Streetcar Featured In "Connected Vehicles" Segment on Discovery Channel!

Filming took place in December

The TECO Line Streetcar recently got some international camera time!

Discovery Channel Canada's "Daily Planet" featured the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot program in a segment. The show detailed how the implementation of the program is equipping devices throughout the city to help prevent crashes, keep traffic moving and improve fuel efficiency.

As part of the project, one TECO Line Streetcar System has been outfitted with devices that provides a warning when a connected vehicle or pedestrian is about to cross the track, reducing the risk of collisions. Up to 10 Streetcars and 10 HART buses will be equipped with these innovative devices by the end of April.

THEA Project Manager, Bob Frey, and Systems Engineer Lead for the CV Pilot, Steve Novosad, were interviewed and demonstrated the system's uses for the segment. In addition to the TECO Line Streetcar System, the Selmon Expressway and a Downtown Tampa pedestrian walkways were also featured on the program.

The Discovery Channel Daily Planet video is available to view online. The project's six-minute segment starts at 25:43.

Filming for the segment took place back in December.

Take Transit During NHL All-Star Weekend!

Welcome to Tampa!

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar System would like to welcome the NHL and their fans to Tampa for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game!

Whether or not you have plans to attend Gasparilla, or NHL All-Star Weekend events, Downtown Tampa will be BUSY this weekend with a mix of visitors and residents enjoying the festivities. Officials stress Downtown parking will be limited and heavy traffic is expected. Take transit!

But how? We understand challenges in attempting to navigate the local public transportation scene without an idea on how to get there. To make it easier, we've created this guide that breaks down some of Tampa's best attractions and how to get there with HART and the TECO Line Streetcar!

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the parking hassles:

(Routes may occasionally go on detour due to event road closures)

• Amalie Arena (NHL Skills Competition, NHL All-Star game) - Route 8, The In-Towner, TECO Line Streetcar
• Busch Gardens - Route(s) 5,9,39, HART HyperLINK
• Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park (NHL Fan Fest) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar, In-Towner
• Channelside Bay Plaza (Dining, retail, Splitsville) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Curtis Hixon Park (Fitz & the Tantrums concert) - Route(s) 1,7,19,30,60LX,360LX, In-Towner, the TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - Route(s) 1,7,19,30,60LX,360LX, In-Towner
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Glazer's Children Museum - Route(s) 1,7,19,30,60LX,360LX, In-Towner, the TECO Line Streetcar
• International Plaza (Shopping) - Route(s) 15, 30, 32
• Lowry Park Zoo - Route(s) 45
• Tampa Convention Center - Route(s) In-Towner, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Museum of Art - Route(s) 1,7,19,30,60LX,360LX, In-Towner, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Theatre - Route(s) 1,19,30,60LX,360LX
• University of South Florida - Route(s) 1,5,6,9,12,33,42, MetroRapid, HART HyperLINK
• Westshore Plaza (Shopping) - Route(s) 15,30,45, HARTFlex South Tampa
• Ybor City Historic District (Centro Ybor) - Route(s) 5,8,9,12, and the TECO Line Streetcar

Visit www.goHART.org for fares, maps, and schedules.

RIDER TIPS:
Only $4.00 for a 1-day unlimited ride pass on HART! The TECO Line Streetcar is FREE on Friday with a Fourth Friday Tampa event wristband. Pick one up at participating venues. Otherwise, it is $5.00 for an all-day pass.

Planning to travel multiple days? Save a few bucks by picking up a 3-Day Visitor Pass for $11.75!

Get real-time HART arrival information and trip planning by downloading the OneBusAway Tampa app!

The FREE In-Towner operates Downtown

In-Towner:  The FREE In-Towner is a rubber-wheel trolley that serves downtown parking garages and popular locations. The In-Towner will operate every 30 minutes on Saturday.

In-Towner Hours:

Friday: 6:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The TECO Line Streetcar at Dick Greco Plaza

TECO Line Streetcar System: The streetcar line runs on rails that connects Ybor City, The Channel District, and Downtown Tampa.

TECO Line Streetcar System Hours:

Monday-Thursday: Noon - 10:00 p.m
Friday: 11 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Sunday: Noon - 8 p.m.

Click here for a map of downtown Tampa's network of public transportation service, including streetcar stops, The In-Towner and HART bus routes.

Flying out? Routes 30, 32, and 60LX run between downtown and Tampa International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends.

Enjoy your time in Tampa, we are always here if you have any questions!

Give the Gift of Independence with the HART Travel Training Program!

Travel Training is available for anyone!

Driving to work, the doctor, school, the supermarket, to visit friends or just to get out and go is something many of us take for granted. 

According to different studies, lack of transit literally hurts many Americans. The 40 percent of American military veterans who live in rural areas report much lower health quality of life scores than urban veterans. The Veterans Administration attributes this in part to poor transit to medical facilities. Lack of transit to after-school sports means that rural kids are 25 percent more likely to be obese. And the future will be grimmer: by 2016, 15 million elderly people will be without access to transportation. Studies have shown that when seniors can no longer drive their cars, they cease participating in society: Visits to friends and family fall by 65 percent; shopping and eating trips fall by 59 percent. This lack of mobility impacts people’s ability to get around and Socializing becomes pretty much impossible. 

