HART Board Appoints Scott Drainville as Permanent CEO

HART CEO Scott Drainville

The HART Board of Directors appointed Scott Drainville as the Authority's new Chief Executive Officer at the November 6, 2023, Board Meeting.

Mr. Drainville has been serving as the HART Interim CEO since April 2023.

  

The decision to promote Mr. Drainville was announced after a vote by the HART Board of Directors to approve his contract as permanent CEO.

            

HART hired Mr. Drainville in 2018 as Deputy Chief of Maintenance, overseeing the Authority's core business in maintenance, facilities, inventory control and the communications/electronics divisions and responsible for directing the overall funding, environmental, design, permitting, construction, and project close-out of capital construction projects. He would go on to serve as Chief of Maintenance and Transportation.

 

“Scott Drainville is a partner with our Board in bringing more transparency to HART, said HART Chair Councilman Luis Viera. "I and our Board of Republicans and Democrats enthusiastically gave Mr. Drainville a unanimous approval for a reason - because he is the right person with the right values and for the right time for HART.”

 

"I appreciate the confidence the Board of Directors has placed in my ability to lead HART," said HART CEO Scott Drainville. "My focus is on bringing stability to the organization and continuing to maximize our resources to deliver the best possible transportation service for Hillsborough County."

      

Mr. Drainville is a native of East Providence, Rhode Island who brings more than thirty years of public transportation and fleet maintenance experience to the organization. He started his career as a diesel technician in the late '80s.

Before coming to HART, Mr. Drainville served as the Director of Transportation and Maintenance for CitiBus located in Lubbock, Texas. He has also held transit leadership positions at the D.C. Circulator in Washington D.C. and served as a Mechanical Foreman with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority for more than eighteen years.

HART Board Statement on Action to End CEO Le Grand's Employment

HART Board Statement on Tuesday's board action to end CEO Adelee Le Grand's employment:

“In light of the agreement between the HART Board and CEO Adelee Le Grand to end her employment with HART effective May 2, 2023, we welcome the closure that Tuesday's settlement brings. We remain committed to transparency and exceeding the expectations of taxpayers who fund our mission.  

HART can now move forward to continue to focus on the outstanding 800+ hard-working men and women throughout the agency as well as the thousands that rely on them and our service daily."

HART Board Statement on the Vote to Suspend HART CEO Adelee Le Grand with Pay

Official statement of the HART Board regarding the board action on Monday, March 27, 2023, to suspend HART CEO Adelee Le Grand with pay:

"The HART Board voted on Monday to suspend CEO Adelee Le Grand with pay following the final report of the investigative attorney David Adams. The Board is expected to make a decision on Ms. Le Grand’s future with the agency at a special board meeting to be determined in the near future. We remain as a Board committed to transparency and the expectations of taxpayers who fund our mission.  In the meantime, Scott Drainville, Chief of Maintenance and Transportation, has been named as Interim CEO.

Despite our current circumstances, HART remains fully committed to our mission.  And we remain committed to the hard-working men and women who give all they have on the job for our mission."

HART CEO Adelee Marie Le Grand Named To Tampa Bay’s Power 100 List

The Tampa Bay Business Journal has named HART CEO Adelee Marie Le Grand, AICP, as one of Tampa Bay’s most influential business leaders.

On January 26, the publication released its annual Power 100 ranking, recognizing Le Grand amongst a host of other prominent local business leaders, including the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Rays, as well as the CEOs of Publix, AdventHealth West Florida and Tampa International Airport.

The Power 100 list recognizes individuals for their leadership qualities, and how their work helps to shape the success of the regional business community. Le Grand’s inclusion on this list in her first year at the helm of HART demonstrates how she has been strategic in building relationships with business and civic leaders whose support of public transit is key to expanding customer-focused mobility options in Hillsborough County.

Le Grand’s key message: Transit not only connects people to key resources and employees to jobs but also spurs economic growth in the region.

Since her arrival at HART in January 2021, Le Grand has been laser-focused on creating a new vision for the organization by establishing trust and transparency, cultivating a culture of operational excellence and building meaningful strategic partnerships.

