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Don Taber, former Mayor Indian Shores, FL, does not support Gandy overhead expressway

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 23, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic
. 0 Comments
Ghost Town formally known as Gandy Blvd

Ghost Town formally known as Gandy Blvd

From email response Sat, Nov 14, 2009 8:13 am

Subject: Re: Gandy Overhead Expressway
Bill,

Being a Mayor and running a beach community for ten years I’ve evacuated thousands of people from the beach several times. We didn’t need overhead expressways to do it.

To move traffic from the Gandy bridge to the expressway is only one mile, and all you have to do is direct ALL lanes east bound (no west bound) to the expressway. You have two entrances to the expressway, one off gandy and one on Dale Mabry.

There is no reason to disturb a quiet south Tampa neighborhood and destroy properties and values when there are other ways to achieve a solution to the problem.

Don Taber, former Mayor Indian Shores, FL

Actions speak louder than words. Community leaders showing their compassion in real terms.

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 18, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic
. 0 Comments


Video taken 6 February 2007

Al Steenson, President, Gandy Civic Association and member of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee, testifies before MPO for FULL FUNDING of the Promised Gandy Enhancement.

Response to Joe Waggoner, Executive Director Tampa-Hillsborough County letter to Project Advisory Group

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 18, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic
. 0 Comments
Toll bridge disaster

Toll bridge disaster

Main Steet now affectionately known as Ghost Town

Main Steet now affectionately known as Ghost Town

Email dated 11 March 2009

I am looking forward to our next informal meeting tomorrow to discuss action our local residents and merchants can take to avoid and petition the proposed Crosstown Expressway Extension at Gandy.  I copied and attached to this email an old article referring the railroad south of Gandy and its potential for a tollway back in 1987.  Also attached to this email for your review is the formal presentation for the extension now featured on the THEA website.  I believe this proposal will be the end for any business that currently enjoys drive-by and walk-in customers from the Gandy roadway. Tomorrow Mikael and I are meeting with Al Steenson of the Gandy Civic Association to discuss and plan our objections.

The THEA Community Advisory Board was selected by the Hillsborough Crosstown Expressway Authority for the sole purpose of viewing and discussing plans for a toll road.  The final Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for April.  By then, if no public objections are noticed, the toll road could become reality!  We need help.

Because Mikael of Scan Design serves on the Advisory Board, he was forwarded the following email correspondence that originated from me.  This email includes  FOR YOUR FILES AND RECORDS the email addresses for those individuals who serve on this advisory board.  It is imperative our voices are heard! See you all tomorrow and I hope you can bring more signatures for our petitions!

Linda Bell

Joe Waggoner, Executive Director Tampa-Hillsborough County letter to Project Advisory Group

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 18, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic
. 0 Comments
A really dysfunctional toll booth

A dysfunctional toll booth

Email dated 25 February 2009

Dear Project Advisory Group,

This e-mail is being sent to you because Ms. Linda Bell, at the Triage Consignment Shop in Gandy, has asked for the names of the Project Advisory Group (PAG) members so that she may directly discuss the study with you.  I wanted to give you notice that we have provided her with that information (attached).

In our first meeting with you on the Gandy study, THEA emphasized the need for clear, open, and honest communication.  When sharing information, understanding “who said what” can be as important as “what was said.”  Our e-mail below, to Linda, is a good example.

Linda is concerned about the THEA proposal for an elevated bypass of Gandy Boulevard.  Her understanding of the proposal comes from stories and articles that have been in the media. In this case we believe she is referencing a story from Tampa Bay 10 News. The link to that story below is provided for your use.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid824&catid=8 ***

The reporter’s comments in that story incorrectly attribute the THEA proposal to the PAG.  In our response to Linda we make it clear that the current proposal is THEA’s response to issues and concerns expressed by the PAG.

In our e-mail to Linda we have made this clear.  We also provided Linda with a more complete overview of the proposal, and offered to meet with her and other business owners for additional discussions.

As you know, we are working on additional analysis that will be presented to the PAG in our April 14th meeting at Monroe Middle School. If you have questions, or would like us to present to your Board or Group before then, we will make ourselves available.

Your hard work on this project is appreciated.

Thanks again,

Joe

813.272.6740 office

Joe Waggoner, Executive Director

Tampa-Hillsborough County

Expressway Authority

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority is a public agency subject to Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes concerning public records.

