HART AT WORK: Marion Transit Center Construction

HART customers will soon notice construction taking place on the roads surrounding our main hub, Marion Transit Center, in downtown Tampa.

The need to fix the roads surrounding Marion Transit Center has existed almost since the transportation hub was opened in 2003.

The project will take place in phases with road construction expected to start the first week of November, pending processing of right-of-way permits.

During the construction, HART customers may notice select bus platforms closed with buses changing boarding platforms. Stay tuned to the HART Alerts & Detours page and HART social channels for updates on construction and the most current boarding platform layout.

UPDATE 5.29.20: Construction at Marion Transit Center is now complete. Boarding platforms are returning to their pre-construction configuration. We thank you for your patience as we improve the HART system. 

New MTC platform layout

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar System Expands WiFi Connections!

FREE WiFi now available on the TECO Line Streetcar!

For roughly a year, HART riders have been able to check emails, stream music or crush candy on their commute thanks to free WiFi on all fixed-route buses. And now, TECO Line Streetcar passengers will be able to leave their mobile data worries behind with FREE high-speed WiFi, while on board!

In addition to on board buses and streetcars, FREE WiFi has also expanded to HART transit and transfer locations:

• Marion Transit Center (MTC) - 1211 N. Marion St
• University Area Transit Center (UATC) - 13110 N. 27th St
• Netp@rk Transfer Center - 5003 N. 56th St.
• Northwest Transfer Center 9325 W. Waters Ave  

The process is the same as on a HART bus. To connect to HART WiFi, go to Settings > WiFi. Then, turn on WiFi, if it isn't already turned on. Your device will automatically search for available WiFi networks. Next, tap the name, HART-Patrons-OTC WiFi Network to access the free service. Please be courteous to your neighbors, and wear earbuds when watching videos or listening to music.

WiFi is actually a piece of a bigger puzzle at HART. Ultimately, this roll-out of WiFi technology will be the foundation of the upcoming smart card program, where passengers will be able to use their smart phones and dedicated account based cards to travel not only the HART system, but throughout the Tampa Bay region.

In addition to the Streetcar and HART buses, free WiFi will be installed on HARTFlex and HARTPlus vehicles in the near future as well.

Connect to WiFi in 3 easy steps!

It's another way that HART keeps pace with your busy life. Stay productive on-the-go and let us do the driving! The expansion of WiFi is yet another reason for choosing HART, whether someone is going to work, to school or to the store. 

If you have any questions or comments about our WiFi service, please contact Customer Service at (813) 254-HART (4278).

 
Wherever you're heading, HART Takes You There.

* Please note that the WiFi signal is shared with other customers, so at busy times, your connection may be slower than normal.

The HART Summer Blast Pass is Back!

The Summer Blast Pass has been reduced to $15!

It's time to blast into summer with the HART Summer Blast Pass! For just $25 $15, ages 5-18 receive almost 3 months of unlimited rides on HART services.

That's less than $3.00 a week! 

The Summer Blast Pass is the perfect way for to get to summer jobs, the movies, the mall and all of your child's favorite places.

The pass is now on sale, and may be used on any HART service, excluding HARTPlus and The TECO Line Streetcar System from June 1 - Aug. 31. Riders 12 and younger must have an adult traveling with them. Proof of age is required at the time of purchase.

Summer Blast Passes are available for purchase at any of the following four HART locations:

• Downtown Tampa: HART at City Hall, 306 E. Jackson St.
• Downtown Tampa: Marion Transit Center, 1211 N. Marion St.
• University Area: University Area Transit Center, 13110 N. 27th St. 
• Ybor City: HART Administrative Offices, 1201 E. 7th Ave.

The HART Summer Blast Pass provides youth with a way to be green, learn independence, and save money. The purpose of the program is to familiarize ages 18 and under with public transportation, which allows them to travel safely and independently throughout Hillsborough County.View HART Summer Blast Pass flyer in English and Spanish (.PDF)

For more information about HART, visit www.goHART.org

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!

Route of the Week: Route 8

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 the Route 8, which operates from Marion Transit Center in Downtown eastward to The Westfield Brandon Mall. Service operates 7 days a week with Weekday service from 4:45 a.m. - 10:20 p.m. and Weekend Service from 6:20 a.m. - 8:40 p.m.

In FY2016, the Route 8 is averaging almost 40,000 monthly riders and has operated over 8,000 trips!

