HART Schedule Colors Are Changing!

HART blue schedule leaflets are back!

You may have noticed a mix of green and blue route schedules in the racks at HART Customer Service Centers, or on board the bus. Good eye!

HART schedule leaflets transitioned to green in 2017 to promote awareness of Mission MAX, our system network redesign. The vivid green was designed for easy comprehension of a route change.

With a little over a year since the implementation of Mission MAX, the "HART blue" schedules are now available. Implementation will be conducted in phases.

Green schedules: Routes with no recent service changes, will be on display at all HART locations and on buses, while supplies last.

Blue schedules: Routes with recent service changes are now blue.

Be in the know, while on the go!

Contact CustomerService@goHART.org, or call 813-254-4278 with any questions.

Bus Stops as Building Blocks: HART's Basic Transit Infrastructure Program

The HART BTI Program is HART's most visible infrastructure!

A bus stop is just a bus stop, right? Just a pole in the ground. Some stops have a shelter, others don't, some are green, and some are black. What’s the big deal?

At HART, we recognize that a bus stop isn't just a bus stop. It is a place where valued customers board and alight vehicles transporting them to important destinations such as work, school, medical appointments, child care and more. Which means, most patrons begin their commute at one of our stops. People depend on us!  Consequently, it is our responsibility to ensure the infrastructure of HART bus stops improve the customer experience, as much as possible.    

Which leads us to the HART Basic Transit Infrastructure (BTI) program.

With roughly 3,200 HART stops throughout Hillsborough County, the BTI program is HART's most "visible" infrastructure. The BTI program consists not only of stops and shelters, but also bus bays, crosswalks, landing pads, and more.

Of the 2,150 stops, 639 (30% coverage) of those have shelters.

Let's compare that with our regional peers:

• Charlotte Area Transit Authority (CATS) - 3,300 stops; 310 shelters (10% coverage)
• Fort Worth Transit Authority (The T) - 1,794 stops; 76 shelters (4% coverage)
• Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) - 4,822 bus stops; 650 shelters (14% coverage)

HART is outpacing our regional peers, and we plan to continue to pursue funding for additional infrastructure.

How did we get here? Let's take a look at how the BTI program is funded.

HART works in collaboration with local jurisdictions, developers and private property owners to engage in cost sharing opportunities or establish right-of-way easements for placement of transit infrastructure. An example of this is when residential or entertainment venues are built, HART receives "impact fees" to help mitigate the traffic that arises from the new development. This funding must be spent in the location it was received. The BTI program also receives 1% of HART's discretionary grant funding.

In addition to developer fees and grants, HART partners with Signal Outdoor Advertising to build and maintain shelters, in exchange for ad placements at the stops. It is through this revolutionary (at the time) public-private partnership, that HART has been able to build out so many shelters.

Bus Stop Audit

While we are proud of our shelter coverage, we can always improve.

In 2008, HART conducted a "Bus Stop Study," essentially auditing all stops within the HART system. From this study, forged the effort to bring our grandfathered-in stops to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Roughly 10 years later, HART is looking to conduct another audit of our stops. This time around, the study will focus on reviewing the conditions of our shelters (including ADA-accessibility, possibly moving stops, and improving stop GPS location accuracy for Google Maps, OneBusAway, etc.

Think your HART stop warrants a shelter? Fill out this online form to have your stop evaluated.

Mission MAX

Following the robust redesign of the HART network, a number of non-service stops and shelters are still in place. HART and Signal are aware of these stops and are working towards finding new homes for current shelters and scrapping ones that have passed their useful life (10 years).

Maintenance

Continued maintenance (pressure washing shelters, removing trash and debris, and more) is an important part of the rider experience, especially with hundreds of patrons visiting shelters daily. However, with a service area the size of Rhode Island, and a team of less than 10, stop maintenance is a challenge and HART is working with its partners to implement service improvements.

We are working industriously to improve!

