Due to impending storm conditions, all Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) public transit bus, paratransit van, trolley and streetcar services will be suspended on Tuesday, August 19th.
HART customers are encouraged to monitor local media announcements for the status of public transportation services after the storm. HART employees should also monitor local media and keep in touch with your supervisor for current updates.
Under the direction of the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) HART’s Emergency Evacuation Bus Routes A, E, F, and G only will operate until 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The routes serve designated American Red Cross shelters in Hillsborough County.
As the Bay area braces for Fay, it’s important to be prepared to keep your family safe. And don’t forget about your car… if you have to evacuate, this is not the time you want to deal with auto troubles. Make sure your battery, windshield washers, filters, brakes, fluids, and other critical components are in proper-working order. In addition, experts recommend keeping an emergency kit in your trunk just in case. This kit should include the following:
- Copies of prescription medications and medical supplies
- Bedding and clothing, including sleeping bags and pillows
- Bottled water, a battery-operated radio and extra batteries, a first aid kit, a flashlight
- Copies of important documents: driver’s license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records, etc.
And for more emergency ready reminders, log onto Ready America’s website at http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html.
If you have questions related to evacuation routes for your area, the Red Cross has provided detailed, county-by-county information at http://redcross.tallytown.com/map/evacuation.html.
For additional shelter and evacuation resources, visit the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s website at http://www.tampabaydisaster.org/maps.shtml.
HART can also be an important evacuation mode to keep your family safe. For detailed routes and bus times, visit http://www.hartline.org/departments/marketing/rider_alerts/hurricane/index.htm.
Finally, the best advice is to prepare early. If you live in an evacuation zone, leave yourself plenty of time. Driving through the storm is dangerous. Localized flooding can spell disaster as even a few inches of water can sweep away a full-sized vehicle. Keep your family safe by calling ahead to where you plan to wait out the storm so someone knows when to expect you. And don’t forget your cell phone charger to keep in contact with others during and after the storm.
Safe travels.
Alicia
Funny story from my home state.... had to share.
A 25-year-old Pennsylvania man ventured onto a closed road Sunday afternoon in search of good fishing at Bald Eagle State Park. Soon after, his pickup truck became stuck on railroad tracks.
He unsuccessfully tried to dislodge his truck for 45 minutes when the faint sound of a train whistle forced him off the tracks. Moments later, a train plowed into the empty vehicle.
Fortunately, the man nor any of the train passangers were injured. However, the truck’s owner is suffering from a bruised ego and now faces a trespassing citation.
The man told officials he knew the road was closed, as the signs clearly indicated, but decided to “give it a shot” after hearing about the fishing spot. He later described himself as a “local idiot just trying to go fishing.”
This is one fishing tale I suppose he will not be bragging to all of his friends about in the days ahead.
And the moral of the story… follow the signs in life. Literally and figurately speaking!
Many are excited to see the death-defying attempt by Criss Angel to escape from the Spyglass Hotel before it is imploded tonight in Clearwater. But while the event is sure to drawn lots of anticipation and awe, it will also mean heavy traffic and road closures in the region. Here’s what you need to know to get around.
South Gulfview Boulevard will remain closed from just south of the Pier 60 parking lot to Fifth Street until 7 a.m. Thursday morning. Coronado Drive with also be shut down to traffic between Devon Drive and Third Street from 7 p.m. Wednesday until 1 a.m. Thursday. Finally, the area from the roundabout to Fifth Street will close from approximately 10:30 - 11:30 p.m. Wednesday for the implosion.
If you want to see Criss Angel’s escape, you can watch from the viewing areas north and south of the resort. Traffic from the north should use Memorial Causeway to get there; traffic from the south should use the Bellair Beach Causeway and take Gulf Boulevard north to Clearwater Beach.
Good luck to Criss Angel… I am sure there will be alot of sweaty palms before it is all said and done!
Can what you drive translate into how you vote? Political candidates hope so.
Campaigns spend millions to find and sway voters, tracking everything from the foods people eat to the cars they drive.
And this strategy, called microtargeting, is believed to be highly telling.
According to poll research, if someone drives a Ford or a Chevy, they’re likely to vote Republican. If they drive a Volvo, chances are they’re a Democrat.
The goal… find those most likely to vote for your candidate and prepare highly-targeted marketing campaigns.
Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to this philosophy. But many agree, the conservative vs. liberal retail trend data can be valuable in maximizing a candidate’s advertising dollars.
So what do you think? Has microtargeting correctly categorized you? Post your thoughts on this blog now!
