Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

Parent	Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority
Founded	1980 (1980)
Headquarters	1201 E. 7th Avenue
Locale	Tampa, Florida
Service area	Hillsborough County
Service type	Bus Streetcar Paratransit
Routes	26 local, 7 express, 1 Streetcar, 5 flex, MetroRapid
Hubs	Downtown Tampa, USF Area
Fleet	169
Daily ridership	36,200 (weekdays, Q2 2025) [1]
Annual ridership	12,628,800 (2024) [2]
Fuel type	Diesel, CNG
Chief executive	Scott Drainville (Interim) [3]
Website	gohart.org

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART),also known as the Hillsborough Transit Authority, ^[4] is the public transportation provider for Hillsborough County, Florida. The agency operates fixed-route local and express bus service, paratransit service, demand-response service, MetroRapid service, and the TECO Line Streetcar system. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 12,628,800.

History

Budget cuts and system reorganization (2007 - 2011)

Like many local agencies throughout Florida, HART was forced in 2007 to cut its budget by $1.7 million. ^[5] As a result of this, HARTflex service was canceled and numerous routes saw drawbacks in service. Limited Express Route 52 and Trolley Route 98 were eliminated due to low ridership.

During the 2009/2010 fiscal year, HART slashed another $3 million from its budget in order to compensate for additional property tax revenue losses. This move was achieved by trimming service in Town-N-Country and North Tampa, as well as cutting underutilized trips on numerous routes. ^[6] To counteract plummeting property tax revenues, HART proposed to switch to a sales tax-based system which many other transit agencies in Florida already use. Hillsborough County attempted to pass such a measure during the 2010 election season, but it failed by a 58/42% margin. ^[7]

Despite drawbacks caused by state and county mandated budget cuts and the global recession, HART is striving to improve transit service in the future by managing existing service while only cutting under-performing service and gradually raising fares. HART's 2008 Community Report ^{[ permanent dead link ]} outlined several key changes, such as the introduction of HARTflex service and the upcoming MetroRapid system. ^[8]

Since 2010, a majority of HART's routes have been realigned to better serve patrons throughout the county. These changes included eliminating inefficient segments and trips, realigning travel times, and adding services that would better serve patrons in the long term. Several under-performing routes (such as Neighborhood Connector routes 87, 88, and 89) were eliminated in favor of neighboring transit routes, HARTflex service, or (in the case of Route 59LX) by improved services (Route 61LX). HART also began testing a limited stop route, Route 6LTD, to replace Route 23X. ^[9]

Mission MAX (2017-2020 System-wide Restructuring)

With many fiscal impacts looming to negatively impact HART's future plans and budgeting - including, but no limited to: reducing the size of the agency's debts, preparing for possible reductions in property tax revenues and federal transit funding support, and the national trend of declining transit ridership - the agency announced in early 2017 that it would launch a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) of the entire system as part of its next Transit Development Plan (TDP) update. This analysis allowed HART to essentially evaluate every route in the system to see which ones can be improved and which ones would have to be eliminated based on ridership levels and demand. Public outreach began during the spring of 2017 and continued through the summer - eventually leading up to the announcement of a system-wide restructuring effort called Mission MAX, which focuses on modernizing the system to operate with less reliance on traditional transfer hubs and more on a grid system, shorten travel times on key core routes, eliminate out-of-direction travel, and provide more direct service to key destinations. Mission MAX will also provide HART with the foundation that it needs to better analyze and execute future expansion endeavors. ^[10]

Services

HART currently operates 26 local bus and 7 express bus routes. In addition, the agency operates the TECO Line Streetcar, 5 HartFlex Van Routes, and the MetroRapid BRT line.

