HART Board Approves FY 2013 Budget

HART broke ground on MetroRapid North-South in August!

The HART Board approved the fiscal year 2013 budget, which includes an operating budget of $61,580,511 and a capital budget of $39,512,848. This vote took place after the final budget public hearing, held at the HART Administrative Office in Ybor City on Monday.

The operating budget supports:

• 44 Regular, Express, and HARTFlex Routes
• In-Town Trolley during rush time weekday mornings and late afternoons
• Paratransit operations, or transportation for persons with disabilities
• MetroRapid North-South, new service beginning Spring 2013
• Streetcar operations
• More than 200 buses and vans
• Nearly 3,500 bus stops and shelters throughout Hillsborough County
• Customer Service, seven days a week
• More than 1.1 million trips each month!

Yukon Transfer Center is of the facilities receiving upgrades

The capital budget funds MetroRapid North-South, Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station, and efficiency and modernization upgrades to several HART facilities.

The approved budget also includes new strategic goals and objectives. 

Goals:

• Exceed customer expectations
• Ensure safety & security
• Maximize financial condition
• Foster a thriving internal environment
• Connect the county and region
• Embrace innovative practices and systems

HART is also on its way to outperforming last year's performance results for ridership productivity, safety, quality of service and on-time performance. Most notably, HART has improved its efficiency by reducing the gross cost per revenue mile from $6.71 to $6.42.* HART buses and vans travel a combined 8.8 million revenue miles each year, and this reduced cost per mile adds up to $2.5 million in efficiency savings for fiscal year 2012, ending Sept. 30. Lower cost per mile is due to reduced fuel and administrative costs, and these efficiency savings allow HART to improve bus service for the upcoming year and absorb new service, such as MetroRapid North-South.    

Budget documents are available at www.goHART.org.

Each year during the budget development process, two budget hearings are held in September. This year, budget hearings were held Sept. 10 and Sept. 24.

Ride HART. Be SMART: Be Prepared to Board!

Many factors are in play when you arrive on time.

Our goal at HART is to provide customers with a safe and efficient ride, but we can’t do that alone. Schedule adherence relies on a number of factors, which include bus operators knowing the routes, and following traffic safety laws, the HART Maintenance Department keeping buses in service, the HART Service Development Department carefully planning bus schedules that allow operators to make trips within their timepoints and probably most importantly, our customers!

HART has seen record ridership growth over the past few years and while this is great, we're challenged with providing as much service as possible within out fleet and funding constraints. Adding a few million in ridership, while operating with the same funding levels of 2006, means buses are stopping at more stops and on some routes, are standing-room only. Good problem to have... right?

Precious seconds tick away the moment you board the bus

How you can help? 

Every time someone boards the bus unprepared, countless seconds tick away and pin HART against the clock. In the video below, HART Bus Operator Jason Eames, talks about how it takes roughly 3 seconds for one person to board the bus, if they're prepared with fare ready. However, the boarding process can take as long as 30-45 seconds for unprepared customers, especially if they can't locate their fare cards!

The importance of being ready to board is explain in depth in the June edition of Next Stop with HART, which you can view below.

"Those precious seconds add up, when you're doing a route that is 15 minutes like the Route 2, those few seconds at every stop... you're adding up to 10-15 minutes to the route sometimes or even more," Eames said.

Being prepared to board not only assists us in getting you (and your fellow bus-mates) to work on time, but it could also lead to more service.

Here's an astonishing number: If HART trimmed 5 minutes from each run on daily routes, we could save $3 million annually! For a little perspective, the average route running a 30-minute weekday frequency with 30/60 minute frequency on weekends costs roughly $1.3 million annually to operate.

So, that $3 million saved annually could lead to reinvestment into existing routes to relieve crowding and improve schedule adherence, or invested in expanding service to growing areas such as Brandon and New Tampa.

All from just shaving some time off of our routes... Addition by subtraction!

Do your part! Next time you Ride HART. Be Smart.

The 7th Annual Festival Del Sabor

This Saturday!

Hispanic Heritage Month starts this Saturday, September 15 and Ybor is looking to kick it off with a big celebration!

Whether you're looking to celebrate your Hispanic Heritage, or just get down on some great food, the Festival del SABOR is a great family-friendly option. Love to cook? Love to eat? The festival will feature an amateur recipe and cookout to find Tampa Bay's best "Arroz con Pollo". Participants have the chance to win $750 in prizes. Prizes will be awarded for Best Recipe and Most Creative Recipe. 

But, don't worry, the adults won't be the only ones having fun as there will be a children's play area sponsored by MOSI, and a stage featuring local musicians. The event runs from noon - 5 p.m. at Centennial Park.

The streetcar drops off right next to Centennial Park!

The TECO Line Streetcar is a great option if you're coming from downtown or Channelside as the streetcar drops off right next to the event at Centennial Park Station. Plan to take in some nightlife? Leave your car in Ybor and take the streetcar!

Last MetroRapid East-West Open House is Tonight!

Interested in learning more about MetroRapid East-West?

