Hop on HART this School Year!

HART serves 20+ colleges throughout Hillsborough County!

Welcome back, students! Another semester is here. If you're planning on using HART this school year, below is a quick reference guide on connecting to HART and the special fares available from your school.

What is HART?

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is the public transportation service provider for Hillsborough County. HART serves Hillsborough County's employees, residents and visitors with bus, and van services. HART also operates the FREE 2.7-mile TECO Line Streetcar System, serving the restaurants, attractions and other entertainment venues of Ybor City, the Channel District and downtown Tampa.

Learn how to ride HART here.

HART Adult Student Fare program:

Schools participating in the HART Adult Student Fare program sell HART fare cards to its students for a 25% discount. Students can purchase a 31-Day Local Adult Student Fare Card for only $48.75 (normally $65) at their respective schools by showing their valid student ID. Please note, the adult student discount is not applicable if the pass is purchased at traditional HART sales outlets.

Click here for a listing of participating schools.

What's a fare card worth, if you can't connect to your school?

Luckily, HART has you covered with multiple routes connecting to over 20 colleges in Hillsborough County. Below, you'll find a listing of some of the schools that HART serves with bus, van, and streetcar service.

University of South Florida (USF): 

The following HART routes serve the USF area:

• MetroRapid North-South - UATC/Fletcher Ave.
• Route 1 - Florida Ave.
• Route 5 - 40th St.
• Route 6 - 56th St.
• Route 9 - 15th St.
• Route 12 - 22nd St.
• Route 33 - Fletcher Ave.
• Route 42 - UATC
• Route 48 - Fowler Ave./56th St./Morris Bridge
• Route 275LX - Bruce B. Downs Blvd./UATC

Students ride FREE on MetroRapid, HART Local, Limited Express and Flex routes with valid student ID. Faculty and staff ride for just 50¢.

For information on the U-Pass program, click here.

Hillsborough Community College (HCC): 

We have a number of routes serving the HCC campuses around the county:

• Dale Mabry campus - Route(s) 7, 32, 36, 45
• Brandon campus - Route 37
• SouthShore campus - Route(s) 31, HARTFlex South County
• Ybor City campus - Route(s) 5, 8, 9, 12, the TECO Line Streetcar

HCC Semester Pass: HCC students can purchase the HCC Semester Pass, providing over 4 months of unlimited rides on HART for just $110 - roughly 50% off! The Semester Pass can be purchased at all HCC Bookstores.

Students can also purchase a 31-Day Local Adult Student Fare Card for $48.75 at the bookstores of HCC's Dale Mabry, Brandon and Ybor City campuses.

UT students receive a 25% discount on 31-day passes

University of Tampa (UT):

HART serves UT via the following routes:

• Route 7 - West Tampa/Citrus Park
• Route 19 - Port Tampa
• Route 30 - Town 'N Country/Airport

Sanford Brown University:

HART connects to Sanford Brown via HARTFlex South Tampa

Ultimate Medical Academy:

HART connects to the Ultimate Medical Academy via routes 7, 32, 45.

Now that you've purchased your pass, what's the next step?

Plan your school commute with HART

Your best bet is the HART Trip Planner. Simply type in your starting and end points, arrival time/date, hit "get directions," and let the planner do the rest.

Real-time HART arrival information and trip planning is also available with the OneBusAway Tampa app!

You can also call the HARTinfo line at 813-254-4278, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful, if there is anything else that you think we should include (like your school), let us know in the "comments" section. Have a great semester!

Ride HART FREE to the 2019 Back to School Bash!

HART is partnering with WWE wrestler (and overall amazing Tampaian) Titus O' Neil's Bullard Family Foundation to provide FREE rides on HART on Saturday, August 3, for the 2019 Back to School Bash & Kickoff Classic at Raymond James Stadium.

The 2019 Back to School Bash & Kickoff Classic is a FREE event for Hillsborough County K-12 Students. Parents and guardians can register their child online at BullardFamilyFoundation.org to receive FREE school supplies, food, school physicals, eye exams, and more!

All HART services will be FREE throughout the day.

FREE HART Service to Boom by the Bay!

HART is joining in on the Boom by the Bay festivities with FREE rides throughout the system on July 4, 2019, and a shuttle service to the event!

Boom by the Bay will feature fireworks, live music, and more in four different locations along downtown Tampa's waterfront:

• Armature Works
• Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
• Sparkman Wharf
• Tampa Convention Center

Event-goers will be able to pick up the free shuttles from the HART Marion Transit Center (MTC) in downtown. The event shuttles will operate every 15 minutes.

HART and the City of Tampa are encouraging event-goers to hop on HART or park at the Scott Street parking lot to connect at MTC. Fourteen HART routes will serve MTC on Independence Day.

Please note: HART will be operating on a Sunday service level, which means a number of routes operating to/from MTC will cease operating around 10 PM. Check www.goHART.org for specific route information.

Use this convenient trip planner to plan your route to Boom by the Bay!

