FLAMINGO FLASH SALE - 50% Off HART 31-Day Passes!

Black Friday turns into #FlamingoFriday this week with a special offer on HART 31-Day passes via the Flamingo Fares app!

Flamingo Fares users can use promo code BLKFR31DR on the mobile app for 50% off a HART 31-Day Pass!

Discount passholders can use BLKFR31DD for 50% off a HART 31-Day Discount Pass.

The Flamingo Flash Sale is exclusively available on Flamingo Fares. The promotion is valid from November 24, 2023 - November 27, 2023.

The Winter Village Express Returns for the Season!

Winter Village Express operates Sundays through Dec. 17!

The holiday season is so close, that we can almost feel Jack Frost nipping at our nose - 65° at night. Brr! ❄

The Tampa Downtown Partnership is once again holding its Winter Village, featuring an ice rink, a cafe with warm beverages, and a holiday marketplace with local boutiques! The winter wonderland is located in Curtis Hixon Park and will take place from November 17 - January 1.

Along with the Winter Village comes the transformation of the TECO Line Streetcar System into the Winter Village Express! Launching November 17, the Winter Village Express offers a festive experience aboard a holiday-themed Streetcar. Enjoy treats, music, and fun while onboard!

The Winter Village Express will operate every Sunday through December 17. You can pick up the Winter Village Express at Whiting Station in Downtown Tampa (Station #11).

The Winter Village is open 11/17-1/1

Winter Village Express Operating Schedule:

Whiting Station in Downtown Tampa:

• 3:25 p.m.
• 4:25 p.m.
• 5:25 p.m.
• 6:25 p.m.
• 7:25 p.m.

The cost of the Winter Village Express is $10.00 for a roundtrip ticket. Tickets are ONLY available online. All trips are first-come, first-serve, due to limited availability. Arrive early!

For more information on Winter Village or the Winter Village Express, visit www.wintervillagetampa.com/.

Happy Holidays!

HART Welcomes Commissioner Cameron-Cepeda to the Board of Directors!

Commissioner Donna Cameron-Cepeda

Please join us in welcoming Commissioner Dr. Donna Cameron-Cepeda to the HART Board! Commissioner Cameron-Cepeda was appointed by the Hillsborough County BOCC and will represent Hillsborough County on the Board.

Commissioner Cameron-Cepeda is an Army Veteran, and Author. She has worked as a Financial Analyst for a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

She has also served as an Associate Professor at Life Christian University. Dr. Donna has touched many lives through her life of service as a licensed and ordained minister, pastoral counseling people that have life trauma, PTSD, drug and alcohol addictions and other spiritual issues. She has a great love for people and is involved in the community extensively.

Commissioner Cameron-Cepeda will replace Commissioner Patricia "Pat" Kemp, who has served on the HART Board since 2018.

HART would like to thank Commissioner Kemp for her service on the HART Board of Directors and her commitment to the Agency during her tenure.

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The HART Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the Authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance, customer service, and is made up of 14 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County (seven seats), City of Tampa (four seats), State of Florida (two seats) and City of Temple Terrace (one seat). Officers of the HART Board (chair, vice-chair and secretary) are elected every year.

HART Honors Military with Free Rides on Veterans Day

In appreciation for the contributions of the men and women who have served in our nation's armed forces, the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) is offering free rides to U.S. military veterans on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, 2023.      

HART extends this invitation to ride to all members of the armed services, both active and retired, as well as to their family members or dependents. Riders are asked to show a valid military or veteran ID card when boarding any HART bus to qualify for a free ride.

"This is a token of our gratitude to all veterans, the silent heroes, who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms," said Scott Drainville, HART CEO. "We also recognize the veterans within HART who have served across various branches of the armed forces and who work diligently to carry out the Agency's mission."

  

HART is proud to actively hire veterans, who constitute a vital part of our HART team. The HART organizational family currently includes more than 60 employees who are veterans, each with a special story of bravery and sacrifice.

Almost 13% of the HART current workforce consists of veterans who serve across several departments and specialities including vehicle operations, vehicle maintenance, revenue planning, safety/security, customer service, and information technology.

Hiring former military personnel brings to our team a unique blend of qualities that are essential for success in any organization: discipline, dedication, leadership, and a strong sense of duty. Their unwavering commitment to their mission and the ability to work effectively under pressure make them an invaluable asset to Team HART.

Veterans Day Service

HART service will operate on a regular Saturday service schedule for Veterans Day. The TECO Line Streetcar System will operate on a Saturday service schedule from 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

HART Customer Service will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reached by calling (813) 254-4278 or TDD (813) 626-9158. HART Customer Service Centers at the University Area Transit Center and the Marion Transit Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other HART offices will be closed.

HART Board Appoints Scott Drainville as Permanent CEO

HART CEO Scott Drainville

The HART Board of Directors appointed Scott Drainville as the Authority's new Chief Executive Officer at the November 6, 2023, Board Meeting.

Mr. Drainville has been serving as the HART Interim CEO since April 2023.

