Route of the Week: Route 45

With a diverse service area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders. Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the HART transportation network!

This week, we feature Route 45 as our Route of the Week!

Route 45 operates between Westshore and the USF area!

Route 45 operates between the Westshore Plaza Transfer Center and University Area Transit Center (UATC) near the University of South Florida. The route operates Weekdays from 4:30 a.m. - 9:10 p.m., and Weekends from 6:40 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.

The Route 45 serves 3 major areas:

Westshore - The Route 45 southern terminus is at the Westshore Transfer Center. Connect to Route 15, 30, and HARTFlex South Tampa.

Whether in the mood to shop, or to grab a bite to eat, Westshore Plaza has you covered! Little Greek Fresh Grill, Besito Mexican Restaurant, Mitchell's Fish Market, and the Cheesecake Factory are just some of the food options that Westshore Plaza offers.

Amscot Corporate Headquarters and Jefferson High School are two more destinations in the Westshore area!

Stadium - Home to Raymond James Stadium and the Bucs, the area also houses a number of Route of the Week-worthy destinations.

Be responsible! Take Route 45 to Cigar City Brewing.

Cigar City Brewing Company (CCB) is widely seen as one of the best breweries in the country! From citrusy IPAs to hefty stouts, CCB pours the best brews in the Bay. Sign up for a tour to see how your suds go from mash to mouth! Be responsible and take Route 45 - don't drink and drive.

From HomeGoods, to Whole Foods, and Target to Home Depot, Walter's Crossing Shopping Center has all of your home needs covered. Sports fans will appreciate the launch of Duffy's Sports Grill in the center in May 2016!

University -The northern terminus of Route 45, UATC provides connection to 11 different HART routes, along with the USF Bull Runner. USF students will appreciate service to...

Studio Movie Grill is located within University Mall.

Studio Movie Grill (SMG) combines first-run films, with in-theater dining and a full-service bar. On Tuesdays, SMG features $5 flicks, to pair with $5 food and drink options. SMG is located within University Mall.

University Mall features over 165 stores and 1.3 million sq. ft. of retail space. Pick up Route(s) 45 and 12 on the west end of the mall, near Studio Movie Grill.

Veterans can access James A. Haley VA Hospital near the University Area Transit Center.

Other Route 45 destinations:

• Lowry Park Zoo
• Chamberlain High School
• St. Joseph's Hospital
• Accusoft
• Tampa Catholic High School
• Nicola's Donut Shop
• Al Lopez Park

From donuts to HomeGoods, HART Takes You There.

Route of the Week: Route 12

Point A to be Point B. HART does that very well.

With a diverse service area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders. Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the HART transportation network!

This week we focus on the Route 12.

The Route 12 provides Weekday, Saturday and Sunday service from Downtown Tampa to the area surrounding The University of South Florida. Service operates northbound from 4:00 a.m. - 12:15 and southbound 5:00 a.m. - midnight, during the week and 6:35 a.m. - 9:35 p.m. on the weekends. The Route 12 is averaging roughly 71,000 monthly rider trips in FY2016.

Operating just west of The University of South Florida, the Route 12 provides a nice mix of things to do (University Mall, Centro Ybor, etc.) and places to see and experience (Copeland Park and Rowlett Park Trails, Sanwa Farmer's Market, Perry Harvey Park).

HART drops off for Erwin Tech. Center at 22nd St./Hillsborough Ave.

Erwin Technical Center, a Hillsborough County public vocational school, is accessible to students and faculty via a Route 12 stop at 22nd Street and Hillsborough Avenue. Starting March 1, Hillsborough County students (ages 18 and under) will be able to catch a ride to Erwin Technical Center (or anywhere else in the HART system) for FREE with their Hillsborough County School or HART Youth ID. The HART STAY-cation promotion ends June 10.

Service to New York is accessible via Amtrak's Silver Star

Interested in riding the rails? The Route 12 provides convenient service to Union Station, where riders can catch Amtrak's Silver Star, with service to New York, Miami and a number of destinations in between. Connections to The TECO Line Streetcar are available at Nuccio Parkway and 7th Ave, walking distance to Cadrecha Plaza Station.

As with a number of routes, the Route 12 connects to 28 different routes at Marion Transit Center, located at 1211 N. Marion St. in downtown Tampa. Intercity service to Miami, Tallahassee, etc. is also available via Megabus and RedCoach connections at Marion Transit Center.

From attractions, to education, HART Takes You There.