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In Memory:

NNTA Board Member Donald F. Nevins

Donald F. Nevins passed away on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. He spent his retired years as a civic activist in New Tampa. Don served as a devoted New North Transportation Advisory Board Member and was active with the Greater Tampa Community Emergency Response Team. He was a past president to the Pebble Creek Homeowners Association and was also instrumental in the founding of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church.

Don moved to Pebble Creek in 1986, when New Tampa was young and relatively sparsely populated. He realized that traffic problems were an issue in the New Tampa area and was among the first group of area residents to recognize the need for advocacy.

He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota and he served in the United States Navy during World War II on the U.S.S. LaVallette. He worked in management with General Motors until his retirement in the early 1980s.

Don was in excellent health, and had passed a strenuous test for an advanced certification with the Greater Tampa Community Emergency Response Team. He died suddenly due to complications of gallbladder surgery. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; three sons and two daughters; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

We will miss Don and the contributions he made to transportation in the New North area.

Rick Fallin, USF Parking & Transportation Services

Rick Fallin has been actively involved with NNTA since 1997 and has served as a board member since 2004.

Rick came to the University of South Florida in the fall of 1997 as the first manager of the Bull Runner campus shuttle bus system. Rick has assisted the Bull Runner to go from just over 84,000 riders the first year to now serving a million riders per year. During his time at USF, he implemented the (former) BullET, the two off-campus routes funded by the City of Tampa concurrency money. These routes have since been incorporated into the USF Transportation budget, having been extremely successful and doubling campus ridership in 2000 the first year. He has also led the way in an alternative fuel program using bio-diesel to power the Bull Runner fleet. This program began in 2002 and Rick has since advised several universities as they began similar environmental programs.

Rick and his wife Wendy have two daughters, one at UF and one at USF (both faithful RTS and Bull Runner users), and a son at King High School. He is a third generation Floridian having grown up in the Central Gulf coast but has traveled extensively, visiting over a dozen countries on four continents. Hobbies include wood working/furniture building and gardening. He enjoys many sports but currently softball, volleyball and an occasional street basketball game with his son keep him busy. 

Fredric Zerla, Ph.D.

Dr. Fredric Zerla has served as a devoted New North Transportation Alliance Advisory Board member since 1997. He is also the President of the University Square Civic Association, which was formed in the late 1970s.

Dr. Zerla began his career at USF in 1963, and later received a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He was one of the principal organizers of the lower division of the undergraduate mathematics program at USF and was Undergraduate Advisor for many years. He also organized and ran the USF Chapter of the national mathematics honor fraternity Pi Mu Epsilon, and the USF Chapter of the Mathematics Association of America. Dr. Zerla retired in 2003, but continues to teach classes at USF.

Dr. Zerla and his wife have six children and five grandchildren.

Commuting Along Bruce B. Downs

On any given day, you will see cyclists commuting to work along Bruce B. Downs. One of those cyclists, Nicholas Griffiths, has been riding his bicycle to work for over 15 years. He began cycling to work while living in Canada and after moving to Tampa two years ago, he continued to ride to his job at the Moffitt Cancer Center from his home in New Tampa.

Nick’s “one car” household includes his wife and two children. With careful planning, Nick’s family of four has easily managed with only one car. Nick signed up for the Emergency Ride Home program offered through Bay Area Commuter Services to cover any unexpected overtime or family emergencies.

“As the costs of driving continue to increase, cycling is a very attractive mode of transportation,” said Nick who calculates owning only one car saves his household about $200 per week.

The health benefits of cycling are also tremendous. After sitting in an office all day, riding is a great way to relieve stress. His ride home along Bruce B. Downs some days includes an extra loop around Flat Woods Park just to connect with the environment and enjoy the end of a beautiful Florida day.

 Ride the Bus

Ridership on HART express lines to Brandon, Riverview and New Tampa is up more than 13 percent so far this year compared with the same time last year. Higher gas prices, congested roads and development are contributing to the rise in ridership on suburban routes. For schedule and fare information, visit www.hartline.org.

 Telework

Telework, also known as Telecommuting, replaces travel to, from and for work with telecommunications technologies. Telework refers to working at home or another location on a full or part time basis. Many employees telework only once or twice per week or, on the other hand, some employees telework full time and only go to the office on an occasional basis. For more information on teleworking in the Tampa Bay area, visit www.teleworktampabay.org or email contact@teleworktampabay.org.

Want to save money & make better use of your time by carpooling or vanpooling-
but don't know anyone to share the commute with?
We may be able to help! Join the regional rideshare database by following the link on the Commuter page of our website, www.newnorthalliance.org,  or by calling 813-974-9799 to speak with a New North Transportation Alliance representative.