Local buses

No.	Name	Terminus 1	Terminus 2	Operates	Notes
1	Florida Avenue	Marion Transit Center - Tampa	University Area Transit Center - Tampa	Daily (Frequent Weekday Service)	Buses run every 15 minutes during the day on weekdays, every 30 minutes during the day on weekends, and every 30 to 60 minutes during evenings. On October 8, 2017, extended south to Whiting Street and rerouted along Fletcher, with the old route along Nebraska and Skipper transferred to new Route 42. Service on 22nd discontinued. Service to Yukon Transfer Center was also discontinued. However, it is still serving there as a streetway stop on Florida Ave @ Yukon St. [11]
5	40th Street			Daily	On October 8, 2017, rerouted on Fowler Avenue rather than through the University of South Florida. Rerouted back through the University of South Florida on January 20, 2021. [12]
6	56th Street				Midway Terminus is Netpark Transfer Center. On October 8, 2017, the section on Puntan Road, 50th Street, and Sligh Avenue transferred to rerouted Route 39. It was rerouted on 56th Street and Fletcher Avenue, replacing part of Route 57. The old route along Fowler and 50th through the University of South Florida campus lost service. Service on Fowler and 50th was restored as part of Route 48 on July 1, 2018, which does not go through the University of South Florida campus.
7	West Tampa		Tampa Bay Blvd @ Dale Mabry Hwy - West Tampa		On January 16, 2005, rerouted over part of Route 11 to the Wal-Mart. On October 8, 2017, rerouted south of M L King Jr. Blvd so it ran on North Blvd (replacing part of Route 14). Old Route along Howard/Armenia became part of Route 14; service along Main Street discontinued. Select Trips to Wal-Mart discontinued. Terminus at West Tampa Transfer Center is discontinued. Service to Leto High School is proposed to be restored by 2020 as part of a restored Route 41. [13] Route was rerouted back to Main Street on January 24, 2021, with service on North Blvd discontinued. [12]
8	Progress Village/Brandon		Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon		On October 8, 2017, deviations at Progress Village (via Fir Dr and 83rd St, and west as a loop on Progress Blvd, 78th St, Flower Ave, and 82nd St). Rerouted directly via 78th and Progress Blvd. Rerouted on the same route in both directions south of downtown on July 1, 2018. Rerouted via 4th Avenue from 21st/24th Street to Channelside Drive on January 24, 2021. That same day, rerouted to serve Kennedy Blvd./Jackson St. between Meridian Ave. and Marion Transitway.
9	15th/30th Streets		University Area Transit Center - Tampa		On October 8, 2017, rerouted on Hillsborough and 30th Street (replacing part of Route 18), with sections transferred to Route 16 and new Route 42. Service on 15th Street and Sligh Avenue discontinued. On January 24, 2021, rerouted south of 7th Ave. to serve Nuccio Pkwy., Channelside Dr., Kennedy Blvd., Meridian Ave., Cumberland Ave., Jefferson St., Whiting St., and Marion Transitway; Route 12 covers the deleted portion.
10	Cypress Street		Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility		On October 8, 2017, eliminated due to low ridership. Section west of MacDill Avenue served by extended HARTFLEX South Tampa. Service on Cypress Street from MacDill Avenue to North Street discontinued. Restored on January 24, 2021 (replacing HARTFLEX South Tampa), but follows Westshore Blvd to Tampa International Airport; Cypress Street west of Westshore Blvd and the Social Security Administration Building have been covered by Route 30 since July 24, 2019. [12]
12	22nd Street		University Area Transit Center - Tampa
14	Armenia/Howard Avenues	Yukon Transit Center - Tampa	Swann Ave @ Howard Ave - Tampa		On October 8, 2017, routed south of M L King Jr. Blvd so it ran on Howard/Armenia (replacing part of Route 7 and part new) to Swann. Extended to Britton Plaza Transfer Center via S. Howard Ave., Bay to Bay Blvd., MacDill Ave. and Euclid Ave. on January 24, 2021, restoring service lost when Route 4 was discontinued. [12]
15	Columbus Drive	WestShore Plaza - Tampa	NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa	Daily (Frequent Weekday Service)	On October 8, 2017, service along 50th (south of Columbus Avenue), Broadway, and Orient (including the county jail) was discontinued, with the part north of M.L. King Jr. Boulevard north and west to netp@rk Transfer Center served by new Route 38. Rerouted via 50th to netp@rk Transfer Center.
16	Waters Avenue	Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country	Yukon Transfer Center - Tampa	Daily	On October 8, 2017, extended east from the Yukon Transit Center to Rowlett Park Dr, replacing part of Route 9. Was returned to serve Yukon Transfer Center On 7/14/2019. Rowlett Park loop rerouted to serve 22nd St. and Rowlett Park Dr. on January 24, 2021.
17	Port Tampa/Manhattan Avenue	Britton Plaza - Tampa	Idaho St and O'Brien St - Tampa		Hourly service seven days a week. Created on October 8, 2017, replacing select trips on Route 19.
19	South Tampa	Marion Transit Center - Tampa	Britton Plaza - Tampa		Does not serve Davis Islands in the southbound direction. On October 8, 2017, service on Platt Street was discontinued, as the route was rerouted south replacing part of Route 4. Service south of Britton Plaza now served by new Route 17 (service on Westshore was discontinued). On February 25, 2018, serves Tampa General Hospital again with discontinuation on Route 19A.
