The Tampa Bay Transit Blog by HARTride 2012

Yes........it has been quite dormant here lately...

2012-01-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Due to the constant juggle of work and school, I have not been able to post on the blog, or fulfill some of my other goals for the site. Please be assured that I am still working on several items, such as the upcoming website expansion, in my spare time. The opening of the New York city Transit site has been pushed back to mid to late January (hopefully this is the LAST delay) and the first newsletter should be out by March (it is much harder than I thought to write the newsletter). Additionally, our Facebook page is dormant until August, for I have had to turn off my personal profile to focus on more important things in my life. However, I will continue to post updates via Twitter (@tampabaytransit) for the meantime.To those who continually follow us here and on social media. I sincerely apologize for the delays. Once I have graduated in August, I hope to have more time on my hands to complete the many goals I have set for the website.~ Best Regards, HARTride 2012 ~ Admin.

Sites are currently closed for maintenance

2011-08-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

All of our sites will be closed for maintenance and updates until August 14. We apologize for the inconvenience.

HART Route 39 @ Busch Blvd/56th St - A touchy subject

2011-07-05T05:13:00.000-07:00

In these hard economic times, the big message is clear; raise revenues and cut costs. That is what HART has been trying to do in various ways by introducing HARTflex, cutting trips on underperforming routes, and even eliminating routes that don't carry enough passengers. However, it seems that changing one route has become a community battle of sorts.

The route that I am speaking of is Route 39, which runs along Busch Blvd from Town-N-Country to East Tampa. Ever since its inception in the mid 1990s, Route 39 has always had a "jog" that takes buses from Busch Blvd at 50th St to Temple Heights Blvd and then onto 56th St. In recent years, HART has attempted several times (as recent as 2010) to eliminate this "jog" in the route. Why is HART so eager to eliminate this segment? There are a few reasons, but the two main points are efficiency and cost savings.

*Cost savings: First and foremost, HART officials tell me that they can save X amount of dollars by keeping Route 39 on Busch Blvd, as opposed to leaving it in its current state. Saving money is even more crucial as funding continues to decrease.
*Efficiency: HART believes it is much more efficient to keep Route 39 on a major highway, rather than have it meander through tight corners and narrow streets. This is an especially hard task for a 40-foot bus. Revising the route also will improve travel times.

Now here is where the battle lines are drawn. Although the plan is a very sensible idea, the community of Temple Heights have been opposed to the plan for years. They believe that it is a huge inconvenience to have to walk several blocks further to catch the bus. Many of these residents are in the lower income brackets and may not have any other form of transportation. Even in the most recent plan to revise Route 39, the concept to eliminate the Temple Heights segment was shot down by community opposition.

HART is proposing the same plan for its Fall, 2011 service changes. But after having the plan shot down 5 or 6 different times, will the plan finally pass? Or will it just fizzle out like the last several attempts?

Happy 4th!

2011-06-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

We at Tampa Bay Transit hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. As you go about your July 4th plans, please know that HART & PSTA will be running on Sunday-level service on Monday, July 4, 2011. The Gulfport Trolley, SCAT, MCAT, PCPT, & THEbus will not operate. TECOline Streetcar, St Pete Looper Trolley (and the Central Ave Shuttle), Clearwater Jolley Trolley, & Longboat Trolley will operate on a normal schedule.

HART gears up for FLEX expansion

2011-06-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I would like to devote this posting to HARTflex. I know I have mentioned HARTflex in several previous posts, but this post is specifically dedicated to the upcoming expansion of the service.

Believe it or not, HARTflex, which currently operates in SouthShore and Brandon, has become a popular service for many patrons. The service allows a fleet of minibuses to navigate through designated zones and take patrons from their homes to various destinations within the zone. Whether you're going to school, work, doctor visits, park/recreation centers, or even to the mall, HARTflex helps you get from A to B more easily than ever!

Beginning on July 10, 2011, HARTflex service will expand to Northdale, between St. Joseph's Hospital North and Fletcher Ave, along Dale Mabry Hwy. Service will operate Monday through Friday from 5am until roughly 8:45pm and Saturdays from 6:45am until 6:30pm. There is no Sunday or Holiday service.

Also joining in on HARTflex are the Town-N-Country and South Tampa areas. For years, we've seen very low ridership on Connector Routes 88 and 89, which serve Town-N-Country and South Tampa respectively. The replacement of these routes with HARTflex service will improve efficiency and save money in the long run, according to HART officials. Below are the operating hours for these two new flex zones.

*Town-N-Country: 5:15am through 7pm, Monday through Friday
*South Tampa: 6am through 8:30pm, Monday through Friday

Neither route has weekend/holiday service.

To learn more about HARTflex, click here.

Judgement Day for SunRail approaches

2011-06-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone,

I sincerely apologize for the lack of activity here. Things have been very crazy in recent months and have not had the chance to really plan out my next few postings. In fact, much of what I had planned quickly had to be scrapped due to the political climate that we are now experiencing. Nonetheless, I have promised everyone, especially our Twitter and Facebook followers that I would post again soon. So here I go! :)

Now, what to post about today? Why not talk about SunRail, the planned commuter rail system in Orlando. SunRail has been anything but a smooth ride during its course of planning. First we saw the bitter liability showdown between CSX and the state of Florida, not to mention all of the financial problems and political fights that were brought along with it. But now we have a new governor, Rick Scott, who so far, has been very anti-transit. It certainly seemed at first that SunRail was doomed, but with pressure mounting from both sides of the aisle, the verdict remains very foggy, if at best.

Click here to view a recent article that was put out by WFTV in Orlando.

Now, here is my view on SunRail. Despite its costs and possible risks to us taxpayers, SunRail will bring an alternative method of transportation to many residents of the Orlando area. Can you imagine less congestion on I-4 and the various expressways due to SunRail? I sure can. Just like High Speed Rail, which Governor Scott derailed earlier this year, we have come so far to bring the SunRail project to reality. For the Governor to kill the project would prove to be far worse than any of the risk that the state would take on by moving forward with the project.

Governor Scott has until July to decide what he wants to do, but my hope is that he will approve the project so that Orlando has a chance to create meaningful public transit, and possibly inspire other metro areas, like Tampa, to do the same someday.

I will be reporting back when Governor Scott has made his decision. Hopefully, he will have made the right choice for Orlando's future.

Best Regards,
HARTride 2012
Tampa Bay Transit Administrator

COMMUTER ALERT! Platt Street Bridge Construction Begins January 10!

2011-01-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO COMMUTE REGULARY BETWEEN SOUTH TAMPA & DOWNTOWN TAMPA (& POINTS EAST/NORTH)

On January 10, 2010, construction will begin on the Platt Street Bridge, a critical link into Downtown Tampa. The bridge is nearly 85 years old and has been in desperate need of rehabilitation, especially to the aging drawbridge components - which are now considered obsolete. The project is slated to be finished in spring of 2012. However, during this time, there will be lane closures along the bridge. At least one lane will be closed entirely, with other lanes to be closed intermittently during non-peak hours. Additionally, there will be a period of approximately 105 days by which the bridge will be closed completely to allow work on the drawbridge to commence. This period of complete closure will occur in the last stage of the bridge rehab probject.

ALTERNATE ROUTES
Drivers are strongly encouraged to find alternate routes. Such routes include the following:

*The Selmon-Crosstown Expressway: You can cross the Hillsborough River via the Selmon-Crosstown Expressway by entering at Plant Ave and then proceeding to your destination as normal. It is unclear if tolls at Plant Ave will be lifted during the period of complete closure of the Platt St Bridge, but unless FDOT notifies the public of any toll suspension, be sure you have your SunPass ready. There is a 50 cent toll at the Plant Ave entrance. Those who do not have a SunPass will be billed later for 75 cents.

*Kennedy Blvd, Cass St, or Laurel St: Although these bridges are somewhat further north, they provide a "free" connection into downtown. However, drivers will experience more congestion along these routes than normal. The lesser used Laurel St Bridge is also a good alternate.

*I-275: If you can avoid downtown altogether, then take I-275 to your destination. Be sure to allow extra time if your commute is during rush hour.

No matter what route you take, be sure to factor in extra time to get to your destination. If you typically leave at 7am for work, try leaving at 6:30 or 6:15am to compensate for additional travel time & road congestion.

HART Bus Routes will be on detour
During this period of construction, HART bus Routes 4 & 19 will be on detour from time to time if conditions do not allow normal passage of buses accross the Platt St Bridge. Buses will also be detoured during the period of complete closure (105 days) of the bridge. The detour route will be via Hyde Park/Plant Ave, Kennedy Blvd, Ashley Dr, & Whiting St. HART will notify patrons when these detours are in effect.

Project Information
Please go to this link for more information about the Platt St Bridge rehabilitation project.

Happy New Year from Tampa Bay Transit!

2011-01-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! If you have not yet been to our redesigned website, then please do so. We have several new photos & a new layout. Enjoy!

http://sites.google.com/site/tampabaytransit

We'll have new blog posts begining on January 11!

We'll be back soon!

2010-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Tampa Bay Transit will be updated again on December 19, 2010. Our administrator is taking a much needed break to focus on school and work. Not to mention having to regain his breath after a brutal election by which Hillsborough & Polk County transportation referendums were voted down. Happy Holidays & we'll see you again soon!

In the meantime, we're experimenting a new blog design and layout. During the next few weeks, you may see several changes being implemented into the blog. We're also going to experiment with a new layout for the main site. So stay tuned!

THE TAMPA BAY TRANSIT SITE IS NOW CLOSED FOR MAINTENENCE AND WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL DECEMBER 19, 2010. The Paris Metro site will remain open.

Detour - HART Routes 12 & 45, USF Bull Runner Route D

2010-09-23T05:01:00.001-07:00

HART bus routes 12 & 45, AND USF Bull Runner route D are on detour until November 18, 2010 due to road work on 22nd St between 131st Ave & University Square Drive.

STOPS ALONG 22ND ST BETWEEN 131ST AVE AND UNIVERSITY SQ SR ARE NOT BEING SERVED!

Here's where the buses are being detoured:

HART bus routes 12 & 45 are being detoured via 131st Ave, Bruce B Downs Blvd, & University Square Drive.

USF Bull Runner route D is being detoured via 131st Ave, 15th St, & Fowler Ave, entering University Mall via Club Drive.

Please note that these detours are subject to change and that the road work could be completed sooner. For the latest information, please visit http://www.gohart.org or http://www.usfbullrunner.com/

New Poll

2010-09-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm going to ask the same question as I did in May & see if the results are different. My goal this time is to get as many responses as possible. Here's the question.

"If today was election day, how would you vote for the proposed sales tax increase to fund public transit expansion & road projects?"

Our last poll in May recieved 10 "yes" votes & 1 "no" vote. Will the results this time be different?

Sound off at our poll section on the right side of the main page.

Limited Holiday Services on Labor Day (Mon, Sept 6)

2010-09-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Tampa Bay Transit wishes you a safe and wonderful Labor Day weekend. Please keep in mind that that there will be limited public transit service on Monday, Sept 6.

HART: Saturday-level service (No Express, trolley, or neighborhood connector service. HARTflex Brandon will operate on it's Saturday schedule)
PSTA: Sunday-lev...el service (No Express service)
PCPT, THEbus, MCAT, and SCAT will not have bus service

We have a new neighbor!

2010-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Transit Blog warmly welcomes its new neighbor....HART!

Sorry for the lack of posts...

2010-07-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I apologize for the lack of posts and updates here on the blog. I've been very busy with my new day job and am unable to make as many updates as I used to. Plus, the fall semester is just around the corner, so time is of the essence.

However, you may check out our new Facebook page for the latest updates.

Best Regards,
HARTride 2012

HART Route 19 on Detour

2010-06-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

HART Route 19 will be on detour this week in South Tampa due to CSX crossing repairs. The closure is on S Manhattan Ave between Pearl Ave & Wallace Ave. Buses are being detoured via Pearl Ave, Clark St, & Oklahoma Ave. The route should return to normal operation by Thursday, June 17

HART Named The BEST Transit Agency in North America!

2010-05-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard it folks! Good news that is so good, I could not ignore it during vacation. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), awarded Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) with being the Outstanding Public Transit System of the Year for 2010!

