicit interest in a rail system was what catalyzed the team to
plan exactly what rail recommendation would be ideal for the taxpayers and commuters in
Tampa. (~add more)

10
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
     Based on the data gathered by the team through the online survey, and by other research
conducted in the past for Tampa's public transit system, it is clear that some addition/re-
vitalization of Tampa's public transit infrastructure is required for Tampa to continue to grow
at its current rate. Based on the analysis conducted as well as external research, the team has
decided that a privately funded inter-city and intra-city rail service would be the most
feasible and effective mode of transportation both for the relatively low construction and
operating cost when compared to other methods, and the ability to share newly built tracks
with tracks already constructed on the CSX S-Line, which was built initially for freight rail cars.
If given access rights from private rail owners, this could signi cantly reduce the cost of the
intra-city light rail for Tampa by revitalizing under-utilized freight routes for passenger travel. 
     From the online survey given by the time there is also a de nite interest in providing an
alternative mode of transportation for Tampa. To successfully continue attracting more
people to the Tampa Bay area and grow Tampa into a major U.S. metropolitan area the team
recommends to the Regional Transit Authority, Florida Department of Transportation and the
governor the following courses of
action:
To collect funds for the design and
construction of a light rail throughout
the city of Tampa. This will be done in
some parts of the city using the
existing rail tracks used by CSX. Funds 
for the light rail can be tricky to collect
without a tax hike, but there is interest
in investment from the private sector
or securing a loan from some other 
source.

Figure 6
11
 Integrate the light rail with the high speed rail system Brightline has proposed between Tampa
and Orlando. In November of 2018, the privately owned Florida train travel organization made a
proposal to Florida transportation o cials for a high speed rail system between the metro areas
of Tampa and Orlando along I-4, which is often considered a problematic highway due to
frequently overblown tra c conditions and increased rates of car accidents. Brightline is looking
to build the Tampa station within walking distance of the proposed Rays stadium on the southern
edge of Ybor City. This would allow for integration of the proposed intra-city light rail in Tampa as
a portion of the track going East to West routes through the south Edge of Ybor City as well. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Launch programs to increase awareness of the incoming rail system(s) and encourage Tampa
residents to use these rails for their daily commute. This will cut down on the amount of cars
driving in Tampa and help to alleviate some of the tra c, and will help encourage the rail
companies to keep everything maintained and up to date.
 
     Tampa is already experiencing quite a bout of growth, as displayed by the 1.8% population
increase in 2017, making Tampa Bay the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United States. In
order for Tampa to continue to grow and maintain its status as a metro area it is absolutely vital
that a consistent and reliable form of public transportation be introduced. The recommendations
from the team are feasible from an economic stand point and there is quite a lot of interest from
residents of Tampa. With the introduction of a consistent and reliable rail system, Tampa will begin
to see reduced car tra c and increased spread from the downtown areas as the public transit
radius increases. 

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APPENDIX A Internal Researchers 

ISAIA STULTZ TREVOR PRINDLE

Originator/Mastermind Procedural Scientist/Data Gatherer

JIM VERA GOMEZ WILLIAM WALSH

Recommendations Expert Art Director/Survey Creation

CHASE ROGALSKI
Communications Officer/Chief Marketer

APPENDIX B Online Survey Questions

1) Do you live on campus?
2) How do you commute to campus?
3) How do you feel about the public transportation system at USF? 
4) Beyond what is currently available, would you like there to be another
way to get to campus? (train, electric scooters, etc.)
5) If available, would you use a train or monorail system to/from USF?

-All surveys were anonymous and gathered no personal information from

respondents. 

APPENDIX C Data Set

Data set comes from survey results displaying interest in alternative forms of public
transportation pertaining to USF's campus:
Survey Results
 
RAIL REPORT FOR TAMPA TO NORTHEAST FLORIDA (16 pgs.)
REPORT

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REFERENCES
“Commute Times Reach Nearly Half an Hour, Note Backers of Tax Hike for Transportation.”
Tampa Bay, Florida News, 25 Sept. 2018, www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/Commute-
times-reach-nearly-half-an-hour-note-backers-of-tax-hike-for-transportation_172107126. 
 
Dudebro, Magic Ears. “Why Are There No Monorails Outside Of The Disney Parks?”
Medium.com, Medium, 7 Jan. 2018, medium.com/@the_disney_dudebro/why-are-there-no-
monorails-outside-of-the-disney-parks-30f3374b76ac.
 
“High-Speed Rail Firm Scouting Land for Station and Development around Proposed Rays
Ballpark Site.” Tampa Bay, Florida News, 3 Aug. 2018,
www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/masstransit/High-speed-rail- rm-scouting-land-for-
station-and-development-around-proposed-Rays-ballpark-site_170561134.
 
“Imagine 2040: Tampa Comprehensive Plan.” Plan Hillsborough,
www.planhillsborough.org/city-of-tampa-2040-comprehensive-plan/.   pg. 56-57
 
Johnston, Caitlin, and Eli Zhang. “Tampa Bay Has One of America's Worst Transit Systems.
Here's Why.” Tampa Bay, Florida News, www.tampabay.com/projects/2017/data/public-
transportation-worst/.
 
“Performance and E ciency of High-Speed Rail Systems.” NeuroImage, Academic Press, 29
July 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146515001258.
 
“Tampa Bay Tra c Ranks No. 11 - Even Worse than Boston - in TomTom Report.” Tampa Bay,
Florida News, 4 Apr. 2015, www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/tampa-bay-tra c-
congestion-is-even-worse-than-boston-study- nds/2224039.

“Tampa Forum Favors Light-Rail, Dedicated Bus Lanes as Mass-Transit Solutions.” Tampa Bay,
Florida News, 28 Aug. 2017, www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/tampa-forum-favors-
light-rail-dedicated-bus-lanes-as-mass-transit-solutions/2335158.

“UPDATE 1-Florida Governor Rejects US High-Speed Rail Funds.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 16
Feb. 2011, www.reuters.com/article/ orida-rail/update-1- orida-governor-rejects-us-high-
speed-rail-funds-idUSN1629082420110216. 

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