  

The decision to promote Mr. Drainville was announced after a vote by the HART Board of Directors to approve his contract as permanent CEO.

            

HART hired Mr. Drainville in 2018 as Deputy Chief of Maintenance, overseeing the Authority's core business in maintenance, facilities, inventory control and the communications/electronics divisions and responsible for directing the overall funding, environmental, design, permitting, construction, and project close-out of capital construction projects. He would go on to serve as Chief of Maintenance and Transportation.

 

“Scott Drainville is a partner with our Board in bringing more transparency to HART, said HART Chair Councilman Luis Viera. "I and our Board of Republicans and Democrats enthusiastically gave Mr. Drainville a unanimous approval for a reason - because he is the right person with the right values and for the right time for HART.”

 

"I appreciate the confidence the Board of Directors has placed in my ability to lead HART," said HART CEO Scott Drainville. "My focus is on bringing stability to the organization and continuing to maximize our resources to deliver the best possible transportation service for Hillsborough County."

      

Mr. Drainville is a native of East Providence, Rhode Island who brings more than thirty years of public transportation and fleet maintenance experience to the organization. He started his career as a diesel technician in the late '80s.

Before coming to HART, Mr. Drainville served as the Director of Transportation and Maintenance for CitiBus located in Lubbock, Texas. He has also held transit leadership positions at the D.C. Circulator in Washington D.C. and served as a Mechanical Foreman with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority for more than eighteen years.

BOCC Appoints Two New Board Members; Reappoints One

Please join HART staff in welcoming Gary Hartfield and John King Jr. as newly-appointed HART Board members, representing Hillsborough County. We are also excited to announce that Director Marvin Knight was reappointed for another term and will continue his tenure on the Board.

Gary T. Hartfield is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, leader, author, and philanthropist. He is the president and CEO of six Residential Group Homes throughout Florida, delivering personalized and therapeutic healthcare services for the elderly and developmentally disabled. Gary is also the founder and CEO of Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting, a full-service agency providing insurance solutions to clients throughout Florida and Georgia. Mr. Hartfield's key business roles and accomplishments extend to the nonprofit realm, where he serves as the CEO and Chairman of Empower Florida, Inc., an association representing the needs of more than 20,000 business owners who serve the intellectually and developmentally disabled throughout Florida. He also serves on multiple boards and councils, including the Tampa Bay Chamber, Career Source Tampa Bay, the CEO Council, the Nonprofit Leadership Center, The Skills Center, Live Tampa Bay, and the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs.

Gary T. Hartfield

John King, Jr., is a native Floridian and resided in Hillsborough County since 2008. Mr. King graduated from Florida State University and retired from the United States Navy after serving for 22 years as a military intelligence officer. Prior to his military service, Mr. King worked as a risk management consultant for MG Consulting in Atlanta, Georgia, restructuring Commercial General Liability, and Commercial Property and Casualty loss portfolios and reinsurance contracts. Mr. King currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Carrollwood Village Homeowners Association. Mr. King is a former aide to Congressman Charles E. Bennett of Florida.

John King, Jr.

Marvin Knight, a current HART Board member, has been reappointed for his third term on the HART Board of Directors. Mr. Knight has a degree in electronic technology and computer electronics. Mr. Knight is very active in the community; he is Hillsborough County Honorary Deputy, a member of NAACP, and Freddie Solomon Boys and Girls Club. Marvin Knight has been a member of the HART Finance and Audit, Operations and Safety Committees, and Revenue Alternatives Ad Hoc Committee.

Marvin Knight

We are looking forward to your input and active involvement in support of HART’s mission “to take people to the places that enhance their lives”.

New appointees replace the previous Hillsborough County appointees Rena Frazier and Eric Johnson. HART would like to thank them for their service on the HART Board of Directors and commitment to the Agency during their tenure.

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The HART Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions for the Authority on matters ranging from system operations, service planning, fare structure, finance, customer service, and is made up of 14 volunteers who are appointed to represent Hillsborough County (seven seats), City of Tampa (four seats), State of Florida (two seats) and City of Temple Terrace (one seat). Officers of the HART Board (chair, vice-chair and secretary) are elected every year.

The TECO Line Streetcar Hits All-Time Annual Ridership Record

The TECO Line Streetcar smashed the all-time annual ridership record in FY2023 (October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023) with 1,315,103 passenger trips.

It was the highest annual ridership in over 20 years of TECO Line Streetcar service.

The TECO Line Streetcar has broken several monthly ridership records over the past year including the best month in the Streetcar's modern history with 127,863 passenger trips reported in March 2023.

The record ridership is attributed to an increase in frequency to every 12 minutes during peak hours, population growth along the streetcar line, and near-record tourism to Tampa.

"We are elated to be celebrating another year of record ridership on the Streetcar," said Scott Drainville, Interim CEO, Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART). "The success of the Streetcar is a result of our community coming together to invest in public transportation."

The TECO Line Streetcar is a partnership between HART, the City of Tampa, and Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. October 2023 marks 21 years since the iconic yellow streetcars returned to Tampa streets.