Public Transportation to Boom by the Bay

HART Bus Shuttle

Cost: FREE
Hours: 3 PM - 11 PM; service every 15 minutes

Routes: 

• North Shuttle - MTC to the Straz Center and Curtis Hixon Park with access to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park via Tyler St. and Doyle Carlton.
• South Shuttle - MTC to Whiting Street Station to connect with the TECO Line Streetcar for service to Sparkman Wharf

TECO Line Streetcar

Cost: FREE

Hours: 7 AM - 12 AM;  service every 10 minutes

Route: 

• Streetcar service will operate between historic Ybor City, the Channel District (Sparkman Wharf), and downtown Tampa

NOTE: Coolers and alcohol are NOT permitted on HART and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

With FREE public transportation on Independence Day, it's hard to find a better BOOM for the buck! Event-goers can enjoy a stress-free trip to downtown, take in the festivities and get home safely.

For more information on Boom by the Bay, visit www.tampagov.net/boom.

Boom by the Bay Transit Service Map (English and Spanish)

HART CEO Statement on Judge Barbas' Decision Upholding Transportation Tax Funding

"The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) welcomes Judge Barbas' decision upholding expanded funding for public transportation in the region.

Fifty-seven percent of the voters were very clear in their support of a transportation formula that would support the needs of a best-in-class transportation network. We look forward to working with the Hillsborough County Board of County Commission (BOCC) to ensure the best use of the transformational investment that will the improve the transit experience for Hillsborough County; our goal is to partner with the BOCC to fulfill the taxpayers vision."

- Benjamin T. Limmer, HART Chief Executive Officer

HART to Install Driver Safety Barrier on all Buses and HARTFlex Vans

HART stands United

HART with the support of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1593 is installing driver safety barriers on all HART buses and HARTFlex vans.

"HART has been working with the ATU over the past few weeks to enhance the safety of the driver compartment and implement a solution that works for our employees. I am happy to announce that we have reached an agreement," said HART CEO Ben Limmer. "The safety and security of our employees remains a priority at HART as they serve our customers with the highest level of professionalism."

The ATU and HART have mutually agreed to a custom-fit protective barrier with extended tempered glass to cover the operator space.

"Following the senseless passing of one of our own, we voiced our concerns, and would like to thank HART leadership for listening to us," said ATU International Vice President Curtis Howard. "We are working together to take immediate action to ensure that our members are safe and that a tragedy like that never happens again."

HART has allocated $1,000,000 towards the driver safety barrier project with each installed barrier estimated to cost $5,000.

The HART Summer Blast Pass is BACK!

The HART Summer Blast Pass is BACK with an exciting twist!

From June 1 through August 31, Hillsborough County students, ages 5-18 can enjoy their independence, save cash, and "go green" on HART buses with the FREE Summer Blast Pass.
The HART Summer Blast Pass provides unlimited rides on HART Local, Limited Express, MetroRapid and HARTFlex services.

The Summer Blast Pass can be picked up at any of the following three HART locations:

• Downtown Tampa: Marion Transit Center, 1211 N. Marion St., Tampa, FL, 33602
• University Area: University Area Transit Center, 13110 N. 27th St., Tampa, FL, 33612 
• Ybor City: HART Administrative Offices, 1201 E. 7th Ave., Tampa FL, 33605

*Proof of age is required to receive the Summer Blast Pass

"The HART Summer Blast Pass provides younger riders the key to their independence and is designed to be a tool to help them get to a summer job, the mall, and beyond," said Benjamin Limmer, HART Chief Executive Officer. "Learning to use public transportation is a skill that serves students well throughout their lives."

HART has introduced a variety of technology improvements over the years to make service more attractive to tech-friendly students, including:

• Free WiFi on buses
• Real-time travel information via a smartphone app, OneBusAway Tampa, and the Google Trip Planner to make mapping trips a breeze.

HART also offers a FREE Travel Training program, to help new riders learn how to use the system. 

For more information, visit www.goHART.org.

Be Prepared this Hurricane Season!

HART provides Emergency Evacuation Service

With the Atlantic hurricane season officially beginning on June 1st, it's a great reminder of the importance of having a severe weather plan BEFORE a storm hits. Unlike earthquakes or tornadoes, which can happen in an instant, hurricanes tend to provide a lot of warning.

HART buses run special evacuation routes for people who need transportation to shelters. HART and the Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management urge you to make arrangements now for the safety of your family, should a storm force you from your home.

HART Emergency Evacuation service is not limited to hurricane evacuation, however. The Office of Emergency Management can call on HART as an official evacuation partner of Hillsborough County to implement service in an emergency evacuation situation, providing it is safe to do so.

Know your plan

Map of Hillsborough County Evacuation Routes

For the safety of our riders and employees, regular HART service will cease if sustained winds reach 39 mph. HART was forced to cease service following Hurricane Irma in 2017.

HART service will also cease if the Office of Emergency Management instructs HART to begin operation of Emergency Evacuation service, after shelters have opened.

Our emergency routes are designed to transport people from low-lying areas to higher ground.

Because of this, if a major storm threatens our area, you should plan for the possibility of service interruptions.

To minimize inconvenience to our customers, we will announce the need to interrupt service as early in the day as possible, and will work to restore service just as soon as it is safe to do so.

The primary goal is to be prepared and have a plan. Don't wait until the last minute to make arrangements or you may find yourself stranded.

For more detailed information on the service and service plans in case of emergency, please click here.

For information on Hillsborough County shelters, weather alerts, etc. please visit Hillsborough County Emergency Management page.