Signal Outdoor, HART’s partner in shelter maintenance, is hiring another full-time employee to improve the visual appeal of MetroRapid stations. HART is also increasing supervisor patrols to identify shelters requiring immediate support. 

Despite our efforts, we need the help of our community partners!  If you see a stop or shelter in need of a little TLC, please don't hesitate to tweet us, send us a message on Facebook, or email CustomerService@goHART.org. We need your eyes on the ground!

National Infrastructure Week

The week of May 14^th is National Infrastructure Week. Throughout the week, agencies, from airports and seaports, to transit agencies and utility organizations, are highlighting the importance of supporting our nation's infrastructure.

Without crucial state and federal funding, HART would face an even greater challenge to keep our riders protected from the elements and ultimately, to keep our community moving.

Something to think about the next time you visit a HART bus stop!

Giving Riders a Voice

Mission MAX launched on October 8, 2017!

By now, you're probably familiar with Mission MAX, a major redesign of the HART service network that began with a relaunch in late 2017.

While the majority of riders experienced improved service, a portion of our riders were negatively impacted by the changes.

Since the Oct. 8 relaunch, HART has been listening and taking action. Patron concerns were concentrated primarily in the Town 'N Country area, University area, Temple Terrace, and South County. While HART currently doesn't have the funding to implement all the requested changes, we are constantly working to address obstacles and provide the most effective and sustainable service as possible.

Shortly after the new system came online, we implemented modifications immediately, such as adding trips on the Route 6 and Route 24LX to reduce overcrowding. We added Tampa General Hospital and Tampa International Airport shuttles, and started analyzing how routes connect at the Airport.

In January, we came across a Letter to the Editor from a local business owner, telling the story of a couple of employees that were consistently late and frustrated, following the launch of Mission MAX.

After seeing the letter, HART COO Ruthie Reyes Burckard reached out to Mr. Krantz.

One employee relied on route(s) 30, 34, and the new 60LX to get to work. The commute was less than ideal.

A month later, HART rolled out a second wave of improvements that went into effect on Feb. 25. Those tweaks included increased frequency on a number of routes, including Route 6 and Route 34, adding trips on Route 24LX, reinstating the southbound Route 19, taking Route 46 off of Oakfield Dr., and more.

We are happy to report that thanks to the creation of Route 35 with 30-minute service and increasing to 15-minute service on the Route 34, his commute has improved significantly!

Feedback is a big part of the service structuring process.

However, the Mission isn't over.

Route 275 alignment proposals

HART staff is currently out in the community gathering feedback on the proposed 275LX. The route has three proposed alignments for consideration, featuring service between Wesley Chapel, the University area, Downtown Tampa, and possibly Tampa International Airport.

The public hearing for the Route 275LX will take place at the New Tampa Regional Library on March 28, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Can't attend the meeting? Email your comments (including alignment selection) to ServDev@goHART.org.

In the upcoming months, the fifth wave of the HART Voice of the Customer (VOC) survey will take place on board buses, and at transit centers throughout the system. This survey will gauge customer satisfaction in a number of categories. It will be the first VOC since the launch of Mission MAX.
 

Mission MAX Bus Stop Bagging: What it Means

Orange bags will inform patrons of service changes to their stop

The HART system will drastically change in less than two weeks!

HART staff Mission MAX training is almost complete, operators have selected their runs, maps and other signage has been finalized, and now bus stop removal and replacement is taking place!

Have you seen an orange bag over your bus stop sign?

This means service will be changing at that location.

Routes serving the stop may be changing, such as that in the photo. Or, HART service may be in the process of being removed from that stop altogether.

All stops with route changes/replacements will have the orange bags removed in the early morning hours of October 8th. Deleted stops will have orange bags on them until the stop is completely removed.

We want to give a quick shout out to our Route Maintenance team! With the majority of the 3500 stops in the HART system affected, they are working tirelessly to make sure our riders are notified well in advance of the launch of Mission MAX on October 8th.