Leaving from Marion Transit Center, the Route 8 parallels The TECO Line Streetcar System, providing bus service to Amalie Arena and The Tampa Bay History Center, before splitting with The Streetcar and heading up Meridian Ave. with a stop serving Grand Central at Kennedy, which houses Stageworks Theatre, Powerhouse Gym, as well as, a mix of restaurants and local shops.

The Route 8 is the only HART route to operate along 7th Ave.

Heading north on Channelside Dr. and Nuccio Parkway into the Ybor City area, where the Route 8 turns onto historic "La Séptima". The Route 8 is the only HART route to operate along 7th Ave., which was designated in 2008 as one of the "Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association. The HART Administrative Office, Centro Ybor entertainment complex, GameTime and The Columbia Restaurant are just SOME of the destinations served along 7th Ave.

The Ybor campus of Hillsborough Community College is also just a short walk from 7th Ave.

The Larry Sanders Sports Complex is over 120 acres!

Continuing the trip east, the Route 8 travels through the Progress Village area, serving the 120-acre Larry Sanders Progress Village Sports Complex. The complex features four baseball fields, batting cages and two football fields.

Entering the Brandon/Riverview area, the Route 8 operates along Bloomingdale Ave., serving Winthrop Town Centre, a mix of restaurants, shops and services, before turning onto Providence Rd.

Your eastbound trip on the Route 8 ends at Westfield Brandon Mall, with connection to five different HART routes, including HARTFlex Brandon.

From Amalie Arena to La Séptima, HART Takes You There.
 

Route 8 operates from Marion Transit Center to Westfield Brandon Transfer Center

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.

MetroRapid North-South Service Delivers for HART!



Photo source: TBO.com

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) MetroRapid North-South (N-S) service turned the wheel on its first 7 months of operation on December 10, 2013. The innovative limited stop service has increased ridership, offering customers a more convenient, more flexible ride and has ushered in a new era of public transit choices. 

"MetroRapid N-S service has been even more successful than we originally anticipated and has become a valued service to the community," said HART Chief Executive Officer Philip Hale. "In just 7 months of operation, we've seen MetroRapid N-S increase 22.7 percent from June to December based on average daily ridership."
The MetroRapid N-S service route, the first of its kind in Hillsborough County, was officially launched on June 10, 2013. This limited stop service features cutting-edge technology including Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system, 16 Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at major connection points along the corridor. MetroRapid N-S offers faster travel and enhancements for a new rider experience.  

The mix of new vehicles, stations and technologies have made MetroRapid the premium way to travel. Transit Ridership on MetroRapid has nearly doubled - averaging 2,288 daily riders in December in just its seventh month of operation. The agency's MetroRapid N-S service has heightened awareness of public transit benefits and opened the door to future plans for additional MetroRapid routes. 

On the travel side, customers may experience up to a 15 percent time savings over local service. This time savings can be attributed to the implementation of the high-tech Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system that advances buses throughout the corridor. It works by holding traffic lights green a little longer when a bus is running behind schedule and shortening red lights. 

Construction on the northward expansion of the Marion Transit Center is running smoothly. The project includes two new bus shelters, extra bicycle storage, and a pick-up and drop-off area for taxis, paratransit vans and private vehicles. A canopy will be elevated to connect MTC to the new intermodal site which is scheduled to open in April. 

For more information about MetroRapid, visit www.goHART.org/MetroRapid

Art in Transit

Mass transit has always been about connecting people to their community.  It's through this basic belief, that mass transit and the arts have always shared commonalities.

We recently stumbled upon a blog with some of the most beautiful buildings in Europe and they're not what you might expect (castles, cathedrals, etc.). The Traveling Canucks blog has Europe's Top 10 Most Fascinating Train Stations.

Unlike America, where the car is king, rail rules the road in Europe. These 10 train stations are great examples of art in transit - beautiful architectural wonders that also double as transit hubs and epicenters of hustle and bustle; interaction.

The Federal Transit Administration understands this connection and encourages the inclusion of art in transit facilities by stating,

"The visual quality of the nation’s mass transit systems has a profound impact on transit patrons and the community at large. Good design and art can improve the appearance and safety of a facility, give vibrancy to its public spaces and make patrons feel welcome.”

HART kept this vision in mind with some of our own HART art:

Whiting Station

 

 

















Marion Transit Center

 
































Dick Greco Plaza

We have nowhere near the long history of Europe's fine facilities... but we're painting our own masterpiece, with each stroke a step closer.

Have you been to any of the Top 10 European train stations listed on the blog? Are they as amazing as they photograph?