It was a horrible choice in the first place, and the idea that Shelton Quarles was going to be the happy face of a regional tax referendum to pay for rail transit was pretty ludicrous. So today we hear that Quarles, the former Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker, will step stepped down. Bay Buzz reports:

Shelton Quarles, the former Bucs linebacker turned transportation authority chairman, is resigning from the board, vice chairman Frank Hibbard said today.

“I was just told yesterday that Shelton had resigned,” Hibbard said, saying the resignation was effective immediately and he would begin overseeing the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority board.

Read my story “Tackling Transit,” on Quarles when he was first appointed and the controversy about his selection.

And read Quarles PR statement released late today after the news already broke. Good job getting out in front of it, TBARTA:

Shelton Quarles, Chairman of the Tampa Bay Area Transportation Authority (TBARTA), informed Florida Governor Charlie Crist in a letter this week that he will not seek re-appointment to the TBARTA Board.

In the letter he writes, “I regret that I will not be able to serve another term; I finish my current term knowing this region is on its way to implementing and building a world class transportation network.”

“My continuing and growing responsibilities with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are such that they need more than my full-time attention. I have always prided myself in the fact that when I commit to an endeavor, I give it my all. I do not want to be in a position where I am not able to carry out all the required and necessary responsibilities of a TBARTA board member,” Quarles said.

Quarles was named Chairman of the TBARTA Board by Governor Crist in September 2007. In the two years he served as Chair, TBARTA created a transportation vision for the Tampa Bay region by developing and adopting a Regional Transportation Master Plan. Development of the plan included engaging more than 47,500 people in the region during the process.

“Shelton has been a tremendous asset to our organization. His leadership has helped us to come this far in just two short years,” said TBARTA Executive Director Bob Clifford.

Quarles term expires on September 20, 2009. However, he will remain a member of the TBARTA board until such time that the Governor names a replacement.