We recently went LIVE on Facebook with a couple members of the Maintenance team to talk more about the bus stops changes.

While the launch of Mission MAX is fast approaching, HART is here to make sure you are prepared with trip planning, finding your stop, and more! Find us on Facebook and Twitter, or contact HART Customer Service at 813-254-4278.

We will also be hosting a Facebook Live Q&A with HART CEO Katharine Eagan on next Monday, October 2nd, at noon.

Visit www.goHART.org/MissionMAX for more information on Mission MAX, including maps, schedules, etc.

Plan Your Mission MAX Trip In Google Maps!

Pick a date after Oct. 8th for Mission MAX data to show!

  Still confused about what your trip will look like when Mission MAX takes effect on Sunday, October 8th? You can now plan a future trip to see any upcoming changes to your commute!

Here's a quick rundown on how to do this via Google Maps:

Step 1: Enter your origin and final destination as you currently do.

Step 2: Instead of "Leave now," select "Depart at" from the drop down menu.

Step 3: Next, enter a date beyond October 8, 2017.

You will now see an updated map and trip options reflective of Mission MAX.

Top: Current HART commute; Bottom: Mission MAX commute

The image to the right is a comparison showing how commuting options may differ between the current network and Mission MAX.

You can see in this instance, Mission MAX shaves upwards of 14 minutes off trips for those interested in commuting from Westshore to Ybor City.

Simply enter your trip, change the date beyond October 8th, and you are all set!

Hopefully, this helps to clear up any confusion you still might have about what your commute looks like in October. 

For more information on Mission MAX, visit www.goHART.org/MissionMAX!

What is Mission MAX?

Mission MAX launches October 8, 2017!

Beginning Sunday, October 8, 2017, HART will implement a comprehensive schedule change - Mission MAX.

Through Mission MAX, we are Modernizing the system to deliver more efficient service and higher frequencies on high-demand routes. We are Aligning routes to provide shorter trip times and better connections.  And we strive for eXcellence by designing a network that lays a strong foundation for future expansion.

This redesign of the bus system includes route and schedule modifications based on an extensive period of research, operational considerations, and public input.

How does Mission MAX Modernize the HART network?

The last time HART conducted a system redesign was back in 2003. Hillsborough County and commuting habits have changed quite a bit since then. That's why Mission MAX provides new connections such as all-day service between Brandon (FY18), and the University of South Florida (FY19), to Downtown and Tampa International Airport.

Mission MAX transitions HART to more of a "grid" network, focusing less on transfer centers, and more on direct, at-stop connections. This may mean the rider having to transfer more, however, with routes coming more frequently and schedules better entwined, riders should see overall quicker trips. The final plan means roughly 85% of customers will see service improve!

Mission MAX Aligns routes to operate in a way that makes more sense. No more long, winding, routes, with buses traveling out of direction, or off of main roads. This system redesign is backed by route data analysis, including stop-by-stop ridership data, to maximize HART efficiency.

Mission MAX provides a great foundation for future expansion

Long term, the most important aspect of Mission MAX is that it provides a service network that is sustainable for HART, but also provides a great foundation for expansion in our 10-year Transit Development Plan. Based on current funding projections, we plan to roll out 10 routes operating at 15 minute frequency, or better within roughly 5-6 years. Five of those routes would operate north-south, and five operating east-west.

We are also looking at expanded weekend service on a number of routes, adding and restoring routes, and expanding HART HyperLINK zones, for better connections throughout Hillsborough County.

Mission MAX is just one piece of a plan toward eXcellence, as HART continues to grow and evolve over the next 10 years.

Still have questions about Mission MAX? You can visit the Mission MAX FAQ, or interact with HART on Facebook and Twitter!

HART CEO Katharine Eagan recently went LIVE on Facebook from HART Dispatch to talk Mission MAX!