We're holding the last of three open houses today 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at NetPark for MetroRapid East-West. HART staff will be on site to answer questions and receive public input on the project, which is now in the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study phase. The PD&E phase started in Fall 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by early Fall 2012. The final PD&E report will be presented during an upcoming HART Board meeting, which is open to the public.

MetroRapid will feature 40-ft. low-floor buses

A quick refresher... MetroRapid uses multiple Bus Rapid Transit-esque traits, such as ticket vending machines, traffic signal priority (TSP), high frequencies and enhanced passenger stations.
 
MetroRapid East-West is proposed to operate between Tampa International Airport and Temple Terrace, providing enhanced service to International Plaza, Westshore Plaza, the West Tampa Transfer Center, Raymond James Stadium, St. Joseph's Hospital and more. MetroRapid East-West is the second corridor of the HART MetroRapid system and it is funded through Early Design.

MetroRapid North-South, the first corridor currently under construction, is a 17.5 mile line that will operate between Telecom Park near the University of South Florida and downtown Tampa at Marion Transit Center. Buses will use TSP technology to shave upwards of 15% off the current travel time along Nebraska and Fletcher Avenues. Paid for by Hillsborough County Community Investment Tax funds, the project is under budget by more than $6 million.

The public is welcome to drop by at any time during the open house.

HART and TECO Line Streetcar Service During RNC

The RNC is August 27-30.

Everyone is counting down to the Republican National Convention (RNC). With more than 50,000 visitors expected, this is an event described as bigger than the Super Bowl!

HART has been on countdown too. Transporting customers safely will be our No. 1 goal during RNC. That’s why we’ve been working closely with RNC coordinators for the past year and transportation plans will be unveiled based on the finalized security zone. In addition to a network of downtown transit services that include bus, streetcar and trolley, nine express routes travel into downtown every day. Customers will be given as much advance notice as possible about our RNC transportation plans so everyone is well aware about impacts to bus and streetcar service.

The bottom line is that Tampa is open for business during RNC, and HART is also planning to stay open for business during this historic event. Just keep in mind that customers may have to adjust their schedules a little or walk a bit further to their bus stops due to the security zone, road closures, traffic, etc. Of course, during RNC, HART may receive instructions to temporarily suspend service and we will communicate this to customers as best as possible – make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the very latest on bus and streetcar service!

We thank you for your patience during this exciting time to showcase our great city!

Below is a news roundup on transportation during the RNC:

Pedal Buses are coming... Humana looks to bring pedal buses to Tampa for Republican National Convention - June 26, 2012 

Charter service... Republican National Convention's fleet of charter buses growing from 300 to 400 - May 24, 2012 

Lights, Camera, Action! An Eye in the Sky to Catch Crime - March 28, 2012 

Visiting town? A video guide to Tampa transit! - March 2, 2012  

No issues here... No Big-time Mass Transit in Tampa? Not an Issue, RNC Host Committee President Says - February 22, 2012

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Take the TECO Line Streetcar to the Channelside July 4th Fireworks Display!

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved."  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

American freedom was achieved through a revolution against Great Britain lasting seven years and costing over 25,000 colonists their lives. 

This Wednesday, July 4th, Americans across the country will celebrate this sacrifice for freedom with fireworks, family and food. Locally, Channelside is hosting the 11th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The TECO Line Streetcar is a proud sponsor of the event taking place in the waters near Channelside Bay Plaza. 

The fireworks display begins at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, with live music starting at 1 p.m. The event draws a HUGE crowd, so it is suggested that visitors arrive a couple hours early in order to get a good viewing spot. Only the first 3,000 people will be able to see the fireworks from the Wharf area of Channelside.

Whiting Station is across from Ft. Brooke parking garage

Officials suggest taking the TECO Line Streetcar to avoid the congestion and parking hassle that Channelside will face with thousands converging on the area. 

Suggested parking garages are the Palm Avenue garage in Ybor City or the Ft. Brooke garage in downtown, both garages are less than a block from the TECO Line Streetcar System.  Click here for an interactive map of downtown/Ybor City showing the location of the parking garages to the streetcar line.

The TECO Line Streetcar System is extending service until 11 p.m. on Independence Day.

For more information on the Channelside Fireworks Spectacular, visit www.channelsidebayplaza.com.   

Visit www.tecolinestreetcar.org for TECO Line Streetcar System hours, fares and schedules.

Commissioner Takes to Twitter for Dump the Pump Ride

Considering HART provides more than 50,000 bus trips every weekday, every day is Dump the Pump Day for thousands in Hillsborough County. But for those who haven’t tried transit, a day is set aside every year to raise awareness about how easy it is to keep more money in your pocket and away from the pump:  “National Dump the Pump Day.”

Transit agencies across the country took on activities to promote Dump the Pump – discounted fares, giveaways, social media promotions, the list goes on.

But what better way to highlight Dump the Pump Day than highlighting a real-life pump dumper:  Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe. 

