HART and Coast Bike Share Partnership Helps Tackle the 'First Mile, Last Mile' Problem

Three Coast Bike Share bikes will be stationed at MTC

May is National Bike Month and HART makes connecting to the bus by riding a bike a breeze.
 

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) and Coast Bike Share are formally announcing that we have teamed up to add three Coast Bikes at the Marion Transit Center (MTC).

 

Through this partnership, bicycle racks with quality Coast Bikes are set up at high-activity hubs such as MTC, and dozens of additional hubs in the Downtown area, Ybor City, and Hyde Park. The MTC location will help residents, students, businesses and visitors to get around by combining HART and Coast Bike Share trips to explore the Tampa Bay area.

HART works hard to promote the growth in cycling around Tampa and seek proactive, long-term solutions to accommodate a growing market of transit users who travel by bike. Bicycle friendly transit provides cyclists with increased options to travel, and it also expands transit ridership.        

 

"The Coast Bike Share connection helps make HART a more convenient option for customers needing a way to start or complete their trip," said Jeff Seward, HART Chief Financial Officer. "With the additions of Coast Bike Share, RedCoach, to compliment the Megabus.com partnership, MTC has now become a busy inter-modal hub for Bus Rapid Transit in Tampa and a catalyst for travel throughout the state of Florida."

Coast Bikes can be reserved on Coast's mobile app, online at app.socialbicycles.com, or at the bike using its keypad. Coast to your destination and lock it to any hub or public bike rack. It's that easy!

Purchasing a monthly or annual membership to this program would provide a convenient, healthy transit alternative to run errands, make it to class on time, or simply sight-see. On a larger scale, the availability of public bikes would offset the costs of car pollution, parking lot use, add convenience to multi-modal travel, and strengthen the local culture of health and environmental sustainability.

  

This partnership is just one more example of how HART staff is focused on attracting new ridership, fueling revenues, and enhancing service through strategic innovation. The HART inter-modal approach strives to connect various modes of transportation such as walking, bicycling, and using the TECO Line Streetcar System, Park-n-Ride facilities, and paratransit system.