For many riders in Hillsborough County, HART means freedom, independence, self-possession. It gives people the ability to get out in the community, meet other people, be involved and to do the things that they enjoy doing.
 

Giving people a sense of independence is what drives HART Travel Trainer Mark Sheppard and his co-workers. This special group of individuals are passionate about what they do.  Mark has been a Travel Trainer with HART for 14 years.  

The HART Travel Training program has helped many folks in the Tampa bay area learn how to get around on their own and many have regained their much needed freedom but there is one program in particular that the HART Travel Training program helps out with that has made a world of difference for many. On occasion, Mark has the opportunity to assist the Recreation Therapist at the James A. Haley VA Hospital with the Traumatic Brain Injury veterans. These veterans typically only reach this stage of therapy of testing the use of public transit after 4-5 years as a patient at the hospital, many in power chairs. That’s where the HART Travel Trainer helps out. Mark and his team were asked to help with trip planning and participate in the trips to provide their assessment of the veteran’s ability to navigate a public bus system with the Recreation Therapist.

On a specific occasion, a veteran named Chester, from New York City, was scheduled to be assessed on an upcoming bus trip. As before on other occasions, HART Travel Trainers inquire from the therapist some basic information about the veteran. When Mark, heard he was from New York, and that he was a big Yankee’s fan, it was easy to determine where the trip plan would be taking them. It was early March, and Yankees Spring Training takes place in Tampa. In addition, HART had a Transfer Center within walking distance to Steinbrenner Field.

Let's tag along.

Mark, Chester, and the therapist headed to West Tampa Transfer Center. Once there, they crossed Himes Ave, and made their way to the pedestrian bridge over Dale Mabry Hwy. to Steinbrenner Field, where they were able to watch Chester’s favorite team practice.

We recognize people know HART as Hillsborough County’s public transportation system. However, there’s more to HART than buses on the street, or the bus stops and shelters you see in your neighborhood.

Give the gift of mobility with our FREE Travel Training program. ANYONE, regardless of ability, is able to take advantage of the HART Travel Training program.

Schedule a Travel Training session for parents, children, etc. by calling 813-254-4278! 

Change Your Life with Transit in 2018!

Try Transit in 2018!

With the New Year fast approaching, many are looking at doing things differently in 2018. Nationwide, individuals are looking to eat better, reduce stress and save money. Make the most of this goodwill by trying transit in the New Year and get on track to accomplishing all 3 resolutions!
Drum roll please... 

The Top Reasons to Try Transit in 2018

Getting out of the comfort zone of your car may seem daunting and scary, so why not make it a 2018 must-do by adding it to the resolution list? Plus, here are some (good) reasons to try transit in 2018:

1. Save, save, save. A second car in Tampa Bay costs a family on average about $700/month, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). A HART monthly bus pass is $65. That’s $635 in monthly savings! Use APTA’s transit calculator to find out what it costs to drive a personal vehicle versus trying transit.

2. Go green. This is the generation that’s doing it differently! Many residents have made daily changes as part of their personal going green initiative: energy-efficient light bulbs, reusable grocery bags, and low-flow shower heads. Next stop on going green: Ride HART.

Read a book, listen to music, relax and let HART drive!

3. Reduce stress. It’s no secret driving in gridlock traffic is stressful. Kick the car habit, and don’t “stress” about how to get home from work. The Emergency Ride Home program makes it easy to rely on transit by ensuring a ride home in case of an emergency or unplanned situation. Learn more at www.tampabayrideshare.org

4. Reach fitness goals. Regular exercise is a common New Year’s resolution. Taking the bus is an easy way to get in the recommended minimum daily 30 minutes of physical activity, according to the 2005 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Transit users are 3x more likely than non-transit users to meet that recommendation. Why use a treadmill at a smelly gym when you could be going places instead!

5. Everyone else is doing it. HART riders, who make up the more than 12 million in yearly bus trips, can’t be wrong! They are enjoying more safety, less stress and use technology like OneBusAway Tampa and the Google Trip Planner to help them plan their trips.

6. Bike and ride. Each HART bus accommodates two bikes. By combining buses and bikes, commuters can greatly expand their range of travel.

7. Ride and fly. Frequent air travelers can take advantage of new service to Tampa International Airport! Following the launch of Mission MAX, the newly created Route 60LX provides service between Westfield Brandon and Northwest Transfer Center (with stops in Downtown and the Airport). Route 60LX joins route(s) 30 and 32 with service to the Airport. Workers along this route need only to park at the office and hop aboard the nearest stop. Save considerable cash, compared to even the cheapest Uber/Lyft ride!

8. Again, savings, savings, savings. The Commuter Transit Benefit provides individuals a monthly up-to $260 tax benefit towards using public transportation.

Change your life in 2018, start with HART!