Phase 2 of Streetcar Track Replacement to Kick off

A 500-foot section of the TECO Line Streetcar track will be closed starting March 1 - March 12, 2021, while a contractor replaces ties and tracks between the York Street Station #6 and Cumberland Avenue Station (#7). 

The project is Phase 2 contracted to R.W. Summers. Customers can still utilize the sidewalk along the eastside of Channelside Drive, between the stations, roughly a three to five-minute walk. Paratransit customers needing assistance will have access to a van shuttle during the two-week project. 

For HART Customer Service, call 813-254-4278; Monday-Friday 5AM to 9PM and weekends 6AM to 8PM. 

For more information about HART and TECO Line Streetcar service, visit www.goHART.org. 

Phase 2 map of the Streetcar Track Replacement

HART AT WORK: TECO Line Streetcar Station Closures

Streetcar track construction will begin Nov. 4 through February 2020

UPDATED 3/02/20: Phase 1 of streetcar trackwork has been COMPLETED. The TECO Line Streetcar is once again serving ALL stations.  

UPDATED 2/24/20: TECO Line Streetcar customers will see station closures, due to ballast replacement along the Streetcar right-of-way.

Track construction is anticipated to begin November 4, 2019, and is expected to last through February 2020.

During this time, the TECO Line Streetcar is currently not operating between Cadrecha Plaza Station #4 and Cumberland Avenue Station Monday - Friday. 

Service will operate regular service (no closures) on:

• Weeknights (expected after 6 PM)
• Saturday/Sunday
• Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve)
• Major events (Outback Bowl Parade, Gasparilla, etc.)

A free HART bus shuttle will operate from Stations #5 and #7

A free HART bus bridge will operate from Publix Station and Cumberland Avenue Station to connect streetcar customers.

We apologize for any inconvenience the track work may cause.

Streetcar Station Closure / Bus Shuttle Map

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.

Route of the Week: Route 12

Point A to be Point B. HART does that very well.

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 focus on the Route 12.

The Route 12 provides Weekday, Saturday and Sunday service from Downtown Tampa to the area surrounding The University of South Florida. Service operates northbound from 4:00 a.m. - 12:15 and southbound 5:00 a.m. - midnight, during the week and 6:35 a.m. - 9:35 p.m. on the weekends. The Route 12 is averaging roughly 71,000 monthly rider trips in FY2016.

Operating just west of The University of South Florida, the Route 12 provides a nice mix of things to do (University Mall, Centro Ybor, etc.) and places to see and experience (Copeland Park and Rowlett Park Trails, Sanwa Farmer's Market, Perry Harvey Park).

HART drops off for Erwin Tech. Center at 22nd St./Hillsborough Ave.

Erwin Technical Center, a Hillsborough County public vocational school, is accessible to students and faculty via a Route 12 stop at 22nd Street and Hillsborough Avenue. Starting March 1, Hillsborough County students (ages 18 and under) will be able to catch a ride to Erwin Technical Center (or anywhere else in the HART system) for FREE with their Hillsborough County School or HART Youth ID. The HART STAY-cation promotion ends June 10.

Service to New York is accessible via Amtrak's Silver Star

Interested in riding the rails? The Route 12 provides convenient service to Union Station, where riders can catch Amtrak's Silver Star, with service to New York, Miami and a number of destinations in between. Connections to The TECO Line Streetcar are available at Nuccio Parkway and 7th Ave, walking distance to Cadrecha Plaza Station.

As with a number of routes, the Route 12 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 education, HART Takes You There.

January HART Board Recap: Officers Confirmed, Streetcar Study

Councilman Mike Suarez remains Board Chair

The HART Board of Directors approved the 2015 slate of officers at its regular monthly meeting held on January 5, 2015.

The Nominating Committee met in December to select a slate of officers and committee appointments to be voted on by the full Board. On Monday, the Board confirmed most of the nominating committee's selections, naming Tampa City Councilman Mike Suarez for a second full term as Chair. During the interactive voting process of HART Officers, Director Karen Jaroch was nominated as HART Board Vice Chair and Commissioner Sandra Murman as HART Board Secretary. Both were approved and confirmed by the HART Board of Directors. 

Appointments to Other Boards and Committees:

Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. Board
Members: Bryan Crino, Mickey Jacob, Councilman Eddie Vance
Alternates: Wallace Bowers, Councilman Mike Suarez, Karen Jaroch

Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization Board

Member: Josh Burgin
Alternate: Wallace Bowers

Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board

Member: Commissioner Stacy White   

Alternate: Kathleen Shanahan 

Claims and Litigation Committee

Chair: Bryan Crino
Alternate: Kathleen Shanahan   

ADA Committee

Member: Commissioner Sandra Murman
Alternate:  Commissioner Kevin Beckner 

Audit Committee 

Members: C. John Melendez, Karen Jaroch, Wallace Bowers, Councilman Eddie Vance    

Finance, Governance and Administration Committee
Members: Karen Jaroch, Bryan Crino, Commissioner Sandra Murman, Commissioner Kevin Beckner, Councilman Eddie Vance, Kathleen Shanahan, Wallace Bowers
               

Major Projects and Legislative Committee

Members: Commissioner Lesley "Les" Miller, Mickey Jacob, Wallace Bowers, Josh Burgin, Karen Jaroch, Kathleen Shanahan, Councilman Eddie Vance

 

In addition, Chairman Councilman Suarez created an Ad-Hoc HART Board bylaws committee that would meet to review HART Rule of Procedures and Committee structure and schedule.  