You can read the article here. 

HART CEO Adelee Marie Le Grand, AICP

Ms. Adelee Le Grand Selected as New HART CEO

The HART Board of Directors selected Adelee Le Grand as the next HART CEO during its board meeting on November 2nd, 2020. Ms. Le Grand delivered a powerful public presentation introducing her vision of a transportation network to unite and offer the community immediate access and opportunity.

"It was evident to the entire Board of Director that Ms. Le Grand will rebuild and revision HART by building trust through transparency and respect with employees, customers and the community," said Commissioner Mariella Smith, HART Chair, Board of Directors. "As we look to the future, we're confident Ms. Le Grand is the right person to lead HART and create a long legacy of providing the highest level of service equitably and to openly drive Hillsborough County forward."

Next Steps:

Recruiting firm GovHR USA and HART General Counsel with negotiate contract terms with Ms. Le Grand.  A contract for approval will be placed on the December agenda at the regular meeting of the Board.

Professional Biography:

Adelee Le Grand is a leader, with over two decades of experience, who is passionate about utilizing mobility as a tool to create and sustain vibrant equitable communities. Her area of speciality is developing and communicating strategies into the implementation of business solutions and innovations. 

Adelee has served as a member of the executive team for two transit agencies. She has served as the Chief Mobility Officer for the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), working closely with the Executive Director and Planning Division to develop a strategic plan to document the new state authority's suite of services and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and regional partners. Adelee also served as the Chief Strategy Officer in service to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, where her responsibilities included developing the first Strategic Mobility Plan for the New Orleans Region and rebuilding the Planning Department. 

She empowers her team to view their portfolio of projects as opportunities to improve the lives of the community they serve. Her motto is, "it is not about the project, it is about how the project improves the community".

Ms. Adelee Le Grand

HART Board Approves FY2020 Budget

Every $1 invested in transit provides $4 return!

The HART Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt the Authority's FY2020 Budget, which will take effect on October 1, 2019.

The $121.5 million spending plan is comprised of capital program and operating tactics that focus our HART's to deliver those Outcomes.

The FY2020 Budget is The Starting Line of the TRANSitFORMATION of HART, focusing on excelling in four key areas:

• Customer Experience: Customer-centric initiatives, increasing customer satisfaction
• Key FY2020 Projects: Service improvements, Bus Shelter Improvements and Expansion, Farebox Technology Upgrades, Vehicle Safety Surveillance Modernization & Expansion, Computer-Aided Dispatch/ Automated Vehicle Locator (CAD/AVL) Solution for Paratransit
• Community Value: Community sentiment, partnerships
• Key FY2020 Projects: Fleet expansion (including the purchase of 10 electric buses, Compressed Natural Gas buses, Vans, etc.), InVision: Tampa Streetcar Project Development & Engineering / Phase IV Study, Marion Transit Center Facade Repair
• Employee Success: Organization realignment, engagement, talent development

• Key FY2020 Projects: Marion Transit Center Renovation, Replacement of Immersion Washing System, Expanding HART Auto Body Capabilities, Administrative Policy Modernization
• Financial Performance: Financial sustainability, improving service productivity

• Key FY2020 Projects: Wheel Alignment Equipment, Vehicle Fluid Tracking Software, Diagnostic Technologies for Vehicle Repair, HVAC Replacement

"HART is building a Culture of Excellence," said Benjamin Limmer, HART CEO. "This budget reflects the beginning of that transformation, with an over $121 million investment in public transportation in Hillsborough County".

The Adopted FY2020 Budget does not include All for Transportation Sales Tax Funding. Once AFT funds become available, HART can amend the FY2020 Budget to reflect the additional funding.

Adopted FY2020 Budget "By the Numbers"

• 8.9% growth in Ad Valorem = $3,970,378
• Operating Budget is $83,491,758
• $4,564,016 or 5.8% higher than FY19 Adopted Budget
• Capital Budget is $37,961,026
• $5,333,853 or 16.3% higher than the FY19 Adopted Budget 

If you are unable to attend any of the meetings, they now can be viewed live on HART YouTube channel.