*** Please note: Link provided on original email does not seem to work !!! ??

Response to David B. Miller, CTC District Travel Manager, AAA, & THEA Advisory board member

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 16, 2009
in Response to David B. Miller - CTC District Travel Manager, AAA, & THEA Advisory board member
. 0 Comments

Gandy Blvd, Now just another parking lotBill/Tampa
Based on what I heard at Tuesday night’s meeting I do, unfortunately, believe Mr. Miller, Advisory Boardmember for the Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, is correct. While I was speaking with Joe Waggoner of THEA after the meeting, Mr. Miller came over and joined the conversation. He is one of the very few people I have spoken to who believe there is a majority in favor of this project (THEA is very much spinning it this way). I overwhelmingly disagree with this based on my direct interaction with many members of the community as well as the 1500+ petitions which have purportedly been signed. Jerry Frankhouser, who is the president of Bayside West Neighborhood Association, the association in which Mr. Miller resides, also disagrees with Mr. Miller’s statement. I actually thought it to be outrageous when Mr. Miller stated the “silent majority” is in favor. This begs the question of Where are they? Why is it the vast majority of the people at every meeting are in opposition? At the PAG #3 meeting last month there were 13 community members who spoke about the project, 11 were in opposition and 2 were in support. This was reported in the Augusr 26th 2009 St. Petersburg Times print edition & September 2009 issue of the South Tampa Community News .
The presenters of this project (THEA and CUTR) were, for lack of a better term, masterful spin doctors, making sure everything sounded rosy. They chose their words very carefully to ensure nothing they said would have any negative feel whatsoever. They stressed how much they would be sensitive to aesthetics, and how this overhead concrete structure would look nice. Unfortunately for us this is not possible, and it’s unfortunate because this unwanted detractor is on a fast track to becoming reality, no matter how many of us are in opposition. You must remember, there are always a few who know what’s best for the rest, it’s just the way it is. I just wish our elected officials would make a concerted effort to get a true gauge on the actual community’s feelings and take a position based on such. Apparently, from what we’ve all seen to this point, this isn’t going to happen. They appear to be about the only chance we have of keeping this hideous structure from being built, and they remain silent. The only other chance we have is if this project is determined to be economically unfeasible, and we all know how easy it is to fudge a couple of critical variables to make the numbers come out favorable. For goodness sakes, the person who presented CUTR’s transportation and economic impact study is a former executive director of THEA!!!
Keep in mind that just because David Miller is a member of one of the six advisory groups doesn’t mean he is an authority or that his opinion carries any weight. He is just one person, and as I stated previously I believe he is pushing his personal agenda when he states there is a “silent majority” in favor of this project. Ask yourself this: How many people do you personally know who want this elevated roadway running right down the middle of Gandy? This is what you should base your opinion on.
Imagine a salesman coming to your home and saying a large portion of your electric bill could be eliminated if you installed a huge windmill on top of your house to generate electricity. Of course you would think seriously about it because it has merit, and maybe the cost savings is worth the aesthetic degradation. But you may decide to stick with your current electric service and not have to look at something so unsightly and out of place. I, as well as the vast majority of those I have spoken with, would rather deal with heavy rush hour traffic for a couple hours five days a week than look at an unsightly overhead roadway through the middle of a neighborhood. This is the reality of the situation, and as it stands right now we will eventually be looking at an unattractive elevated concrete structure right down the middle of our neighborhood thoroughfare because a few people think it’s best for us and they do not care about how it will affect the feel of our neighborhood.
There is no doubt that any bypass will lessen the traffic on Gandy, it’s common sense. But it will not make rush hour traffic go away. It will still be bad, no matter what. And regarding hurricane evacuation, yes it is a negative for us to deal with the Pinellas residents clogging up Gandy trying to get to the Expressway. But how often does this happen? Often enough to accept an unsightly structure to be constructed through our neighborhood? I don’t think so. It may be another 20 years, or more, before any evacuation order is issued for Pinellas due to an approaching hurricane. But for some reason we have to see our neighborhood become less desirable due to these factors.