30	Kennedy Boulevard/Airport		Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country		Also serves Westshore Plaza as a Streetwide Stop on Westshore Blvd @ Grey St. On October 8, 2017, service of Tampa International Airport and Northwest Transfer Center was replaced by Route 60LX. On February 25, 2018, Route 35 took over this portion. Was extended to serve Social Security Administration On Frontage Rd via Cypress St restoring service previously on Route 10 (discontinued in October 2017) on 7/14/2019. Re-extended to Northwest Transfer Center on 1/24/2021 replacing Route 35 and HARTFlex South Tampa; service to the Social Security Administration on weekends was discontinued. Route 10 was restored that day, but serves Tampa International Airport instead of the Social Security Administration. [12]
31	South Hillsborough County	Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon	SouthShore Regional Service Center	Weekday Only	Rerouted on Riverview Drive on July 1, 2018.
32	Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard	NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa	Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility	Daily	On October 8, 2017, extended west from the West Tampa Transfer Center to Tampa International Airport. Select Service from netp@rk Transfer Center to Mango Wal-Mart replaced by Route 38.
33	Fletcher Avenue/Northdale	Hidden River Corporate Park - Tampa Palms	St. Joseph's Hospital North		Buses travel between Dale Mabry Hwy and the University Area Transit Center only on weekends. On October 8, 2017, extended east from University Area Transit Center to Hidden River Corporate Park replacing part of the MetroRapid. Service along Florida, Bearss, Nebraska, 139th, 20th, and 140th discontinued as Route 33 was rerouted straight on Fletcher. Route was extended north to St. Joseph's Hospital on January 24, 2021, replacing HARTFlex Northdale. [12]
34	Hillsborough Avenue	NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa	Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country
36	Dale Mabry Highway/Himes Avenue	Britton Plaza - Tampa	Dale Mabry Hwy @ Fletcher Ave - Carrollwood		On January 16, 2005, extended south from West Tampa Transfer Center to MacDill Air Force Base, replacing part of Route 4. On October 8, 2017, section south of Britton Plaza Transfer Center became part of Route 360LX. Rerouted on ML King Jr. Blvd., Lois Ave., Tampa Bay Blvd., and Dale Mabry Hwy. around HCC rather than Hines Avenue to Columbus Ave to make better connections with Route 7 (the old route lost service).
37	Brandon/NetPark	NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa	Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon		On October 8, 2017, select service to Brandon Hospital discontinued and replaced by rerouted Route 46. On February 2, 2018, the Brandon Hospital service on Route 46 was replaced by extended HARTFLEX service. On January 24, 2021, this HARTFLEX service was replaced by extended Route 38.
38	Mango/Brandon				Hourly service seven days a week. Created on October 8, 2017, replacing select trips on Route 32. Route extended east to Parsons Ave., and south to Westfield Brandon Mall via Parsons Ave., Oakfield Dr., and Lakewood Dr on January 24, 2021, replacing HARTFLEX Brandon, with direct service to Mango Walmart replaced by additional stops on M.L. King Jr. Blvd. [12]
39	Busch Boulevard/Gunn Highway	Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country	Netpark Transfer Center - East Tampa		On October 8, 2017, service to Yukon Transit Center was discontinued. Rerouted to end at a loop on Puntan Rd, 50th St, and Sligh Ave, replacing part of Route 6. The old route south to Netp@rk Transfer Center was transferred to rerouted Route 6. However, it was extended back to Netpark on July 14, 2019.
42	University Area Connector	University Area Transit Center - Tampa	University Area Transit Center - Tampa (Circular)		Route interlines with Route 45. Began service on October 8, 2017, replacing parts of Routes 1, 9, and 57. Section south of University Area Transit Center replaced by Route 45 extension on January 24, 2021. [12]
44	Sinclair Hills Connector				New route started on January 24, 2021; it is a restoration of part of Route 1, part of Route 18, and part of Route 33 that had been cut on October 8, 2017. [12]
45	University Area/WestShore	WestShore Plaza - Tampa			Route interlines with Route 42. On October 8, 2017, shortened to end at Yukon Transfer Center. Old route along North Blvd and Fowler Ave to University Area Transit Center discontinued. Extended north to University Area Transit Center via Florida Ave, Linebaugh Ave, 15th St, and 131st Ave on January 24, 2021, replacing part of Route 42; direct service to Yukon Transfer Center discontinued. [12]
46	Brandon Boulevard	Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon	Dover Park-N-Ride Lot - Dover		Hourly service seven days a week. On October 8, 2017, section west of Westfield - Brandon Transfer Center transferred to Route 60LX; name was changed from Downtown Tampa/Brandon to Brandon Boulevard. Rerouted to stop at Brandon Hospital, replacing select trips on Route 37. Shifted back to old route on February 2, 2018, when the Brandon Hospital stop was replaced by extended HARTFLEX service. Old Route section serving Westfield Brandon and Downtown Tampa serving Palmetto Beach is proposed to be restored in the future; when this happens, the name will be changed to Palmetto Beach & Causeway/Brandon.
48	Temple Terrace	University Area Transit Center - Tampa	NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa		Route started on July 1, 2018. Restoration of the deleted parts of Routes 6 and 57 that lost service on October 8, 2017; also replaced part of Route 51X. Rerouted through the University of South Florida on January 20, 2021. [12]
400	MetroRapid North-South	Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa	University Area Transit Center - Tampa		Currently the only MetroRapid BRT Route in service. Due to the discontinuation of Route 2, additional stops were added between MetroRapid bus stations on Nebraska Avenue and Fletcher Avenue.