Click here to view video recordings from recent HART Board/Committee meetings. 

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

City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to Serve on HART Board

PHOTO: City of Tampa

We are honored to welcome our newest member of the HART Board of Directors, newly elected Tampa Mayor, Jane Castor!

HART CEO Benjamin Limmer announced, "I am honored to welcome Mayor Castor to our Board of Directors. Mayor Castor's presence and leadership will shape the opportunity HART has to provide innovative and sustainable transportation solutions for decades to come.  Mayor Castor will be an asset to the HART Board of Directors and to the organization as a whole."

Mayor Castor's commitment to connect businesses large and small with the communities they serve through increased walkability, bike-ability, rapid-transit buses, and an extension of streetcar routes and innovative solutions are all key to providing our citizens with the frequent, reliable, and convenient public transportation they deserve.

"With the passage of the All For Transportation sales tax, HART has an unprecedented opportunity to invest in our future now" said Mayor Castor. "Our communities in West Tampa, East Tampa, and Sulphur Springs need reliable bus service they can count on. As Mayor, I will use my seat on the HART board to fight for every neighbourhood to have the dependable bus system they deserve through upgrading existi0ng transfer stations and building multi-modal hubs with fixed transit lines that connect riders from Westshore to New Tampa."

HART Announces Selection of Jeffrey Seward as Interim CEO

Today the HART Board of Directors appointed Jeffrey Seward to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective December 4, while the Board conducts a national search for a permanent replacement.

The Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve Seward, a 6-year HART employee who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer, to succeed Katharine Eagan who recently announced her departure after nearly eight years of service, to be CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pa. Her last day at HART will be January 5.

A graduate of Columbia College, Seward also holds a Master of Public Administration degree from California Lutheran University. Prior to joining HART, he made valuable contributions while working as the Chief Financial Planning Officer for Sarasota County. As Chief Financial Planning Officer, he was responsible for the management and execution of the County's billion dollar annual budget, managing to build reserves to the point where very few services were required to be cut during the height of the recession. He also was instrumental in the financing strategy and planning for a $32 million major league baseball facility, which led to the Baltimore Orioles' making Sarasota its new spring training home.

"Jeff is a highly respected individual with the experience necessary to manage an agency as complex as HART," said HART Board Chair Commissioner Lesley "Les" Miller. "His 31 years of  experience in local government, private-sector and military experience makes him the perfect fit, and his already strong knowledge of HART and plans for the future of the agency will help ensure a smooth transition period for the agency. We are grateful for Jeff's strong commitment to HART."

Seward originally joined HART in 2011 as Chief Financial Officer, where he is responsible for account & financial reporting, budget, cash management, internal audit, procurement, contracts administration, grants & planning, environmental management sustainability and project management.   

Seward has distinguished himself as a dynamic and results-driven CFO who has consistently developed balanced budgets, developed strong financial policies,  ISO 14001:2004 certification for its Environmental Sustainability and Management System (ESMS), established project management, joint procurements with PSTA, negotiated deals with MegaBus and Red Coach. Also, spearheaded the Regional Fare Collection System which will allow riders to travel throughout the greater Tampa Bay area using a single fare processing system.   

Driven by a profound commitment to public service, Seward was named 2014 CFO of the Year in the Tampa Bay Business Journal's government agency category. Seward speaks nationally and internationally on the agency's sustainability and carbon reduction initiatives to reduce the agency's impact on global warming. He was recently a guest speaker at the Annual Climate Change: Impacts and Responses conference at Anglia-Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.

He and his wife Theresa have four children; Noah 17, Tyler 23, Jordan 24, and Zachary 27.

HART Announces Future Departure of HART CEO Katharine Eagan

HART CEO Katharine Eagan is leaving HART

HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan will depart the agency after nearly eight years of service, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and a strong foundation for future growth.  