What does that mean for HART? Well, it means that HART is now recognized as being "the best of the best" in public transit in all of North America. That's right ALL OF NORTH AMERICA! You'd think that such an award might have gone to the Chicago CTA, or perhaps Los Angeles. But the reality is, many transit agencies, even in the big cities, have had to drastically raise fares and cut service due to falling government revenue and the ongoing global recession. That equation often leads to falling ridership because people can no longer rely on public transit to get to where they need to go.

But thanks to HART CEO, David Armijo, and his transformation of the HART organization since 2007, HART has been able to do the exact opposite; expand service, while only raising fares incrementally, leading to record highs in ridership! This includes the expansion of service along Route 30, which serves Tampa International Airport and Downtown Tampa, the implementation of HARTflex in SouthShore and Brandon, and the reorganization of North Tampa service to prepare for MetroRapid, a bus rapid transit service that is slated to go online in 2012.

For more information on this award, and what it means for HART, click here to go to the HART website. You may then select the respective links to get more information.

Vacation Notice

2010-05-26T18:19:00.001-07:00

HARTride 2012 will be on vacation from Friday, May 28, 2010 through Tuesday, June 1, 2010. During this time, I will not be making any updates to the website or blog, or checking email. I will return all inquiries on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Thanks.

To the ballot.....now what?

2010-05-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well folks, the people have spoken! The sales tax question will be on the November ballot. But now we must build enough support to pass it.

Future of Tampa light rail left to voters
Friday, May 14, 2010

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- After a four-hour-long public hearing, Hillsborough County commissioners decided to put the proposed one-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects up for a popular vote.

In November, voters will be asked to approve a sales tax for transit projects, including light rail.

The final public hearing on the sales tax referendum brought overwhelming turnout on Thursday night.

Over 150 people showed up at the meeting, which started at 6 p.m. at All People's Life Center on Sligh Avenue in Tampa. Commissioners closed the floor at 10 p.m.

Many of the public who took the chance to speak said the tax should be put to a popular vote in November. Others opposed the tax entirely.

Ultimately, commissioners decided to put the sales tax on the November ballot.

Light rail in Hillsborough County

Part of the one-cent tax, if passed in November, would fund a light rail to be built in Hillsborough county. Initially, it would probably have two corridors.

"For the moment, yes, we're looking at the red line, USF to Bruce B. Downs/Downtown, and then the portion of the blue line would take you into Westshore and just connect to the outside of the airport by one mile," said David Armijo with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.

That puts the airport in reach of rail.

"All your long term parking is almost walking distance from there," said Armijo.

Shuttles would take people to the terminals with plans to add a rail line through the airport down the road.

The problem is deciding which corridor of the light rail system to build first.

"I think the ridership numbers are what's going to drive it," said

Ray Chiaramonte with Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

During peak hours there is a steady flow of traffic at the airport and that's why planners say when it comes to light rail ridership, the airport has so much potential.

"I could picture a traveler coming off of TIA and either going to hotels in Westshore or downtown to a convention, to USF for medical treatment," said Chiaramonte.

Planners say if the county can show that a lot of people would use the airport route, it could help the entire project receive federal funding.

HART is waiting on the results of a study to figure out how to move forward.

"Which is the best project that we can advance or do we link the two projects together," said Armijo. "That's still under consideration."

Link

Site is now online!

2010-05-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome all guests to the new Tampa Bay Transit site:

https://sites.google.com/site/tampabaytransit/

Just days to go before the new site goes online!

2010-05-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

We have just a couple more days to go before the roll out of Tampa Bay Transit V2. Let's spread the word about public transit and build support for the upcoming sales tax referendum.

PSTA Hybrid buses exceed expectations

2010-04-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

An ode to PSTA for their new fleet of hybrid buses!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 9:42am EDT Modified: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 9:43am
PSTA hybrids outperform expectations
Tampa Bay Business Journal

A year after the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority deployed hybrid buses, the vehicles are consistently operating at an average fuel efficiency that is 56 percent better than PSTA’s standard diesel buses.

When the PSTA board considered buying the agency’s first diesel-electric hybrid buses busses in 2008, bus manufacturer Gillig Corp. said to expect a fuel efficiency increase of about 20 percent over standard diesel buses, surpassing expectations, a release said.

PSTA’s 10 hybrid buses get an average of 6.4 miles to the gallon, the release said.
Most of the hybrids are customized as trolley buses and operate along the Suncoast Beach Trolley route from the Park Street Terminal in downtown Clearwater to Pass-A-Grille. The route’s slower speeds and frequent stops have maximized fuel gains from hybrid technology, PSTA said. The hybrids that are exclusive to those routes average 6.77 mpg.

The board approved the purchase of the fuel-efficient technology in hopes of saving money. PSTA was facing budget cuts due to Amendment 1 and falling property tax revenue, which makes up the bulk of its funding, a release said.

“We’re not only doing what’s best for our budget and spending taxpayer dollars wisely, but we’re doing what’s best for the environment,” said Executive Director Tim Garling in the release.Read more: PSTA hybrids outperform expectations - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/04/26/daily11.html

April Transit Update

2010-04-27T08:10:00.001-07:00

SCAT is showcasing its route change proposals online: http://www.scgov.net/SCAT/

The TECOline Streetcar Extension is moving along quite well. Construction of of the track base and tracks themselves will begin in the coming weeks. For the latest in closures and updates, visit http://www.gohart.org/

All of HART's 10XX buses are on the road. #s 2005 and 2015 have been spotted along lower frequency routes throughout the system.

Due to downtown Tampa road construction, some HART bus routes, and PSTA expresses may be detoured.

13 days before the opening of the Tampa Bay Transit Site!

Light Rail Info Session for USF Students

2010-04-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

If you're a USF student, than this post is for you. You might have seen the flyers all over campus regarding the upcoming information session about and a coordinating contest for Tampa's proposed light rail system.

The information session will be held on Tuesday, April 27 at 6pm at the Marshall Student Center, Oval Theater at USF Tampa Campus.

Future of Transportation Survey

2010-04-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.gohart.org/pdf/future_of_transportation_poll_summary.pdf

Earth Day - April 22

2010-04-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a child and every year, your school would take part in Earth Day by planting trees around campus, or spreading the word around your community about recycling? I certainly do. And this year, you can make a huge difference by using and discovering the benefits of public transit.

On April 22, use public transit to get to work, school, or wherever you need to go!

See this link to view a video about how HART is getting onboard...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1116500768836&ref=mf

A Community with HART - April Newsletter

2010-04-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view the latest news from HART, including the introduction of HARTflex.

http://www.gohart.org/newsletter/newsletter_april.html

HARTflex to begin April 12!

2010-04-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Photo by HART

HARTflex is almost here at last! After three years of delay, HARTflex will finally be rolling out in SouthShore and Brandon on April 12.

How does it work?

Patrons in SouthShore and Brandon, the first two areas to recieve service, can call a special reservation line (to be announced) and place a reservation. Minibuses then transfer passengers from their homes to their place of business or other points of interest within the service area. HARTflex buses will follow a designated fixed route, but will be able to deviate up to 3/4 of a mile outside of that desginated route. HARTflex service will also connect to HART Local or Commuter Express bus routes to allow for connectivity outside the designated neighborhood zones.

Hours of Operation

Both areas will be served on Weekdays from 6am until 8pm, with Brandon being served on Saturdays from 7:40am until 5:30pm. There will be no Sunday or Holiday service with either route.

Fares

A one-way trip will cost 85 cents, with a day pass costing $1.85

Contact

For reservations, please call: 813-449-4555

Click here to view the full article from the HART Website, including maps of both service areas and how you could ride for FREE!

New Website Coming Soon!

2010-03-30T06:05:00.001-07:00

I'm begining to put the final pieces together for the new Tampa Bay Transit Website. It will be going online sometime early this summer. Though an exact date is yet to be announced. Stay Tuned...

SCAT to hold public hearings on service reductions

2010-03-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

As many of us know, due to the economic recession, many transit agencies across the United States are having to drastically reduce costs due to lower revenues. SCAT Transit in Sarasota is no exception. SCAT is proposing several service eliminations and adjustments to save money while continuing to serve the citizens of Sarasota and Venice in an efficient manner. Some routes will be eliminated or adjusted due to low ridership and/or inefficiency.

SCAT will hold 2 open house style meetings in April to address these issues and allow input. Meetings are open to the public and will be held from 4:30pm to 6:00pm at the 2 locations shown below.

Monday, April 5
Robert L.Taylor Community Complex
1845 34th St., Sarasota

Tuesday, April 6
Community Hall, Venice City Hall
401 W. Venice Ave.,Venice

MAJOR SERVICE CHANGES

• Route 26 (Venice Connector): SCAT will merge most of the service area from Route 26 into the Route 13 (Venice Island). The portion of Route 26 operating on the U.S. 41 By-Pass will be served by a redesigned Route 16 (Englewood).
• Route 16 (Englewood): Route 16 will be redesigned to be more direct between Venice and Englewood. In Venice, the route will operate via U.S. 41 By-Pass, not Venice Island.
• Route 13 (Venice Island): Route 13 will be extended to the Venice Walmart on Jacaranda Boulevard via Center Road, Shamrock Boulevard, Alligator Drive and U.S. 41. To make this change, SCAT will remove service from U.S. 41 Business between Golf Drive and Avenida Del Circo.
• Route 18 (Longboat Key Trolley): In coordination with Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT), service on the Longboat Key Trolley will end at 8 p.m. The last trip of the day is proposed to depart outbound at 7:25 p.m. from downtown Sarasota and inbound at 7:40 p.m. from Coquina Beach.
• Route 8517 (Tallevast - SMH): SCAT will eliminate Route 8517 on Sunday. The route will be replaced with two separate routes: Route 7 (Newtown - NE) and Route 8 (Newtown – U.S. 301). Routes 7 and 8 will operate every two hours on Sunday. Both routes end at the SCAT Downtown Sarasota Transfer Station and do not continue to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Riders can transfer to Route 1713 to travel south of Lemon Avenue.

MINOR SERVICE CHANGES
• Route 9 (North Port via Jacaranda Boulevard): Route 9, which travels between North Port and the Venice Train Depot SCAT Transfer Station, requires minor schedule changes that will help to improve connections. SCAT will continue to operate the route every 60 minutes. The last Route 9 trip outbound from the Venice Train Depot to North Port will be at 6:40 p.m.
• Route 99 (Palmetto Fairgrounds to downtown Sarasota): Route 99’s first trip at 6:25 a.m. from the airport will be eliminated, but passengers can ride MCAT Route 99 at 6:35 a.m.
• Route 17 (Trail): Route 17 outbound trip at 7:15 p.m. will be extended to Venice Monday through Saturday.
• Route 20 (Toledo Blade): Route 20 outbound trips at 6:40 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. will be eliminated. The last outbound trip will be at 7:30 p.m.
• Route 5 (Osprey/Swift): Route 5 trip outbound at 7 p.m. will end at Proctor Road. There will be a full trip at 6 p.m.
• Route 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, and 99: Services on these Monday-Saturday routes will end earlier in the evening than the current schedule.
• Route 215, 1713, 6, 12, 1411: Services on these Sunday routes will end earlier in the evening than the current schedule. For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000, or visit the SCAT Web site, http://www.scgov.net/scat

2010 MacDill Air Fest is here!

2010-03-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

The 2010 MacDill AirFest (March 20 & 21) will surely bring in many visitors from across the Bay Area, just like in years past. This year, the US Navy Blue Angels are back and turnout is expected to be quite modest. Nonetheless, if you plan to make the commute to South Tampa, here are a few things to keep in mind.

*Arrive Early: If you can get to the base gate by 10:00am, then chances are, you'll get a spot to park on the airstrip. However, I suggest that if you're able to, try to get to the base no later than 7:30am so that you don't have to combat super long lines on Dale Mabry, which will clearly expand to other arteries as the day progresses. Gates open at 8am and the final pack of vehicles will be allowed in until 3pm, or whenever the lots become too full to handle anymore traffic. Though the Dale Mabry entrance is the main way in, you can still try to MacDill gate, which will be open to visitors as well. The Bayshore gate, like in years past, will be limited to only base personell.

