Wednesday, January 30, 2019

HART Schedule Colors Are Changing!

HART blue schedule leaflets are back!
You may have noticed a mix of green and blue route schedules in the racks at HART Customer Service Centers, or on board the bus. Good eye!

HART schedule leaflets transitioned to green in 2017 to promote awareness of Mission MAX, our system network redesign. The vivid green was designed for easy comprehension of a route change.

With a little over a year since the implementation of Mission MAX, the "HART blue" schedules are now available. Implementation will be conducted in phases.

Green schedules: Routes with no recent service changes, will be on display at all HART locations and on buses, while supplies last.

Blue schedules: Routes with recent service changes are now blue.

Be in the know, while on the go!

Contact CustomerService@goHART.org, or call 813-254-4278 with any questions.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

I Ride with HART: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith's other car is a bus, but that wasn't always the case.

"I grew up in Carrollwood, and I honestly didn't ride the bus while growing up in Tampa," said Smith during an interview on board the TECO Line Streetcar System. He described the first transit system he experienced many years ago in Atlanta while attending college and how he used it to get everywhere."

Smith, a trim man wearing a white shirt and a navy-blue suit, jokes about how his friends tease him for always being in a suit, became a dedicated bus and streetcar rider about two years ago.

Smith started off commuting just because he wanted to try transit and quickly discovered how much he enjoyed using the alternate mode of transportation. Smith's ride on HART allows him to answer emails, handle client's concerns, read, or take in the scenery. He enjoys not worrying about headaches that come with daily commuter traffic or the wear on his vehicle, plus the reduced time behind the wheel gives Smith family time later on in the day.

"I ride it to work a few times a week, that's kind of where I started, deciding that I was going to ride HART to work one day and now for me, it's trying to balance the schedule with what you need at the end of the day. It'll be a few times a week type of thing for me. Transportation looks different for everyone."

Another aspect of riding HART that Smith enjoys is the fantastic view of Tampa and the social environment on board a bus. He says you experience a city much differently through public transit. Being able to enjoy the view and take it all in makes a difference.

"The view sure is terrific on a HART bus. When you're out from behind the wheel, you can look out the windows beyond gridlock to see people, trees, and the beautiful Tampa skyline. The view inside a HART bus is pretty great too. It's clean and comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch out and breathe. Even better? It's filled with potential friends, professional connections, and neighbors.

When he's not answering a work email or talking to a client, he's getting connected with the community and making new friends. "You get to meet many people, people that you wouldn't normally have the pleasure of meeting. When I was going to work, I found that I would learn a little something about someone and the community they lived in."

Andrew also utilizes the TECO Line Streetcar
The friendly atmosphere on HART buses and the service's dependability came as a pleasant surprise, he said.

Since he started riding HART, Smith feels more relaxed and gets to enjoy all Tampa has to offer. He believes it is another opportunity to promote Tampa, especially to tourist. Every time friends and family are in town; he makes sure that they take HART and the TECO Line Streetcar to get around and experience the city. When you take public transit, you become a part of the city's mission, and he's happy that he's doing his part to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion.

Smith tries to always lead by example, and his advice to his friends and potential new riders is to give HART and transit a try. Once you become accustomed to riding public transit, the benefits of riding the bus become obvious. He hopes that as we continue to expand that public transportation will act as a catalyst for collaboration between communities.



Thursday, January 17, 2019

HART's Continued Commitment to Sustainability

HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward attends 15th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.




























HART Interim Chief Executive Officer Jeff Seward is continuing HART’s dialogue in sustainability conversations as he attends the 15th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.  As the region’s public transportation provider, it is imperative that we fully understand our services’ impact on all legs of the sustainability stool, and how to lessen the impact on the environmental leg, while building a strong influence over the cultural, economic and social legs. 

HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward
Mr. Seward has ensured HART’s representation in the sustainability and climate change conversations over the last 5 years by presenting HART’s on-going environmental and climate change mitigation work in academic centric and industry conversations held at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, University of California, Berkeley, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon and several American Public Transportation Association sustainability conferences.

HART’s work on reducing its carbon footprint by over 17% over the past 5 years, significantly reducing energy consumption in its operating facilities, and its international certification as the only ISO 14001 environmentally sustainable transit agency in the State of Florida, one of only a dozen in North America, has been lauded by these organizations.


Friday, January 11, 2019

HART Offers Assistance to Support Federal Employees at Tampa International Airport

Tampa International is served by five HART routes
The partial government shutdown has entered its third week. For many federal employees in Tampa, it has been 21 days of being furloughed or going without pay. According to reports, nationally about 800,000 workers have been affected by the partial shutdown. At the Tampa International Airport, 800 federal employees are impacted.

As this shutdown continues, HART and Tampa International Airport (TPA) have partnered to provide a viable transportation option for their employees travel to and from work. HART has donated 500 31-Day farecards to support workers of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ease the hardship they are facing during the partial shutdown.

During a government shutdown, many federal employees are considered essential - requiring them to report to work even if they are not getting paid. The employee's ability to get to work is critical for Tampa both financially and operationally. Tampa International Airport is a vital transportation gateway and an economic engine for the Tampa Bay area.

HART's contribution will hopefully ease the transportation burden and enable workers to utilize the funds for other necessary items during this period of uncertainty.

"It is a privilege to be able to offer some assistance to the hardworking federal workers at Tampa International Airport during this time," said HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward. "We have built a strong relationship with the airport team, and any assistance we can provide its employees, we stand at the ready."

"We are grateful to all of our partners in the Bay area who are pulling together to assist the federal workers who are such an important part of the airport family," said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano. "Their commitment to safety and customer service is what helps make Tampa International one of the best airports in the world."

HART is committed to being an integral part of the communities it serves. Giving back for us is about identifying a need in our community and making sure we are there to provide the help needed.