January 6, 2009 - Tampa, Florida - A new leadership team and enhanced bus service were on the agenda for Monday's meeting of the Board of Directors of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.
Enhanced Bus Service Coming in 2009
Gas prices are coming down, but bus ridership has continued strong in Hillsborough County. HART is working to meet the ongoing need with a plan to increase frequency on several of its busiest routes, approved by the HART Board on Monday. The service improvements will take effect in March.
Among the routes being enhanced is Route 30, which serves Tampa International Airport. Service between downtown Tampa and TIA will increase to every 15 minutes from every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. In addition, late-night service from the airport to the Northwest Transfer Center will be restored.
Staff also reported that travelers coming through TIA will now find new signs guiding them to the HART bus stop at the airport terminal.
In addition, the board received an update on plans to locate a new HART transfer center on airport property, at O'Brien and Spruce Streets. Future coordination between HART and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) to expand transit service to the airport was also reported. The new initiatives for TIA service will mean an easier commute for airport employees and an improved transit option for travelers, who can take Route 30 from downtown directly to the airport in a "one-seat" ride to the terminal.
Work on Rail Project Continues
Staff also reported that HART held the first meeting of a steering committee to guide the rail project on December 17th. Representatives of the City of Tampa, City of Temple Terrace, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Hillsborough Aviation Authority and FDOT were in attendance. The purpose of this first meeting was to provide an overview of the project and required work effort to re-enter the New Starts federal funding program, and to discuss the committee's role. Monthly meetings will keep the committee apprised on progress of the project and obtain feedback and information on key issues.
HART has commissioned a community survey to evaluate needs and develop a travel forecasting model, which is critical for federal analysis of the project.
New Officers, Committees Named
The Board elected its officers for 2009:
Chair: Temple Terrace City Councilman Ron Govin
Vice Chair: Alison Hewitt
Secretary: Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder
HART representatives to the Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. Board David Mechanik, Ron Govin and Jan Smith were reappointed.
Members of the Finance, Governance & Accounting Committee, the Audit Committee and the Revenue Alternatives Task Force were also named. A new group, the Major Projects Committee, will be headed by Alison Hewitt and will assist HART with planning projects such as the Bus Rapid Transit service, the TECO Line Streetcar System extension to Whiting Street, and a new Hillsborough County rail system.
HART's Mission
Our Team is dedicated to providing excellent customer service while building solutions to support Hillsborough County's needs...now and into the future.