HART SMART AV Service Launches Near the Tampa Riverwalk!

HART has launched a new route for HART SMART AV, Tampa Bay's first, fully electric autonomous vehicle.

The free shuttle, operated by HART and BEEP Inc., an Orlando-based autonomous solutions provider, will now operate along the Tampa Riverwalk, following a looping route on City of Tampa streets, originating at Armature Works in Tampa Heights, running southbound near the Tampa Riverwalk, to the Barrymore Hotel and the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

HART SMART AV will serve riders at three stops: Armature Works, Water Works Park and the Straz Center operating Monday – Sunday 9 am to 10 pm. The new pilot service consists of 2 NAVYA autonomous shuttles and will operate until January 1, 2022.

The shuttle can travel up to 15 mph in autonomous mode while along the route and has varying speeds based on the environment such as crosswalks, approaching stop signs or navigating intersections. 

The driverless shuttle is 100% electric and costs less than $30 per month to charge. HART SMART AV operates without a steering wheel and uses a pre-programmed, fixed route with a combination of localization techniques, involving state-of-the-art sensor technology. The shuttle uses eight sensors on the outside of the vehicle providing a 360-degree view of the environment. An on-board shuttle attendant serves as an ambassador for the riders to learn more about the technology and oversee the high-quality passenger experience. 

"HART is proud to be the regional leader in a new era of transportation innovation in Tampa Bay," said Adelee Le Grand, HART Chief Executive Officer. "We are looking at HART SMART AV to provide valuable data and insight to assist decision-making in the delivery of transit service in the future."

The first HART SMART AV first pilot route along the Marion Transitway allowed the agency and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to collect baseline data for the technology which operated alongside HART fixed-route buses, over a railroad crossing, and through traffic lights. The additional route allows local and state agencies to test the technology in a different environment which includes movement alongside the public and connecting activity centers on City of Tampa streets.  

HART SMART AV is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and is operated in partnership between BEEP, Inc. and HART.

 

For more information on HART SMART AV, visit goHART.org/AVpilot.

Set Sail to Gasparilla with HART and The TECO Line Streetcar!

Take the Streetcar to the pirate festivities!

Arrgh you ready?! Have your sights set on Gasparilla? Travel safely to the festivities... set sail with HART and the TECO Line Streetcar System! 

HART will run extra streetcar, bus and In-Towner service to accommodate the large numbers of anticipated riders on Saturday, January 28th. (Please note that routes are subject to change due to road closures.)

 
HART is by far the most convenient and affordable way to travel to the Gasparilla parade. An all-day HART bus pass is $4.00; an all-day streetcar pass is $5.00. Exact change is the fastest way to get on buses and streetcars during the parade.
    

Below are important details to make the trip to the Gasparilla parade easier: 

TECO Line Streetcar System

• 
  $5 for an all-day pass, which may be purchased in advance with cash (exact change required) at ticket vending machines, located at each streetcar station. *This fare does not cover City of Tampa parking fees.
• For those parking in Ybor City, HART strongly recommends riders to board The TECO Line Streetcar System at either Station 1 (Centennial Park) or Station 2 (Centro Ybor) to Downtown Tampa, Station 10 (Dick Greco Plaza).
• Continuous service 8:00 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
• TECO Line Streetcar System Stations 3 and 4 will be closed 10 a.m.-2 p.m., but during that time, HART will provide continuous bus service to/from Station 10 (Dick Greco Plaza) between 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
• Stations 11 will be closed all day. View Map for Gasparilla 2017 
• Stations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 will be closed 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

HART Bus Service

Tackle Gasparilla with this map!