A water main break has forced officials to closed the northbound lane of South Himes Avenue between West Alline Avenue and Dorchester Street.
Northbound traffic on Himes Avenue is being diverted east on Alline Avenue, north on Everina Circle and west on Dorchester Street to return to Himes Avenue. Barricades and signs are positioned in the area to help drivers around the detours.
According to the Tampa Water Department repairs, the water main and road surface repairs are expected to be completed by late Thursday.
Good news this morning for drivers in New Tampa… the Bruce B. Downs flyover is expected to partially reopen this week.
FDOT officials say one lane on the southbound Bruce B. Downs bridge to southbound Interstate 75 will open by 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 24. In addition, the green traffic signals on Bruce B. Downs will be increased.
Meanwhile, when this new connection onto southbound I-75 opens, the current double left turn lanes to southbound I-75 at the traffic signal will close permanently. An FDOT spokesperson notes all southbound Bruce B. Downs traffic entering southbound I-75 will then be forced to exit to the right just south of Dona Michelle Drive.
Drivers are urged to use additional caution as they become familiar with the changed entrance ramp conditions.
A second lane will be opened on the bridge in the coming months.
FDOT officials say this $42 million project is running ahead of schedule. The project was originally planned for completion in the Spring of 2009.
Additional project information is available at http://www.myTBI.com ; look for “Interstate 75 at County Road 581 (Bruce. B. Downs Blvd.)” after clicking on the I-75 shield on the home page.
As the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games quickly approach, Beijing officials announced on Friday temporary measures to reduce traffic and the city’s notoriously poor air pollution.
Part of the effort restricts owners of private cars to driving on alternate days, depending on whether the last number of their license plate is even or odd. Another measure will forbid trucks and other vehicles with relatively high emissions from entering Beijing until after the Olympics.
Officials say the cuts will mean 45 percent fewer vehicles on the road and a reduction in air pollution of 63 percent.
And did you know? According to fightglobalwarming.com, the average household with two medium-sized sedans emits more than 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. That’s 10 tons of pollution adding to the greenhouse effect. SUVs tend to emit more global warming pollution than smaller cars—as much as 40 percent more exhaust.
Here’s the numbers. A gallon of gasoline weighs just over 6 pounds. When burned, the carbon in it combines with oxygen to produce about 19 pounds of CO2. Adding in the energy to make and distribute the fuel, the total global warming pollution is about 25 pounds of CO2 per gallon. An average car that gets 21 mpg and is driven about 30 miles a day uses 1.4 gallons daily and emits 35.7 pounds of CO2 every day. That’s a lot of pounds when multiplied by the millions of cars across the country.
For more tips on fuel efficiency and ways to reduce pollution, visit http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=268.
Did you know? Traffic information is available on your phone, computer, or PDA… anytime, anywhere.
Follow the link below to register for customized traffic reports from My Traffic when you want them. For example, you can program your phone to call or text you when you leave for work in the morning or set up an automatic email every weekday before you head home from the office. Also visit TBO.com for additional commute details 24/7 including traffic jam factors, directions, and construction and accident updates.
To sign up for My Traffic, log onto the following:
http://my.traffic.com/Controller?appname=userregistration&workflowname=userregNew&PARTNER=DEFAULT&metroid=0&ct=hm_Register&campid=0&ssns=21&
And finally, if you have traffic-related questions and concerns, you can post your views on this blog, Traffic Talk, or email me directly at the station.
Safe travels!
Despite the dismal news from General Motors about their recent decision to cut salaried employees in an effort to save the company from its rumored bankruptcy, another automaker is creating new jobs in the United States.
This week, Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, announced plans to build a new a new U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Officials say the facility will create about 2,000 jobs.
Volkswagen Group of America Inc. states it plans to use their Chattanooga operations to produce a new midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American consumer. The company says the new plant and jobs will add $1 billion to the economy.
Sites in Alabama and Michigan were also considered as part of Volkswagen’s long-term goal to increase its presence in America. Volkswagen had not had an active production facility in the United States since it closed its last plant in this country in 1988.
With gas prices clinging to the $4 mark, cutting back on your fuel consumption can result in big savings. And have you heard? The Bay area has a carpool program that may come in handy… it’s called Ez-Ride.
