Thankful in 2016: A HART Year in Review

With 2017 fast approaching, many are looking towards the New Year as a fresh start. However, we at HART are looking to continue building on the successes of the past year. 

2016: Year in Review

One frequent theme for HART throughout 2016 was partnerships.

HARTPlus Customer Choice Program

Back in January, we announced a partnership with Yellow Cab of Tampa Bay and FDOT to provide same-day paratransit service for HARTPlus riders. The HARTPlus Customer Choice pilot program provides riders with quick and convenient service that is available 24 hours a days, seven days a week. The taxi voucher program has provided over 30,000 trips since January!

Keep TBB Farmers Market has expanded to UATC!

Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful Farmers Market

With our on-the-go riders in mind, HART partnered with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful by launching a first-of-its-kind Farmers Market at Netp@rk Transfer Center in February. The market allows transit riders and the general public to choose the healthy option, while not having to deviate from their normal routine.

The market will expand to the University Area Transit Center in 2017!  

Free WiFi on all HART Buses

With our commitment to enhancing the rider experience, HART partnered with UDP Technology to provide FREE WiFi on all HART buses, with vans and streetcars coming in 2017. Since April, HART riders have been able to use free WiFi on board to stream music, check emails, and more!

ESMS Program Certified ISO 14001

The organization's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship was recognized in June, when the HART Environmental Sustainability and Management System (ESMS) was certified ISO 14001. ISO certification is an international standard in environmental management. HART is one of only 13 transit agencies in the United States, and the only one in Florida to reach ISO 14001 certification.

HART was 1st U.S. transit agency to launch OBA trip planner

OneBusAway Tampa Grows

OneBusAway Tampa, the hit HART real-time app that launched in 2013, became a one-stop shop for travel information in July, with the launch of the OneBusAway Trip Planner. Customers can now plan their trip and see how close their bus is in real-time, all via the OneBusAway Tampa app! HART is the first U. S. transit agency to launch the dynamic trip planner feature of OneBusAway and third in the nation to launch OneBusAway.

The dynamic trip planner will notify you via the app if the end time of your selected trip has changed by at least 2 minutes, or if your selected trip plan is no longer recommended.

The service has shattered expectations with 208 million hits in a 12 month period.


Launch of Flamingo Fares App

Download the app today!

With the launch of the Flamingo Fares app in September, riders on both sides of the bay can now purchase a single fare for travel between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties! The Flamingo app allows patrons to book a 3-day unlimited regional pass, valid for 3 consecutive days for only $11! Fare options in the Flamingo Fares app will be expanding in 2017 to include various travel lengths (1-day, 31-day, etc.).

The Flamingo Fares pilot is all part of a larger project to bring smart card technology to HART! The implementation of smart cards (the cards, readers, etc.) will take place in 2018.

Download the app today!

HART HyperLINK

HART HyperLINK, the nation's first transit-operated rideshare service, launched to much fanfare in November! The innovative service extends the footprint of the HART network direct to your doorstep, delivering rides to and from local bus stops for passengers in select areas (Brandon, Carrollwood, and the University/Lutz). HART HyperLINK operates 30 minutes before/after service begins/end within the zone. The cost of the service is $3 per trip + the cost of HART Local, Express, Flex, etc.

HART partnered with international transportation provider TransDev, to roll out the service.

Service Expansion

The core of HART service is still our buses and vans, and in 2016, we were able to expand service by 325,795 miles! This includes the expansion of In-Towner service to Saturdays and a host of Local route enhancements. HART also continues to make investments in our fleet with a transition to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and vans.

Not a bad year, eh? 2017 looks to be even better as HART takes Hillsborough County transportation Beyond the Bus!

MTC Recycling Program Kicks Off Sept. 29!

Recycling kicks off at Marion Transit Center on Sept. 26!

HART is happy to announce that we are kicking off a recycling pilot program at Marion Transit Center on September 29th!

Every three months, Americans throw enough aluminum in the landfills to build our nation's entire commercial air fleet. THREE months.

That's a lot of waste!

A large portion of the waste streams produced by HART operations come from the patrons who use our network of vehicles and facilities. You can imagine just how substantial that amount of potential waste is with the HART system seeing upwards of 50,000+ trips taken daily.

HART takes our environmental stewardship role serious. HART is 1 of only 13 transit agencies in the country (and the only in Florida) to be ISO 14001-certified in environmental management.

Fortunately, our riders appear willing to do their part. A recent survey of Marion Transit Center commuters shows that 73% of riders currently practice recycling.

This is where our riders come in. The success of this initiative will directly depend on the participation of our patrons.

HART patrons will be helping to preserve the natural environment by correctly placing recyclable items in our collection bins. Signs located near the recycling bins will clearly identify prohibited and approved items.

Join us for kickoff!

Pledge to Learn, Act, & Share for a chance at 1-day/31-day farecard!

HART staff will be out at Marion Transit Center on Thursday, September 29, from 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Inc. joining us in the afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Drop by the HART tent, as we will be raffling off both 1-day and 31-day bus passes for those who take a pledge to support the HART recycling initiative. Other giveaways and information on how to help "Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful" will be available as well.

Follow HART & Recycle! Visit goHART.org for more information on the HART Environmental and Sustainability Management System.

HART Achieves Prestigious Environmental & Sustainability Certification!

HART is 1 of 13 transit agencies in US to be ISO 14001 certified

HART recently received an official ISO 14001 Certification for its Environmental Sustainability and Management System (ESMS). Audit firm, DQS Inc., has certified HART as one of only 13 transit agencies in the country and the only transit system in Florida to achieve International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) 14001 Standard.

Sounds good, right? But, what does it mean?

Jeff Seward, HART Chief Financial Officer explains.

"Developing an ISO 14001 certified Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS) program provides assurance to our community, stakeholders, and employees that our operations and services are environmentally friendly. Now that we're certified, the ESMS also provides a framework for us to continuously take steps to reduce pollution and continually improve our environmental footprint on the Tampa Bay region."

HART began work to achieve this certification in 2013 when it was accepted to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) ISO 14001 EMS Institute at Virginia Tech University. A two-year program, the academy is designed to help transit agencies develop and implement an ESMS, using the ISO 14001 Standard. ISO is an independent, non-governmental organization that brings together experts to share knowledge and develop standards that provide solutions to global challenges such as environmental management.

Our ESMS provides improved internal controls

These management tools enable an organization to control the environmental impact of its activities and represent a structured approach to setting environmental objectives and targets. Fulfilling the requirements of the standard demands objective evidence which can be audited to demonstrate that the environmental management system is operating effectively in conformance with the standard. Benefits include higher conformance with legislative and regulatory requirements, improved efficiency, minimized risk of regulatory and environmental fines, reductions in waste and consumption of resources, and better internal controls.

The FTA has sponsored four ESMS academies, each with a class of 10 transit agencies. Of those, 13 have gone on to become ISO 14001 certified and HART is the only one in Florida, placing it in the upper echelon of transit agencies that have made a commitment to the environment.

In terms of ridership, the other thirteen transit systems are diverse. Several transit agencies are close to our size; Foothill Transit in California provided more than 14 million rides in 2015. Sound Transit in Seattle is over twice our size and provides 28 million rides a year; Lane Transit District (LTD) in Oregon provides an average of 11 million rides a year. Another peer with the certification is the nation's third largest transit provider, Los Angeles Metro, which provided 453 million boardings in 2015. Agencies of all sizes are making the commitment. Pursuing this level of environmental performance makes for a safer, cleaner environment.