@MarkSharpeFL:  National Dump the Pump Day - everyone is encouraged to take transit for the day. I am at stop 1859 – sweating

Commissioner Mark Sharpe tweeted his ride for Dump the Pump

I met up with Commissioner Sharpe on Kennedy Boulevard to pick up Route 30, going westbound towards Tampa International Airport.

Commissioner Sharpe is familiar with Route 30, but today’s ride was different – it was in honor of Dump the Pump Day – so it deserved extra attention.

“We’re going to have fun with this,” he said to me.

Little did I know that meant a Twitter play-by-play!

@MarkSharpeFL:  Riding the 1001 east on Kennedy – every seat is taken and its ice cold inside

It’s true. Annual ridership on Route 30 is about 800,000.

We sat next to a young adult who moved from Connecticut just five days ago to take a job in downtown Tampa. He takes the Route 30 every day from Memorial Highway into Downtown Tampa, and hadn’t even thought about getting a car just yet. Transit was his first option.

Attracting young workers to this area caught Commissioner Sharpe’s attention. In fact, he showed me the book he was currently reading:  The New Geography of Jobs, by Enrico Moretti.

“Transit will drive the new economy,” he said. “Young workers will use it as a safe way to get to work because they don’t have to deal with insurance and paying high gas prices.”

@MarkSharpeFL:  Waiting at the next stop w/ HART's superb PIO - I am very impressed - but also dishing out grief. Why can't I track my bus w/phone app now?

It’s not soon enough for Commissioner Sharpe – or our customers -- but HART is testing real-time bus schedule technology

 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Qt #2: why can't I use my debit card to pay? I thought bond defeasance was complicated - try multiple stops & paying w/quarters

Good news is that MetroRapid North-South – opening early next year – will feature ticket vending machines at major station stops and they accept debit cards. This type of off-board fare collection means not having to wait behind riders paying with quarters. 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Riding #2411 (which I CAN'T track by gps). HART's impressive & patient PIO explaining the "open container" policy. See bond defeasment

Florida is hot and we get thirsty. We understand. But anything you can do to avoid spills -- especially spills on someone else -- that would be great! 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Heading downtown from airport. Watched guy pay apparently using pennies - way too slow. Need off board payments/debit card/pay by phone app

@MarkSharpeFL:  Passing @BuddyBrewCoffee on HART #2411 - sure would like a cup of coffee on this trip. Can't remember bus drinking policy, looking for rules

@MarkSharpeFL:  Almost downtown - making great time - even with the 60 to 70 stops (average).

Not that we stopped at every one of those stops along Route 30, but with increased ridership, HART drivers are overall stopping at more stops these days. On some of our busier runs, drivers are stopping at two-thirds of all stops along a route. So now, we’re asking for a little help from our customers on faster boarding and exiting to help keep everyone’s trip pleasant and buses running on time:  Ride HART. Be Smart

 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Downtown - while others text while driving in their cars - I am safely twittering while riding the bus. HART means safe twittering -

@MarkSharpeFL:  Downtown has plenty of solar pay stations for parking - HART should explore same for our busier stops

@MarkSharpeFL:  Made it to County Center in record time. Just a short walk from stop to my office. Still no coffee

All downtown workers can ride HART to work. HART operates nine express routes that serve as money-saving options for our downtown Tampa workers who have long commutes (or short ones too!) These express routes travel along Marion Transit Parkway, and if that’s not a close walk to your office, the In-Town Trolley operates as a circulator every weekday 6 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 – 6 p.m. It serves stops in Harbor Island, along Tampa Street and Florida Avenue every 15 minutes. Pay with your monthly bus pass or with a quarter.

I had a little further to go, so Commissioner Sharpe and I parted ways. But he didn’t depart from twitter when he picked up the bus again later that afternoon to go home for the day:

@MarkSharpeFL:  Back to Bus for "quick" ride home. Eager to see if bus is on time.

@MarkSharpeFL:  Standing at the City Hall Station waiting for the #30. Looking at color coded map that makes hieroglyphics seem simple. Who made the maps?

@MarkSharpeFL:  Bus on time and full - so much for no-one rides the bus argument. Sitting next to guy who sells Epoch on Kennedy. Everyone takes bus to work

@MarkSharpeFL:  At stop 5203 rider puts bike (aka bug screen) on front of bus. Gets on before light changes - impressive

@MarkSharpeFL:  2 motorized riders getting on the bus at stop 10086. Takes only a few minutes for driver to get them on. The passengers respond w/courtesy

@MarkSharpeFL:  Standing room only now - 40 plus riders - stopping on Kennedy as cars fly past (chugging foreign oil). HART will soon use American made CNG

@MarkSharpeFL:  Near my stop. Suppose to "pull cord" before / not after I want to get off. Sounds easy - unless you’re a politician

@MarkSharpeFL:  Made my stop - even missing rain shower seconds before drenching downpour. HART gets me home safe & dry.

Commissioner Sharpe received a lot of Facebook and Twitter following and feedback during his bus ride, so I have a feeling it’ll be less than a year before the next “Tweet and Ride”!