June 1, 2009 – Tampa, Florida – At Monday’s meeting of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority’s Board of Directors, the Board voted to approve proposed service changes that will take place in July and November. The Board also received an update on community meetings and status of the planning work on the Hillsborough County New Starts project.
Service Changes Approved
The Board voted to approve changes in HART bus service that will streamline operations over the summer and increase service on one of HART’s busiest routes in the fall. Among the changes is a reorganization of service in the Ruskin and Wimauma areas into HART’s first “flex” route, a reservation-based service that picks up passengers from any location within a given zone and transports them to another point in the same zone. The new SouthShore flex route will be a model for future such service in other parts of the county.
In addition, savings from the elimination of some of HART’s less productive services will allow the agency to increase weekday frequency on Route 6 (56th Street) during peak morning and afternoon service hours from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. Route 6 is HART’s second busiest, with ridership of more than 71,000 in April.
100 Meetings; AA Process Continues
HART reported that in the months of May and June, the agency completed or has planned a total of 100 meetings in the community to educate residents and gain input from them on the New Starts mobility initiative. Meetings include a “listening tour” hosted by the county’s Transportation Task Force, and other meetings and events scheduled with various community organizations around the county.
Plans are also moving forward on the Alternatives Analysis (AA), a study that determines the best way to meet the transit demand in an area, whether through rail, bus, or some other form of transit. The AA is required in seeking federal funding for transit projects. HART reported that it has issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to perform the AA, and has received several responses. Once a contract is awarded, the firm would complete the work by March for submission to the Federal Transit Authority. If approved, the project would then move to the next step, preliminary engineering.
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