*Shuttle Bus Service: But there is another option if you don't want to fight the traffic. HART is bringing back the Route 4 Shuttle Service, which will run on both days of the AirFest. Saturday, the service will run from 8am until 2:15pm. The first bus leaves downtown at 8am and arrives at the base at around 8:45am, the final round trip will occur at 1:30pm, arriving at the base at 2:15pm to return to downtown. Because of security concerns, the shuttle service will be suspended until 4pm, in which buses will depart the base (ONLY) until 6pm. Please note that Sunday service begins at 10am, but all other timepoints mentioned apply. Route 36 will not provide service to the base. Instead the route will only service the segment north of Britton Plaza. A connector shuttle will provide service from the Plaza to the Route 4 via Euclid Ave.

From GoHART.org

See the map below for details.

New buses keep rolling in at HART

2010-03-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

If you haven't noticed yet, new Gillig buses #s 1001 through 1007 have hit the road in Tampa, with many more to go into service this month. You'll also begin to see the older 20XX buses being phased out. Those buses will be placed into HART's contingency fleet.

UPDATE (3/16/10): #s 1001 through 1016 are now in service, with the remaining buses to be in service by the end of this month.

Upcoming Service Changes

2010-03-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Minor changes will take place during the month of March for the following transit agencies. Over the fall months of 2009, Sarasota County Area Transit enacted a new policy regarding transit passes. This is also available to view through this post.

HART - Minor Service Changes - 3/7/10
http://www.gohart.org/departments/marketing/news/march_2010_service_changes.html

PSTA - Spring Break/Suncoast Beach Trolley Notice

http://www.psta.net/images/Home%20Page/Home%20page%20PDFs/spring%20break%20trolley%202010.pdf

SCAT - Pass Changes

http://www.scgov.net/SCAT/documents/Jan10PassPoster.pdf

SCAT also enacted major service changes in January 2010. Read more...

HARTflex to begin in April

2010-02-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

After three years of delays, HARTflex is finally set to begin service in April! This will mark the begining of reservation-based, flex-route minibus service in the Tampa Bay Area.

How does it work?

Patrons in SouthShore and Brandon, the first two areas to recieve service, can call a special reservation line (to be announced) and place a reservation. Minibuses then transfer passengers from their homes to their place of business or other points of interest within the service area. HARTflex buses will follow a designated fixed route, but will be able to deviate up to 3/4 of a mile outside of that desginated route. HARTflex service will also connect to HART Local or Commuter Express bus routes to allow for connectivity outside the designated neighborhood zones.

See this article for more details, including the proposed fares.

MCAT's Palmetto Station Opens!

On January 30, 2010, MCAT officially opened its new Palmetto Station Terminal on 8th Ave. W. and 19th St. W. in Palmetto. This change resulted in minor changes to SCAT Route 99 and MCAT Routes 11 & 13. More...

Welcome to the new blog!

2010-01-25T06:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Contrary to my wishes, I was not able to achieve the website update that I had hoped. It turns out that putting my site on Tripod was more of a headache than a benefit due to numerous broken links and media, as well as the extensive amount of time it took me to upload and format material.

Therefore, I am discontinuing the tripod service, and moving the Tampa Bay Transit site over to Google Sites, which is much more easier for me to use. This transition will take several months, so I ask that you please be patient.

In the meantime, you can check out what is going on with Tampa Bay Mass Transit at SkyScraperCity.

It'll just be a little longer....

2009-12-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry folks, but the renovations are going to take a little longer than expected. However, I am hoping to get the sites back online by January 10. Happy New Year!

Holiday service changes

2009-12-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

A few changes have been made to the winter holiday schedule for HART. The agency has introduced Sunday-level service on New Year's Day, as opposed to having no bus service on that day in years past. Routes that do not run during Sundays will not operate on New Year's Day.

http://www.gohart.org/departments/marketing/news/holiday_schedule_fy10.html

December Website News/Updates

2009-12-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Since I'm on winter break until January 10, 2010, I have decided to take down the Tampa Bay Transit website to expand the content that will be made available for you. This includes a whole collection of never-before seen transit mementos from HART during the 1990s.

I will be incorporating a brand new design for the blog as well. And I will officially drop the current title during the rebranding. The blog will soon be known as the Tampa Bay Transit Blog.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at hartride2012tampa@gmail.com

Happy Holidays and remember, no bus service on Christmas (Fri, Dec 25). Weekend service will resume on Sat, Dec 26.

November Transit Update

2009-11-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

SCAT: From my understanding, the proposed SCAT express service to St. Pete has been put on hold until later in 2010. The agency is still awaiting an order of several motorcoach-style buses to use on the service. The proposed Tampa leg will not likely come online until 2011 or 2012, about the time the HART's MetroRapid service goes online.

HART: HART enacted service changes on November 8 that eliminated Route 83 and merged it with Route 33. Route 36 was extended to North Lakeview, taking over from Route 33. The 36 will extend to the New St. Joseph's Hospital North on January 17, 2010. Routes 1 and 2 were realligned to prep for MetroRapid service, and many other routes saw frequency changes. HARTflex is scheduled to begin in March 2010 in East and South Hillsborough County.

Thanksgiving Holiday Services: HART, PSTA, MCAT, and SCAT will not operate during Thanksgiving Day. On Friday, November 27, MCAT & SCAT will be on normal (Saturday) service, PSTA will be on Sunday-level service, and HART will be on Saturday-level service. Some routes may see additional buses or frequency due to Black Friday shopping. Express routes will not operate on Friday. All transit offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

NEW! The Tampa Bay Transit Website

2009-11-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hi there all,

I am posting again to introduce the new Tampa Bay Transit website. Here you can find information, history, and photos of the various transit agencies in Tampa Bay. It is actually an "inheritance" from an aquaintance of mine who originally started the site, but "handed the keys over" to me so that he may focus on other matters. Go check it out!

http://tampabaytransit2012.tripod.com/

October Transit Update

2009-10-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

I know I said before that I wouldn't make another post til December. But there have been many developments on the transit front here in Tampa Bay that I should quickly point out.

HART System: All of the new 29XX Gillig Low Floor 40ft buses are in service since October 1, 2009. Many of these buses are seen runing express routes, as well as higher frequency local routes. The next batch of 29 Gilligs will come in sometime in Spring 2010, replacing all but one (#2015) of the 2000 model Gillig Low Floor 30ft buses and most of the Champion/Freightliner buses that HART purchased in 2008. HART will enact several route changes on November 8, including the reallignment of Routes 1 & 2, the merger of Routes 33 & 83, and the extension/revision of Route 36 towards Lutz. Additionally, there will be frequency changes to Routes 15 & 37, with a reduction of off peak hours to 60 minute frequency, and the increase of peak hour frequency to 30 minutes. The HARTflex system will not go into motion until March or April 2010 and construction of the TECOline Streetcar Extension began on October 9, with completion slated for 2011. The future TIA Transfer Center is currently in the planning stages, with construction to begin in mid 2010.

Intercounty Express Service to Expand: PSTA is currently exploring an expansion of Express Routes, including one towards the WestShore area. Not much details at the moment. However, a source tells me that Sarasota Transit (SCAT) is planning two intercounty express routes to be operational by mid 2010. One route will connect Sarasota/Bradenton with downtown St. Pete, and the other will connect Sarasota/Bradenton to downtown Tampa. Fares and schedules are yet to be determined, but my undertanding is that this will be a peak hour service with morning trips leaving Sarasota and afternoon trips going to Sarasota.

MCAT Introduces new hybrid buses: MCAT recently purchased a fleet of 40-foot Gillig BRT Hybrid Drive buses, which are being used on busier routes, such as the Route 99 Connector. Check out some of the photos posted by transitrider!

High Speed Rail looking dim... At least in Florida anyway. I find it really dumb that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood "demanded" that SunRail be passed or else HSR funds won't come to Florida. Come on! SunRail is flawed as it is, and attaching an "ultimatum" for HSR funds isn't going to help...

You can now contact me through email at hartride2012tampa@gmail.com

BIG CHANGES COMING SOON! Something big is happening in December, stay tuned for those...

Crazy video

2009-10-21T04:48:00.000-07:00

So long for now....

2009-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

With my newest posts and photos in place, I will temporarly close out this blog until mid December when all of my semester exams are done. I appologize for the inconvenience during this time.

Come celebrate 30 years of transit excellence in Hillsborough Co.

HART is turning 30! So to kick off the celebrations, HART is holding a b-day event at Lykes Gaslight Park on September 30 from 11:30am until 1:30pm.

See the full post at their Facebook page.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-08-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Due to the Labor Day holiday (Sept. 7), some transit agencies will not be operating...

HART: Saturday-level service on all modes, no express service.
TECOline Streetcar: Normal service.
PSTA: Sunday-level service on all modes, no express service.
MCAT/SCAT: No service.

As new buses roll in, the Phantoms roll out......to retirement.....

2009-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes people, the transition is well on now. A couple sources have told me that HART now has 9 new Gillig Low Floor buses in service, that is, buses 2901 through 2909. Until early September, HART will continue to recieve about four to five buses per week until the final count of 30 is fulfilled. In the meantime, the entire fleet of 30-foot (6XX) Gillig Phantom buses have been shipped out to their final destination, along with four 35-foot (7XX) Gillig Phantom buses. The remaining Phantoms will be shipped out on a gradual basis until all the new buses have been placed into service.

As of August 26, 2009, only 18 35-foot Gillig Phantom buses remain in service.

A look at the buses

2009-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look at the various types of buses that each transit agency has. In no particular order at all, we'll visit the older high-floor bus fleets, then onward to the newer low-floor models. Before we begin, I would like to thank those who allowed me to use their photos in this post (please note that those photos belong to their respective owners and are copyrighted).

First, the high-floor buses.

Flxible Metro (Flxible Bus Company) & GMC RTS (not pictured)

(Obsolete)

The Flxible Metro bus, was among HART's original bus fleet, along with the GMC RTS (neither bus is pictured at this time). The Flxible and RTS buses were purchased in increments during the 1980s. PSTA also operated RTS buses during the 1980s and 1990s as well. However, after 2000, these buses were all scrapped in favor of Gillig models.

Gillig Phantom (Gillig Corporation)
SCAT, MCAT, and HART
Photos above are public domain

No, they aren't ghosts, but the name does sound a bit spooky to some. I guess even the appearance looks a litte strange too. But nonetheless, the Gillig Phantom bus was considered a powerhorse for many transit agencies including the San Mateo Transit District (SamTrans), the Pittsburgh Port Authority, the San Antonio Transit Authority (VIA Transit) , and of course Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), and Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT). Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) also uses these buses, but they are in the process of retiring them.

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

This is the interior of a Gillig Phantom bus from HART. Many older models, like this one, had plush seating and rear door wheelchair lifts. Newer models had the wheelchair lifts in the front door of the bus. Gillig manufactured the Phantom from 1980 to 2008, when the company refocused their efforts on building low-floor buses. Today, the Phantom remains in use at many transit agencies, but during the years to come, they will be gradually phased out.

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

This photo shows a line of 6XX buses at the HART bus garage. These are part of a line of 30-foot Gillig Phantom buses that HART had already retired during the course of 2008. The three 6XX buses that remained in service until 2009 include #602, 608, and 609.

Gillig Low Floor (Gillig Corporation)
SCAT, MCAT, PSTA, and HART
Photo above are public domain, taken by HARTride 2012.

The mainstay of Gillig is no longer the Phantom, but rather the low-floor buses, like the one above of a 21XX by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). In fact, many transit agencies have turned to low-floor buses due to many factors, including ease of accessibility. With high-floor buses, one must travel up a set of stairs just to enter the bus. For a wheelchair-bound passenger, I see high-floor buses to be a nightmare of sorts because the wheelchair lifts take forever to deploy, thus increasing the boarding times. With low-floor buses, the wheelchair ramps deploy much more easily and decreases stop times, allowing the bus driver to focus more on making sure the passengers are safe and secure before moving on to the next stop, rather than have to hassle with those older lifts.

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

This is the interior of a Gillig Low Floor bus operated by HART. You can see that the higher level is towards the back of the bus, rather than the entire bus. This allows passengers who may have difficulty boarding the bus to sit closer to the front of the bus without having to climb steps. The seating arrangement differs vastly depending on the agency. With many newer buses that HART has purchased, the aim is to have front-facing seats throughout the entire bus, while SCAT & PSTA have opted for sideways-facing seats in the front and rear sections of their buses.

