TRANSPORTATION 



William 01 sen, Ph.D. 

 Department of Economics 

 Florida State University 

 Tallahassee, FL 32306 



INTRODUCTION 



This report is a review of the transportation systems in Charlotte, 

 Collier, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sar- 

 asota Counties of Southwest Florida. The systems reviewed are seaports, air- 

 ports, railroads, highways, bus transit, and pipelines. 



Reasonably detailed information is available on all but railroad and 

 pipeline systems. A synthesis of the findings on the modes of transportation 

 is given in the following sections. Original data on length, area, weight, 

 and other measurements are given in U.S. units of measure; conversion to 

 metric system equivalents was not practiced. Short tons (2,000 lb) are used 

 in this report and sometimes are referred to as volume. 



SEAPORTS 



PORT LOCATIONS 



The location of the two major seaports in Southwest Florida (Tampa and 

 Manatee) are shown in Figure 1. The harbors and shipping channels of the two 

 ports exceed the depth requirements (27 ft) for most merchant ships and ocean 

 barges (Florida Department of Transportation 1978a). Of the three medium sea- 

 ports in the region (St. Petersburg, Boca Grande, and Key West), only St. 

 Petersburg handles any appreciable amount of waterborne commerce. The small 

 port at Tarpon Springs has neither the channel depth nor the facilities to 

 engage in commercial cargo and serves primarily as a base for fishing and 

 pleasure boating. 



PORT CHARACTERISTICS 



This section provides details concerning the physical characteristics and 

 the past and projected cargo volume (tonnage) of the seaports. Specifics per- 

 taining to the historical volumes of cargo are taken from the U.S. Army Corps 

 of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States (1960, 1965, 1970, 

 1975, and 1980). Physical characteristics of the ports, and tonnage capaci- 



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