• An all-day pass is $4, which may be purchased in advance at HART retail outlets or on board buses on Gasparilla Day with cash only (no change provided). Monthly bus passes may also be used. *This fare does not cover City of Tampa parking fees.
• For those parking in Ybor City, Station 3 (Streetcar Society Station) and Station 4 (Cadrecha Station) HART will be providing continuous bus service to/from Downtown Tampa, Station 10 (Dick Greco Plaza) 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.  
• For those parking at the Port Authority Parking Garage in the Channel District, HART will be providing continuous bus service to/from Station 10 (Dick Greco Plaza) 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. View Map for Gasparilla 2017  

The In-Towner

• FREE service
• The In-Town Trolley provides a connection from the north end of Downtown Tampa (Marion Transit Center) to the south end of Downtown Tampa, serving many of the downtown area parking garages. View Map for Gasparilla 2017
• Continuous service 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.  

Getting to Downtown Tampa on HART

• From North Tampa: Routes 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 12,  14, 18
• From Temple Terrace: Route 6
• From Brandon: Route 8
• From West Tampa/Citrus Park: Route 7
• From South Tampa: Route 19
• From Town 'N Country/Westchase: Route 30

View HART bus maps and schedules

Detours
Routes 7, 8, 14, 19, and 30 will be on detour during the festivities.

Make sure to party like a responsible pirate! No coolers or alcohol allowed on HART buses and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Guide to Getting Around Tampa for the 2016 Outback Bowl!

New Year's Eve is coming up and we've got a big time college football bonanza to bring in the New Year!

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar System would like to welcome all the Northwestern University and University of Tennessee coaches, players and fans to Tampa for the 2016 Outback Bowl!

We understand the difficulties in attempting to navigate the local public transportation scene without an idea on what to see and do and how to get there. So, we created this guide that breaks down some of Tampa's best attractions and how to get there with HART and the TECO Line Streetcar!

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

• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza (Dining, retail, Splitsville) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Ybor City Historic District (Centro Ybor) - Routes 8, 5, 9, 12, 18, 46 the TECO Line Streetcar
• International Plaza (Shopping) - 15, 30, 61LX
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• Amalie Arena - Route 8, The In-Towner, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - 7, 10, 14, The In-Towner
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, 19, In-Towner, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, 14, In-Towner
• Tampa Theatre - Route 4, 8, 19, 30, 46, In-Towner
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, 14, In-Towner
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 21LX, MetroRapid
• Westshore Plaza (Shopping) - Routes 15, 30, 45, HARTFlex South Tampa
• Raymond James Stadium (Home of the Outback Bowl) - Routes 7, 32, 36, 41, 45

Only $2.00 for a one-way ride!

Flying out? Route 30 runs between downtown and Tampa International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends. Service begins at 4:30 a.m. through midnight during the week and 6:30 a.m. to midnight p.m. on the weekends.

A 3-day Visitor Unlimited HARTride card is your best bet at only $11.75 and valid on all HART local buses, MetroRapid, In-Towner and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Things to know about the In-Towner and TECO Line Streetcar System:

In-Towner:  The In-Towner is a rubber-wheel trolley that operates on a 15-minute frequency, serving popular locations in downtown Tampa and is FREE! Service operates 6:30 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 - 6:00 p.m.; weekdays only.

The TECO Line Streetcar at Dick Greco Plaza

TECO Line Streetcar System: The streetcar line runs on rails that connects Ybor City, The Channel District, and Downtown Tampa. It operates 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and Noon - 8 p.m. on Sunday. Streetcar Operators do not provide change.

It's easy to plan your own trip! Visit www.goHART.org to use the Google Trip Planner feature or call 813-254-HART (4278). Real-time arrival information is available via OneBusAway Tampa.

Click here for a map of downtown Tampa's network of public transportation service, including streetcar stops, The In-Towner and HART bus routes.

FREE* New Year's Eve Service

Spending the New Year in Tampa? The TECO Line Streetcar System will operate until 1:30 a.m. to serve those attending the Fireworks Display in Channelside. HART will operate on a Sunday service level for New Year's Day. The Streetcar will be FREE to ride after 7 p.m. Avoid the traffic and parking hassle in the Channel District!

Have a great time watching the Wildcats take on the Volunteers in the New Year's Day showdown and enjoy all that Tampa has to offer!

HART Ridership Continues Record Trend

62 consecutive months of over a 1 million trips on HART!