"Katharine Eagan has done an outstanding job running Hillsborough County's transit agency," said HART Board Chair and County Commissioner Lesley "Les" Miller. "We are deeply grateful for her leadership and proud of the many strides we made as an agency during her time as HART CEO. Eagan helped lead a new era for HART which is cutting edge, fiscally responsible, and customer focused. Efforts that have earned her the respect of many in the Tampa Bay community."

Eagan joined HART as its Chief of Service Development in 2009. During her tenure, from 2010 to 2015, ridership increased over 20% and farebox recovery increased over 25%. 

Since taking the helm as CEO, Eagan has worked with the HART Board of Directors to balance the Authority's budget, improve efficiencies, implement innovative transit solutions, and enhance the overall customer experience. HART has greatly expanded public-private partnerships with entities such as MegaBus, Red Coach, Coast Bike Share, Yellow Cab, and TransDev, and HART is continuing to pursue partnerships that provide travel options beyond traditional buses. 

In November 2016, HART partnered with Innovation Place and various sponsors to add four Tesla X model vehicles into the HART HyperLINK program. Donations from these sponsors paid for the entire cost of placing these all-electric vehicles into service in the University Area.  

Recently, HART selected Stantec/Coast Autonomous team to provide Autonomous Mobility Services for the Marion Street Transitway. The Autonomous Shuttle coming to the Marion Street Transitway in early 2018 is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and will be the first implementation in the United States of a driverless transit vehicle on open public streets.    

"The agency's future is bright, its leadership is strong and HART is devoted to delivering best-in-class transit services that connect many communities throughout Hillsborough County," said Eagan. "What HART has been able to achieve in the last three and a half years has been a collective effort reflective of the dedication of the entire HART team."

With a long history of accomplishments and accolades, Ms. Eagan was awarded the Florida Diversity Council's 2016 Powerful and Influential Women award and WTS 2016 Woman of the Year by Women in Transportation Seminar. She was a finalist for the Tampa Bay Business Journals' Businesswoman of the Year award in 2014 and 2016 and the winner in 2016 in the Economic Development category.

Eagan will be taking on a transit leadership role at Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The HART Board will select an interim CEO at the December 4th meeting.

HART Ridership Continues Record Trend

62 consecutive months of over a 1 million trips on HART!

The numbers are in, and HART had a big month for ridership in April, including another month of more than a million trips on HART bus service. The increase continues to be evident in our daily ridership; April 14 saw the greatest daily ridership throughout the month with 53,103 bus trips.

A total of 1,255,932 trips were taken last month, which marks the 62nd consecutive month of serving more than 1 million bus rides; February 2010 was the last month with under 1 million rides. This continues a strong upward ridership trend for HART, with a fifth straight year of record ridership. We've set annual ridership records in 10 of the past 11 years.

"We are extremely pleased that more people are taking advantage of the affordable cost and convenience of our service," said HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan. "We look forward to these new customers becoming regular riders as they continue to discover all the great benefits of taking transit."
 
Fast facts: 

Last month, April 14 saw the highest daily ridership throughout the month with 53,103 bus trips.

11 days exceeded 50,000 riders

The TECO Line Streetcar System saw an increase of two percent for April and is up four percent for FY2015.

For the month of April, HART logged 20,752 bicycle boardings; an increase of 2.6 percent compared to last year.

HARTFlex ridership was up 3.1 percent from April 2014 and up 6.3 percent for the year.

Year-to-date (FY2014 vs. FY2015), bus ridership is up 2.6 percent; an increase of 230,681 trips compared to the same period last year. Recent statistics from the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Transit Savings Report indicate that the average annual savings for public transit riders was $9,394. Individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can also save, on average, more than $783 a month.

These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle, which in this APTA Transit Saving Report includes the April 27, 2015 average national gas price ($2.54 per gallon- reported by AAA), and the national unreserved monthly parking rate numbers.

HART is hiring new Bus Operators, Fleet Mechanic, Finance Assistant TVM, and many other great job opportunities. If you are interested please visit: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/gohart/default.cfm.