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

We see here that HART bus #2407 is ready to go to its next stop.

Now lets take a look at some more Gillig Low Floor buses.....

Photo taken by HARTride 2012.

SCAT #612 is parked at the downtown Sarasota Transit Center.

Photo taken by HARTride 2012.

HART #2316 at Britton Plaza.

Photo taken by HARTride 2012.

HART #2015 at Britton Plaza, new livery. What makes the smaller buses better than the larger ones, is that the smaller ones tend to be more maneuverable in tight spots. #2015 is a notable exception of its entire sub-fleet, the 20XXs, which HART purchased back in 2000. From my understanding, #2015 was involved in an accident that put it out of service for months. Prior to it returning to service in August 2008, #2015 became the first HART bus to sport the current blue/white livery. All of the other 20XX buses will be retired in the spring of 2010 because they have reached the end of their useful lives. Because of the incident the put #2015 out of service, this lone bus will not be eligible for retirement until 2011, when the 35ft-9XX-Gilligs are slated to be retired.

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

The seating arrangement in HART's 20XX fleet of 30-foot Gillig Low Floor buses is very odd. All the seats are facing sideways, with the exception of the last row.

Sadly, we have HART #2006. This bus reached the end of the line about three years early because the engine caught fire. The damage was quite extensive, especially to the back of the bus, where two windows were literally blown out, as well as a rear tire. I strongly doubt this bus was able to be repaired.

Finally, this is one of HART's newest buses, #2903, a Gillig Low Floor 40 foot bus. They were purchased in 2009 with the help of federal stimulus dollars. Its a very good thing to see these in favor of the older Phantom buses.

Here's a look inside the bus...

Photo taken by HARTride 2012

Photo courtesy of S. Bennear.

Watch a short video observation

And here's #2912 at USF.

I should mention that PSTA also has a fleet of New Flyer buses that they purchased back in the 90s, PSTA is one of a few transit agencies in Florida that use these buses. I believe that the Miami Transit Authority also uses them. The Chicago CTA's fleet is dominated by New Flyer buses, as well as the New York City MTA.

With that said, I would like to thank several people who have been very helpful to me. First off, I'd like to thank S. Bennear for allowing me to use some of his photos for this post, including the interior shots. Also, kudos to Tampa3170 for giving me timely updates on the retirement of HART's Gillig Phantom buses, as well as the inception of their new buses into active service.

The countdown has begun...........

2009-08-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yes people, the countdown is now on for HART's fleet of Gillig Phantom buses. The new 2901 bus is now in service and many other buses will continue to be delivered and prepped for service as August progresses.

Upcoming SCAT service changes

2009-08-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Sarasota County Area Transit Authority (SCAT) is making significant changes to its bus system in November, 2009. Below is a brief summary of the changes. For a full detailed look, click here.

The most sweeping change will be the expansion of Route 16 to cover more areas of Englewood and South Venice. In response, Routes 21, 24, and 25 will all be eliminated. A new route, Route 26, will be introduced to cover other areas of Venice, not covered by the improved Route 16. In response to that change, Route 19 will be eliminated and Route 9 will have its frequency increased to 60 minutes from 120 minutes. Additionally, Sunday service will be added to Route 9.

Route 99 (the Manatee/Sarasota Connector) will have OWL service added, with buses making their final runs around 10:00pm, instead of the current 6:45pm runs. Also, the morning short trip from SRQ airport at 5:30am will be eliminated.

Combined OWL routes 17/13 and 14/11 will have Sunday service frequency changes/additions.

Other routes will recieve scheduling adjustments to improve efficiency.

HART's 10-year vision

2009-08-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

HART is planning many things that will change the face of mass transit in Hillsborough County during the next ten years. According to an article published by the Tampa Tribune, here is what's in store, despite dwindling sources of funding and state-mandated budget cuts and property tax reductions.

Among major service enhancements, 53 buses and 113 paratransit vans could be replaced with newer models. This includes the eventual replacement of the 900 and 2000 series Gillig Low Floor buses, which HART purchased back in 1999 and 2000. The replacement of the Gillig Phantom (700 series) buses will begin within the next couple of months, being replaced with the new Gillig Low Floor (2900 series) fleet of buses. HART CEO, David Armijo announced shortly after his arrival in late 2007 that he would like to see the current bus fleet increased beyond the current 200 units.

By mid-2010, Routes 2, 33, 36, and 83 will all be restructured, enhancing services in North Tampa. This includes the merger of Routes 33 and 83 into one Route 33 that would serve Fletcher Ave and the University North area, the extension and restructuring of Route 36 to the future St. Joseph's Hosptial North on Van Dyke Road and possible addition of OWL services, and reallignment of Route 2 to allow better operation of service that will soon be taken over by MetroRapid, HART's new Bus Rapid Transit System.

Also by mid-2010, Route 30 service will be split into two routes to better serve TIA and the Northwest Transfer Center with Downtown Tampa. Perhaps we'll see 30A and 30B as part of this. Voters may be presented with a 1-cent sales tax hike proposal to fund mass transit in the fall.

By 2011, WestShore and Downtown Tampa services will be further enhanced via local impact fees.

MetroRapid Green Line from the USF area to Downtown Tampa is expected to be online by 2012. The east-west route will then follow in 2013 or 2014.

Finally, by 2020, HART's first Light Rail line is expected to open.

Public hearings will be held Aug. 19 at the University Area Transit Center, 13110 N. 27th St., and Aug. 26 at the Marion Transit Center, 1211 N. Marion St. Both sessions are from 3 to 6 p.m.

You may also post your comments at www.gohart.org

A brief look into HART & PSTA

2009-08-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm currently trying to compose at least a brief summary of how HART and PSTA came about. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to look too far to find out some neat facts about PSTA, as they have a history section on their website. Below is a synopsis of PSTA's history, in my own words, as I used it for improving the PSTA article on Wikipedia.

PSTA began in the early 1900s as the St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System (SPMTS). The system began with a streetcar line to Gulfport and eight buses to run several routes throughout the St. Pete area. By 1928, ridership on the system hits 4.2 million. In 1949, the Gulfport streetcar system is closed, marking the end of streetcar service in Pinellas County. Meanwhile, transit service elsewhere continued to expand.

In 1970, The Central Pinellas Transit Authority (CPTA) is formed, serving the Clearwater area and northern Pinellas. The agency is fully established by 1973 and operated 9 routes with a fleet of 21 buses. The CPTA saw 900,000 riders in its first year of service. In 1975, SPMTS begins paratransit services and both agencies continue to expand their fleet. In 1978, tourist trolley service (using trolley-replica buses) begins in downtown St. Petersburg and becomes successful. By the 1980s, the two agencies have formed a cooperative agreement, which allowed the expansion of routes throughout Pinellas County.

In 1982, the two companies merged to create the PSTA. In the years following ther merger, PSTA operated nearly 80 routes with a fleet or nearly 130 buses. The agency begins installing electronic fareboxes and completed its central Pinellas operations center, as well as several bus terminals. In 1990, PSTA obtained its first express route, previously operated by Hillsborough Area Regional Transi t (HART). This service has been immensly improved since the acquisition. Also in 1990, PSTA established a cross-county bus route via US 19.

Massive expansion and improvements take place during the 1990s and well into the 2000s. PSTA constructed its Williams Park terminal in downtown St. Pete in 1994. In 1996, the agency introduces electronic fare cards (called GO Cards) and begins replacing their outdated bus fleets with a combination of New Flyer and Gillig buses. In 2001, the Suncoast Beach Trolley begins service along the gulf coast beaches and in 2003, PSTA purchased a fleet of motorcoach buses (from M otor Coach Industries) to operate its express routes. Additional capital improvements are made during the early 2000s as well, including the renovation of the Park Street Terminal. In 2001, PSTA.net debuts.

In 2004, HART and PSTA begin an intersystem passport to allow patrons from either county to use each other's bus systems without paying additional fares. A year later, PSTA's current operations center opens near Roosevelt Blvd. In 2006, PSTA expanded its fleet with the purchase 48 Gillig low-floor buses. HART & PSTA agree to honor each other's reduced fare photo permits. In 2007, Executive Director Roger Sweeney retires. He is succeeded by Tim Garling. That same year, PSTA introduces a online trip planning system. This system allowed patrons to better plan out their trip throughout the PSTA system. In 2009, the interface was scrapped in favor of a partnership with Google, which HART began partnership back in 2007. This newest alliance allows patrons to seamlessly plan their trips on both the PSTA and HART systems.

Today, PSTA operates 36 routes and has a fleet of over 200 buses, which consist of New Flyer, Optima, Gillig, and MCI buses. Just recently, they purchased a fleet of Gillig BRT Hybrid buses in order to contribute to a cleaner environment.

Finding out more information about HART is just a bit more difficult, since they do not have such a fact page on their site. However, I do feel that this will change for the better down the road. In the meantime, I will try to update this post further before the middle of August, so stay tuned...

Is it really "all aboard" for HSR in Florida

2009-08-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

During the past few months, the Obama Administration has been closely examining areas that may be eligible for a High Speed Rail line. Florida continues to be one of them, but we are about in the same line as California at the moment.

So far, the Miami Chamber of Commerce has embraced the idea of HSR in our state...

Miami chamber all aboard plan for intrastate rail
August 3, 2009

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce has embraced the notion of building a high-speed rail line to link Miami and Tampa via Orlando.
The chamber has joined with business group partners in Tampa and Central Florida to endorse Florida's recent announcement that it will seek a share of $8 billion the Obama administration is offering for high-speed rail development.
The Florida Department of Transportation said it wants $2.5 billion to build the Tampa-Orlando segment and about $30 million to advance the Orlando-Miami leg.
``The project would significantly enhance the vitality, quality of life and economic development of Florida,'' according to a Miami Chamber statement issued last week. The group passed a resolution supporting ``the design, construction and implementation of the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail System.''
The federal government plans to begin awarding grants before year's end.

-- ALFONSO CHARDY

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1168836.html

However, much has yet to be settled in Polk County...

High-Speed Rail Wants County's Backing
State DOT seeks panel's support for Tampa to Orlando route.

By Tom PalmerTHE LEDGER
Published: Friday, July 31, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 1:16 a.m.

BARTOW Local officials are poised to consider a resolution to support the Florida Department of Transportation's application for money to build the first leg of the Florida High Speed Rail Program, the Polk County Commission was told Friday.AC
The action will be a resolution that is scheduled to be adopted at the Aug. 13 meeting of the Transportation Planning Organization, a panel composed of local elected officials that reviews transportation projects.
Jennifer Stults, the county's long-term planning director, said the action is being taken at DOT's request to support the agency's application for $2.5 billion to construct the link between Tampa and Orlando. The application is due by Oct. 2, she said.
The application is part of $8 billion in federal stimulus money that is available nationwide.
If DOT receives the money it seeks, construction could begin by 2011 and could be completed by 2013, Stults said.
The project includes a station in Polk County, but the exact location has not been determined.
Stults said two possible locations are at Kathleen Road and at USF Polytechnic.
Commissioner Ed Smith asked whether U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, is supporting this project or the SunRail project, the Orlando commuter rail.
Stults said Mica is supporting both projects, explaining the federal money for the projects comes from different programs.
Smith asked about the next phase from Orlando to Miami and whether it would connect to the Tri-Rail commuter system there.
The planning details for that portion of the project are still under development, Stults said.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. ]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20090731/NEWS/908015011/1134?Title=High-Speed-Rail-Wants-County-s-Backing

However, in a general perspective, Florida seems to be ahead of California, being that we did approve (then later rejected) a consitutional amendment. Also, Florida's plan is the furthest along than any other plan on the table.