Neighborhood Flex

HART provides the HART Flex Service consisting of commuter vans that have routes in designated areas. Walk-up service is provided at regular HART stops along the Flex service route, or patrons can reserve a pick-up or drop-off at a location not a HART stop by calling to reserve between 2 and 72 hours in advance. Walk-up service may be limited by the number of reservations. Fare is $1 per way, and an all-day flex pass available for $2. There is no discount available for seniors, Medicare or disabled as there are on other HART routes; however, up to 3 kids under 6 are free with fare-paying rider. Regular HART 1-Day and 31-Day passes are accepted. The service areas are typically 2.5 miles from a preset route, although at least one Flex area does not have a specific route.

HartFlex Routes

• 571 - South County Flex - Bi-Direction from HCC Southshore Campus to La Estancia Apartments Guadalupe via Sun City Center.

Former HartFlex Routes

• 570 - Brandon Flex - Clockwise Loop from Westfield Brandon Mall to JC Handley PnR. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; partially replaced by extension of Route 38. ^[12]
• 572 - Northdale Flex - Bi-Direction from Fletcher Ave/Dale Mabry Hwy to St. Joseph's Hospital North via Dale Mabry Hwy. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; replaced by extension of Route 33. ^[12]
• 573 - Town ‘n Country Flex - Clockwise Loop From Northwest TC to Tampa Community Hospital. Discontinued on January 24, 2021. ^[12]
• 574 - South Tampa Flex - Counter Clockwise Loop from Britton Plaza to SSA - Frontage Rd/Laural St. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; replaced by restored Route 10 on Cypress Street; alternative service from Britton Plaza and Social Security/MacDonald is available on Route 36 and transfer to Route 30. ^[12]

Commuter Express

In 2004, HART revised its express bus route system. The changes included new routes to Brandon and Pasco County, changes to existing routes (such as Route 28X), and the addition of 12 new Gillig BRT buses to the existing HART bus fleet. Almost all of the Commuter Express routes connected to Downtown Tampa. You can identify express routes by looking at the suffix letters at the end of the number (X means Express and LX means Limited Express). Some express routes operate on a Peak Direction schedule early morning and late afternoon. Others operate on an All-Day schedule. Due to changing ridership patterns, these routes were modified as needed.

With the 2016 Mission MAX restructuring, Routes 21LX, 22X, 27LX, 28X, 47LX, 61LX, and 200X were all eliminated. Routes 60LX and 360LX went into service on the day Mission MAX was established. They're also the first All-Day Limited Express Routes HART has established providing stops to Brandon, Downtown Tampa, Tampa Int’l Airport and South Tampa seven days a week. Route 275LX became the third All-Day Express Route replacing Route 51X serving Wiregrass, UATC, Downtown Tampa and TIA. There's also talk about a NEW All-Day Express Route serving the Tampa Airport, Westshore, Downtown Tampa and Plant City. Although the official date of operation is unknown.