Ez-Ride Online Matching, from Bay Area Commuter Services (BACS), helps identify potential carpool partners with whom you can share your daily commute. Ez-Ride is fairly simple to begin and takes just a few minutes to initially complete. You provide your home information, work information and an e-mail address. If there are commuters who match your commute profile, you will receive an immediate list of potential carpool partners who can be contacted to make arrangements to carpool. At any time, you can go to Ez-Ride and run your commute profile again to receive an update.
Once you are carpooling, be sure to enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH). The Emergency Ride Home Program is designed to take the anxiety out of leaving your car at home. You no longer have to worry about being stranded at work without a car when you have an emergency. The Emergency Ride Home Program allows you up to eight taxi rides each year for free in case of personal illness, family emergency or unexpected overtime.
To register for ERH or to learn about other BACS programs and services go to http://www.TampaBayRideshare.org or call 800-998-RIDE.
VIDEO: 4th of July Drunk Driving
The 4th of July holiday means barbeques, fireworks, and celebrating. But those festivities can turn tragic. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 4th of July holiday weekend is the deadliest for drunk driving related crashes, even more so than New Year’s.
Last year, I told you about Travis Peer. Travis was a young man with a big heart and bright future whose life was sadly cut short by a drunk driver. Ruth and Drew Finn, Travis’s parents, shared their story with with me and the Tampa community with the hope other families might be spared their grief. I encourage you to watch the video above for a powerful reminder about the grave danger posed with drinking and driving.
Don Murray, Florida’s Executive Director of MADD, says the best defense to prevent drunk driving is to plan ahead:
“The problem frankly is that when you drink, your judgment goes away and you don’t think you are impaired… and once the judgment goes, you feel perfectly content to and confident that your abilities to drive are not impaired. People have to understand that that is the first clue that there’s trouble.”
Don encourages everyone this 4th of July to select a designated driver or chip in for a cab or other form of transportation. For more information on drunk driving related initiatives, legislation, resources and statistics, visit MADD’s website at http://www.madd.org.
The following is a partial list of cab services available throughout the metro Tampa area and its suburbs.
Affordable Taxi (727) 733-3333, 2647 Harbor Cir, Clearwater, FL
Action Cab & Shuttle (727) 845-3090, New Port Richey, FL
United Cab Company (813) 253-2424, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Yellow Cab (813) 253-3590, 502 N Oregon Ave, Tampa
A Americab Taxi, (813) 837-4455, 506 N Archer St, Tampa
ABC Taxi (813) 872-8294, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Florida Taxi (727) 896-5008, Tampa
Gulf Coast Transportation (813) 251-3107, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Cab Plus Incorporated, (813) 250-0990, Hyde Park, Tampa
Tampi Taxi Incorporated, (813) 888-5008, 4105 N Florida Ave, Tampa
United Cab Company (813) 251-6494, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing 4th.
Alicia
For the 2008 July 4th Holiday weekend, the Reversible Express Lanes will be open eastbound from 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 3 and will remain open in the eastbound direction until 6 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2008.
Motorists are reminded that the Reversible Express Lanes are open only to Electronic and Video Toll Collection customers. If a vehicle does not have a SunPass or Toll-By-Plate account, the owner can call 1-888-TAG-TOLL up to 72 hours after use of the express lanes to avoid a possible fine or to open an account.
Monday morning was a little easier this morning for drivers in Manatee County. As of Sunday evening, all Southbound lanes of I-75 at US-301 as well as the ramps to the interstate were reopened to traffic.
The I-75 overpass over US-301 had to be replaced after a fuel tanker fell over the guardrail on June 4th and exploded. The flames charred the interstate and local US-301.
For more than three weeks, drivers in both directions faced delays as two Southbound lanes were rerouted onto the Northbound traffic pattern. But with favorable weather and a $300,000 state bonus incentive, construction crews wrapped up the emergency repairs ahead of schedule.
State transportation officials say the two Northbound and two Southbound lanes of US-301 are expected to open Tuesday night. Currently, one lane gets by in both directions.
The overpass along I-75 at US-301 in Ellenton continues to be rebuilt following a fiery crash that scorched the bridge three weeks ago.
Manatee County officials now say good weather and financial incentives from the government has pushed the emergency work along at record pace. The project was scheduled to last six weeks but construction crews may reopen the Southbound lanes of the interstate as early as Monday morning, weather permitting.
Currently, a traffic pattern shift remains in place. Two lanes of Southbound traffic are being routed into the Northbound lanes. Reduced speeds are in place through that region.
The I-75/US-301 intersection is one of the most traveled in the region and I-75 is the central access highway to Sarasota County and Southwest Florida.
Advertisement