The numbers are in, and HART had a big month for ridership in April, including another month of more than a million trips on HART bus service. The increase continues to be evident in our daily ridership; April 14 saw the greatest daily ridership throughout the month with 53,103 bus trips.

A total of 1,255,932 trips were taken last month, which marks the 62nd consecutive month of serving more than 1 million bus rides; February 2010 was the last month with under 1 million rides. This continues a strong upward ridership trend for HART, with a fifth straight year of record ridership. We've set annual ridership records in 10 of the past 11 years.

"We are extremely pleased that more people are taking advantage of the affordable cost and convenience of our service," said HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan. "We look forward to these new customers becoming regular riders as they continue to discover all the great benefits of taking transit."
 
Fast facts: 

Last month, April 14 saw the highest daily ridership throughout the month with 53,103 bus trips.

11 days exceeded 50,000 riders

The TECO Line Streetcar System saw an increase of two percent for April and is up four percent for FY2015.

For the month of April, HART logged 20,752 bicycle boardings; an increase of 2.6 percent compared to last year.

HARTFlex ridership was up 3.1 percent from April 2014 and up 6.3 percent for the year.

Year-to-date (FY2014 vs. FY2015), bus ridership is up 2.6 percent; an increase of 230,681 trips compared to the same period last year. Recent statistics from the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Transit Savings Report indicate that the average annual savings for public transit riders was $9,394. Individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can also save, on average, more than $783 a month.

These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle, which in this APTA Transit Saving Report includes the April 27, 2015 average national gas price ($2.54 per gallon- reported by AAA), and the national unreserved monthly parking rate numbers.

HART is hiring new Bus Operators, Fleet Mechanic, Finance Assistant TVM, and many other great job opportunities. If you are interested please visit: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/gohart/default.cfm.

HART Board Advances FY2015 Proposed Budget During Public Hearing

Enhancements and a balanced budget were the theme of the first Public Hearing and HART Board of Directors Regular Meeting on the Proposed FY2015 Millage Rate and Annual Budget held September 8. The HART Board of Directors voted to adopt the tentative FY2015 budget, tentative levying of ad valorem taxes, and a tentative millage rate of .5000 for FY2015.

The $83.8 million proposed operating and capital balanced budget is 3.1 percent lower than the current one and includes cost-saving measures that allow the agency to expand service on five bus routes. 

• The FY2015 budget is based on projected revenue of $65.8 million for operations, which is $2.1 million higher than the current budget.
• The FY2015 Proposed Operating Budget is $65,813,577, which is $2.1 million higher than the FY2014 Amended Budget and the FY20145 Capital Budget is $18,084, 814, which is $4.7 million less that the FY2014 Amended Budget. 
• FY2015 Budget goals were established based on the reality of available resources, to provide a stable foundation for HART for five years. These budget documents are available at www.goHART.org, under the "Public Meetings" page. 

Primary FY2015 Budget Goals:

• Maintain current service levels and support continued increases in ridership, while providing enhancements to selected existing services based on Transit Development Plan (TDP).
• Long-term fiscal sustainability will include a plan to migrate the reliance on Federal funds for operations.
• Prepare HART for future growth.
• Focus overall on "forward-thinking" innovative programs; making HART an "employer of choice," and reinvesting new revenues.

In other matters, the Board of Directors also approved all the action items on the agenda, including reaffirming HART vision, mission, core values and goals and the proposed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for FY2015, and keeping the fare structure as Status Quo for FY2015. The FY 2015-2024 Transit Development Plan (TDP), is an annual update submitted by HART to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

During the meeting, Ruthie Reyes Burckard, Interim Chief Operating Officer, updated the board about year-to-date status and various factors impacting Operations Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

In addition, Ms. Reyes briefed the Board of Directors on the results of an on-board survey conducted by Tindale-Oliver and Associates, Inc. (TOS) contracted by HART. Generally, a comprehensive on-board survey is performed every four to six years. The last survey was conducted in April 2009.

