HART Service Changes Go Into Effect December 2

Service changes go into effect Dec. 2.

As part of our continued commitment to providing ease of access and convenience for patrons, HART is implementing minor service changes effective Sunday, December 2. HART makes regular service adjustments three times a year in response to public feedback and also to improve safety and efficiency. Routes are primarily selected for adjustment based upon demonstrated ridership and input via the customer service database.

The following HART service changes go into effect on Sunday, December 2:

Route and Schedule Adjustments:

• Route 45 is being modified to serve Busch Blvd., between North Blvd. and Florida Ave.
• Routes 60LX and 360LX will no longer serve Westfield Brandon Mall. 
• Route 60LX will be extended to serve Culbreath at Bloomingdale Park-n-Ride.
• Route 360LX is being extended to serve J.C. Handly Park-n-Ride.

Schedule Adjustments:

• The TECO Line Streetcar will have minor "last trip of the night schedule adjustments.

Route 60LX will now operate along U.S. 301 to Bloomingdale Ave., ceasing at the Bloomingdale Park-n-Ride. This will provide the Valrico area with all day limited-stop service to Tampa International Airport and the rest of the HART service network.

Route 360LX will operate along Lumsden Rd. before turning on Kings Ave. (entering the J.C. Handly Park-n-Ride) and looping back on Bloomingdale Ave. and finally Providence Rd.

Riders wishing to connect between routes 60LX or 360LX and routes 37, 46, 75LX, or HARTFlex Brandon should transfer using routes 8 or 31 (at Providence Rd. and Bloomingdale Ave, and at Westfield Brandon Mall).

HART in the Community

HART staff will be out in the community at the Marion Transit Center and Westfield Brandon Mall bus stop over the next two weeks talking to riders about the service changes.

You can view the new route schedules on goHART.org or contact HART customer service at (813) 254-4278 for more information.

Take HART to AirFest 2016!

HART takes you AirFest!

If you love intense aerial maneuvers, along with getting in the cockpit of dozens of new and classic aircraft (safely on the ground), this event is for you! The U.S. Air Force hosts the free event, but expect other branches of the armed services to get in on the flight action.

More than 50,000 are expected to attend the event.  If you're planning on attending the event, HART and MacDill AFB have partnered to provide transportation for Airfest 2016 in order to minimize event traffic congestion on March 19 and 20. Gates open at 8:00 a.m. Aerial Performances begin at 10:00 a.m.

Here are your HART options for getting to the Fest:

• Route 4 will operate serving Marion Transit Center and the Whiting Street Parking Garage in Downtown
• Route 4 will begin service at 8:00 a.m., southbound service will cease after 3:00 p.m. Northbound service from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Route 36 (6 a.m. - 7 p.m.) will terminate at Britton Plaza. Patrons can board the Route 4 from Britton Plaza to continue to MacDill AFB.
• Additionally, Route 19 will serve Britton Plaza, operating regular route. However, expect major delays.

Please note: MacDill AFB is a high security facility and certain items are prohibited.

What NOT To Bring:

• Firearms (CCW Permits not recognized/honored) NOTE: Off-duty/Retired LEOs must leave firearm in vehicle.
• Replica or toy weapons
• Stun guns, tasers, any electrical discharge devices
• Knives, box cutters, cutting devices (any blade size) NOTE: This includes multi-tools, Swiss army knives, etc.
• Laser pointers
• Sharp objects, sticks or poles of any kind
• Batons and Asps
• Pepper spray, mace or any chemical dispensing device'
• Any type of weapons to include "self-defense" weapons
• Fireworks
• UAVs, drones, or any type of remote controlled vehicles
• Drugs, controlled substances, drug paraphernalia
• Any size coolers. EXCEPTION: small handheld coolers with baby food (formula and food in PLASTIC containers) or medications will be allowed after inspection
• Alcoholic beverages (not purchased at event)
• Food or beverage items (not purchased at event) EXCEPTION: plastic bottled water
• Any glass bottles or glass containers of any kind
• Portable BBQ or cooking devices
• Skates, roller blades, skateboards, scooters, OR HOVERBOARDS
• Bicycles not allowed past the security screening area
• Banners or signs on a pole of any kind
• Clothing with objectionable language or images (profanity, racist, anti-military, anti-government, obscene)
• Costumes or any garment resembling military personnel or law enforcement officers
• Pets (with exception to service dogs)
• Any other items base personnel consider a security or safety risk 

Please leave prohibited items at home as you will be denied boarding and entry to the event. We appreciate your cooperation!

