Commissioner Takes to Twitter for Dump the Pump Ride

Considering HART provides more than 50,000 bus trips every weekday, every day is Dump the Pump Day for thousands in Hillsborough County. But for those who haven’t tried transit, a day is set aside every year to raise awareness about how easy it is to keep more money in your pocket and away from the pump:  “National Dump the Pump Day.”

Transit agencies across the country took on activities to promote Dump the Pump – discounted fares, giveaways, social media promotions, the list goes on.

But what better way to highlight Dump the Pump Day than highlighting a real-life pump dumper:  Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe. 

@MarkSharpeFL:  National Dump the Pump Day - everyone is encouraged to take transit for the day. I am at stop 1859 – sweating

Commissioner Mark Sharpe tweeted his ride for Dump the Pump

I met up with Commissioner Sharpe on Kennedy Boulevard to pick up Route 30, going westbound towards Tampa International Airport.

Commissioner Sharpe is familiar with Route 30, but today’s ride was different – it was in honor of Dump the Pump Day – so it deserved extra attention.

“We’re going to have fun with this,” he said to me.

Little did I know that meant a Twitter play-by-play!

@MarkSharpeFL:  Riding the 1001 east on Kennedy – every seat is taken and its ice cold inside

It’s true. Annual ridership on Route 30 is about 800,000.

We sat next to a young adult who moved from Connecticut just five days ago to take a job in downtown Tampa. He takes the Route 30 every day from Memorial Highway into Downtown Tampa, and hadn’t even thought about getting a car just yet. Transit was his first option.

Attracting young workers to this area caught Commissioner Sharpe’s attention. In fact, he showed me the book he was currently reading:  The New Geography of Jobs, by Enrico Moretti.

“Transit will drive the new economy,” he said. “Young workers will use it as a safe way to get to work because they don’t have to deal with insurance and paying high gas prices.”

@MarkSharpeFL:  Waiting at the next stop w/ HART's superb PIO - I am very impressed - but also dishing out grief. Why can't I track my bus w/phone app now?

It’s not soon enough for Commissioner Sharpe – or our customers -- but HART is testing real-time bus schedule technology

 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Qt #2: why can't I use my debit card to pay? I thought bond defeasance was complicated - try multiple stops & paying w/quarters

Good news is that MetroRapid North-South – opening early next year – will feature ticket vending machines at major station stops and they accept debit cards. This type of off-board fare collection means not having to wait behind riders paying with quarters. 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Riding #2411 (which I CAN'T track by gps). HART's impressive & patient PIO explaining the "open container" policy. See bond defeasment

Florida is hot and we get thirsty. We understand. But anything you can do to avoid spills -- especially spills on someone else -- that would be great! 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Heading downtown from airport. Watched guy pay apparently using pennies - way too slow. Need off board payments/debit card/pay by phone app

@MarkSharpeFL:  Passing @BuddyBrewCoffee on HART #2411 - sure would like a cup of coffee on this trip. Can't remember bus drinking policy, looking for rules

@MarkSharpeFL:  Almost downtown - making great time - even with the 60 to 70 stops (average).

Not that we stopped at every one of those stops along Route 30, but with increased ridership, HART drivers are overall stopping at more stops these days. On some of our busier runs, drivers are stopping at two-thirds of all stops along a route. So now, we’re asking for a little help from our customers on faster boarding and exiting to help keep everyone’s trip pleasant and buses running on time:  Ride HART. Be Smart

 

@MarkSharpeFL:  Downtown - while others text while driving in their cars - I am safely twittering while riding the bus. HART means safe twittering -

@MarkSharpeFL:  Downtown has plenty of solar pay stations for parking - HART should explore same for our busier stops

@MarkSharpeFL:  Made it to County Center in record time. Just a short walk from stop to my office. Still no coffee

All downtown workers can ride HART to work. HART operates nine express routes that serve as money-saving options for our downtown Tampa workers who have long commutes (or short ones too!) These express routes travel along Marion Transit Parkway, and if that’s not a close walk to your office, the In-Town Trolley operates as a circulator every weekday 6 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 – 6 p.m. It serves stops in Harbor Island, along Tampa Street and Florida Avenue every 15 minutes. Pay with your monthly bus pass or with a quarter.