Next Regular Board of Directors Meetings 

The HART Regular Board of Directors and 2nd and Final PublicHearing on the proposed FY2015 Millage Rate and Annual Budget will take place Monday, September 22, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. at the HART Ybor Office, 1201. E. 7th Ave., in Tampa.

Closed captioning from the monthly HART Board of Directors meetings will be posted within 5 - 8 business days on the Hillsborough Television (HTV) website.

Click here to view video recordings from recent HART Board/Committee meetings.

Party Like a (Responsible) Pirate

Hop aboard with your crew and
let the streetcar steer you to all the Gasparilla fun.

The pirate lads and lasses are donning their gear, and the scene is set for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Invasion and Parade to take place this Saturday, January 25th.

If you plan on joining the half-million or so other revelers in downtown Tampa or along Bayshore Boulevard, here are some tips to help make getting there a little easier.

Start with the Streetcar
Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: unless your great-aunt Mildred has a house off Bayshore and will graciously let you stash your car in her driveway, parking in the neighborhoods near the parade route is an absolute no-no. As in, they'll tow your car away - no really, they will.

So if great-aunt Mildred isn't an option, your next-best bet is to make riding the TECO Line Streetcar System part of your day of fun!

Here's your first tip: downtown lots and garages will fill up fast, so try parking in Ybor City and hop aboard the streetcar. There are a number of stations that serve the streetcar system along 8th Avenue, and all of them are an easy walk from the Ybor City parking facilities. Please note that if you ABSOLUTELY want to ride the streetcar, boarding at Centennial Park (station #1) is your best bet. Otherwise, continuous HART bus service will be available (for $4) at Streetcar Society and Cadrecha Plaza stations. From there, we'll drop you off at Greco Plaza, next to the Tampa Convention Center and right in the middle of the Gasparilla activities.


All aboard! Next stop Gasparilla!

Another important tip to remember if the streetcar is part of your plans - you'll need to pick up a farecard at one of the Ticket Vending Machines along the route before you board. You can pay by cash or credit card at the machines. If you have questions, HART team members will be out in force to help you navigate the Gasparilla transportation scene.

We stress that you bring small bills (exact change is only provided at Ticket Vending Machines, streetcar motormen and HART bus operators do not provide change).

For the whole scoop on parking locations, rates and other info, check out the parking page on the City of Tampa's website here.

Rubber-wheel it!
Here's another tip to enjoy the Gasparilla festivities: Rubber-wheel it on the HART In-Town Trolley to access even more fun going on throughout downtown Tampa.

The rubber-wheeled In-Town Trolley will be on detour Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the parade and Pirate Fest, and to try some of the wonderful bars and restaurants (ahem, Taco Bus) that have been popping up downtown. You can use the rubber-wheeled trolley to connect to the TECO Line Streetcar System at Dick Greco Plaza near the Tampa Convention Center and take your pirate crew to Channelside and Ybor. It's as if the whole city is at your beck and call (and why not, you are a pirate, aren't you?).

Hop on the Bus, Gus
If you'd prefer to skip the driving altogether, we have a tip for you, too: HART will be running regular bus service on several routes that serve downtown, including Route 7, Route 19 and Route 30, so you can get to the party without any parking hassle at all. Just be sure to note that these routes end service mid-evening, so you'll want to plan your return trip accordingly.

By the way, for you northwest Tampa/Town 'n' Country folks, as well as our pirate-loving friends in Pinellas County, here's a really great tip - park for FREE at the HART Northwest Transfer Center (map here) and ride Route 30 all the way into downtown. How pirate-licious is that?

Make your pirate party fun and safe with HART and
the TECO Line Streetcar System!

And here's the most important tip of all: never, ever drink and drive. Responsible pirate partiers make sure everyone in their crew makes it back to home port safe and sound.

Check out the links below for more info, and have a fun - and safe - Gasparilla.

Click here for HART and TECO Line Streetcar  service during Gasparilla info.

For a map of HART and TECO Line Streetcar services in and around downtown during Gasparilla, click here.

To get more details on all the Gasparilla activities, go to the official event website here.