Maybe its time to re-consider our AAA memberships. Please read why

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 16, 2009
in Letter from David B. Miller - CTC District Travel Manager, AAA, & THEA Advisory board member
. 0 Comments

Elevated to nowhere

David B. Miller- CTC District Travel Manager, AAA, & THEA Advisory board member

Dbmiller@aaasouth.com

Some of you are aware that I’m on an Advisory Board for the Hillsborough County Expressway Authority…. You also may be aware that there have been ongoing discussions for years regarding traffic in the Gandy Blvd. corridor.  To paraphrase some very long discussions, it looks very much like there will (finally) be an elevated Gandy extension to the Lee Roy Selmon (crosstown) Expressway.  This will most assuredly be in the form of an elevated two-lane toll road connecting the current (southern) end of the Selmon (at Gandy & Dale Mabry) to Gandy Bridge.  At this point, the best guess for construction to begin is approximately 3 years (or Fall of ’12).

David B. Miller Travel Manager, AAA (813) 681-5761 ext. 2230

Letter to Neighborhood Association Presidents

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 13, 2009
in Letter to Neighborhood Association Presidents
. 0 Comments

Elevated reality

Dear Neighborhood Association President,

My name is Mikael,  a business owner in South Tampa located on Gandy Blvd. I am calling upon you to please help your local merchants and residents around South Tampa to preserve our community . Savegandy is a alliance built up of everyday South Tampa residents and business owners trying to stop THEA (generates it’s revenue from tolls), building a concrete elevated toll road on top of Gandy blvd.

The tax payers of Florida just spent 22 million dollars for the beautification on Gandy, and we feel the sole purpose was to lay the foundation for this organization, at our expense. The toll road could never been thought of, until we the taxpayers widened the road. Since we paid for it, we would like the opportunity to see our neighborhood enjoy the new roadway before any further construction process.
Did you also know that THEA (The Hillsbrough County Expressway Authority) will make a decision and said they do not need our voice to decide on this project.They have said they will do it without our vote.
We feel it is every citizens right to have their voice heard I am sure you will agree, so we have developed www.savegandy.com for the voice of the people.

This web site is to educate the public of the pros and cons, and give them the opportunity to sign a petition and so their voice can be heard  and let government know we still have rights in our communities.

Please, I am asking you to please forward this to all association members so we can educate them about the project. Without the knowledge and help from our neighbors, the concrete toll will plow into our neighborhood. Please help us get the word out so people can see what is going on and have the opportunity to be a voice for their community. We would do the same for you and thank you for your time.

Thank You,

Mikael

Please don’t support the ruin of our neighborhood for such a minuscule reason

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 13, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic and Letter to Mr. Ray Chiaramonte, MPO Executive Director
. 0 Comments

Gandy Friendship Trail BridgeRemember the much loved Gandy Friendship Trail bridge, which may never re-open, but at least we gained a worthy contender as a consolation prize, yes a shiny new overhead toll bridge, permanently blocking out the sun. A vast improvement, we the community, think not!.

Bill/Tampa

I close on my house this Monday, a house I plan on living in for years to come. It is two blocks north of Gandy. I pray that I do not have to look at a VERY UNWANTED overhead concrete structure running right down the middle of my neighborhood’s main street. How sad that my neighborhood stands to be seriously degraded so an overdeveloped, overpopulated peninsula (Pinellas County) can have a little bit better evacuation system to accommodate people who wait until the last minute to leave their homes. This is the only merit that this overpass has, and to us residents it is not enough. If we are willing to accept rush hour congestion over a super unattractive overhead structure, why not give us what we want? There is no doubt there will still be bad rush hour traffic even if the proposed project is constructed, and it is shameful to think we will sit in that traffic and be in the shadow of a sparsely used overhead road that is only needed for a couple of hours each business day and maybe once every ten years for possible tropical storm/hurricane evacuation.

Please don’t support the ruin of our neighborhood for such a minuscule reason. Think about our quality of life and what makes us happier people. This is what you, as our community leaders, should want for us. If this project was truly needed we would be asking for it and THEA would have been able to easily sell it. But it is not needed and may never be needed which is why we reject it.

Don’t discount the number of people who have signed the petition to stop this project.

