Bikes on Buses for National Bike Month!

Happy National Bike Month! We're celebrating alternative commutes and looking at the relationship between personal (bikes) and public transportation.

Coast Bikes can be rented from Marion Transit Center

Over the years, bicycles have gone from being seen as a child's toy, to becoming a serious commuting option. Coast Bike Share, a bike rental service, has rolled out dozens of bike hubs throughout Tampa, including at Marion Transit Center in Downtown.

At HART, we're dedicated to getting our riders to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. We see bikes as supplemental to our service and that's why we added racks to our buses and rubber-wheeled trolleys almost 20 years ago. More recently, bike racks have also been added to all of our HARTFlex vans.

In November 2011, folding bikes - in proper carrying bags - were allowed on board.

Bikes on Buses saves time, money and the environment!

Bike riders might not view a 30-mile round trip bike ride to downtown as an attractive commute. However, pair a quick 1-2 mile bike ride with a HART route to pick up the majority of the miles and you have some serious peddle power.

Cycling HART riders find that bikes not only speed up their commutes, but also provide them greater exercise, ground coverage, and route options.

For example, you might live within walking distance of a route 34 stop, but possible transfers don't work well with your schedule. Instead, you choose to bike to the route 1 stop where you can catch a straight shot to Marion Transit Center and save 10 minutes. Couple those time savings with the low-cost of a HART 1-day pass ($4.00) or 31-day pass ($65, $2.10 a day) and you've saved time, money and the environment!

Don't take our word for it though. Roughly 21,000 participated in our Bikes on Buses program last month.

Click here to learn more about the HART Bikes on Buses program, including how to secure your bike on the bus bike rack.  We also have a Bikes on Buses how-to video on our YouTube page here.

Placing your bike on the bus is easy! Just follow these quick steps.

Ride on!

Bikes on Buses during National Bike Month!

Being National Bike Month, we're taking a look at the relationship between personal (bikes) and public transportation.

Once seen as a child's toy, bikes have become a serious tool for individuals looking to speed up their commute.

Bikes on Buses saves time, money and the environment!

Committed to getting our riders to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible, HART has added racks to all buses, rubber-wheeled trolleys and most recently HARTFlex vans. Folding bikes - in proper carrying bags - were allowed on board beginning in November 2011.

Bike riders might not view a 30 mile round trip bike ride to downtown as an attractive commute. However,  pair a quick 1-2 mile bike ride with a HART route to pick up the majority of the miles and you have some serious peddle power.

Cycling HART riders find that bikes not only speed up their commutes, but also provide them more exercise, ground coverage, and route options.

For example, you might live within walking distance of a route 34 stop, but possible transfers don't work well with your schedule. Instead, you choose to bike to the route 1 stop where you can catch a straight shot to Marion Transit Center and save 10 minutes. Couple those time savings with the low-cost of a HART 1-day pass ($3.75) or 31-day pass ($60, $1.95 a day) and you've saved time, money and the environment!

Don't take our word for it though. Over 20,000 boardings were part of the Bikes on Buses program last month.

We see bikes as a supplement to our service as we celebrate a nearly 20-year relationship with the bicycle!

Click here to learn more about the HART Bikes on Buses program including how to secure your bike on the bus bike rack.  We also have a Bikes on Buses how-to video on our YouTube page here.

Ride on!

Just call us the Nickelback of commuting... better yet, don't.

P.S.

Falling under the alternative commutes umbrella, bicycling and public transportation, we hope to one day become as "alternative" as Nickelback.

Not sure how you can be "alternative" when you've sold over 50 million records worldwide? Exactly our point.

However, that's for another day, another post.