Middle and High School Students Ride Free in March!

Free rides for middle and high school students in March!

Are your kids gearing up for Spring Break? More importantly, are YOU prepared? Cold sweats, nightmares, oh the places you’ll take them (on your dime): movies, malls, concerts, theme parks. If only there was a cheap, efficient way to get them around town without a car, and more importantly, YOU.

There is!

Middle and high school students ride FREE on all HART local, MetroRapid, and Flex Services throughout March during the HART Stay-cation promotion! All your kids have to do is show their student ID and they’re jetting around town for FREE!

Here is just a small list of the Tampa attractions that HART serves:

• Busch Gardens – Routes 5, 18, 39
• Adventure Island – Route 5
• Florida Aquarium – Routes 8, 9, 97
• Museum of Science and Industry – Route 6
• GameTime – Routes 5, 8, 9, 12
• Westfield Citrus Park – Route 39
• Westshore Plaza – Routes 15, 30, 45
• University Mall – Routes 12, 45
• Channelside Bay Plaza – Route 8
• Centro Ybor – Routes 8, 9,12
• Tampa Museum of Art – Routes 7,10,14, In-Towner

We know you love your kids, but we also know that you love your free time too. Gain your independence, give them a little, and go HART!

For more information on HART routes, maps, schedules and a Trip Planner, visit www.goHART.org.

Route of the Week: Route 5

Have you ever really thought about the destinations that you can see and experience with the HART transportation network? 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.

Over the coming weeks, we're going to take a look at the places you can go with HART.

Route 5 offers service from The USF area to downtown Tampa

Up first is the Route 5. The Route 5 provides Weekday, Saturday and Sunday service from Downtown Tampa to the area surrounding The University of South Florida. Service operates from 5 a.m. - midnight during the week and roughly 6:35 a.m. - 9:35 p.m. on the weekends.

Hugging the USF area, the Route 5 is a great way for students, faculty and residents living in the area to get downtown with stops at some of Tampa's biggest attractions. Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and all that Ybor City has to offer is available via a quick trip on the Route 5.

Connection to The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital may be of particular interest to Veterans in the area. 

 

Interested in a trip beyond City of Tampa limits? The Route 5 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 checkups, HART Takes You There.

Getting there, with HART!

In town for the day? Staying for a weekend? Live here? Tampa has a number of things to do for visitors and residents alike.

Traveling with kids? Discounted passes for 17 and under on HART and the TECO Line Streetcar mean the fun doesn't have to end just because school's starting back up.

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the costs and hassles of parking:

• Adventure Island - Route 5
• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Centro Ybor - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8 and the TECO Line Streetcar
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line
• Henry B. Plant Museum - Route 30
  
• International Plaza - 15, 30, 59LX
  
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• Port of Tampa Cruise Terminal - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Raymond James Stadium - Routes 7, 32 36, 4
• St. Pete Times Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley Green Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley Green Line and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Bay History Center - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Yacht Starship Cruises - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Ybor Museum State Park - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
  

All day HART passes begin as low as $1.85 for children and $3.75 for adults. For more information on HART fares, click here.

Getting around downtown?

Getting around downtown is easier than ever with the In-Town Trolley. The In-Town Trolley is a rubber-wheeled "trolley-bus" made to replicate old-time streetcars/trams. The In-Town Trolley costs only 25¢, and covers most of the downtown Tampa attractions. The Purple Line runs during weekdays and the Green Line runs on weekends. Both lines operate on 15 minute frequencies.

Click here for Purple and Green In-Town Trolley operating hours.

The TECO Line Streetcar offers a unique opportunity to take a ride through Tampa's past, while also serving the majority of the attractions listed above.

Things to know about the TECO Line Streetcar

The 2.7 mile streetcar line runs every 20 minutes (exceptions apply) on rails that connect Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. It operates 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday service begins at noon and runs until 8 p.m.

A "family pass" was recently introduced and costs only $12. The pass includes all day rides for up to 2 adults and 3 children, or 1 adult and 4 children! Please note that Streetcar Motormen do not provide change.

Click here, for HART maps and schedules.

For TECO Line Streetcar fares, maps and schedules, visit www.TECOlinestreetcar.org.

Enjoy your day(s) in Tampa with HART!