Also on the agenda, HART Board approved a motion updating the HART Environmental Policy to ensure full compliance with International Organization for Standardization (IOS) and to reaffirm the agency's commitment to pollution prevention.        

       

Possible alignment using Tampa St. and Florida Ave.

During the meeting, Steve Schukraft, AICP, of HDR Inc., offered a presentation of results from the analysis of an extension of the Streetcar system via various corridors including the Marion Transitway to the Marion Transit Center, as well as scenarios for fleet upgrades. The study explores the potential benefits of creating a modern streetcar extension through the heart of downtown Tampa to the Marion Transit Center. After the presentation several HART Board of Directors discussed HART taking a greater leadership role in the streetcar expansion.        

 

In other matters, the HART Board approved the final Chief Executive Officer's employment agreement. 

Next Regular Board of Directors Meetings 

The HART Regular Board of Directors will take place Monday, February 2, 2015 at 9:00 a.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.

HART Unveils Streetcar Modernization and Expansion Study

Tampa St./Florida Ave. is one alignment that was studied.

On Wednesday, December 17, the Tampa Historic Streetcar Board of Directors received the final Tampa Historic Streetcar Extension Study, undertaken by HART to explore the potential benefits of creating a modern streetcar extension through the heart of downtown Tampa to the Marion Transit Center. Those dynamic benefits would greatly complement the project proposed by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, and Strategic Property Partners LLC.

HART Board Chair, Councilman Mike Suarez, echoed the sentiment of Mr. Vinik, who stated that his development company Strategic Property Partners LLC are looking to take a leadership role in creating a more robust transportation system in downtown, including an improved streetcar system and enhanced bus service. "HART is excited to be an active partner in the revitalization in the Channelside District," Suarez said, "and it gives me great pride that the TECO Streetcar System is part of Mr. Vinik's vision plan for bringing improved transportation services to the community along with improved access to jobs and economic investment in this corridor."

HART remains committed to innovation for the benefit of the communities it serves including economic, social, and environmentally responsible technological improvements. The Tampa Historic Streetcar Extension Study represents the latest in a long history of leading initiatives HART has undertaken as a transit leader in Tampa as well as the entire state of Florida and the nation as a whole.

Click here to download a copy of the final study. As a note, the Streetcar Modernization and Expansion Study focused specifically on possible extension alignments directly/indirectly serving Marion Transit Center. This does not rule out future extensions serving other areas.

HART sets all-time monthly ridership record!

Despite declining gas prices, October 2014 marked the highest month for bus ridership in HART history!  

The numbers are in, and for the first time HART provided 1,438,947 passenger trips in one month, which is roughly a 5.8 percent increase over October 2013. 

"Our weekday ridership continues to grow, we're a different HART today, and the community has taken notice," said HART Chief Executive Officer Katharine Eagan. "While this is encouraging news, we have to continue the work to improve HART efficiencies, while simultaneously planning for its future growth."

 

Fast facts: 

• October 2014 ridership marked 79,183 more trips than the same month last year. 
• October 2014 topped the previous monthly record set October 2013 as the highest month for bus ridership in HART history.
• MetroRapid set an all-time monthly high with 57,513.
• October 2014 is the first time HART monthly bus ridership has marked more than 1.4 million trips.
• Only one weekday was under 50, 000, so 22 weekdays were over 50,000 daily trips.
• October 2014 streetcar ridership totaled 23,893 or an increase of 8.2 compared to the same month last year.

The increase continues to be visible in our daily ridership after a record breaking 60,711 trips on October 6 - the most in HART history.

For the month of October, bicycle boardings in Hillsborough County saw a 7.4 percent increase over September's numbers. HART logged 21,430 boardings compared to 19,961 last month. In fact, the HART bikes on buses program saw a 4 percent increase in FY2014 or 233,475 boardings compared to 224,466 in FY2013.

In addition, Almost 192,000 trips from University of South Florida students, faculty and staff have been taken on HART services since July. In October the use of the HART U-Pass service for USF students, faculty and staff increased 9.5 percent or 4,737 trips compared to last year. The U-Pass program is a partnership with the university that allows students to ride any HART local bus for free with a valid student ID; faculty and staff ride for 25¢. 

Meanwhile more than 2.7 billion trips were taken on U.S. public transportation in the second quarter of 2014, according to a report released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

For all-things HART, including OneBusAway, Real-time Arrival Information via Text Message, trip planning, schedules, maps and fares, just visit www.goHART.org.