Flamingo Fares is Taking Flight!

Smart card readers are installed on HART buses

The Now

By now, you have probably heard of the Flamingo Fares Tampa Bay app. For those that are unfamiliar, the app allows riders in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties to pay their transit fare via smartphone and (with a Regional Fare) travel on multiple services between HART and PSTA. Ultimately, Flamingo Fares will morph into a smart card system.

It appears that the holidays have come early to HART, as we will be the first agency in the region to install the smart card readers. Installation is currently underway and is expected to be completed in June.

Installation will then bounce back-and-forth between HART and PSTA, culminating in August, with the entire TECO Line Streetcar System being outfitted with the Flamingo Fares smart card readers.

The Near

A new iteration of the Flamingo Fares app will be available in September. Meanwhile, testing of the smart card readers will be taking place on board HART buses (and later streetcars) around the same time.

This is where YOU come in! We will be reaching out to our riders to help test the smart card system! Stay tuned to the HART social channels for more information as we get closer to that time.

Why are the readers going up so soon if we are not expecting to roll them out until Summer 2018? We are planning on testing the system for a year to ensure that the system is ready for customers on both sides of the Bay!

The Future

Flamingo Fares smart card design

Soon Flamingo Fares will bring HART and PSTA into the future by providing easier, faster, and more convenient ways for riders to pay their fares.

No scrambling for change. Save time and prepay your fare online, while you wait for the bus!

No stressing about losing your 31-day pass. Check your balance online daily!

Leave the worries behind. Just tap and go!

Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota Counties are also implementing the new technology in the coming years. HART and PSTA expect to have the complete system, which will include smart card technology, up and running by summer 2018.

From Flamingo Fares to autonomous vehicles, this is another way HART is going Beyond The Bus!

Flamingo Fares is Here!

One Application. One Region. One Fare.

Flamingo Fares has arrived!

With the launch of the Flamingo app on Monday, September 5, riders on both sides of the bay can now purchase a single fare for travel between both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties! The Flamingo app allows patrons to book a 3-day unlimited regional pass, valid for 3 consecutive days for only $11!

The 3-day pass is a test of the technology that will soon allow for the purchase of a variety of pass options, including 1-day, 31-day, etc.

E-fare will be animated and interactive

To pay with Flamingo, customers download the Flamingo app, purchase a ticket on the app, activate it, and show the screen to the Bus Operator upon boarding the vehicle. The mobile payment app will be free to download and available in the iPhone App Store and Google Play Store.

Cash will continue to be accepted on both transit systems, but with a smartphone app, patrons no longer have to worry about carrying the correct change or buying separate fares for different legs of their trip.  

Soon it will bring HART and PSTA into the future by providing easier, faster, and more convenient ways for riders to pay their fares on HART and PSTA.

The 3-Day (consecutive) unlimited ride ticket is valid on all HART and PSTA bus services, as well as, HARTFlex, The TECO Line Streetcar System, Jolley Trolley, Looper Trolley. Flamingo Fares are not valid on HARTPlus or PSTA DART.

This is just the beginning! Hernando, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota Counties are also implementing the new technology for a future release. HART and PSTA expect to have the total system, which will include smart card technology, up and running by 2018.

After the test period, data from both agencies will be analyzed to determine what concerns need to be addressed before the full system is implemented in 2018.

Smart Card technology and more discussed at HART Major Projects & Legislative Committee

An overview of capital improvement projects was provided during Monday's HART Board Major Projects and Legislative Committee at the HART Administrative Office in Ybor.

Construction on MetroRapid Park-n-Ride

Construction of MetroRapid North-South stations started on the north end of the corridor. This includes construction of six stations in Telecom Park, three stations in Hidden River, and Stations 42 and 44 at Magnolia Drive and Palm Drive on Fletcher Avenue. In addition, 14 Ticket Vending Machines were received by HART and are ready for installation! TVM's will be placed at large MetroRapid stations.  

HART is gearing up to begin design of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station by the end of this year, with construction scheduled to begin Spring 2013. In order to maximize the life of current HART vans and buses, conversion of the HART fleet will take place as older diesel-engine vehicles cycle out: CNG-powered vans and buses will be ordered to replace current diesel-powered vehicles that have reached their useful life. This conversion is scheduled to be completed within the next 6-12 years.

"Smart" fareboxes allow for various forms of payment

Lastly, HART announced that it will kick off a Farebox Replacement Working Group, and request participation by nearby transit agencies on a regional approach to modernize fareboxes and work towards a smart card system. This type of regional approach will assist with securing federal grants to fund this project, and increase user-friendliness by streamlining farebox systems.

"Fare media is connectivity," said Philip Hale, HART Chief Executive Officer, explaining that a streamlined farebox system is one of the best ways to make cross-county connections easy and seamless for customers.

The Farebox Replacement Working Group will evaluate the needs of existing and potential transit customers to first determine the most efficient type of modern farebox or smart card system that could be implemented at HART, if funding were available.  

Many HART fareboxes have been maximized beyond suggested usage, and currently only accept cash or HART farecards. Smart card technology increases customer convenience, speeds up boarding and reduces/eliminates fare collection. Various forms of "tap-and-go" smart card technology have been implemented by transit agencies throughout the country.

For more information about these HART and HART capital projects, visit www.goHART.org.