Mass Transit 'Critical' For Bay Area

Click title for story. By LINDSAY PETERSON lpeterson@tampatrib.com Published: November 26, 2008 TAMPA - U.S. Rep. John Mica said he came to Tampa on Tuesday to encourage local officials to get in line for transportation money that soon will flow from Washington. He also had a warning. The Tampa area is years behind other cities in developing mass transit, he said. "It's critical that Tampa Bay is also in this game. ... It's almost embarrassing to have parts of Florida without a modern transportation system." Mica, R-Winter Park, is minority party leader of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He said he didn't mean to criticize, but his comments still put a few people on defense. "Hillsborough County is moving forward," Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio told Mica at the gathering at Stetson University College of Law's Tampa Law Center. "We're very serious" about mass transit, she said. She said that local transportation officials plan to ask Hillsborough County voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax in 2010 for a commuter rail system. "With local support, we will be in a greater position to make the case to the federal government" for funding, Iorio said.