4305 East 21 St. Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605-2300
Phone: (813) 623-5835 Fax - (813) 664-1119

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill K. Cappadoro
Director of Marketing
(813) 223-6831

HART ANNOUNCES NEW UNIVERSITY AREA TRANSIT CENTER GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

SEPTEMBER 7, 1999 - TAMPA, FLORIDA - Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) today announced plans for a grand opening celebration for the new University Area Transit Center on Friday, September 10th, 1999 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The new transit center is located at the corner of 131st Avenue E, and 27th St. N. The Grand Opening will feature fun, food and festivities. Families are invited to attend.

A brief dedication ceremony will feature HART Board Chairman and County Commissioner Thomas Scott, County Commission Chairman Jan Platt, state representative Victor Christ, HART Executive Director Sharon Dent, and a representative of the Florida Department of Transportation.

The University Area Transit Center is an attractive and thoroughly modern facility designed for the safe and efficient movement of transit users, with easy access for pick-up and drop-off, and a 22-space well-lighted park-and-ride lot. The building features the use of natural lighting, open breezeways, native landscaping, and public art to create a Florida "feel" that befits an area with high transit ridership.

Transit center features include: a fully staffed customer service office operating Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., covered access to buses and waiting area, a concessionaire, sale of HARTride fare cards and discount permit cards, and convenient connections between seven HART bus routes. A connection to the new University Mall Transit Island also makes access to the mall easier and more convenient than ever.

-HART-