"Car-Free Conversations" 12-14-23 Car-Free St. Pete
Season 1, Episode 6915, Dec 14, 2023, 11:58 AM
In this episode of Car-Free Conversations, Domenico Pontoriero recaps the recent Pinellas County Delegation meeting to co-host Saumitra Chandratreya, focusing on the proposed changes to the legislation that governs the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. The proposed changes would hinder PSTA’s ability to provide top-quality public transportation by:
• Significantly reducing the size of PSTA's board, limiting representation from individual cities and instead shifting the boards governance to the Pinellas County Commission and appointees by the Governor and St. Pete City Council
• Requiring additional board oversight for planning decisions that will limit the future of transportation in the region
• Changing the definition of public transportation to eliminate the types of services that PSTA could provide in the future such as street railway, elevated railway, and subway services
• Requiring approval by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners in two public meetings, each with a 30-day public notice, to provide fare-free service for special events and holidays
If you would like to support our local transportation agency and oppose these proposed changes, we urge you to sign and share the petition created by our Car-Free St. Pete Committee Member Domenico Pontoriero so that citizens of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County at large can express their opposition against these proposed changes. Click here to view & sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-proposed-changes-to-the-legislation-governing-psta
• Significantly reducing the size of PSTA's board, limiting representation from individual cities and instead shifting the boards governance to the Pinellas County Commission and appointees by the Governor and St. Pete City Council
• Requiring additional board oversight for planning decisions that will limit the future of transportation in the region
• Changing the definition of public transportation to eliminate the types of services that PSTA could provide in the future such as street railway, elevated railway, and subway services
• Requiring approval by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners in two public meetings, each with a 30-day public notice, to provide fare-free service for special events and holidays
If you would like to support our local transportation agency and oppose these proposed changes, we urge you to sign and share the petition created by our Car-Free St. Pete Committee Member Domenico Pontoriero so that citizens of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County at large can express their opposition against these proposed changes. Click here to view & sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-proposed-changes-to-the-legislation-governing-psta