Florida Ahead of the Curve on High Speed Rail?
News Service of Florida - Jul 17th, 2009

Florida may be poised to be the first stop for President Barack Obama’s vision of high speed rail connecting major U.S. cities, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos said Thursday at a St. Petersburg Beach transportation summit.
With her department having submitted a pre-application for $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money to build the first leg of a long-discussed Tampa-Orlando-Miami bullet train, Kopelousos said during an address at a three-day Transportation Summit hosted by Floridians for Better Transportation that the traffic signs from Washington, D.C. look good for the Sunshine State.
“If President Obama wants to see dirt turned for high-speed rail, Florida is the leading state,” Kopelousos said.
The Florida high speed rail corridor was one of eight identified by the White House in April for the beginning of a national network. The Tampa-Orlando-Miami route is thought to be a prohibitive favorite for the stimulus money because much of the preliminary surveying had been done when the plan was approved by voters in 2000 and the Florida High Speed Rail Authority was created in 2002.
The high speed rail panel had been parked since 2005, after voters put the brakes on the plans for the bullet train after a push by former Gov. Jeb Bush, who said the state could not afford it. However, buoyed again this year by the possibility of receiving the stimulus money - without a requirement for matching funds from the state - the train talk has picked up speed this year.
But Kopelousos’ optimism about Florida’s prospects for high speed on Thursday were countered in an interview with the News Service of Florida by Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, who said the DOT’s stimulus application’s chance for success could be harmed by two others that accompanied it. Dockery said the other applications were not truly high-speed rail, which the stimulus set aside $8 billion for.
“It would seem like if they were serious about high speed rail, they would have done just that project and put all their eggs in one basket,” Dockery said. “They’re watering down their effort by putting in other projects that are not even related.”
The DOT submitted an application for $432 million for the controversial proposed SunRail Orlando commuter train alongside the application for construction of the Tampa-Orlando leg of the bullet train and a request for $70 million for “incremental” passenger service between Jacksonville and Miami that would operated by Amtrak.
If the high speed rail application is approved, Gov. Charlie Crist’s stimulus advisor Don Winstead told reporters this week that the money will also be used for engineering and environmental work for the Orlando-Miami portion of the line. However, Winstead disagreed with Dockery’s assessment that the other application would harm the high speed rail request, saying the requests were appropriately separated.

http://www.jaxobserver.com/2009/07/17/florida-ahead-of-the-curve-on-high-speed-rail/

The question still remains though, will Florida win the bid? One large problem continues to be an inefficiency of mass transit connections in both Tampa and Orlando. California has such connections in place, with plans for more in the future. That element alone increases the chances of California winning the bid, rather than Florida. Unless, we can set the political squabbling aside and properly plan these connections, Florida's bid for HSR will indeed be lost...

HART Service Changes (effective July 26) Update

2009-07-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

The new schedules are posted on goHART.org. Here is a synopsis of what some of the revised routes will look like.

*Route 6 - 56th Street: Weekday peak frequency has increased to 20 minutes. This occurs from 5am until 9am and 3pm until 7pm.

*Route 7 - West Tampa/Citrus Park: Frequency for the segment north of the West Tampa Transfer Center has been reduced from 30 minutes to 60 minutes due to low ridership. Buses bound for Citrus Park will leave the MTC at :30 past the hour from 5:30am until 7:30pm. Buses bound to West Tampa ONLY, will leave the MTC at :00 past the hour from 6:00am until 8:00pm. The 4:30am and 5:00am trips were eliminated due to extremely low ridership.

Buses bound to Downtown Tampa will leave Citrus Park at :40 past the hour from 4:40am until 8:40pm. This will mean a longer wait time at the Wal Mart Super Center on Henderson Rd and Gunn Hwy.

On Saturdays, a 7:35pm trip from Citrus Park has been added.

*Route 8 - Progress Village: The Final bus leaves the Marion Transit Center at 10:00pm and the final bus from Westfield Brandon leaves at 10:15pm. Weekend service remains unchanged.

*Route 30 - Town-N-Country/Airport: Layovers at WestShore Plaza are now 2 minutes, instead of 5 minutes.

*Route 88 - Town-N-Country Connector: Service hours are now 6am to 8:40am and 3:30pm to 6:10pm. Frequency remains at 40 minutes.

Introducing the Facebook link list...

2009-07-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

The time has finally arrived! HART is now part of Facebook!

So....why don't you join in and get a different perspective on current events and issues facing the transit authority and communicate easily with HART executives?

See my new list just below the other links on the right...

Shelter Changes at the MTC

2009-07-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

There will be several shelter changes at the Marion Transit Center for select HART bus routes, in conjunction with the upcoming service changes. Click this link to see a map of the new placements. This change will affect routes 4, 7, 9, 10, 30, and the In-Town Trolley Purple Line.

Just a little longer.......

2009-07-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

The first of the new HART bus fleet has finally arrived! #2901 is currently at the HART facility in Tampa and will not likely roll out into service for another couple of months. However, there are slight variations between this fleet and some of the older fleets. This can be seen in the interior look and seating arrangement, as well as the look of the rear exit door.

In the meantime, check out the photos at the Tampa Bay Transit History Website.

Say goodbye to HART's Gillig Phantom buses

2009-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

The time is almost here for the delivery and rollout of HART's newest bus fleet, which comprise of 29 Gillig Low Floor 40 foot buses. This fleet will gradually replace the aging fleet of Gillig Phantom buses, which the agency purchased back in 1996 and 1997. You'll begin to see the transition in September when the first bus, #2901, is projected to begin service on HART's fixed bus route system.

HART service changes to take effect July 26, 4th of July holiday services.

2009-06-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

HART service changes for summer 2009 will take place on July 26, 2009. Among the changes to be made:

*Weekday frequency increase on Route 6 (to 20 minutes during peak hours).

*Weekday frequency reduction on Route 7 (to 1 hour all day, affects the segment north of West Tampa Transfer Center).

*OWL service reduction on Route 8 (final weeknight trips will leave at 10pm).

*Weekday frequency reduction on underutilized segment of Route 32 (Mango area).

*Reduction of service on Route 88 to peak hours only.

*And an array of timepoint changes on other routes.

http://www.gohart.org/departments/marketing/news/july_november_2009_service_proposals.html

4th of July Holiday Service:

Since Independence Day falls on a Saturday this year, PSTA and HART will operate on a normal weekend schedule. MCAT and SCAT will not operate on Saturday, SCAT will however run Sunday service on July 5. The Longboat Trolley will also operate throughout the weekend.

PSTA unveils new website, hybrid buses

2009-06-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months, patrons who use the PSTA system may have noticed a few changes.

First off, the agency has begun rolling out several of its newest buses, which include the beginings of a hybrid bus fleet. These 40 foot Gillig Low Floor buses have a hybrid-electric engine and the sleek BRT style that is similar to hybrid buses already owned by SCAT. This also brings PSTA to be the third public transit agency in Tampa Bay to utilize hybrid-electric drive buses. The others are HART and SCAT. Additional information regarding these new buses can be found here.

The other change is the PSTA website, with its new sleek design and ease of convenience.

Be sure to look out for other developments within the PSTA system, including further developments of the planned BRT system.

HART approves service changes, LRT Update

2009-06-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

At the June 1st board meeting, HART approved the proposed service changes (posted earlier) for the course of 2009. Among the changes, Route 87 in Southshore will be converted into a flex route, spawning the HARTflex minibus system that has been planned since 2006. Also, a series of route reductions will go into effect due to lower ridership on these routes, as well as to save HART thousands of dollars that will be lost due to the reduction in property taxes approved by voters in 2006.

Currently, HART is voicing its rail plans through a series of meetings that are taking place throughout Hillsborough County. The goal of these meetings is to spread public awareness about the need for a light rail system in Tampa Bay and to lobby the federal government for financial assistance for the planned project. HART's goal is to obtain such federal funds through the "New Starts" program.

Proposed route and schedule changes for PSTA

2009-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Begining June 7, PSTA will enact some changes to its bus system. Most of these changes come in the way of timepoint changes to improve efficiency and will affect Routes 4, 7, 14, 15, 19, 23, 52, 59, 66, 68, 74, 93, and the Suncoast Beach Trolley.

HART bus repainting accelerated thanks to the stimulus

2009-05-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed in recent days, several more freshly painted HART buses have rolled out. This acceleration in efforts are due to the recent stimulus funding that HART recieved. As the months progress, you will see even more buses repainted. And starting in the fall, you'll begin to see the aging fleet of Gillig Phantom buses being slowly phased out in favor of newer buses, similar to the 2600 fleet.

HART to improve North Tampa service, cutback underperforming routes

2009-05-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

This next batch of HART news, though mixed, will result in a much needed cost savings to the agency in a time when property taxes, the main fuel for HART's funding, continues to decline. The main fear is that HART will stand to lose about $3 million dollars according to the Tampa Tribune. And with the state legislature proposing further property tax cuts in 2010, the amount of revenue that HART and PSTA could stand to lose could be much worse.

Among the proposed changes, service in North Tampa/University will be revised either in late 2009 or early 2010. This change will depend on whether or not the opening date for the future St. Joseph's Hospital North in Lutz remains on schedule. Other changes will involve reducing frequency or other service for several routes, and the possible elimination of a connector route.

Route 2 is slated for a two-phase change. The first phase will take place this summer when departure times from the UATC are revised to allow better connections to other routes in downtown Tampa. The second phase will take place later in the year when the route is realligned along Fletcher Ave, allowing the route to become better suited for the future BRT route to downtown.

Route 1 will also see a reallignment later in 2009 that will redirect buses along Bearss Ave and 22nd St, a segment currently served by Route 2.

Route 6 will see a frequency increase on the weekdays from 30 minutes to 20 minutes and some routing changes later this year.

Route 7 will have a frequency reduction north of the West Tampa Transfer Center due to low ridership on the north segment. Weekday frequency will reduce from 30 minutes to 60 minutes begining this summer.

Route 8 will have several time changes this summer. A weekend trip to downtown will be added to allow patrons to arrive there prior to 8am. However, the weekday OWL service will be cut, with the final departures from both downtown and Brandon leaving at 10pm.

Route 15 weekday frequency will be slashed to 60 minutes throughout the entire day, begining this summer.

Route 32 weekday frequency east of the NetPark Transfer Center will be slashed to 60 minutes as well.

Route 33 will be merged with Route 83 in the University area later this year to allow better service and eliminate duplicated segments. The segment north of Mission Bell will be replaced by Route 36.

Route 36 will be extended to the future St. Joseph's Hospital North in late 2009.

Route 37 weekday frequency will reduce from 45 minutes to 60 minutes this summer.

Route 39 will see a minor routing change this fall that will allow buses to remain on Busch Blvd.

The previous proposal for Route 46 has been withdrawn, no changes to the route will be made.

Route 87 will be transitioned to HARTflex service due to low ridership (yet more evidence that previous efforts to increase service in SouthShore have failed)

Route 88 (also a failing route) will have its service hours cut to just the weekday rush hours.

Many other routes will see minor time changes. Some express routes will lose their earliest morning trips due to low ridership. Click here for a full list of other routes affected by these changes.

SunRail is gone for now...

2009-05-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

This article pretty much sums it up. However, it is indeed a major blow to Central Florida Public Transit.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-sunrail-goes-down-043009,0,3858821.story

So with SunRail gone, and TriRail still in limbo, I wonder if Tampa's LRT could be next to be hit with a series of hurdles. Of course, Tampa's plan is nowhere near the circumstance of either SunRail or TriRail, which are totally different modes of rail compared to Tampa's LRT, but the LRT does have some uncertainty in the way of whether voters will vote for it in 2010. We will see where this goes from here...

Orlando's SunRail pretty much at a standstill...

2009-04-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard all the controversy surrounding Orlando's commuter rail system, SunRail, then you're in for some good news and some very (devastating) bad news.

First, an overview. Planning for SunRail started many years ago, but previous attempts to get it through the Florida congress have proved to be unsuccessful. One reason being is that the commuter trains will run along the same corridors as CSX freight trains. This brings up a major liability issue between CSX and the state, which to this day, has not been resolved.

Next, the good news, in this Bay News 9 article, SunRail just managed to pass a senate committee 4-3, which would bring the plan closer to reality. Great news right?!

Wrong, here's the (devastating) bad news. Florida's massive budget crisis, coupled with the global recession, is threatening to derail SunRail indefinitely. If state congress has its way and ends up cutting out a huge chunk from a transportation trust fund, then the implications could be severe, possibly delaying SunRail for as much as 5 to 10 years!

Now why do I mention SunRail if it has nothing to do with Tampa Bay? Well, in reality, this pivotal moment will likely affect every single rail project and entity that is either currently in operation or is being planned. Such an example is Miami's Tri-Rail system. It brings many passengers in southeast Florida to their destinations each day, but the state budget is threatening to pull that system off ts tracks as well. With this transportation trust fund a lot smaller and other sources of revenue cut off as well, Tri-Rail can't possibly earn the amount of funding it needs to continue operating. Additionally, believe it or not, this cut in the trust fund could also mean a possible delay for Tampa's light rail system, if such funds are being sought out, not to mention many roadway projects that will have to be shelved.