Feel the need... the need for speed, at AirFest 2016. HART Takes You There.

Giving Thanks this Holiday Season...

The Holiday Season is the time of year for reflection of the past year(s). A time to reflect on what we have, not what we lost. There are plenty of reasons (in no particular order) to have a HART-Felt Holiday Season!
Best Ridership in HART History

We saw record ridership this year with13.7 million passenger trips (1.4 million more than FY 2010), while PSTA also saw a record number of riders with 13.1 million passenger trips.

With the exception of a just a couple of months in FY 2011 (my statistics teacher would say those are considered “outliers” anyway!), HART saw double-digit ridership increases month after month despite flattening gas prices. In fact, we've seen growth in ridership dating back to February of 2010, and we hope seasoned and new riders alike are taking note of the investments HART has made to boost accessibility and service, including more shelters and a big boost in late-night and weekend service.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

If you're a regular reader of the blog, then you probably have seen us mention CNG in the past couple of days. We received an early gift, when we learned last week that HART is one of 46 recipients to receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration for a clean-fuel transit project. The $2.3 million grant will go towards a CNG fueling station and "CNG fitting" our 21st Avenue Maintenance Facility.  This will allow us to begin converting our fleet to CNG as dictated by the fleet replacement schedule.

CNG is more environmentally-friendly and currently costs 20-25% less than diesel.

Our Troops

We are thankful for those here and abroad who give (and have given) such a tremendous sacrifice to protect our rights and freedoms around the world. We would like to specifically mention our riders on the 24X and 25LX, which are two of the busiest Express routes in the HART system. HART is honored to serve those who serve and thanks to MacDill AFB for valuing public transportation by offering free passes to military personnel!

Award Wins

We have been very fortunate to earn a number of awards over the past few years.  Last year, HART received the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) "2010 Most Outstanding Public Transit System of the Year" among all transit agencies carrying between 4-20 million passenger trips annually. The award is quite the honor in the transit industry, as it is comparable to an Oscar in film. One agency in North America is recognized in three size classes for demonstrating outstanding achievement in efficiency and effectiveness over a 3-year period. We're thankful for all of the HART family for their hard work in receiving this award.

We recently passed the baton off to Sun Metro in El Paso, Texas. Congratulations Sun Metro!

Increased Funding for Public Transportation

Recently, $10.6 billion in funding for public transportation was approved, which is a 3 percent increase in funding over FY 2011! While it doesn't guarantee more will trickle down to HART, it does provide more opportunities for HART to compete for grant funding. Projects such as the CNG fueling station and the TECO Line Streetcar Extension, both received funding from the Transit Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grant program. We are always thankful for investments in transit and infrastructure!

Rosa Parks

Rosa Park's refusal to give up her seat changed the course of history. It all started on a bus... and we are forever thankful to Ms. Parks for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

Red Bull Flugtag Tampa Bay 2011

Special Events

Tampa played host to a number of special events this year, in addition to the annual group of festivities held in Tampa - Gasparilla, Guavaween, etc. Tampa welcomed the "Elite Eight" group of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament, Red Bull Flugtag, the CuervoGames and the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, which is like the World Cup of Dragon Boat Racing.  These events not only offered free entertainment, but also gave us the ability to showcase our service and grow ridership. These events are in addition to all the concerts, festivals and sporting events held around the county.

Metro 510

Metro 510, a mixed-use, workforce housing complex sits adjacent to our main transit hub, Marion Transit Center.  Metro 510 markets itself to service workers and entry-level employees who would normally not be able to afford a luxurious apartment downtown.  Metro 510 leases apartments from $588 for a one-bedroom to $808 for a three-bedroom.  The complex provides renters with easy connectivity to the HART system and downtown, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and effective use of natural lighting.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Metro 510! We're thankful that you're here.

The Community

Obviously, HART would not exist without the support of Hillsborough County residents, employees and visitors.  Last year, HART saw a record number of trips taken throughout Hillsborough County, and from the bottom of our HART (pun, maybe a little cheese... intended), we really do appreciate your ridership and continued support!

Here is to a great 2012!

HART-Felt Holiday Notes

The holiday season is upon us. The eight days of Hanukkah have begun and Christmas and Kwanzaa are right around the corner. Many families around the world will get together over feasts and chatter, celebrating various beliefs and participating in different traditions. However, some of our family and friends will not have the same opportunity to break bread with their families this holiday season.

