'43 Bridge proposal between Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida (to move, personal)

[oneidafish]

Who on earth would use inflammatory language like this without something to gain from the project?

[Angler]

Another bridge across the bay would further disrupt the water circulation in the bay, PLUS it would have to be as tall as the Skyway to allow ships for the Port of Tampa to move under, PLUS you would be disrupting the seagrass beds along either side of the bay (not at all easily replantable), PLUS you would suddenly have to deal with thousands of property owners screaming about a bridge in their view now, when there was not one before. And then there's the cost...

Not a good idea at all- a far more practicable would be a high-speed ferry service between downtown St. Pete and Tampa.

[Angler]

Originally Posted by ferret111

That's McKay Bay.

McKay Bay is the northern part of Hillsborough Bay.

[Ross Nicholson]

There are no bridges across Hillsborough Bay and none are planned for the next 50 years. Similarly, no new bridges are planned to span Old Tampa Bay for the next 50 years. Oh well, when the big one hits Pinellas County nobody will ever want to live over there again anyway. That's what the racists were counting on when they planned for African-American towns on low ground--a flush mechanism.

[Ross Nicholson]

Originally Posted by oneidafish

Who on earth would use inflammatory language like this without something to gain from the project?

Someone smart enough to know how foolish we are to block all exits from south St. Pete in the event of a hurricane.

I proposed the HOPE Scholarships/Bright Futures program, the Tampa Water Taxi, the mayor's Prius, the Floating Riverwalk, frequent fireworks in tourist season, and Lights On Tampa. HOPE has given college education to millions in 23 states, the rest are just improvements to civic life, but all their success suggests that this project, the 43 Bridge Project, will also succeed and prosper us all because it emanates from the same high quality source. Even the silliest among us here in Tampa can recognize that much. Being able to see further, a look-out should be trusted. We sit upon a worse risk than New Orleans ever did.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by LianeJamason

Wow interesting. What we need is a bridge from the Riverview/Brandon area straight across the bay to St. Pete. I wish.

There is one...

Selmon Expressway to Gandy.

My answer to this thread is that another bridge isn't needed. If you want to help the environment and, at the same time have a way to evacuate people then why not build a light rail system ? use the existing bridges to put a rail above or below the current bridge and create lines that would connect St. Pete, Tampa, Brandon, and possibly even Plant City and Lakeland inland.

In the event of a major hurricane, run them for free to evacuate people inland and then have buses ready.

We, as a country, need to get away from sprawl and building huge, ugly, interstate highways and bridges. Eventually, Cars won't even be used anymore and then what ? we're stuck with 4-5 bridges over the bay ?

[Dee74]

Ross, give me break, are you for real a trusted source? And then this

Oh well, when the big one hits Pinellas County nobody will ever want to live over there again anyway. That's what the racists were counting on when they planned for African-American towns on low ground--a flush mechanism.

After Katrina do you really think TPTB will let that happen again? And what about a little personal responsibility for your own safety and your life.. What a concept.
No the developers will move in and make Pinellas beautiful and expensive, problem solved. Just as they have in any area that has been hit hard, the folks who did live there can no longer afford to.

[U-R-Y]

Ross, Did you invent the wheel too? I just read your bio. You need to move "self" ahead of God.

[Ross Nicholson]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

There is one...

Selmon Expressway to Gandy.

My answer to this thread is that another bridge isn't needed. If you want to help the environment and, at the same time have a way to evacuate people then why not build a light rail system ?

A light rail system is part of the '43 bridge proposal, with a downtown-to-downtown line.

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

use the existing bridges to put a rail above or below the current bridge and create lines that would connect St. Pete, Tampa, Brandon, and possibly even Plant City and Lakeland inland.

Those inland rail lines already exist. Light rail to inland stations would be interconnected and certainly the line would run out to Brandon. A highspeed train is proposed to go to Lakeland, however, so a common terminal would be smart--unless you use 'light superhighspeed trains' more the size of sports cars and leave the traveling bathrooms, restaurants, and inter-car connectors and aisles back at the platform.

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

In the event of a major hurricane, run them for free to evacuate people inland and then have buses ready.

NOW YOU'RE TALKING! It's proposed as a toll bridge, so tolls would be free on all holidays, including the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Ph.D.'s birthday.

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

We, as a country, need to get away from sprawl and building huge, ugly, interstate highways and bridges. Eventually, Cars won't even be used anymore and then what ? we're stuck with 4-5 bridges over the bay ?

A highway and rail bridge directly between two downtowns, closer together than Dallas-Fort Worth, but a little further apart than Minneapolis-St. Paul, is the antithesis of sprawl.

We could use a floating bridge and upgrade the tank farm to allow offshore off-loading of liquid cargos. Boats could pass through a seagate. Big ships do not go to Old Port Tampa. Most of the industry is gone on the peninsula.

The '43 bridge proposal would plant seagrass throughout most of Tampa Bay and would fix the poor circulation that makes the northern part of Old Tampa Bay smell bad. Structures would protect mangroves from ship wakes. The building of the bridge would have the EPA as lead agency, a first for the nation.

[Ross Nicholson]

Oh, and the ferry idea? Thank-you! I proposed the Water Taxi idea for Hillsborough that was recently funded by Congress. It's a little far for ferries between downtowns, though, don't you think?