In other news...

It looks like that the high speed rail dreams for Florida aren't totally lost....again. As the plans from the $8 billion dollars in stimulus funds set out for HSR become more detailed, it looks like that the first batch of grants will be going out later this year. Will Florida be on the list? We're not sure yet. But for now, it seems that those bullet trains are one step closer to running here in our sunny state.

PSTA website improvements/HART projects update

2009-04-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

During the past couple of weeks, quite a bit has happened transit-wise in Tampa Bay.

First, the big news. Several HART projects are one step closer to becoming reality.
*TECOline Streetcar Extension: HART has awarded a contractor (Kimmins Contracting Corp) to design and build the extension from the Dick Greco Plaza to Whiting Street.
*TIA Intermodal Facility Approved: The HART Board of Directors approved a plan for an intermodal facility to be constructed on the premises of Tampa International Airport this past week. The facility will allow seamless integration and transfer for current and future HART & PSTA bus routes, as well as a future connection to Tampa's proposed light rail system.

Now, to the minor notes. PSTA has improved its website with an interface for the Google Maps Transit Planner, located on the homepage. This recent addition now adds PSTA to the list of available transit agencies by which people can plan out their trips through select metropolitan areas via public transit. HART joined the mix in 2007.

During the next several weeks and months, you will be able to interact with Google Maps in Pinellas County in the same fashion as you would in Hillsborough County. When you zoom the map to street level, you will be able to view departure times for each bus stop in the PSTA system.

HART Route Changes to go into effect Sunday, March 29

2009-03-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Changes to the following routes will go into effect on Sunday, March 29, 2009.

Weekdays

Route 1 – Florida Ave.
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 20 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Route 2 - Nebraska Ave.

Some departures from Fletcher and Nebraska Ave. stop will be approximately three minutes earlier, with earlier arrival at University Area Transit Center.

Route 8 – Progress Village/Brandon
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 15 minutes between Marion Transit Center (downtown Tampa) and Tampa International Airport from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Service between TIA and Northwest Transfer Center in Town 'N Country remains on current schedule. Expand late-night service between TIA and the Northwest Transfer Center.

Route 36 – Dale Mabry/Himes Ave.
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Added a new trip northbound leaving MacDill AFB at 8:40 p.m. on weekdays.
Buses will depart MacDill AFB and Mission Bell at either :05 & :35 past the hour or :10 and :40 past the hour.

Route 39 – Busch Blvd.
Increase frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Weekends

Route 1 – Florida Ave.
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 2 - Nebraska Ave.

Added 5:45 a.m. trip northbound on Sundays.

Route 6 – 56th St.
Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 12 – 22nd St.
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 18 – 30th St.
Begin operating Sunday service between 5:55 a.m. and 9:07 p.m.; same 60-minute frequency as current Saturday schedule..

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country
Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes on entire route.

Route 45 - UATC/Rome/Westshore Plaza

Southbound trips on Saturday will depart University Area Transit Center 5 minutes later.

South Shore Enhancements

Route 87 - SouthShore Connector &
Route 35LX - Brandon/SouthShore Limited Express
To better serve our customers in the SouthShore area, HART will be changing Route 87 to serve the new HCC campus at Shell Point Rd. and 24th Ave. This change will also affect running times of Route 35LX.

Route 47LX - SouthShore Limited Express
Due to road reconfiguration, traffic circulation for exiting the SouthShore Service Center will be changing. The new configuration will change the circulating pattern of Route 47LX at the service center.

From www.gohart.org

Minor changes

Route 45 - UATC/Rome Ave/WestShore Plaza
Some timepoints will be changed.

Don't let these events spoil your weekend commute

2009-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

During the next two weekends, there will be a couple of major events happening in the Bay Area that will result in busier highways. But you don't have to let the consistent traffic jams spoil your weekend. I have some advice on what you can do.

MacDill AirFest 2009 (March 28 and 29): Just like every year before, the MacDill AirFest will surely bring in many visitors from across the Bay Area. This year, the USAF Thunderbirds are back and turnout is expected to be quite modest. Nonetheless, if you plan to make the commute to South Tampa, here are a few things to keep in mind.

*Arrive Early: If you can get to the base gate by 10:00am, then chances are, you'll get a spot to park on the airstrip. However, I suggest that if you're able to, try to get to the base no later than 7:30am so that you don't have to combat super long lines on Dale Mabry, which will clearly expand to other arteries as the day progresses. Gates open at 8am and the final pack of vehicles will be allowed in until 3pm, or whenever the lots become too full to handle anymore traffic. Though the Dale Mabry entrance is the main way in, you can still try to MacDill gate, which will be open to visitors as well. The Bayshore gate, like in years past, will be limited to only base personell.

*Shuttle Bus Service But there is another option if you don't want to fight the traffic. HART is bringing back the Route 4 Shuttle Service, which will run on both days of the AirFest. Saturday, the service will run from 8am until 2:15pm. The first bus leaves downtown at 8am and arrives at the base at around 8:45am, the final round trip will occur at 1:30pm, arriving at the base at 2:15pm to return to downtown. Because of security concerns, the shuttle service will be suspended until 4pm, in which buses will depart the base (ONLY) until 6pm. Please note that Sunday service begins at 10am, but all other timepoints mentioned apply.

Route 36 will not provide service to the base. Instead the route will only service the segment north of Britton Plaza. A connector shuttle will provide service from the Plaza to the Route 4 via Euclid Ave.

See the map below for details.

View the flyer

St. Pete Grand Prix (Weekend of April 3): It is certainly a good thing that this event does not share the same weekend as the AirFest this year. I believe that may have caused just a bit too much of a headache last year. Nevertheless, if you plan to head out to this event, your main problem will be trying to find a good spot to park. Also be advised that many streets within downtown St. Pete will be closed prior to, during, and the days after the events.
7

BayNews 9 Widget

2009-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

For those of you who live in the Tampa Bay area, you can now get a quick dose of news, traffic, and weather via the Bay News 9 Widget. To post this widget to your own blog or social network profile, click the "Get This" link at the bottom of the application.

PSTA launches countywide BRT study

2009-03-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

With BRT becoming a more popular topic among transit officials, PSTA has unveiled its countywide plan for faster bus service.

Check out the report! (PDF)

High Speed Rail could be doomed.....again....

2009-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

I was truly hoping that the federal stimulus would be able to bring high speed rail, or at least something close to it, to Florida. Unfortunately, this article from the Lakeland Ledger pretty much sums up the gloomy future....

Story Link

In other words, high speed rail in Florida is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, and not by a long shot. If Florida gets ANY funding towards rail from the stimulus, the best thing that could happen is a shared passenger rail line from Tampa to Orlando, and maybe down to Miami. That's right, just the same ol' rail line that is currently used by CSX, which then brings up the liability issue and yada, yada. So in conclusion, we're back to square one....hoping that Pam Iorio will be able to bring light rail to Tampa to alas, spark passenger rail transit in Florida.

Gandy Blvd Elevated Plan

2009-02-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

Once again, I am going to briefly deviate from the transit scene to discuss the proposed project for Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa. Though work continues on creating a median, future plans include a two-laned elevated structure in the middle of the highway, similar to the reversible structure on the Selmon Expressway.

However, I don't think a two-laned structure will be enough to alleviate traffic congestion on the highway for the long-term. Here is what I think should be done with Gandy down the road.

First off, the elevated lanes should be four lanes, not two.

Second, notice the exhibits market on the map below.

Exhibit A: Existing Crosstown to Elevated Gandy: Modify the current terminus to where the elevated bridge can easily dispense onto the expressway. The current overpasses @ DM would have to be widened.

Exhibit AA: (Not Listed) Lois Ave & WalMart: Eastbound Gandy will clearly need a continuous right turn lane in order to bring shoppers into WalMart, should it be built. Westbound Gandy will need two left turn lanes, and Lois Ave will need to be widened to four lanes, with multiple left turn lanes onto Gandy.

Exhibit B: Manhattan Intersection: I would say keep the revamped intersection as it is. I don't support a roundabout on the local lanes here because multiple left turn lanes are needed to facilitate better traffic flow. Additionally, when the economy recovers, development will start back up in South Tampa, facilitating the need to widen Manhattan to four lanes all the way to Interbay Blvd.

Exhibit C: WestShore Intersection: Again, keep the revamped interchange as it is. If FDOT should build a roundabout here, make it efficient. Don't place some stupid wasteful fountain like Clearwater did.

Exhibit D: Gandy Bridge: A few things to point out here....

*As the 1976 (current eastbound bridge) ages, the current Friendship Trail Bridge should be demolished. In its place, a much wider span can be built for the westbound lanes. HOWEVER, the new bridge MUST be four lanes wide. Yes Jason (from Skyscraper City), I agree with you now, the bridge will eventually need to be 8 lanes total. Until traffic flow begins to be overwhelming, FDOT may use two lanes of this new bridge for general westbound traffic. The other two lanes (highlighted in red) can start out as HOV/Bus lanes. PSTA's 100X should be extended to DT St. Pete and its frequency increased to 20 minutes all day on weekdays, with weekend service every 30 minutes.

*The 1996 bridge in the meantime could be used for eastbound traffic. If traffic becomes overwhelming, the bridge could be widened to four lanes from two lanes.

*The purple shaded area in between the two bridges is simply that....just space. BUT, the new bridge should be constructed far enough from the 1996 bridge to where that span can be widened if needed. Additionally, there MUST be enough space to build rail if needed. Obviously, the new westbound bridge could be fitted for rail lines during construction.

*The 1976 bridge (green) can be used as the trail until it gets too old and must be demolished. A new structure can eventually be built to replace it.

HART service changes - effective March 29, 2009

2009-02-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

From GoHART.org

Service Changes to take effect March 29, 2009

HART is continually looking to provide the best service possible. To improve service on some of its most heavily-used routes, HART will implement the following enhancements, amounting to more than 400 hours of new service, to take effect March 29, 2009. These enhancements increase frequency on both weekdays and weekends on several routes, and add new Sunday service to one route.
Weekdays

Route 1 – Florida Ave.
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 20 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Route 8 – Progress Village/Brandon
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 15 minutes between Marion Transit Center (downtown Tampa) and Tampa International Airport from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Service between TIA and Northwest Transfer Center in Town 'N Country remains on current schedule. Expand late-night service between TIA and the Northwest Transfer Center.

Route 36 – Dale Mabry/Himes Ave.
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Added a new trip northbound leaving MacDill AFB at 8:40 p.m. on weekdays.

Route 39 – Busch Blvd.
Increase frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Weekends

Route 1 – Florida Avenue
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 6 – 56th St.
Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 12 – 22nd St.
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 18 – 30th St.
Begin operating Sunday service between 5:55 a.m. and 9:07 p.m.; same 60-minute frequency as current Saturday schedule..

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country
Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes on entire route.
South Shore Enhancements

Route 87 - SouthShore Connector &
Route 35LX - Brandon/SouthShore Limited Express
To better serve our customers in the SouthShore area, HART will be changing Route 87 to serve the new HCC campus at Shell Point Rd. and 24th Ave. This change will also affect running times of Route 35LX.

Route 47LX - SouthShore Limited Express
Due to road reconfiguration, traffic circulation for exiting the SouthShore Service Center will be changing. The new configuration will change the circulating pattern of Route 47LX at the service center.

New route schedules will be available on or before March 16, 2009 on board buses, at HART Customer Service Centers or by mail.
Prior to this date, please call the HARTinfo Line at (813) 254-4278 for more information • TDD: (813) 626-9158

HART's BRT is moving forward

2009-02-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

It looks like all lights are green for HART's BRT...

From GoHART.org

HART Goes Rapid

Bus Rapid Transit is Coming to Tampa

Bus Rapid Transit - it's the next step in transit for Tampa Bay, and it’s coming soon!
What is brt?

Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, helps to improve travel along selected service corridors with enhancements that increase the speed of transit, improve service reliability and make it easier for people to use transit.

The improvements typically include bus preferential treatments (traffic signal priority, off-vehicle ticket vending machines), enhanced passenger stations (shelters, real-time passenger information), and special low-floor buses.

