Smart Card technology and more discussed at HART Major Projects & Legislative Committee

An overview of capital improvement projects was provided during Monday's HART Board Major Projects and Legislative Committee at the HART Administrative Office in Ybor.

Construction on MetroRapid Park-n-Ride

Construction of MetroRapid North-South stations started on the north end of the corridor. This includes construction of six stations in Telecom Park, three stations in Hidden River, and Stations 42 and 44 at Magnolia Drive and Palm Drive on Fletcher Avenue. In addition, 14 Ticket Vending Machines were received by HART and are ready for installation! TVM's will be placed at large MetroRapid stations.  

HART is gearing up to begin design of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station by the end of this year, with construction scheduled to begin Spring 2013. In order to maximize the life of current HART vans and buses, conversion of the HART fleet will take place as older diesel-engine vehicles cycle out: CNG-powered vans and buses will be ordered to replace current diesel-powered vehicles that have reached their useful life. This conversion is scheduled to be completed within the next 6-12 years.

"Smart" fareboxes allow for various forms of payment

Lastly, HART announced that it will kick off a Farebox Replacement Working Group, and request participation by nearby transit agencies on a regional approach to modernize fareboxes and work towards a smart card system. This type of regional approach will assist with securing federal grants to fund this project, and increase user-friendliness by streamlining farebox systems.

"Fare media is connectivity," said Philip Hale, HART Chief Executive Officer, explaining that a streamlined farebox system is one of the best ways to make cross-county connections easy and seamless for customers.

The Farebox Replacement Working Group will evaluate the needs of existing and potential transit customers to first determine the most efficient type of modern farebox or smart card system that could be implemented at HART, if funding were available.  

Many HART fareboxes have been maximized beyond suggested usage, and currently only accept cash or HART farecards. Smart card technology increases customer convenience, speeds up boarding and reduces/eliminates fare collection. Various forms of "tap-and-go" smart card technology have been implemented by transit agencies throughout the country.

For more information about these HART and HART capital projects, visit www.goHART.org.

11/14/11 - Major Projects & Legislative Committee Meeting Recap

The Major Projects & Legislative Committee met Monday and received a summary of HART capital projects under development, design and construction. View HART at Work, which provides details for each project that impacts current and future public transit facilities, including the Yukon Park-n-Ride, MetroRapid North-South and East-West, Transit Signal Priority, new park-n-ride facilities in Brandon and in Northeast Hillsborough County, and the Basic Transit Infrastructure Program. It also includes a map that demonstrates the geographical range these projects have across Hillsborough County. You could say public transit improvements are coming to a zip code near you!

No need to mention the improvements underway at the 21st Avenue Facility -- most employees are working through this major renovation project. Thank you for your patience! Construction is scheduled through Fall 2012.

The Major Projects & Legislative Committee also held a discussion about the importance of securing federal or state funding to incrementally implement the use of CNG at HART.

"Compressed Natural Gas is one of the most effective fuel technologies for public transit," said HART Chief Executive Officer Philip Hale, adding that especially in Florida's hot weather, CNG-fueled vehicles operate more efficiently than diesel-hybrid vehicles. The battery power of a diesel-hybrid bus is not enough to run the ongoing air conditioning system needed for a bus that operates under Florida's extended warm and humid weather conditions.

Natural gas is colorless, shapeless, and odorless in its pure form. It is abundant in the United States, and when burned it gives off a great deal of energy and few emissions. Unlike other fossil fuels, natural gas is clean burning and emits lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the air. Most natural gas vehicles operate using compressed natural gas (CNG).

HART is working with the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization to undertake project development work identifying the specific requirements to support CNG vehicles at the HART maintenance facility. Project development is required to effectively compete for federal and state monies that would fund such a project.