No.	Name	Terminus 1	Terminus 2	Midway Stop(s) (if any)	Operates	Direction	Notes
24LX	Fishhawk/South Tampa Limited Express	FishHawk Sports Complex Park-n-Ride - Brandon	MacDill AFB - Tampa	Kennedy Blvd @ Pierce St (AM Trip only), Jackson St @ Pierce St (PM Trip only) - Downtown Tampa	Monday through Friday Only	Peak Direction	Was 24X before October 8, 2017, and downtown stops were added that day.
25LX	Bloomingdale/South Tampa Limited Express	Bloomingdale Park-n-Ride - Brandon		Kennedy Blvd @ Pierce St (AM Trip only), Jackson St @ Pierce St (PM Trip only) - Downtown Tampa			Reclassified as "LX" service on July 11, 2010. Like 24LX, buses stop midway at Downtown Tampa since October 8, 2017.
275LX	New Tampa/Pasco Limited Express	Marion Transit Center - Downtown	Wiregrass Park-n-Ride - Westley Chapel	University Area Transit Center - USF Area	Daily	Bi-Directional	Hourly service seven days a week. Operates full route on weekdays, and only from Wiregrass Park-n-Ride to University Area Transit Center on weekends. Route is in service since July 1, 2018; replaced Route 51X. Northbound trips serve Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel before entering Wiregrass. Service from Downtown to Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility was discontinued on January 20, 2021; alternative service for this section is available on Route 30 and restored Route 10. Weekend service from University Area Transit Center to Downtown was also discontinued that day. [12]
360LX	Brandon/South Tampa Limited Express	MacDill AFB - Tampa	J.C Hanley Park - Brandon	Britton Plaza - South Tampa, Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa			Hourly service seven days a week. Operates full route on weekdays and Saturdays, and MacDill to Britton Plaza only on Sundays. Westfield Brandon Mall terminus was discontinued also on December 2, 2018, and route was extended to serve J.C Hanley Park Park-n-Ride. Route was rerouted via Marion Transitway (instead of Florida Ave./Tampa St. or Tyler St.) between Kennedy Blvd. and Marion Transit Center on January 24, 2021.

MetroRapid Service

Main article: MetroRapid

MetroRapid is HART's "light" bus rapid transit (BRT) service, which launched on May 28, 2013. Between May 28 and June 7, HART provided customers a chance to use MetroRapid for free. This allowed customers to get a feel for the new service, while allowing HART staff to work out any last-minute problems before the start of revenue service. MetroRapid officially began revenue service on June 10, 2013, with a formal ribbon cutting held at the Hidden River Corporate Park grounds in Tampa Palms.

MetroRapid currently consists of one line, the north–south line (numbered as Route 400), which runs from Downtown Tampa (MTC) to the University Area Transit Center (UATC) via Nebraska and Fletcher Avenues every day, every 15 minutes. It replaced Route 2.

TECO Line Streetcar System

Main article: TECO Line Streetcar

A TECO Line streetcar at Centennial Park station

The TECO Line is a 2.7-mile (4.3 km) streetcar line that runs along Downtown Tampa, through the Channel District, and Ybor City. The line opened in 2002 and features historical replica streetcars of the original Tampa Streetcar Line, which closed in 1946.

Late-night service

In 2006, HART introduced late-night bus service on nine local bus routes in order to meet the diverse needs of its patrons. Some of these routes now run as late as 12 am as a result in the increase of service. Since 2007, the number of routes running weekday services beyond 8:00pm has increased to 16 routes.

Fares

As of January 2025, a standard one-way adult fare is $2.00, with fares being capped at $4.00 a day when using a Flamingo smart card or the Flamingo app. ^[14] Paper tickets were phased out in December 2024. ^[15] Discounted fares are available for youth, seniors, Medicare users, and disabled people through the Flamingo app. ^[14]

HART has a partnership with the University of South Florida, where students can ride HART local, limited express, and flex routes for free if they show the bus operator their USF ID. USF Faculty & Staff can use the same services for only 50 cents. ^[16]

Facilities

Transit Centers

The Marion Transit Center in northern Downtown Tampa is HART's main hub.