Over 1.4 million troops serving our country are stationed in over 150 different countries around the world. Even troops stationed in the United States sometimes find themselves as much as 3,000 miles away from their loved ones.

As we've touched on in past posts, active and retired members of the Armed Forces make up a strong contingent of the HART family. As such, we wanted to do something special for troops around the world and locally at MacDill AFB. Holiday greetings featuring HART employees/retired military members and also active military to their families have been airing on WTSP (local CBS affiliate) since the beginning of December. Check out the video spots below.

 

The holiday season equals holiday service levels. Below is our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day schedule.

HART Holiday Service

Christmas Eve

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar will operate on a normal Saturday schedule. The following services will not operate:

• Express/Limited Express service
• HART Flex (South Tampa. South County, Town 'N Country)
• In-Town Trolley (Route 96)

HART Customer Service will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached by calling (813) 254-4278. Customer Service centers at University Area Transfer Center and Marion Transit Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other HART offices will be closed.

Christmas Day:

HART will operate on a Sunday schedule. The following services will not operate:

• Express/Limited Express service
• HART Flex service
• In-Town Trolley (Route 96)

The TECO Line Streetcar will not operate in observance of Christmas Day.

HART Customer Service will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached by calling (813) 254-4278. All other HART offices will be closed. 

HART Holiday Luncheon

Food was the main attraction...

We recently held our employee holiday luncheon, which is a great way to get the HART family together for the holidays. Food and refreshments were served along with a "year-in-review" slideshow.

'Tis the season for giving and our team is in full bloom! More than 400 pounds of food were donated by employees from all of our different facilities as part of the Boxes of Hope food drive, benefiting Metropolitan Ministries. Way to go everyone!

The giving doesn't have to stop there or with us. You can visit the Metropolitan Ministries website for food drop off locations. There is still time left to donate!

The holiday season comes and goes quickly, so enjoy it and happy holidays from our family to yours!

Here's a TIP - MacDill's Transportation Incentive Program (TIP)

More than 3,000 Hillsborough County residents are employed by MacDill Air Force Base (AFB), home of U.S. Central Command or Centcom.

With such a concentration of employment in the Tampa area, there's a good chance that you are associated with MacDill, whether it be by direct employment, contract work or family and friends. Did you know that MacDill AFB offers its personnel FREE transportation to the base?

Believe it.

If you live in Brandon, Valrico, Riverview, and the Fishhawk areas east of Tampa, MacDill, through their Transportation Incentive Program (TIP), provides FREE monthly HART Commuter Express passes, a $90 value.

If you have not signed up for MacDill's TIP, you are missing out on a benefit that could save you hundreds of dollars a month in gas and tolls. More than 1,450 personnel take advantage of a daily, hassle-free express bus ride or van pool, which is 100 percent paid for by Uncle Sam.

According to MacDill, the TIP has its origins from Executive Order 13150, which "seeks to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and emissions by military members and federal employees by mandating a public transportation program that offers assistance with commuting costs".

Don't live in the above areas? TIP also includes TBARTA Commuter Services, a van pool program. The van pool program provides commuters, in groups of five or more, funding to secure a passenger van for their daily commute. For information on the van pool program visit www.tampabayrideshare.org/vanpool.

As with any program, there are a few stipulations to the TIP program. You obviously can't intend to profit off the sale or trade of bus passes and van pool vouchers. And TIP applications shall be based solely on costs associated with the use of a qualified mode of transportation to and from MacDill in conjunction with employment by the Department of Defense (DoD).

Are you eligible for the TIP Benefit?

1) DoD active duty military members
2) DoD Reserve Military members (including both Reservists and National Guard Members) on active duty status
3) DoD Federal civilian employees
4) DoD NAF personnel

Per MacDill: The TIP program is managed by the 6th Comptroller Squadron, Financial Services Office in bldg. 149 on Hillsborough Loop. After identifying the service or bus route that will best serve you, please e-mail finance.services@macdill.af.mil to get a copy of the application. Applications must be returned in person so eligibility requirements can be verified using the members DoD issued ID card. Applications can be dropped off any duty day and are processed at the end of each month. Riders typically are able to pick up their bus pass/van pool vouchers by the third week of the month after they apply.


Save a lot of money and the environment, help keep Tampa's congestion down and learn to relax on board one of our buses straight from a park-n-ride to the base.  Sounds like a no-risk, big reward plan!