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 PUBLIC HEARING 
FOR TRANSIT SERVICE IN NON-URBAN AREAS
AND AN INTER-CITY TRANSIT FACILITY

December 22, 1999 - Tampa, FL – The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) will be holding a public hearing to encourage input on its application to the Florida Department of Transportation for capital and operating grants to provide public transit services in non-urban areas and for its inter-city transit facility. The application is under Section 5311 and Section 5311 (f) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).

The public hearing will be held on Monday, January 10, 2000 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the County Center Planning Commission Board Room located at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. on the 18th floor, downtown Tampa. The regularly scheduled meeting of the HART Board of Directors will immediately follow the public hearing.

The purpose of the public hearing is to advise all interested parties of projects being contemplated if grant funds are awarded, and to ensure that contemplated services would not represent a duplication of current or proposed services provided by existing transit or paratransit operators in the area. The Section 5311 (f) grant applications will be used to implement the inter-city transit features at the South County Transit Center including road access, project administration, engineering and construction. Eligible costs can be funded at 80% federal funds. Inter-city facilities will benefit non-urban areas by providing transit connections to other communities. Section 5311 funds will be requested to pay for up to 50% of operating costs for transit services in rural parts of the county.

Public participation at this meeting is encouraged. Written comments on the HART’s non-urban service and access to inter-city transit service are welcome and will be accepted until 5 p.m. on January 21, and should be addressed to: Attn Planning, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, 201 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1600, Tampa, FL 33602.

For more information on bus routes, schedules and fares call the HARTinfo Line at (813) 254-4278 or TDD at (813) 626-9158. 

-HART-