Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Middle and High School Students Ride Free in March!

Free rides for middle and high school students in March!
Are your kids gearing up for Spring Break? More importantly, are YOU prepared? Cold sweats, nightmares, oh the places you’ll take them (on your dime): movies, malls, concerts, theme parks. If only there was a cheap, efficient way to get them around town without a car, and more importantly, YOU.

There is!

Middle and high school students ride FREE on all HART local, MetroRapid, and Flex Services throughout March during the HART Stay-cation promotion! All your kids have to do is show their student ID and they’re jetting around town for FREE!

Here is just a small list of the Tampa attractions that HART serves:

  • Busch Gardens – Routes 5, 18, 39
  • Adventure Island – Route 5
  • Florida Aquarium – Routes 8, 9, 97
  • Museum of Science and Industry – Route 6
  • GameTime – Routes 5, 8, 9, 12
  • Westfield Citrus Park – Route 39
  • Westshore Plaza – Routes 15, 30, 45
  • University Mall – Routes 12, 45
  • Channelside Bay Plaza – Route 8
  • Centro Ybor – Routes 8, 9,12
  • Tampa Museum of Art – Routes 7,10,14, In-Towner

We know you love your kids, but we also know that you love your free time too. Gain your independence, give them a little, and go HART!

For more information on HART routes, maps, schedules and a Trip Planner, visit www.goHART.org.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Share Your Love Story for a Chance at a FREE Streetcar Wedding!

The Streetcar makes an intimate and historic venue!
Recently engaged and looking for a historic and intimate venue to get married to your significant other? Better yet, at no cost?

The TECO Line Streetcar System wants to make a couple's dreams come true!

Have a great love story to share? We want to hear it! Share your story with the TECO Line Streetcar System Facebook page and you could be chosen to receive a FREE* streetcar charter and party/bar setup on us!

Love stories must be submitted by February 28, 2017 to be considered. *Streetcar charter date, length, itinerary, etc. will be determined after meeting with the selected couple. Expenses such as an officiant, decorations, etc. are the responsibility of the selected couple.

The historic TECO Line Streetcar System has been lucky enough to be a part of a number of couple's big days. Serving wedding reception venues such as the Florida Aquarium, The Ritz Ybor, The Vault, and more, the TECO Line Streetcar System is also perfect for wedding reception transportation, as well as, wedding party photos.

Those interested in streetcar charters can visit the Group Travel page on the TECO Line Streetcar website.


Share your Streetcar Love Story by Feb. 28th!

Monday, February 13, 2017

Survey Shows High Marks in Customer Satisfaction for HART!

Voice of the Customer Surveys have taken place since 2015.
HART is touting a huge jump in its score on a customer satisfaction survey -- an increase of 128% since August 2015.

These numbers were captured as part of
the agency's fourth wave of Voice of the Customer Scorecard, an initiative designed to gather data which will be used to better understand the customers' opinions of existing service and areas of priority that need improvement.


According to the latest quarterly survey of about 500 HART riders, the public transit system has drastically improved its customer service since conducting its first survey last year. Results of the survey, which was conducted at different times of day, and days of the week on all HART routes to measure customer impressions, indicate that HART is outperforming the national transit industry in customer satisfaction by 28%.

Back in 2015, HART hired TransPro Consulting to conduct surveys gauging rider satisfaction, asking riders whether they would recommend HART service to friends or family.

TransPro has conducted four waves of surveys since 2015, taking place in August and December, speaking to a total of 2,082 customers.

According to TransPro staff, who presented survey results to the HART Board of Directors during its February 6 meeting, HART scored notably high marks for service frequency, bus routes location convenience, and service improvements over the course of the past year.

TransPro also pointed out that HART achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 48%, a full 36% higher than the transit industry average NPS of 12% for customer satisfaction. Net Promoter Score is a widely used in both the private and public sectors as a customer satisfaction index ranging from -100 to 100 that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company's products or services to others. It is used as a proxy for gauging the customer's overall satisfaction with a company's service and the customer's loyalty to the brand.

Roughly 95% of customers expressed overall satisfaction with HART service, meanwhile the percentage of customers who felt that the agency's service had improved over the past year increased by 50% in wave four of the surveys. Regarding customer loyalty,
approximately 71% of the riders surveyed in wave four identified themselves as riding five days a week, which is higher than the industry standard. In addition, over 65% of customers in Waves 2, 3 and 4 use HART buses most frequently for work. 

HART will continue to conduct these surveys on a regular, ongoing basis to target specific improvements needed to boost customer satisfaction.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

HART Celebrates Black History Month!

As we celebrate Black History Month, we are frequently reminded of the important role that transportation plays in supporting and sustaining communities of color in today's complex landscape. In celebration of Black History Month, HART has planned several activities to celebrate Black History Month.

Starting this week, all HART fixed route buses will have a seat designated for Rosa Parks, a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement. Parks, the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement," will be honored by HART in this fitting tribute by designating a seat on every HART bus. Each of these special seat covers will have a commemorative sign displayed on them, honoring both Parks' legacy and her dedication to the Civil Rights Movement.

HART is designating a seat for Rosa Parks throughout Feb.
More than 180 HART buses will have a seat designated for Rosa Parks. A sign will remind all passengers of Parks' decision to take a stand simply by taking a seat. Parks' non-violent action on December 1, 1955 led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott that culminated one year later with a U. S. Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing access to public transportation.

"Her actions created millions of opportunities for transit users in Hillsborough County who rely on HART to get to work, to get to school and to create the lives they want. HART makes life happen for many folks," HART Chief Administrative Officer Kenyatta Lee said. "Her decision to keep her seat reminds all of us to focus on the larger issues of equality, opportunity and hope for the future."

In addition, HART has also produced a video - HART Generations of Services. This video features three HART retirees who tell their personal stories about how HART has changed through the years and how HART shaped their lives. The video is being played on the monitors located throughout the agency and it is available on the HART YouTube page.



Also, on February 21, HART will host a reception for our retirees at the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library at 5:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to spend time with some great HART pioneers and see the exhibit displayed in recognition of Black History Month.

We're highlighting local African American historical sites!
Public transportation also happens to be a great way to visit local African American historic sites in Tampa.

On social media, we're also highlighting these local African American historical sites and how you can Take HART to Black History!

HART is honored to be able to celebrate the lives of all those who paved the way during this month's activities in recognition of Black History Month.