Bus Stops as Building Blocks: HART's Basic Transit Infrastructure Program

The HART BTI Program is HART's most visible infrastructure!

A bus stop is just a bus stop, right? Just a pole in the ground. Some stops have a shelter, others don't, some are green, and some are black. What’s the big deal?

At HART, we recognize that a bus stop isn't just a bus stop. It is a place where valued customers board and alight vehicles transporting them to important destinations such as work, school, medical appointments, child care and more. Which means, most patrons begin their commute at one of our stops. People depend on us!  Consequently, it is our responsibility to ensure the infrastructure of HART bus stops improve the customer experience, as much as possible.    

Which leads us to the HART Basic Transit Infrastructure (BTI) program.

With roughly 3,200 HART stops throughout Hillsborough County, the BTI program is HART's most "visible" infrastructure. The BTI program consists not only of stops and shelters, but also bus bays, crosswalks, landing pads, and more.

Of the 2,150 stops, 639 (30% coverage) of those have shelters.

Let's compare that with our regional peers:

• Charlotte Area Transit Authority (CATS) - 3,300 stops; 310 shelters (10% coverage)
• Fort Worth Transit Authority (The T) - 1,794 stops; 76 shelters (4% coverage)
• Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) - 4,822 bus stops; 650 shelters (14% coverage)

HART is outpacing our regional peers, and we plan to continue to pursue funding for additional infrastructure.

How did we get here? Let's take a look at how the BTI program is funded.

HART works in collaboration with local jurisdictions, developers and private property owners to engage in cost sharing opportunities or establish right-of-way easements for placement of transit infrastructure. An example of this is when residential or entertainment venues are built, HART receives "impact fees" to help mitigate the traffic that arises from the new development. This funding must be spent in the location it was received. The BTI program also receives 1% of HART's discretionary grant funding.

In addition to developer fees and grants, HART partners with Signal Outdoor Advertising to build and maintain shelters, in exchange for ad placements at the stops. It is through this revolutionary (at the time) public-private partnership, that HART has been able to build out so many shelters.

Bus Stop Audit

While we are proud of our shelter coverage, we can always improve.

In 2008, HART conducted a "Bus Stop Study," essentially auditing all stops within the HART system. From this study, forged the effort to bring our grandfathered-in stops to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Roughly 10 years later, HART is looking to conduct another audit of our stops. This time around, the study will focus on reviewing the conditions of our shelters (including ADA-accessibility, possibly moving stops, and improving stop GPS location accuracy for Google Maps, OneBusAway, etc.

Think your HART stop warrants a shelter? Fill out this online form to have your stop evaluated.

Mission MAX

Following the robust redesign of the HART network, a number of non-service stops and shelters are still in place. HART and Signal are aware of these stops and are working towards finding new homes for current shelters and scrapping ones that have passed their useful life (10 years).

Maintenance

Continued maintenance (pressure washing shelters, removing trash and debris, and more) is an important part of the rider experience, especially with hundreds of patrons visiting shelters daily. However, with a service area the size of Rhode Island, and a team of less than 10, stop maintenance is a challenge and HART is working with its partners to implement service improvements.

We are working industriously to improve!

Signal Outdoor, HART’s partner in shelter maintenance, is hiring another full-time employee to improve the visual appeal of MetroRapid stations. HART is also increasing supervisor patrols to identify shelters requiring immediate support. 

Despite our efforts, we need the help of our community partners!  If you see a stop or shelter in need of a little TLC, please don't hesitate to tweet us, send us a message on Facebook, or email CustomerService@goHART.org. We need your eyes on the ground!

National Infrastructure Week

The week of May 14^th is National Infrastructure Week. Throughout the week, agencies, from airports and seaports, to transit agencies and utility organizations, are highlighting the importance of supporting our nation's infrastructure.

Without crucial state and federal funding, HART would face an even greater challenge to keep our riders protected from the elements and ultimately, to keep our community moving.

Something to think about the next time you visit a HART bus stop!

HART has you covered with upgraded bus stops and shelters!

One out of five of HART's 3,200 stops are shelters! 

HART is fully committed to its progressive Bus Stop Improvement Program, which will make all bus stops ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant; not just for someone in a wheelchair, but anyone with any kind of mobility device. For the past couple of years, a route-by-route assessment has been underway for all of the agency's approximately 3,200 bus stops and 681 shelters to ensure they comply with these standards. Sites scheduled for improvements are chosen based on ridership activity and demand, proximity to other nearby covered stops, adequate right-of-way, opportunities to sell advertisements, and planned neighborhood improvements. 

This project, known as the Bus Stop Improvement Program, also provides all riders with enhanced passenger amenities such as, bus bays, new sidewalks and shelters to help protect customers from the rain and hot sunshine. This is especially significant since 55.3 percent of HART riders board at shelters.

All new shelters are lit by solar power, saving taxpayer money on electrical costs and making them environmentally friendly. By using solar power the authority's energy savings will return the cost of investment while enjoying increased safety, less maintenance, and a smaller carbon footprint! Meanwhile HART has already tripled the number of covered stops from one shelter for every 15 stops to one shelter for every five stops.

The latest installation completed was placement of a bus bay on Fowler Avenue and 53rd Street in the City of Temple Terrace. To match the city's Mediterranean-style theme it was given a custom Spanish-tiled roof. The installation also includes stand-alone seating to accommodate the high volume of patrons that utilize the stop.    

Also, completed were bus bay projects on the south side of Progress Blvd east of I-75 at Valley Dale Drive in front of Villages of Bloomingdale Apartments and MLK Jr. Blvd and Interstate Corporate Center just west of I-4.

Improvements also have other practical benefits for riders, for example, an insufficient number of stops can diminish customer access to HART services, so creating new stops under the Bus Stop Improvement Program addresses that issue. Similarly, optimizing the distances between bus stops helps ensure that buses stay on schedule by cutting down on unnecessary, inefficient stops that can cause delays.

The Bus Stop Improvement Program is supported by federal funding, as well as local impact fees. In addition, this program is driven by partnerships. An advertising contract with Signal Outdoor, for instance, helps offset shelter costs. Signal Outdoor pays for shelters and their maintenance, in exchange for shared advertising revenue. HART also engages with private developers, local government and the Florida Department of Transportation for opportunities to obtain land easements or offset construction cost.