Bill
PS - All due respect to Ray Chiaramonte, he sounded like a desperate salesman when he was telling me how nice it will look. We all know that is just hogwash.
Follow-up response to Ray Chairmonte, Executive Director, Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Letter to Mr. Chiaramonte, MPO Executive Director, Hillsborough county Metropolitan Planning Organization

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on November 12, 2009
in Letter to Mr. Ray Chiaramonte, MPO Executive Director and Video Time Studies
. 2 Comments

Peak Friday evening rush hour with traffic flowing smoothly.
Taken on Gandy Blvd 5:58pm Friday 23 October 2009

Do we really need a concrete monster above our heads creating pollution, noise and blocking out the sun. See the video and imagine a ugly overhead expressway ruining the ambiance of our neighborhood and permanently destroying the South Tampa way of life that we all love and cherish.


Mr. Ray Chiaramonte, MPO Executive Director
Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Thank you for your opinion on the subject. The proposed project is not needed at this time, and it may never be needed as you and your people say. If this unwanted overhead structure is built it is permanent, and we have to live with it even if your traffic projections do not become reality.
THEA is trying very hard to spin this into a project that the people support, but you know as well as I that the majority DO NOT want this structure built over our main street. If you and THEA had the courage to really find out you’d pay an independent agency, selected by someone other than THEA or the MPO, to canvass the neighborhood and get a true measure of the support and opposition. But since we know it will not yield the results you are looking for this will not happen.
THEA has been maintaining that they will not build the project without community support, and as far as I can tell, living in the immediate area, there is a solid majority in opposition. If you and THEA are so convinced there is a majority in support then prove it.
Bill /Tampa

This is the reality of the situation that we will eventually be looking at an unattractive elevated concrete structure right down the middle of our neighborhood thoroughfare because a few people think it’s best for us

Published
by
Savegandy.com
on October 1, 2009
in Elevated Gandy will not alleviate traffic
. 0 Comments

Gandy Blvd Map
by Bill/Tampa
Why is it the vast majority of the people at every meeting are in opposition? At the PAG #3 meeting last month there were 13 community members who spoke about the project, 11 were in opposition and 2 were in support. This was reported in the September 2009 issue of the South Tampa Community News.
The presenters of this project (THEA and CUTR) were, for lack of a better term, masterful spin doctors, making sure everything sounded rosy. They chose their words very carefully to ensure nothing they said would have any negative feel whatsoever. They stressed how much they would be sensitive to aesthetics, and how this overhead concrete structure would look nice. Unfortunately for us this is not possible, and it’s unfortunate because this unwanted detractor is on a fast track to becoming reality, no matter how many of us are in opposition. You must remember, there are always a few who know what’s best for the rest, it’s just the way it is. I just wish our elected officials would make a concerted effort to get a true gauge on the actual community’s feelings and take a position based on such. Apparently, from what we’ve all seen to this point, this isn’t going to happen. They appear to be about the only chance we have of keeping this hideous structure from being built, and they remain silent. The only other chance we have is if this project is determined to be economically unfeasible, and we all know how easy it is to fudge a couple of critical variables to make the numbers come out favorable. For goodness sakes, the person who presented CUTR’s transportation and economic impact study is a former executive director of THEA!!!
Ask yourself this: How many people do you personally know who want this elevated roadway running right down the middle of Gandy? This is what you should base your opinion on.
Imagine a salesman coming to your home and saying a large portion of your electric bill could be eliminated if you installed a huge windmill on top of your house to generate electricity. Of course you would think seriously about it because it has merit, and maybe the cost savings is worth the aesthetic degradation. But you may decide to stick with your current electric service and not have to look at something so unsightly and out of place. I, as well as the vast majority of those I have spoken with, would rather deal with heavy rush hour traffic for a couple hours five days a week than look at an unsightly overhead roadway through the middle of a neighborhood. This is the reality of the situation, and as it stands right now we will eventually be looking at an unattractive elevated concrete structure right down the middle of our neighborhood thoroughfare because a few people think it’s best for us and they do not care about how it will affect the feel of our neighborhood.
There is no doubt that any bypass will lessen the traffic on Gandy, it’s common sense. But it will not make rush hour traffic go away. It will still be bad, no matter what. And regarding hurricane evacuation, yes it is a negative for us to deal with the Pinellas residents clogging up Gandy trying to get to the Expressway. But how often does this happen? Often enough to accept an unsightly structure to be constructed through our neighborhood? I don’t think so. It may be another 20 years, or more, before any evacuation order is issued for Pinellas due to an approaching hurricane. But for some reason we have to see our neighborhood become less desirable due to these factors.