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.
Andrew Smith's other car is a bus, but that wasn't always
the case.
"I grew up in Carrollwood, and I honestly didn't ride
the bus while growing up in Tampa," said Smith during an interview on
board the TECO Line Streetcar System. He described the first transit system he
experienced many years ago in Atlanta while attending college and how he used
it to get everywhere."
Smith, a trim man wearing a white shirt and a navy-blue
suit, jokes about how his friends tease him for always being in a suit, became
a dedicated bus and streetcar rider about two years ago.
Smith started off commuting just because he wanted to try
transit and quickly discovered how much he enjoyed using the alternate mode of
transportation. Smith's ride on HART allows him to answer emails, handle
client's concerns, read, or take in the scenery. He enjoys not worrying about
headaches that come with daily commuter traffic or the wear on his vehicle,
plus the reduced time behind the wheel gives Smith family time later on in the
day.
"I ride it to work a few times a week, that's kind of
where I started, deciding that I was going to ride HART to work one day and now
for me, it's trying to balance the schedule with what you need at the end of
the day. It'll be a few times a week type of thing for me. Transportation looks
different for everyone."
Another aspect of riding HART that Smith enjoys is the
fantastic view of Tampa and the social environment on board a bus. He says you
experience a city much differently through public transit. Being able to enjoy
the view and take it all in makes a difference.
"The view sure is terrific on a HART bus. When you're
out from behind the wheel, you can look out the windows beyond gridlock to see
people, trees, and the beautiful Tampa skyline. The view inside a HART bus is
pretty great too. It's clean and comfortable, with plenty of room to stretch
out and breathe. Even better? It's filled with potential friends, professional
connections, and neighbors.
When he's not answering a work email or talking to a client,
he's getting connected with the community and making new friends. "You get
to meet many people, people that you wouldn't normally have the pleasure of
meeting. When I was going to work, I found that I would learn a little
something about someone and the community they lived in."
Andrew also utilizes the TECO Line Streetcar
The friendly atmosphere on HART buses and the service's
dependability came as a pleasant surprise, he said.
Since he started riding HART, Smith feels more relaxed and
gets to enjoy all Tampa has to offer. He believes it is another opportunity to
promote Tampa, especially to tourist. Every time friends and family are in
town; he makes sure that they take HART and the TECO Line Streetcar to get
around and experience the city. When you take public transit, you become a part
of the city's mission, and he's happy that he's doing his part to reduce carbon
emissions and traffic congestion.
Smith tries to always lead by example, and his advice to his
friends and potential new riders is to give HART and transit a try. Once you
become accustomed to riding public transit, the benefits of riding the bus
become obvious. He hopes that as we continue to expand that public
transportation will act as a catalyst for collaboration between communities.
HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward attends 15th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
HART Interim Chief Executive Officer Jeff Seward is
continuing HART’s dialogue in sustainability conversations as he attends the
15th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social
Sustainability at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.As the region’s public transportation
provider, it is imperative that we fully understand our services’ impact on all
legs of the sustainability stool, and how to lessen the impact on the
environmental leg, while building a strong influence over the cultural,
economic and social legs.
HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward
Mr. Seward has ensured HART’s representation in the
sustainability and climate change conversations over the last 5 years by
presenting HART’s on-going environmental and climate change mitigation work in
academic centric and industry conversations held at Anglia Ruskin University,
Cambridge, UK, University of California, Berkeley, Portland State University,
Portland, Oregon and several American Public Transportation Association
sustainability conferences.
HART’s work on reducing its carbon footprint by over 17%
over the past 5 years, significantly reducing energy consumption in its
operating facilities, and its international certification as the only ISO 14001
environmentally sustainable transit agency in the State of Florida, one of only
a dozen in North America, has been lauded by these organizations.
The partial government shutdown has entered its third week. For many federal
employees in Tampa, it has been 21 days of being furloughed or going without
pay. According to reports, nationally about 800,000 workers have been affected
by the partial shutdown. At the Tampa International Airport, 800 federal
employees are impacted.
As this shutdown continues, HART and Tampa International Airport (TPA) have partnered to provide a viable
transportation option for their employees travel to and from work. HART has
donated 500 31-Day farecards to support workers of the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) to ease the hardship they are facing during the
partial shutdown.
During a
government shutdown, many federal employees are considered essential -
requiring them to report to work even if they are not getting paid. The
employee's ability to get to work is critical for Tampa both financially and
operationally. Tampa International Airport is a vital transportation gateway
and an economic engine for the Tampa Bay area.
HART's contribution will hopefully ease the transportation burden and enable
workers to utilize the funds for other necessary items during this period of
uncertainty.
"It is a privilege to be able to offer some assistance to the hardworking
federal workers at Tampa International Airport during this time," said
HART Interim CEO Jeff Seward. "We have built a strong relationship with
the airport team, and any assistance we can provide its employees, we stand at
the ready."
"We are grateful to all of our partners in the Bay area who are pulling
together to assist the federal workers who are such an important part of the
airport family," said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano.
"Their commitment to safety and customer service is what helps make Tampa
International one of the best airports in the world."
HART is committed to being an integral part of the communities it serves.
Giving back for us is about identifying a need in our community and making sure
we are there to provide the help needed.
With 2019 fast approaching, many are looking towards the New Year as a fresh start. However, we at HART are looking to continue building on the successes of the past year.