I had a little further to go, so Commissioner Sharpe and I parted ways. But he didn’t depart from twitter when he picked up the bus again later that afternoon to go home for the day:

@MarkSharpeFL:  Back to Bus for "quick" ride home. Eager to see if bus is on time.

@MarkSharpeFL:  Standing at the City Hall Station waiting for the #30. Looking at color coded map that makes hieroglyphics seem simple. Who made the maps?

@MarkSharpeFL:  Bus on time and full - so much for no-one rides the bus argument. Sitting next to guy who sells Epoch on Kennedy. Everyone takes bus to work

@MarkSharpeFL:  At stop 5203 rider puts bike (aka bug screen) on front of bus. Gets on before light changes - impressive

@MarkSharpeFL:  2 motorized riders getting on the bus at stop 10086. Takes only a few minutes for driver to get them on. The passengers respond w/courtesy

@MarkSharpeFL:  Standing room only now - 40 plus riders - stopping on Kennedy as cars fly past (chugging foreign oil). HART will soon use American made CNG

@MarkSharpeFL:  Near my stop. Suppose to "pull cord" before / not after I want to get off. Sounds easy - unless you’re a politician

@MarkSharpeFL:  Made my stop - even missing rain shower seconds before drenching downpour. HART gets me home safe & dry.

Commissioner Sharpe received a lot of Facebook and Twitter following and feedback during his bus ride, so I have a feeling it’ll be less than a year before the next “Tweet and Ride”!

Real-time Bus Schedule Information may soon be only "One Bus Away"

During Monday's HART Major Projects & Legislative Committee meeting, HART unveiled a real-time passenger pilot project underway between HART and USF's Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR). The pilot is testing One Bus Away, transportation technology that tells users where their bus is and how much time until the next one departs. Similar technology is currently offered by PSTA to its customers. 

HART was chosen for this pilot because of its property size, physical proximity to CUTR, as well as previous partnerships that already involved the use of HART data. 

One Bus Away provides Real-time info

Over the next year, the pilot will focus on one or two major routes, and target its potential use for web, Droid Smartphones, and basic cell phones. The pilot will research the feasibility of deploying this technology to the entire HART network, including via text messages and integrating it with the current HART Interactive Voice Response system.

HART currently makes its data of scheduled times available for third-party application developers; and RouteShout, TransitTimes and Mapnificent use this data to provide customers with different online and smartphone applications.

Stay tuned for more updates about this pilot project!

Next HART Board Meeting

• July 16: Finance, Governance & Administration Committee, then Regular Board
 

Transportation Tips for Tampa Visitors

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar would like to welcome you to Tampa!

We understand the difficulties in attempting to navigate the local public transportation scene without an idea on what to see and do and how to get there. So, we created this guide that breaks down some of Tampa's best attractions and how to get there with HART and the TECO Line Streetcar!

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the parking hassles:

• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza (Dining, retail, Splitsville and Channelside Cinemas) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Ybor City Historic District (Centro Ybor) - Routes 8, 12, the TECO Line Streetcar
• International Plaza (Shopping) - 15, 30, 59LX
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• Tampa Bay Times Forum Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolly
• Tampa Theatre - In-Town Trolley
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza (Shopping) - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Raymond James Stadium - Routes 7, 32, 36, 45

Only $1.75 for a one-way ride!

Flying out? Route 30 runs between downtown and Tampa International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends. Service begins at 4:40 a.m. through midnight during the week and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends.

A 3-day Visitor Unlimited HARTride card is your best bet at only $11.00 and valid on all HART local buses, In-Town Trolley and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Things to know about the In-Town Trolley and TECO Line Streetcar System:

• In-Town Trolley: The In-Town Trolley is a rubber-wheeled vehicle, that makes stops at popular locations in downtown Tampa weekdays, 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m.  The line operate on a 15-minute frequency and costs only 25¢!

• TECO Line Streetcar Line: The streetcar line runs on rails that connects Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. It operates 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Streetcar Operators do not provide change.

It's easy to plan your own trip! Visit www.goHART.org to use the Google Trip Planner feature or call 813-254-HART (4278).
Click here for a map of downtown Tampa's network of public transportation service, including streetcar stops, In-Town Trolley service and HART bus routes.