Like many transit agencies, HART has operated its bus system similar to a hub and spoke model. However, with system redesigns taking place in 2005 and 2017, the reliance on traditional hubs has lessened in favor of a grid-based system where transfers are done at key intersections and corridors.

The main hub for HART is the Marion Transit Center in Downtown Tampa, serving 16 local and express routes (including PSTA's 100X and 300X) from 17 Bus Platforms (Platform A-N surrounding the station and the East, North and West Platforms), and also serves as stops for FlixBus and Greyhound. The center was constructed in 2001, replacing the obsolete Northern Terminal, which sat underneath the I-275 viaduct. The Marion Transit Center is located at the northern end of the Marion Street Transitway and includes a customer service center, office space, bus driver lounge, restrooms, bus shelters, and an array of public art displays. Was under construction where the station is being resurfaced since November 4, 2019 and completed construction on June 1, 2020. Serving Routes 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 19, 30, 20X, 60LX, 275LX, 360LX, PSTA Routes 100X and 300X, and the MetroRapid North-South Line. HARTPlus also serves the station since June 8.

Other major bus terminals include:

The University Area Transit Center west of the USF Medical Center.

• University Area Transit Center: Constructed in the late 1990s and located in the USF area (within the quadrant of 131st Ave, Livingston Ave, N 27th St, and 132nd Ave), the UATC is the transfer point for 10 local bus routes. This facility includes bus shelters, restrooms, and a customer service center. Prior to the UATC's construction, HART spent several years juggling around several different locations as a transfer point in the university area, including University Mall. However, the University Mall plan failed to materialize due to financial problems and community opposition. ^{[17] [18] [19]} Serving Routes 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 33, 42, 48, 275LX and the MetroRapid North-South Line.
• NetPark Transfer Center: Located in east Tampa (off 56th Street and Hillsborough Ave), this facility is a transfer point for 8 local routes and includes restrooms, phones, and vending machines and will serve as a stop for HART's MetroRapid system. Serving Routes 6, 15, 32, 34, 37, 38, 39 and 48.

The West Tampa Transfer Center on the northeast corner of Himes & Ohio Avenues across from Raymond James Stadium.

• West Tampa Transfer Center: Located right next to Raymond James Stadium. Permanently closed following the Mission MAX system redesign in 2017. HART currently has no immediate intention to reactivate the hub and could sell the land in the distant future for redevelopment if longer-term plans deem it necessary to do so. During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games, the station will be open for HART MVP Express which operate for $10 round trip. Northbound trips on Routes 32, 36 and 45 have closest bus stops to provide entrance to Raymond James while Route 7 has stops on MLK Blvd/Himes Ave when events are available (Effective 8/16/2019)
• Northwest Transfer Center: Located on the corner of Sheldon Road and Waters Ave, the Northwest Transfer Center replaced the makeshift bus depot at Hanley/Waters Plaza. Construction began in the spring of 2007 and was dedicated/opened to patrons July 29, 2008. ^[20] The new facility is equipped with vending machines, restrooms for both patrons and employees, an adjacent park-n-ride lot and 4 local bus routes, and eight bus loading bays. Serving Routes 16, 34, 35, 39, Town-N-Country FLEX service, and the PSTA Tampa/Oldsmar Flex Connector.
• Tampa International Airport Rental Car Facility Bus Hub: Located on the grounds of TPA Airport, adjacent to the new Rental Car Facility, five bus loading bays along a straightaway drive allows for loading and unloading of transit buses, with future expansion in mind. Customers can easily connect to and from the airport terminal via SkyConnect. Serving Routes 30, 32, 35, 60LX, 275LX, and PSTA Route 300X.

Secondary Bus Terminals

• WestShore Plaza - WestShore Business District: Routes 15, 45, and South Tampa FLEX.
• Britton Plaza - South Tampa/Interbay: Routes 17, 19, 36, 360LX, South Tampa FLEX, and PSTA Route 100X.
• SouthShore Regional Service Center - SouthShore/Ruskin: Routes 31 and SouthShore FLEX.
• Westfield Brandon - Brandon: Routes 8, 31, 37, 46, 75LX, and Brandon FLEX.
• Yukon Transfer Center - Sulphur Springs: Routes 14, 16, 42, and 45.