HART sees big ridership growth in December

HART ridership continued to be strong in December with 1.27 million boardings, an increase of 5.7 percent from last year. Fiscal year to date ridership is 4.1 percent ahead of the same period last year with HART on track to exceed over 15 million boardings in FY2015. All this, while gas prices are the lowest in six years! The most recent ridership report shows total passenger trips for December reached 1,272,735. That's 69,006 more riders choosing HART to get around Hillsborough County in December 2014 compared to the same month last year. 2014 was a critical year for HART with record ridership, further recognition of its innovative transit system and new community partnerships. Ridership gains and system improvements continue to be fueled by efforts to position HART as a better way to travel around Hillsborough County.   "Just as our current passengers are using our service more, we continue to attract new passengers with service and amenities that are increasingly relevant and attractive," said HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan. "Public transit in Hillsborough County continues to improve, and I encourage people who haven't been on a bus lately to give it a try."     Fast facts:  December 3 saw the greatest daily ridership throughout the month with 58,662 riders picking HART!  14 days exceeded 50,000 riders. MetroRapid ridership was 49,584 up 8.3 percent from December 2013 and up 2.8 percent (149,506) for the year. Year-to-date (FY2014 vs. FY2015), bus ridership is up 4.1 percent; an increase of 155,170 trips compared to the same period last year.   The following routes are our highest percentage gainers so far in FY2015,* showing that added investment in public transit pays off with more riders:    Route 46 (Downtown Tampa/Brandon via Causeway Blvd.): +140.5 percent increase (Removed from Davis Islands and extended in Brandon to Dover Rd. + midday service added.)  Route 57 (UATC/Temple Terrace/Netp@rk Transfer Center via Temple Temple Terrace): +25.4 percent increase (Saturday service added) Route 37 (Brandon/Netp@rk Transfer Center via Grand Regency Plaza): +17.5 percent increase (Sunday service added) Route 6 (Downtown Tampa to University Area Transit Center via 56th St.): +14.6 percent increase (Frequency increased in the midday from 30 to 20 minutes) (*Each of these routes were enhanced in FY2014.) For all-things HART, including OneBusAway, Real-time Arrival Information via Text Message, trip planning, schedules, maps and fares, just visit www.goHART.org.

HART Bus Ridership Continues Strong Growth!

HART ridership is up once again! HART is delivering more than 52,000 trips a day! November continued the agency's run of strong ridership growth. November marked another month of more than 1 million in bus ridership. The most recent ridership report shows total passenger trips in November reached 1,185,748. That's 6,981 more riders choosing HART to get around Hillsborough County in November 2014 compared to the same month last year.   November 5 saw the greatest daily ridership throughout the month with 58,662 riders picking HART!     On average each weekday HART is delivering more than 52,000  passenger trips on its growing network of buses. "As ridership continues to grow, so does the need to expand service to keep pace with the growing demands of the county," said HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan. "We are pleased to see a steady increase in ridership during the first quarter of FY2015."     Fast facts:  November 2014 ridership marked 6,981 more trips than the same month last year.   13 days exceeded 50,000 riders. MetroRapid ridership was 42,609. Year-to-date (FY2014 vs. FY2015), bus ridership is up 3.4 percent; an increase of 86,164 trips compared to the same period last year.  The top five average weekday ridership routes in FY2015, showing that public transit use remains strong in significant areas of Hillsborough County: Route 1 (Downtown to University Area Transit Center via Florida Avenue): 1.8 percent increase Route 6 (Downtown to University Area Transit Center via 56th Street): 14.6 percent increase Route 12 (Downtown to University Mall/University Area Transit Center via 22nd Street): 8.2 percent increase Route 34 (Northwest Transfer Center to Netp@rk Transfer Center via Hillsborough Ave.): 3.8 percent increase Route 39 (Town 'N Country/Citrus Park to Netp@ark Transfer Center via Busch Boulevard): 5.7 percent increase For the month of November, bicycle boardings in Hillsborough County saw a 3.2  percent increase over last year's numbers. HART logged 18,432 boardings compared to 17,641 last year.   For all-things HART, including OneBusAway, Real-time Arrival Information via Text Message, trip planning, schedules, maps and fares, just visit www.goHART.org.