HART’s BRT system will feature fewer stops, high frequency and advanced technology to help travelers get to their destinations quickly and conveniently.

How will it work?

• Limited stops, 10-minute frequency, and advanced technology will speed travel time
• Sleek new vehicles offer a comfortable ride for passengers and drivers
• New, modern station stops
• Signal prioritization – holding green lights, shortening red lights to give buses priority travel
• Ticket Vending Machines at some station stops to speed boarding

• Real-time displays will allow travelers to know exactly when the next bus will be arriving at their station stop
what areas will brt serve?

The first phase of BRT is being funded by Hillsborough County's Transportation Task Force funding and will operate in the I-275 North to South Corridor - Nebraska Avenue from downtown Tampa then east along Fletcher Avenue to the vicinity of Telecom Park (west of I-75). A new park and ride facility is planned in the Fletcher Avenue/I-75 area. The North-South BRT line is expected to begin operation in 2011.

The second BRT line will be an east-west route, connecting Tampa International Airport, the Westshore Business District and HART’s Netpark bus transfer center at Hillsborough Avenue and 56th Street, with connections to the North-South line at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. HART is currently seeking federal funding for this phase.

Could Orlando/Tampa high speed rail link be built after all?

2009-02-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Oh the joys of the early 2000s, when Florida voters enacted a law for the construction of a high-speed bullet train that would travel up the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando. But then, when the voters realized how expensive the project would be, AFTER THE FACT, they voted to repeal it. Since then, the project has been practically dead right?

WRONG. Due to money set aside for such rail projects by the recently passed stimulus package, it seems that Florida is pushing to get the project on the list of projects ready to go.

From the Tampa Tribune

Story Link

By RICH SHOPES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2009

TAMPA - High-speed rail looked dead four years ago, but backers of the proposal say it's being resuscitated now thanks to the recently approved federal stimulus package.

"This is unbelievable," said Lee Chira, chairman of the Florida High Speed Rail Authority.

The group hadn't met since voters in November 2004 opposed granting state taxes to the project – the first leg of which would have connected Orlando and Tampa for $2 billion.

Now the authority is hopeful it could get some of the $8 billion recently set aside for high-speed rail projects nationwide.

"We're 90 percent sure we'll get it because the president said he is looking for communities and authorities that have shovel-ready projects," Chira said. "We're farther along than anybody."

The authority sent a letter to the Federal Transit Administration on Jan. 27 expressing interest in the funds and has scheduled a meeting Feb. 26 in Orlando to discuss what to do next.

By mid-September, the authority must have its formal application submitted to the FTA.

The project's first leg from Orlando International Airport to Tampa was expected to cost $2 billion and include stops at downtown Orlando, Disney World and Lakeland.

The federal government issued environmental permits that would need to be updated, and several years ago granted permission to access the Interstate 4 median for the project, Chira said.

Orlando would become a hub for later extensions to Miami and Jacksonvillle.

"We could be under construction in 12 to 18 months," Chira said _ if the project receives funding.
After that it could be three to four years before trains are running. They would travel up to 120 mph.

HART introduces E-Newsletters and more!

2009-02-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

Another improvement to HART's website comes in the form of E-Newsletter subscriptions. At the bottom of the homepage, you may now sign up for HART E-Newsletters, Press Releases, and Capital Improvement Updates and have them sent to your Inbox.

President's Day Holiday

2009-02-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

CORRECTION: All Tampa Bay area transit agencies (HART, PSTA, MCAT, and SCAT) will be operating on normal weekday service for Presidents Day. I appologize for any confusion.

Gasparilla 2009

2009-02-06T21:11:00.001-08:00

More information, including route detours can be found at the HART website.

http://www.gohart.org

Super Bowl 43 - The Aftermath

2009-01-31T04:20:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, the Pittsburg Steelers won Super Bowl 43 in what I must say was a near-epic finish. Now that all the fanfare in Tampa is subsiding, here comes all the cleanup...

Dale Mabry Hwy & Himes Ave have reopened, however Tampa Bay Blvd between the two roads will remain closed until February 13th. Several Downtown Tampa streets will also reopen in the coming days.

Most HART routes affected by the Super Bowl festivities have resumed normal operation. However, Route 7 will remain on detour until Tampa Bay Blvd reopens.

56th Street Southbound is back!

2009-01-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

56th Street southbound over the Hillsborough River has reopened as of late Tuesday, however repair work will continue into February. All detours on Route 6 have been lifted, but patrons should still expect some delays in the southbound direction through February.

Route 6 impacted by bridge closure

2009-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Route 6 - 56th Street is being significantly impacted by the closure of the 56th St bridge over the Hillsborough River. The southbound span was closed yesterday due to the discovery of structural problems, and will remain closed until futher notice. Patrons trying to catch Route 6 should expect moderate to severe delays, as well as a temporary detour for southbound buses, though an official notice is yet to be issued by HART. Patrons using northbound Route 6 should also expect delays in service.

===================

Bridge Issues Force Closure

The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 23, 2009
TAMPA - The southbound 56th Street Bridge in East Tampa could be shut down for days while inspectors determine the severity of problems discovered Thursday morning by a maintenance crew.
Workers were replacing a handrail when they noticed the road and four of the bridge's beams had separated by an inch or two, possibly because of recent changes in temperature.
Officials aren't sure when the bridge, which spans the Hillsborough River, will be reopened.

from: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jan/23/na-bridge-issues-force-closure/news-metro/

Martin Luther King Jr Holiday

2009-01-18T04:54:00.000-08:00

Due to the MLK holiday on Monday, January 19, 2009, some bus agencies will be on limited service.

HART: Saturday-level service all day. Express routes will not operate, as well as trolley routes.

PSTA: Weekday-level service all day. Route 100X will operate. Route 300X will not operate.

MCAT/SCAT: Normal services.

Are you kidding me?

2009-01-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

It seems that the push to improve mass transit through Obama's proposed stimulus plan is gaining zero momentum. According to several recent articles, most of the planned projects going towards this package here in Florida are nothing more than construction of new highways, overhaul of existing highways, and minor civic, lighting, and landscaping improvements (such as installing new traffic signals).

Get a read on these two stories first, then you'll know what I mean:

Story 1
Story 2

Now I'm wondering, why on earth is this happening? There is very little, if any push for any mass transit improvements in Florida according to the current plans. I believe that our government wants to continue living in the past while other cities like Dallas continue to soar right past us in building their transit systems of the future. Yet the government's claim is "oh, well Obama wants these things ready to go ASAP" Okay, I understand that part. But that doesn't mean that our government can get lazy and just say "oh well, all we can do right now are road improvements.....DONE!"

No, this is not done, we must make our voices clear that we want mass transit improvements, including rail NOW! I am calling to all readers to PLEASE! PLEASE! contact their elected officials and say "We don't want a bunch of road improvements! We want mass transit expansion NOW!"

Otherwise, we'll have this......
Step right up to the biggest show in town! Our 20-laned freeway system!

Guaranteed to make you over two hours late for work or your next appointment!

What's that? You don't want to pay $20 for tolls? Don't want to spend $50 on bus fares? Well, then this is your place to do all your commuting! Come join us!

January/February 2009 doesn’t have to be a traffic nightmare…

2009-01-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

Let me pull away from the transit scene for just a moment, and let everyone know that even with the numerous events set for late January/early February, that your commute doesn’t have to be a hassle. Here’s some tips to get you where you’re going during the course of the next month or so.

Super Bowl 43 is the big event for early February. As with any Super Bowl game, security around the host stadium is extremely tight and many perimeter roads will be closed. At Raymond James Stadium, where this year’s game will be held, you can expect many roadway closures and traffic and transit interruptions.

· Beginning Friday, January 9, 2009, Tampa Bay Boulevard between Dale Mabry Highway and Himes Avenue will be closed to allow set up of the NFL Experience football theme park. Back in 2001, when the last Super Bowl was hosted in Tampa, the NFL Experience was situated on the north end of the stadium property. This year however, it will be situated on the parking lots just across Tampa Bay Blvd, causing the closure of the roadway. For those of you driving, you will need to use MLK Blvd to the north or Columbus Drive to the south as a detour. HART’s Route 7 is currently on detour via MLK Blvd & Dale Mabry Hwy.

· Beginning Saturday January 31, 2009 at 12:01AM, Dale Mabry Hwy & Himes Ave will close in order to maintain a proper security perimeter around Raymond James Stadium. Commuters wishing to travel from South Tampa to points north of the stadium have several options.

o Use the Veterans Expressway from the west to connect to Hillsborough Ave & Kennedy Blvd.

o Use Armenia/Howard Avenues from east to connect to your destination.

o Use Habana Avenue or MacDill Avenue, closest to the stadium, to connect to your destination.

· For those of you connecting to Drew Park, you may still use MLK Blvd to do so, but expect heavy delays.

· For those of you utilizing the HART bus system, please be aware of the following.

o Due to Federal Regulations, HART is not permitted to provide any special services during the Super Bowl. Instead, private charter companies will provide these services. For more information, click this link

o Between January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2009; The West Tampa Transfer Center will be closed for traffic and security purposes. Routes 7, 32, 36, 41, and 45 will utilize the same detour protocols used during Bucs and USF home games. This also includes transferring at the makeshift bus depot at Gomez Avenue and Saint Isabel Street. However, Route 7 will have increased frequency between Raymond James Stadium and downtown on Super Bowl Sunday from 12:35pm to midnight.

o The TECO Streetcar, and Purple and Green Line Trolleys will also run extended services throughout the weekend. For a flyer of complete route adjustments, click here.

Regardless of where you’re going and how you get there, please expect many delays throughout your trip. Be advised that major construction projects (IE: I-275 & TIA Interchanges) will be on hold during Super Bowl events so that all existing lanes of traffic will be available.

Gasparilla 2009 is going to occur on Saturday, February 7, 2009, a week after the Super Bowl events. One of the key reasons to putting the event after the Super Bowl is because during the 2001 Super Bowl, traffic became a major hassle. The two events on the same weekend caused widespread delays throughout Tampa Bay highways.

As always, be advised that Bayshore Blvd will be closed on parade day. HART bus route 19 will not serve Davis Islands during the parade. If you want to find a good parking spot, arrive early, as many spots are filled by the afternoon.

So whether you’re going to the Super Bowl, or to Gasparilla, or maybe even both; keep in mind that your commute doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Be sure to observe all traffic signs, police, and other drivers. And allow plenty of extra time to get to your destination. If that means catching a bus that leaves an hour earlier than the one you normally take, then do so.

Here’s some more helpful links to help you with trip/event planning.

New Year, New Website for HART!

2008-12-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

What a year it was for HART in 2008: numerous cutbacks and shuffling of routes, a tighter budget to work with, and continuous ridership records. With 2009 just hours away, HART decided to unveil it's brand new website on December 31, 2008.

Here are just some of the new treats available...

Schedules are now separated by local, express, trolley, as well as Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday, so you can better find the correct route and service day.
Trip Planner Interface is now on the bottom of the page, so you don't have to travel too far into the site to find where you need to go, when its convenient for you.
Coming Soon! - RSS Feeds: Stay on top of route detours, special events, and other rider alerts with RSS feeds from HART.
Better ways to keep in touch with HART's customer service center.

And there's much more! Check it out at goHART.org

Tampa LRT - Navy Line

2008-12-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here it is, after a few teaks, the Navy Line. This route would connect St. Pete to Tampa via the I-275 corridor. Notice how the route connects St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport; there is a bypass that would be used during peak hours.

Happy Holidays to all

2008-12-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

I want to wish all my visitors a safe and wonderful holiday. As we transition into the new year, please keep in mind to be safe out on the roads or in the skies, whatever mode of transport you choose to get there this season. Also, keep in mind that most public transit providers will not be offering service on Christmas Day. However, PSTA will remain on a Sunday schedule throughout the day.

On Friday, December 26, HART will remain on a Saturday-level schedule. However, extra duty and extra buses will run on the following routes to alleviate congestion and provide flexibility for travel: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 30.

On New Year's Day, all transit providers will also not operate. However, PSTA will remain on a Sunday schedule, and SCAT/MCAT's Longboat Trolley will run all day.

Once again, I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday. I will not be posting here or on my sister blog (The Creativity Corner by HR2012) until December 29. However, on December 29, I will be making several updates to the transit blog, including sketches for my Green and Blue Line LRT routes.