Year in Review
February Service Changes
In 2017, HART "reset" the system network with Mission MAX, establishing a stable foundation for expansion. February 2018 marked a significant step toward HART's five-year goal of ten routes with 15-minute service or better.
Flamingo Fares testing is underway
Flamingo Fares Testing
Our regional transit fare app and smart card payment system took a giant leap in 2018 with the start of public testing! While HART and PSTA have been testing the first generation of the Flamingo Fares app since 2016, this is the first test involving the Flamingo Fares smart card and web-based accounts.
Since the launch of testing in March, thousands of taps have been recorded and the second generation of the Flamingo Fares app is now in the testing phase. Flamingo Fares will fully launch to the public in 2019.
Route 275LX
Summertime typically means a slower pace with vacation-filled offices and schools out. However, summer 2018 saw the launch of HART's FIRST seven-day-a-week inter-county service, the Route 275LX. The new all-day, limited-stop service launched on July 1st, operating between Wesley Chapel and Tampa International Airport, with stops in New Tampa, the University area, and downtown Tampa. The Route 275LX has seen an 83% increase in monthly ridership (10,910 rides in October) since launching in July.
MVP Express
After years of requests for express/shuttle service to local sporting events, HART launched the MVP Express in November! This premium service allows Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans to park at four convenient park-and-ride locations and hop on the MVP Express to Raymond James Stadium. All for only $10 round-trip, per person! The MVP Express is currently a pilot and will be evaluated and possibly expanded to other local sports after the NFL season has ended.
New Era of Transit
Free fares launched on Oct. 7, 2018
Streetcar Fare-Free and Enhanced Service
It's possible no other individual route or transit mode in Tampa Bay has seen as drastic a change as the TECO Line Streetcar System in 2018.
In June, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced a game-changing $2.7 million grant to make the TECO Line Streetcar FARE-FREE with enhanced morning/late night service and increased frequencies for three years. The new service kicked off on October 7 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a fresh new marketing strategy that represents HART's vision for the Streetcar - Free. Fun. Frequent. Totally Tampa!
It has been well received, with ridership up over 120% from last year!
InVision: Tampa Streetcar - Streetcar Extension and Modernization Study
The future looks even brighter as HART is currently partnering with the City of Tampa and FDOT on a study evaluating possible extension alignments and the feasibility of modernizing the current
heritage streetcar system. The City completed the first phase in Spring 2018 by identifying two north/south extension alignment options - a combination of Tampa St./Franklin St. and Florida Ave. The line would stretch through the core of downtown, near HART's main transit hub in Marion Transit Center, and north to Tampa Heights.
In June, the City received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to enter Project Development phase to select a preferred alternative and refine improvement plans and strategies. The City will submit a Small Starts request for federal funding in September 2019.
Transit Referendum
Yes, we definitely saved the best for last! It's no secret that transportation has been on the minds of most in Hillsborough County for quite some time. The Tampa Bay region as a whole being seen more to put plans on shelves, than pen to paper.
However, that changed on Election Day as voters (overwhelmingly) approved a 1-cent sales taxincrease to support transportation, including a mix of roads, public transportation, pedestrian, cycling, etc.
All of us at HART are incredibly humbled by this level of support and have already released our proposed short-term service improvement plan, which features speeding up the implementation of the first three years of the FY2019-2023 Transit Development Plan to 2019.
HART as an agency in 2017, revisited our infrastructure and established a blueprint for an improved transportation network in Hillsborough County. This strategic plan allowed HART to overhaul its route system and build up that foundation in 2018, as we aligned for the future.
The agency turns 40 in 2019, with the year poised to be HART's most celebrated yet, as we enter a new era of excellence.
We look forward to seeing you on board one of our buses, vans, or streetcars in the New Year!
HART is giving the gift of transportation to the 9th Annual Joy of Giving by providing FREE rides on Saturday, December 22. The event at Raymond James Stadium features entertainment, food, and games, for children and families who deserve gifts and smiles. Free rides on HART include HARTPlus and Express service.
For more information about the Joy of Giving, such as attending as a volunteer, or conducting a toy drive, visit www. JoyOfGivingTampa.com.
The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) and HART recently invited industry peers and media to a demonstration showcasing connected vehicle technology on HART buses and the TECO Line Streetcar System. This was the first-ever demonstration of how connected vehicle safety applications on transit vehicles can help prevent crashes between cars, transit vehicles, and even pedestrians.
Attendees had the opportunity to ride in the vehicles and witness situational demonstrations of the technology, which allows the transit vehicles to "talk" wirelessly to the roadway and other connected vehicles.
Below is video of a simulated situation featuring a car turning in front of the Streetcar:
Tampa is one of the first cities in the nation (one of just three) to deploy connected vehicle technology through the Tampa Connected Vehicle Pilot, which THEA is spearheading.
As part of the project, THEA is equipping 10 HART buses and 10 streetcars, and the cars of
1,600 individual volunteers with this exciting new technology to make downtown
Tampa a safer, smarter place to walk, ride and drive.
The Tampa Connected Vehicle Pilot will also equip buses with Transit Signal Priority (TSP), which will enable them to communicate with streetlights on their routes. Downtown congestion can back up travel, causing buses to become late. When necessary, TSP can prioritize bus movements to speed up service.
The pilot has recently been featured on Discovery Channel Canada's Daily Planet!
The Tampa Connected Vehicle Pilot is a $21-million project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
