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Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
| May/2010 |
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 Greetings. I'm Ron Govin, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. I've had the privilege of serving on HART's Board of Directors for some five years, representing the city of Temple Terrace, where I serve as City Councilman. I have spent my entire life in Hillsborough County. I grew up in Tampa Heights, graduated from Jefferson High School and earned a Business Administration degree at the University of Tampa. I have always been very passionate about government policies and its affects on the development and advancement of the Tampa Bay area. That is why I view this crucial period in developing and improving transportation in our county as exciting, rewarding and somewhat challenging. My goal as a HART Board member is to work to increase the frequency of bus service, continue to offer a product that works well for the people we serve and always have a good perspective of our service areas, to better determine the needs of our customers.
The biggest challenge I predict as we move forward is the proposed transportation referendum. If the referendum is not approved, it could limit what HART is able to provide our community. However, if we're allowed to move forward with it, the county would see immediate transportation changes such as additional bus routes, expansion of current projects like Flex service in Temple Terrace and Tampa and the eventual establishment of Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail. However, regardless of whether the transportation referendum is placed on the ballot and passed by voters in November, HART will continue its mission of providing quality service to our current customers and future patrons who will come to rely on us for their mobility needs.
Ron Govin Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
Chairman of the Board |
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| At The HART Of The Community | |
A Penny For Transit
The Hillsborough Board of County Commission wants to hear from YOU. Board members scheduled a Town Hall meeting to hear public comments on the proposed Transportation Referendum. That meeting is set for Thursday, May 13, 6p.m. at All Peoples Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Avenue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Consider taking HART to the event by using Route 6, which provides service to 56th Street, Route 39 to the Busch Boulevard area or Route 41 for service along Sligh Avenue.
The proposed referendum calls for a 1¢ tax to fund county-wide transportation projects. The funds would be used to make road improvements, expand current bus service, implement new transit options such as Express Bus Service and make transit in Hillsborough County faster and more accessible through Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail.
What is Bus Rapid Transit? It is a transportation option that will provide fast and frequent bus service on major roadways and offer up to 20% improved travel time over local bus service. The proposed routes for this service include Tampa International Airport, Downtown Tampa , Brandon, Bruce B. Downs, Busch Boulevard and northern Hillsborough County near Van Dyke Road, south to MacDill Air Force Base. The plan calls for stations every half mile and service every 15 minutes during peak periods. The first route is scheduled to be operational by 2012.
Light Rail is a service that would be used to connect residents and visitors to major activity and employment centers such as USF, Downtown Tampa, Westshore, Tampa International Airport, Brandon and South Tampa. 46 miles of rail would be built in segments by corridors, with stations about a mile apart, service every 15 minutes, parking, bike and walking trails at some locations. If the referendum passes, service is anticipated to begin in 2018.
However, service for all of the areas mention and the specific means of transportation used (Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail) are contingent upon the outcome of further studies of the areas.
According to the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the 1% tax would cost a typical household in Hillsborough County approximately $12 a month. Funds would be matched by Federal Transit Administration and State grants and would be used to pay for construction, rail cars, buses, maintenance facilities, annual operations and new park and ride lots.
A recent study, conducted by Cambridge Systematics, shows Tampa is one of the most congested areas in the country, (ranking with or higher than Miami, Denver and New York City). The study shows an improved transit system will drastically help alleviate congestion, bring tens of thousands of jobs through transit construction and support our current job market by continuing to provide mobility to those who rely on HART as their primary source of transportation. For more information on that study click here and for additional information on HART's Transit Expansion plans go to our website at www.goHART.org. Search for the Why Transit? section on the front page.
Expanding The Streetcar Route
 Tampa's Historic Streetcar is headed North. The existing 2.4 mile system currently terminates at Dick Greco Plaza near the Tampa Convention Center. Track is now being extended to Whiting Street at the south end of Downtown. The extension consists of one additional Streetcar station, 3/10 of a mile of new track and a siding track to store three streetcars that will allow for better response time during events with higher ridership.
The laying of track began late April along the eastside of Franklin Street near Channelside Drive. This process will continue through the summer. Kimmins Contracting is the contractor for the project at a cost of $4.9 million dollars. HART obtained the funds through federal grants. The project began October 9, 2009 and is expected to be operational late this year.  $30 can go a long way if you're young at HART. HART is launching our Summer Blast Pass program this month. For just $30, those ages 17 to 5 can ride any HART bus route from May 17 through August 31. For more information, visit us on line at www.goHART.org or stop by one of three locations: Downtown Tampa
Marion Transit Center HART on Franklin
1211 N. Marion Street 403 N. Franklin Street
Monday-Friday 6am-6pm Monday-Friday 10am-2pm
Saturday 7am-5pm
Near the University of South Florida
University Area Transit Center
13110 N. 27th Street
Monday-Friday 6am-6pm
Saturday 7am-5pm
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| HART On The Move |
 Philip Hale serves as HART's Chief Operating Officer. He oversees transportation/maintenance of the agency's bus routes, Paratransit, Flex service and the Streetcar division. He is also in charge of HART's engineering and construction projects. Mr. Hale and his staff of 550 employees are currently working to improve transportation and transit infrastructure throughout the county, construct a transport center at Tampa International Airport, update facilities at HART's 21st Avenue location and install hundreds of shelters at various bus stops by the year 2013. They are also continuously working to ensure all bus stops are in full compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) federal requirements.
Mr. Hale is a transit veteran, with over 35 years experience in the industry. Before joining HART, he served as Assistant Vice President of Fleet Services with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. He has a wealth of experience in administering the repair, maintenance and upkeep of a large fleet of buses, rail cars and support vehicles, as well as management of bus and rail facilities. Philip Hale's experience is invaluable to HART as we build the future of transit in Hillsborough County.
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| To The HART Of The Matter | |
What HART Means To Me
 After 2 weeks of being hired, I had been driving a friend's car that wasn't as reliable and dependable. It eventually stopped operating. I was devastated! With my new job, being on time is important to me and I always thought riding the bus would be a long wait. I was proven wrong. A representative from HART had recently given a presentation on Bus Rapid Transit to residents and left route books. I noticed less than 25 feet from my office, was a HART Bus Stop with a shelter. The bus ran every 10 to 15 minutes and got me home within 25 to 30 minutes (a little less than me driving the car). I enjoy using HART because it has proven a reliable and dependable source of transportation.
Cathy Oliver, Office Manager
Tampa Park Apartments
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HART is dedicated to providing excellent customer service while building solutions to support Hillsborough County's needs.....now and into the future.
HARTinfo Line: (813) 254-4278
TDD (813) 626-9158
HARTplus: (813) 623-5835
www.goHART.org
Follow us on Twitter @goHART and become a fan on Facebook
For more information, contact Tameca Johnson at (813) 449-4707 or Johnsont@goHART.org
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