TBARTA names new officers, Quarles returning as chair

2008-12-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

TBARTA names new officers with Shelton Quarles returning as chair
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Larry Halstead Staff Writer

New officers were elected at the December board meeting of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.

Returning as chairman is Shelton Quarles, a gubernatorial appointee.

Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard was elected vice chairman, Ann Hildebrand, Pasco County commissioner, was elected secretary and Hugh McGuire, a gubernatorial appointee, was elected treasurer.

In other news, TBARTA approved a vision statement that supports Central Florida’s efforts to develop a light rail system and discussed potential funding mechanisms, including adding a penny of sales tax in seven counties but not necessarily all at once.

The Tampa Bay Partnership recently outlined its support for the Central Florida Commuter Rail Project both as a standalone system and for its importance to the TBARTA. In a position statement, the Partnership endorsed the commuter rail, an integrated logistics center, and developing and connecting city centers through multimodal transportation.

TBARTA is tasked with providing and developing a regional multimodal transportation system that connects seven counties in the Tampa Bay area. The master plan is due to be presented to the public in February.

Story Link

PSTA to obtain new hybrid buses

2008-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

As if PSTA already has awesome buses (both Gilligs and New Flyers), things are about to get even better! According to this PDF newsletter from a few months back, PSTA is slated to purchase 10 new hybrid buses. Three of these buses will be of the BRT style, similar to SCAT's hybrid fleet, while the remaining seven buses will be trolley style, to run on the Suncoast Beach Trolley Line. You can begin seeing these buses in the PSTA fleet next year.

Longboat Trolley Holiday Service Change, SCAT BRT project information

2008-12-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

Though the Longboat Trolley runs through most of the year, a change has been made to the holiday service schedule. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day will be the only days of the year that the Longboat Trolley does NOT operate.

More information...

Speaking of SCAT, the agency now has its BRT project information online at their website.

Route 7 on possible detour (Dec 15 through Dec 19)

2008-12-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

From of Monday, December 15, 2008 through Friday, December 19, 2008, Tampa Bay Boulevard will be closed in the vicinity of Raymond James Stadium for a resurfacing project.

Though an official notice by HART has yet to be posted, there is a chance that Route 7 will be detoured from its regular route via MLK Boulevard. It is also unclear if Lois Ave south of MLK will be served.

HART's "new" buses

2008-12-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

If you hadn't noticed already, several new buses have been running on the HART system during the past week. Well, they're not really brand new. In fact, by the picture above, they look like an older model. However, they sport HART's new livery. So what's the story behind these buses?

Well, after talking to a HART staffer, it seems that these buses will serve as a temporary contingency fleet for the agency while the fleet of Gillig buses are repainted in the new colors. Since these buses are so small (my guess is that they are only 25 feet in length), they will be used on lower frequency routes (like Routes 10 and 31) and connector routes (83, 87, 88, and 89) as substitutes while the Gilligs are repainted.

This may very well be the reason why the bus repainting has been going so slowly. My guess is that HART is repainting the 30ft Gilligs first, allowing them to use the substitute buses as needed. Then they may move on to the larger buses as time goes on.

My input for the proposed changes

2008-12-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

Route 1 - Modifying Route 1, which traverses Florida Avenue, will bring it closer to that "Golden Rule" of public transit. Again, meeting that "rule" allows passengers to not even need a schedule when trying to figure out when the next bus arrives. Larger cities, such as New York, have had buses that run every 20 minutes or more for many years. Tampa still has a long way to go, but this is definitely a good start.

Routes 6, 12, and 30 - These modifications will also bring these busy routes closer to the "Golden Rule". Especially with ridership continuing to increase.

Route 36 and others - Increasing frequency on the 8, 36, and 39 from 45 minutes to 30 minutes will really help with connectivity to other routes, and improve overall efficiency of the HART system.

HART service change proposals for Spring 2009

2008-12-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

With ridership continuing to grow, several routes will have increases in frequency, among other changes in March 2009.

From the HART website

Weekdays

Route 1 – Florida Ave.
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 20 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Route 8 – Progress Village/Brandon
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country
Increase frequency from 30 minutes to 15 minutes between Marion Transit Center (downtown Tampa) and Tampa International Airport from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Restore late-night service between TIA and the Northwest Transfer Center in Town ‘N Country.

Route 36 – Dale Mabry/Himes Ave.
Increase frequency from 45 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Route 39 – Busch Blvd.
Increase frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Weekends

Route 1 – Florida Avenue
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 6 – 56th St.
Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 12 – 22nd St.
Increase frequency on Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

Route 18 – 30th St.
Begin running Sunday service; would run at same 60-minute frequency as current Saturday schedule.

Route 30 – Town ‘N Country Increase frequency on Saturdays and Sundays from 60 minutes to 30 minutes on entire route.

View map of all affected routes.

The changes on all these routes are very good. Especially for me, the Route 36 enhancements are much needed, as riders continue to fill buses at rapid rates.

Iorio: It's Train Time For Tampa - Part 1

2008-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Tampa Bay area officials urged to plan now for mass transit projects
By Janet Zink, Times staff writer
In print: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

TAMPA — Now is the time for the Tampa Bay area to come forward with mass transit plans, U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, told Hillsborough County leaders Tuesday.
Mica, Republican leader of the House Transportation Committee, said that with Congress set to complete an update of its five-year transportation funding bill next fall and President-elect Obama pledging to invest in infrastructure to stimulate the economy, the region can't waste time getting together its funding requests for rail and other mass transit projects.

"I'm a right-wing conservative fiscal Republican," he said. "But I am adamant about public transportation, public transit. If you look at the issues that we face, the economy, nothing creates jobs like infrastructure projects."
Rail and other public works projects are expensive, he said.
But he thinks the Obama administration may be open-minded about providing government guarantees for private investment in those projects.

"The Bush administration has been very myopic about financing," Mica said.
The bay area is one of only three of the country's 27 largest metropolitan areas without light rail, Mica said. Meanwhile, other cities are spending billions of dollars to expand their systems.
"It's almost embarrassing to have parts of Florida without modern transportation systems," he said. "What I need is everybody on the same page, everybody coming forward with their proposals."

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority hopes to have its seven-county transportation plan complete early next year.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who attended Mica's briefing, would like the first leg of the region's rail system to run from the University of South Florida to downtown Tampa. She is pushing to get a referendum on a 1-cent sales tax to pay for it on the 2010 ballot.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.

[Last modified: Nov 25, 2008 11:46 PM]
http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/masstransit/article917375.ece

Oh, the joys of blogging!

2008-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

Just look at the many things you'll find by going to the TampaBLAB (by the way, it means Tampa Bay Local Area Bloggers). Anyways, as cyberspace becomes more advanced each day, more businesses, and even government agencies, are jumping onto the blogging bandwagon. Well today, I found that TBARTA has a page on Twitter, another social networking rival of MySpace. For those of you who want to check it out, click here.

And if you're wondering what blog I found this Twitter page on, click this link, then scroll down a bit. You'll see the post.

Iorio: It's Train Time For Tampa - A summary

2008-11-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

This post will begin a series in my blog dealing with the lack of rail in Tampa Bay. As some of you might already know, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has been pushing a 1 cent sales tax to fund the project and hopes to get it to a public vote by 2010. But there's tons of opposition at this point, so you can expect this will have an uphill battle.

Here's a link to a Bay News 9 story that I previously had posted.

What do you think should be done to get light rail to Tampa? Should the city/county try to push a special tax to fund the rail system? Vote now in my latest poll, then post a comment about whether a tax should be implemented and if so, what kind of tax? Gas tax? Sales tax?

The future of Tampa's mass transit may lie in the Obama Administration

2008-11-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

HART posted a press release today stating that the Obama administration may give new hope to future HART projects, including the proposed light rail system. Here's the full text...

New Administration Could Fuel Tampa Bay Transit

HART Projects in Line for Federal Funding

November 5, 2008 - Tampa, Florida - As President-elect Barack Obama was swept into office last night, so too were new priorities for the federal government. Sustainable energy, infrastructure investments and transportation improvements are sure to be high on the new President's list of things to do, and that means increased possibilities for transit in Tampa Bay.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit is already working on several projects that could be in line for federal funding.

APTA Coordinating Federal Projects
The American Public Transportation Association is preparing information on transit projects and activities that could be funded in a future legislative package. HART has submitted a list of upcoming projects for consideration, including:

New Buses for Bus Rapid Transit Lines - Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, is a new express bus service that will feature modern station stops, advanced technology and new vehicles. The North-South line is in final design stages and should be in operation sometime in 2011, with an East-West line to follow.
Tampa International Airport Transfer Center - Improving service to the airport will include a proposed bus transfer center on airport property. The transfer center would be served by the new East-West BRT.
Additional Paratransit Vehicles - HART's service for people with disabilities has experienced exponential growth in the last few years. More vehicles would help HART adequately serve these people who need it most.
Upgrades to the 21st Avenue Facility - With demand for transit service increasing, HART has outgrown its existing operations and maintenance facility. Upgrades and modernization would help HART continue to grow and maintain its fleet of buses.
Double-Tracking the Streetcar Extension - The extension of the TECO Line Streetcar System to Whiting Street will connect Ybor City and the Channel District directly with downtown Tampa. A double-tracking option would allow for increased efficiency and more capacity than the current planned single track.

Hillsborough County Rail Project
One of the most talked-about issues in Tampa Bay is the possibility of a rail system that would connect people to employment, shopping and entertainment destinations across the region. HART has a head start on these plans with the Tampa Rail Project, a 20.1-mile light rail system operating on three corridors in Hillsborough County. The project received federal planning and environmental approvals in 2003.

Now, HART is reviving hopes for a future rail system in Tampa Bay by pursuing re-entry into the federal New Starts funding process for a potential light rail investment.

The mission of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is to provide public transportation services which are safe, dependable and cost effective, thereby enhancing the quality of life in our community.

http://www.gohart.org/departments/marketing/press/press_release_11-5-2008.htm

Are you kidding me TBARTA?

2008-11-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

The latest master plan out for TBARTA looks like a total joke. It seems like more buses will be in the picture than rail. Buses are good in a sense, but not for the heavily demanded areas, where rail lines are crucial. Along some highways, like US 19, Bus Rapid Transit will do no good. We need rail lines along these corridors, not some lousy limited stop bus routes. Even with the current economy in distress, TBARTA could really do better than that.

HART hosts a BRT workshop

2008-11-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

By now, you've probably heard the buzz about a Bus Rapid Transit (or BRT) system coming to Tampa. Well, HART has reached the next stage of the system finally becoming a reality. The agency has launched a study to implement the first phase of the system, which will run along Nebraska Avenue and Fletcher Avenue. The system will serve two future park-n-ride lots near I-75, the University Area Transit Center, and Downtown Tampa via Fletcher & Nebraska.

For those of you wishing to seek additional information about HART's BRT system, here's your chance. HART will be holding an open house on Tuesday, November 18, 2008, between the hours of 4pm & 7pm, at the Seminole Heights Baptist Church (801 E Hillsborough Ave - Tampa, FL 33604). The church is located on the corner of Nebraska Ave & Hillsborough Ave, adjacent to I-275. For additional information about the project and the upcoming open house, click here.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, November 11; some transit agencies will be running on limited services, while others will not run at all.

HART: Saturday-level service all day. Express routes will not operate.

PSTA: Weekday service all day. However, Routes 200X and 300X will not operate. Route 100X will operate as normal.

MCAT/SCAT: Weekday service all day.

A big TBARTA snafu

2008-11-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

You got that right, a big TBARTA snafu (okay maybe NOT THAT BIG), but a snafu nonetheless. And this has to do with a job post that they put out on one of those online job search sites. There were also posts put into the two area newspapers.

To put everything in a nutshell, TBARTA posted a postion that was described as "Special Assistant to the Board". The problem was, no one knew exactly what that position was or what specific duties were involved. Many applicants, according to the Tampa Tribune article (see here), thought it was a clerical postion. But board members thought the position would involve lobbying for funds, which is strictly prohibited by the state when it comes to agencies receiving public funds.

So, instead of narrowing down candidates, the TBARTA board will spend next week trying to clarify exactly what the position is for, while at the same time, trying to polish its reputation.