HART Requests Public Input on Bus Rapid Transit Study!

HART needs public input on the HART Tampa Arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study, evaluating rapid bus service along Florida, Nebraska and/or Fowler avenues, between USF and downtown Tampa. HART has released a short survey to understand how respondents travel in the study area and the types of improvements they would like to see.

The study's objectives are: 

1. to improve safety on these routes
2. to improve connectivity for east-west routes within this corridor
3. to improve local transit access on these roads, including bike/pedestrian access

The public survey is available online in both English and Spanish.

For more information on the HART Tampa Arterial BRT Study, click here.

HART Awarded Grant to Combat Human Trafficking

An example of FTA's human trafficking awareness campaign

HART is pleased to announce the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded HART with a Human Trafficking Awareness & Public Safety Initiative Grant totaling $100,240. The grant will be used to conduct a public awareness campaign about human trafficking leading up to Super Bowl LV being held in Tampa in 2021.

The public awareness campaign will include educational materials for the public and provide critical training for HART employees in recognizing and reporting human trafficking.

"Human trafficking is an unfortunate reality of society today," said Carolyn House Stewart, Interim HART CEO. "HART looks forward to utilizing this grant to train our employees, many of whom interact with hundreds of people daily, to help recognize the signs of human trafficking and create more awareness about the issue."

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, affecting millions of adults and children in the United States and worldwide. Traffickers move their victims on all modes of transportation, and sometimes use public transit due to its low cost, greater anonymity in buying fare cards, and less direct interaction with government or transit officials.

In total, $5.4 million in grants were selected as part of FTA's Human Trafficking Awareness and Public Safety Initiative.

HART and State Legislators Partner on Proposed Changes to Protect Transit Employees

Safety barriers like this would be required on all transit vehicles throughout the State of Florida

HART is leading a statewide initiative to implement new legislation addressing the growing trend of violence transit employees and other uniformed public servants face in Florida. HART is proud to partner with State Senator Keith Perry (R-Gainesville) and State Representative Michael Beltran (R-Tampa) who just filed the "Uniformed Public Servant Protection Act" for the 2020 session. SB 1416 and HB 951 both seek to curb violent threats against uniformed public servants in the workplace.

Sen. Perry and Rep. Beltran are spearheading the legislation which would require all Florida transit agencies and the State itself to make specific changes to enhance public safety and further protect uniformed public servants.

"As Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, I felt compelled to address the recent acts of violence and threats of violence against uniformed public servants," said Sen. Perry. "By increasing the penalty for assault against transit workers and other public servants, as well comprehensive training and protective barriers on public transport, we are demonstrating our commitment to public safety throughout our state."

HART is leading the way by implementing three of these changes and advocating for a fourth to protect transit employees. The leadership of Rep. Beltran and Sen. Perry to make all of these changes uniform across our state takes this public safety movement to a new level. The legislation proposes four changes:

• require the installation of protective barriers on public transit;
• require the posting of the maximum penalty for assaulting a transit worker;
• require mandatory training for drivers to defuse and de-escalate potentially violent situations; 
• increase the current enhancement for assault against a uniformed public servant (transit workers, law enforcement and other first responders) from a 1st-degree misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony.

"Over the past seven months, one HART bus driver in Tampa has been murdered and another violently attacked, while operating public transit buses," said Rep. Beltran who is also a key member of the Hillsborough County delegation. "I filed this legislation in an effort to help keep people safe through tougher penalties for threats of violence, protective barriers for drivers, and increased training to help defuse potential threats."

The proposed legislation mirrors the Amalgamated Transit Union's (ATU) push for similar changes on the national level with HR 1139.

Art on HART is Back!

Art on HART is BACK!

HART and the Tampa Bay Foundation for Architecture & Design (TBFAD) are providing another talented local artist the opportunity to showcase their work on a unique (and mobile) canvas - a HART bus!

In September, TBFAD put out a call for local artists to provide artwork to be wrapped around a bus for an entire year. After narrowing the list to three "finalists," HART employees are now being given the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork.

Public transportation and art are sewn into the fabric of communities across the world. HART and TBFAD hope this collaboration can forge future opportunities to further marry the local art scene with transit and promote artistic expression throughout Hillsborough County.

All three Tampa Bay area artists, whose exceptional designs captured the theme of "Tampa culture," earned the chance to have their designs showcased.

The winner will have their canvas/bus publicly unveiled in January.

