Two stories in print today: 👉 The first 100 days of PSTA’s SunRunner, Tampa Bay’s first bus rapid transit system: tampabay.com/news/transport… 👉 HART 🦩 faces fiscal cliff in 2024. The CEO, under investigation, is exploring outsourcing to save $ tampabay.com/news/transport…

Allow me to introduce you to Robin Graham. She rises before dawn each morning with a single goal: give children a safe path to the classroom. She works in one of the most treacherous places in the country to be a pedestrian. 🧵 tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

NEW: For 3 months, the CEO of the Tampa-area transit agency has been under investigation. Legal fees exceed $28k. Now the CEO has offered a settlement: She stays until June & gets $110k in compensation. And the investigation results remain hidden. tampabay.com/news/transport…

NEW: Today, Danny Burgess and Lawrence McClure introduced legislation that would require the Florida Department of Transportation to study the pros and cons of merging the two largest transit agencies in the Tampa Bay area. Déjà vu? tampabay.com/news/transport…

Councilmember Gina Driscoll is asking St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch to help keep Tampa Bay's only bus rapid transit system free for riders. Driscoll, PSTA board chairperson, submitted a budget request to allocate city funds to SunRunner. tampabay.com/opinion/2023/0…

Lots of discussion at today's Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization meeting on the $5 million U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor helped secure to boost the safety & accessibility of bus stops across the county. "This is huge for us," @PatKempBOCC says. "Way, way over due." Context: tampabay.com/news/transport…

Almir Becirovic was in the midst of another 15-hour shift crisscrossing Tampa Bay as an Uber driver when he saw the red pickup careen across the asphalt like a pinball. I hope you'll read about what happened next: tampabay.com/news/transport…

NEW: Inside the transit agency serving Hillsborough County, per external investigation: 👉 severance payouts that violate state law 👉 lack of transparency 👉 poor morale 👉 retaliation 👉 high turnover Meanwhile, staff and bus riders pay the price. tampabay.com/news/transport…

Cycling infrastructure in Tampa is improving, but a patchwork of dangerous streets remain. Riding a bike here is "like being in a beautiful place, like a tropical island," says Christine Acosta. "And then all of a sudden you’re at a cliff, in real peril." tampabay.com/news/transport…

SCOOP: Mayor Castor has left the board overseeing public transit in Tampa, a position she has held since 2019 and vowed to use to “fight for every neighborhood to have the dependable bus system they deserve.” tampabay.com/news/transport…

We drive past crash scenes, numbed to their frequency. We see the debris, the tow trucks. Maybe later, a memorial. In an average week, there are 8 fatal crashes in metro Tampa. Here's a close look at one of those weeks—average, deadly & devastating: tampabay.com/news/transport…

Pedestrianizing downtown streets? Banning right turns on red? Streetcar extension? A regional bus system? I spoke with Mayor Castor about transportation in Tampa. This is what she said. tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

NEW: Concerned about the department's direction, two more top staff have resigned from Tampa's Mobility Department, records show. tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

New from me and Justin Garcia: Related Group, the Miami-based firm selected to transform long-neglected land west of Tampa's downtown, wants millions more in public funding for the Rome Yard project. Mayor Castor "does not support that request." tampabay.com/news/2023/08/2…

Attention Paso, Hillsborough and Pinellas: tampabay.com/hurricane/2023…

Like most Floridians, Dave & Heather Durst figured storm surge was the biggest threat as Hurricane #Idalia approached Wednesday. Instead, their Pasco County bungalow succumbed to flames after flood waters prevented firefighters from getting there in time. tampabay.com/hurricane/2023…

Tampa City Council voted to slam the brakes on Mayor Jane Castor’s proposed budget Tuesday night, axing the double-digit property tax rate increase she said was a “critical investment” to meet the needs of a growing city. tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

My latest: The week before Williams died in a Tampa hospital, relatives told police they were worried visitors were bringing him pills, records show. Three of his friends shared similar concerns with me. I’ve confirmed Tampa Police is investigating. tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

We would like to recognize Olivia George & Tracey McManus, of Times Publishing Co. for receiving the Outstanding Media Leadership Award at the 2023 APA Florida Planning Conference. Thank you for consistently reporting on local government issues in a clear, thorough, & empathic manner.