There is so much to see and do! Have a great time!

Tampa Tips for APTA Conference Attendees!

HART and the TECO Line Streetcar would like to welcome all those in town for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Conference!

We understand the difficulties in attempting to navigate the local public transportation scene without an idea on what to see and do and how to get there. So, we created this guide that breaks down some of Tampa's best attractions and how to get there with HART and the TECO Line Streetcar!

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the parking hassles:

• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza (Dining, retail, Splitsville and Channelside Cinemas) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Ybor City Historic District (Centro Ybor) - Routes 8, 12, the TECO Line Streetcar
• International Plaza (Shopping) - 15, 30, 59LX
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• St. Pete Times Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolly
• Tampa Theatre - In-Town Trolley
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza (Shopping) - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Raymond James Stadium - Routes 7, 32, 36, 45

Only $1.75 for a one-way ride!

Flying out? Route 30 runs between downtown and Tampa International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends. Service begins at 4:40 a.m. through midnight during the week and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends.

A 3-day Visitor Unlimited HARTride card is your best bet at only $11.00 and valid on all HART local buses, In-Town Trolley and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Things to know about the In-Town Trolley and TECO Line Streetcar System:

• In-Town Trolley: The In-Town Trolley is a rubber-wheeled vehicle, that makes stops at popular locations in downtown Tampa weekdays, 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m.  The line operate on a 15-minute frequency and costs only 25¢!

• TECO Line Streetcar Line: The streetcar line runs on rails that connects Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. It operates 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Streetcar Operators do not provide change.

It's easy to plan your own trip! Visit www.goHART.org to use the Google Trip Planner feature or call 813-254-HART (4278).

Click here for a map of downtown Tampa's network of public transportation service, including streetcar stops, In-Town Trolley service and HART bus routes.

Welcome to Tampa and have a great time!

"Fan Photo Friday" Kickoff on the Streetcar Facebook!

What comes to mind when you think of Tampa?

Sipping a cafe con leche with warm Cuban bread in Ybor City, with its cast iron balconies and cobble stone streets, as bright yellow streetcars pass you by?

The streetcar rumbling through the Channel District past the family fun of The Florida Aquarium and Tampa Bay History Center. Residents of the nearby condos and visitors enjoying frou-frou drinks in the courtyard of Channelside Bay Plaza, the faint sound of the "clang" from the streetcar bell in the distance. The streetcar marching on to The Tampa Bay Times Forum and Hattricks which are both overflowing with Lightning bolts for game night.

Notice the streetcar in the "P" in Tampa!

Ask a hundred different people and you'll get a hundred different answers, however the TECO Line Streetcar usually finds its way into collective image of Tampa.

Since returning to the streets of Tampa in 2002, the TECO Line Streetcar  has provided an iconic backdrop to a number of media outlets including international (Daily Mirror), national (Super Bowl XLIII broadcasts, NEW ERA commercial featuring Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria, Southern Living, Travel and Leisure Magazine, etc.) and local (broadcast news morning shows, local magazines).

Needless to say, the streetcar craves the limelight!

We're kicking off "Fan Photo Fridays"!

We're looking to take advantage of the streetcar as an iconic backdrop by kicking off a new promotion that we're calling Fan Photo Fridays! Starting today, we're looking for your best shots of the TECO Line Streetcar in Ybor, Channelside and downtown Tampa! Send your photos via our Facebook (tag the streetcar or upload directly to the page,) and Twitter (upload the photo and use the hashtag #TampaStreetcar).

Every Friday morning we'll choose a photo to be featured as our cover photo on the TECO Line Streetcar Facebook page and the photographer will receive a shout out! Each winning photo will then be placed in a monthly raffle for a prize.

Things to know about Fan Photo Fridays:

• Vertical photos work best with the cover photos
• Cover photos are 851 pixels wide x 315 pixels tall
• Only photos with the streetcar (somewhere) in it will be included
• Both smartphone and traditional camera photos will be accepted, so FILTER away!
• Prizes are subject to change
• Only one entry per person, per week
• By submitting your photo, you grant HART permission to use your photo for all purposes, including marketing and promotion. You also confirm that you have all rights necessary to grant this permission, including from all subjects in the photo and the person who took the photo.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! We look forward to seeing your photos!