HART and TBFAD are excited to have the opportunity to showcase a local artist and transform an ordinary bus into an extraordinary mobile work of art.

Stay tuned!

TOP LEFT: Benjamin Donnell; TOP RIGHT: Jennifer Kosharek

BOTTOM LEFT: Mishou Sanchez 

Video recap of the 2019 Art on HART unveiling. 

Stuff a HART Bus for WILD 94.1 Orlando's 8th Annual Toy Drive!

HART has partnered with WILD 94.1's Orlando (from Orlando and the Freakshow) to Stuff-a-Bus for the Children's Home Network!

For the past 8 years, Orlando has collected toys and donations while spending over a week in a tent 30 feet in the air!

This year, HART is providing an alternative for those that can't make it out to the main drop off location in the Metro By T-Mobile parking lot - 2907 N Dale Mabry Hwy.

A HART bus will be stationed daily (12/9/19 - 12/13/19) from 12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. at two Hillsborough County Walmart locations:

• Brandon Walmart: 11110 Causeway Blvd, Brandon, FL 33511 (Route 8, HARTFlex Brandon)
• Citrus Park Walmart: 6192 Gunn Hwy., Tampa, FL 33625 (Route 39, HARTFlex Town 'n Country)

Help HART and WILD 94.1 Stuff-a-Bus for the Children's Home Network this holiday season!

Click here for more information on Orlando's 8th Annual Toy Drive.

HART Awarded $4.3 Million FTA Grant For New Buses

HART has been awarded a $4.3 million Bus and Bus Facilities Program Grant by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to replace diesel buses with new Compressed Natural Gas buses!

"HART is very excited to be the recipient of this grant," said Cyndy Stiglich, Interim HART Chief Financial Officer. "It will allow us to replace diesel-fueled buses with Compressed Natural Gas buses to improve our services to major employment centers in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County."

Demand for FTA's Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program far exceeded available funds, as FTA received applications for 318 eligible projects totaling approximately $1.9 billion in funding requests, from a total of 270 applicants in 43 states and territories. Only 94 projects received grant funding. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

"Public bus systems throughout the country provide millions of Americans access to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, and other vital services," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

HART would like to thank the Hillsborough County congressional delegation for their support with special thanks to Rep. Kathy Castor, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Ross Spano.

HART service carries roughly 35,000 daily trips with a service area of 1,266 square miles and a bus fleet of 180 buses.

HART's FY2020 Program of Projects Certified by Independent Oversight Committee

The Independent Oversight Committee (IOC) that oversees the spending of the All for Transportation sales tax unanimously voted on November 21 to certify that HART's FY2020 Program of Projects list complies with the existing charter.

In our inaugural year, HART staff has developed a comprehensive program of projects that accounts for two full years of funding. The projects include a number of service and capital expenditures primarily aimed at preparing the agency for expansion and improved customer services. 

Included in the strategy moving forward is a goal of resetting the baseline of the system through an operational assessment and establishing a 30-year vision via a new major Transit Development Plan update. 

HART FY2020 Program of Projects Highlights:

HART FY2020 Highlights

• Restoring service:
• Routes: 4 (South Tampa), 41 (Sligh Ave.), 44 (University area), 46 (Palmetto Beach)

• Improve Weekend Frequency:
• Routes: 9 (30th St.), 15 (Columbus), 31 (So. County), 32 (MLK), 42/45 - University

• Improve Weekday Frequency:
• Routes: 12 (22nd St.), 30 (Kennedy), 32 (MLK Blvd.), 42/45 (University)

• Expanding Transit Options (Fixed-guideway):
• Corridor assessments, future streetcar extensions, CSX corridor evaluation, InVision Tampa Streetcar: Project partner, project development, Marion Transitway Corridor Assessment
• Customer Amenities, HART Facilities, etc.:

• Bus shelter and transit center upgrades, replacement and renovation of HART maintenance facilities, rolling stock purchases (electric and Compressed Natural Gas buses)

All for Transportation Background:

In November 2018, the residents of Hillsborough County voted for a 1% surtax to fund Transportation projects. Of the 1% surtax, 45% of the new surtax funded was designated for transit specific projects and that funding was designated to go directly to HART. 

In addition, as part of the referendum, an Independent Oversight Committee (IOC) was required to be created and an annual program of projects from each recipient of the 1% surtax funding must be submitted by September 30th each year for the IOC to review.