The Marion Street Transitway

Constructed in the 1980s, the Marion Street Transitway provides a line of bus shelters along the street to allow patrons to easily board and deboard buses within Downtown Tampa. The transitway runs from the Marion Transit Center to Whiting Street and was originally a "fare-free" zone until 2008. All of the shelters along the transitway were equipped with departure time signage but have been removed.

Plans

HART has the following projects planned to begin service within the next five years.

West Shore Multi-Modal Center

HART and the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority have been discussing plans to build a transfer center at Tampa International Airport since 2008. Originally, the facility was to be located at the corner of O'Brien and Spruce streets ^[ permanent dead link ] but was dropped in 2011 in favor of a site closer to the TIA terminal. ^[21] Plans for any type of transfer center on TIA property collapsed in 2012 following the impact of global economic downturn and the consolidation of the airline industry on TIA's broad terminal expansion plans. In March, 2013, plans were unveiled for a possible Multi-Modal center along Interstate 275 in the WestShore Business District that could cater to multiple bus connections, light rail or commuter rail lines, and a People Mover system connecting the airport. This plan is heavily dependent on whether public transit in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are able to further expand. This in-turn, would be dependent on future funding situations. ^{[22] [23]} As of 2020, the multi-modal center remains a part of the Florida Department of Transportation's Tampa Bay NEXT interstate-based transportation plan.

Intelligent Transportation Systems

According to HART's 2008 Community Report, efforts are currently underway to construct an intelligent transportation system (ITS). Elements of this project include installing surveillance cameras and audio monitoring equipment, GPS systems, automated annunciator systems, real-time information display signs and other elements to all HART buses and several transfer centers. Such systems will allow patrons in the future to see in real-time, upcoming departures, major intersections, landmarks, and connecting routes. Many of these elements, including GPS, security, and automated annunciator systems were installed during the course of 2008 through 2010.

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009

HART is slated to receive just over $15 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 that President Barack Obama signed into law in February 2009. Among the improvements that HART proposed to make: an expansion and upgrade to its operations facility in Ybor City, secure the purchase of 30 forty-foot Gillig Low Floor buses, streetcar extension, and the repainting of HART's existing fleet. ^[24]

TRANSitFORMATION

In September 2019, HART has several plans for the future of transportation in Hillsborough County under the hashtag #TRANSitFORMATION. Some of these plans include improvements and added services on select routes, more detailed information and improvements in bus shelters, adding electric bus pilots to their fleet and replacing select gas/diesel fuel buses, adding more Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes along Florida Ave, Nebraska Ave and Fowler Ave. also, HART has planned future commuter passenger rail or high speed rail transport across Hillsborough and its neighboring counties among the CSX rail corridor and possible future extensions for the TECO Streetcar Line.

Fleet

Bus #2223 (Gillig Low Floor - 30ft) in the blue/white livery similar to that of the purple Commuter Express buses. The Gillig Phantom bus behind it was retired in September 2009.

As of October 2023, most local/express HART buses are in the blue and white livery. Trolley buses are in a similar pale blue/white livery, and MetroRapid buses are in a green/gray/white livery. (As Of May 2019, only some MetroRapid units are in the MetroRapid Livery.) Since the May 2019 incident, buses have tempered glass protection doors to protect drivers from future offenses. ^{[25] [26]}

The buses were repainted to match the livery that is already carried by Commuter Express buses. However, instead of the purple and white livery of the express buses, local buses were repainted in a blue and white scheme (matching the colors of HART's logo). Bus #2015 was the first bus to be painted in the new colors, returning to service in August 2008, upon the receipt of federal stimulus funds in 2009, HART accelerated the repainting process, allowing more buses to sport the new livery.

In 2008, the agency acquired 12 25-foot Champion/Freightliner T-300 buses (from Dallas Area Rapid Transit) to be used on the fixed-route system while its existing fleet was repainted. These buses were retired in March and April 2010, with the arrival of the 29 Gillig Low Floor buses.

Beginning in August 2009, HART retired its fleet of Gillig Phantom buses, which the agency purchased in 1996 and 1997 to replace Flxible Metro buses purchased during the 1980s. In 2009, these buses were replaced by 30 Gillig Low Floor buses that were purchased with the help of federal stimulus funds. Although seven of the Phantoms were already taken out of service in 2007, HART kept three in service beyond that time. By mid-September 2009, all of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Phantom buses were retired, along with most of the 35-foot (11 m) models. The final nine buses were phased out during the week of September 30, 2009, with #725 being featured at HART's 30th Anniversary Ceremony on September 30.

In November 2011, HART was awarded a $2.3 million federal grant to build a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station at its operations facility. It was completed in 2013. ^[27] In 2014, HART began purchasing CNG transit buses, along with a small fleet of CNG powered paratransit vans. As of 2020, there are 70 CNG powered buses in the fleet.

In 2020, the agency received a $2.7 million federal grant to purchase 4 electric buses. ^[28] These buses are expected to be on the road by 2022, though it is unclear which manufacturer will be selected to produce them.

Active fleet

Builder/Model	Image	Year	Numbers	Length	Retired	Notes
Gillig Low Floor BRT Suburban		2011	1101-1106	40 feet (12 m)	6	Acquired Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT). Delivery was delayed for several months due to paperwork issues. . Used on express services. #1106 was retired due to fire damage.[ citation needed ]
		2012	1217-1218		2	Acquired from SCAT. These buses have special baggage racks on the ceiling. They are used for either Routes 60LX or 275LX since they serve Tampa Int’l Airport.
Gillig Low Floor		2012	1201-1212		12	Rear roof fairing option, originally wrapped in special livery for MetroRapid.
		2012	1215–1216		2
		2013	1301-1312		12
		2014	1401-1406		6	Acquired from TransStar out of Orlando, FL when the company shut down.
Gillig Low Floor CNG		2015	1501-1522		22
		2016	1601-1613		13
		2017	1701-1715		15 (14 active)	#1708 was retired in 2020 due to severe accident damage.[ citation needed ]
		2019	1960-1969		10
		2021	2130-2145		15
Gillig Low Floor CNG (BRT Plus)		2017	1716-1725		10	#1718 has a special “Jetbus” livery as a promotion of the Route 275LX.
		2023	2331-2343		13

See also

• List of bus transit systems in the United States

References

1. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
3. "About HART Team". gohart.org. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
4. http://www.gohart.org/departments/executive/packets/pdf_packets/archive/board_packet_09-08-2008A.pdf%5B%5D
5. Brassfield, Mike (July 8, 2007). "State: Bus systems roll with cuts". www.sptimes.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
6. Shopes, Rich (May 18, 2009). "U-Turn Ahead". tbo.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
7. "Hillsborough's light rail tax defeat turns talk to regional rail". tbo.com. November 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
8. "HART Flex". www.gohart.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
9. "HART" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
10. "What is Mission MAX?". In Transit. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. August 25, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
11. "FY2018 System Redesign" (PDF). gohart.org. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
12. "January 2021 Service Modifications" (PDF). gohart.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-01.
13. "TRANSitFORMATION Info Session Walkthrough". YouTube .
14. "HARTRide Farecards | HART". gohart.org. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
15. Wronka, Tim (September 4, 2024). "HART gets rid of paper fares, considers price changes". Bay News 9 . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
16. "HART - Tampa, Florida. University of South Florida Bus Pass". gohart.org. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
17. Mahan, Mike (January 14, 1994). "New bus transfer station still draws neighbors' ire". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
18. "Transfer station at mall delayed Series: TAMPA BAY & STATE". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
19. "HARTline bumped off plan at mall". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
20. "Northwest Transfer Center Opens". www.gohart.org. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
21. Jackovics, Ted (June 7, 2011). "Bus terminal could be relocated to Tampa airport". tbo.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
22. "Proposed Tampa International transit hub would be off-site". TBO.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
23. Staffer, Jamal ThaljiFormer Times. "Westshore will be the hub when — or if — mass transit comes to Tampa Bay". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
24. "New Buses, More Riders". www.gohart.org. March 3, 2009. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
25. "Installation begins of driver safety shields on HART buses". FOX 13 News . October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
26. Roa, Ray (June 13, 2019). "HART to spend $1 million installing protective barriers on Hillsborough buses". Creative Loafing Tampa . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
27. Shopes, Rich (November 26, 2011). "Hillsborough transit agency converting its fleet to natural gas - St. Petersburg Times". www.tampabay.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
28. Johnston, Caitlin (August 12, 2020). "Hillsborough bus agency gets $2.7 million for four electric buses". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 5, 2025.

External links

• Official website
• TECO Line Streetcar System