HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES MISSION MAX SERVICE CHANGES EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 25, 2018

***MEDIA ALERT***

February 19, 2018

HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES MISSION MAX SERVICE CHANGES EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 25, 2018

Service enhancements will provide riders with shorter wait times

and extended service

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) will implement several service enhancements beginning Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, to increase frequency on key routes, reduce wait times, and provide faster connections for customers.

"Implementing these enhancements allows us to better align our services and routes to best meet the needs of our customers, and ensure they have a great experience when they ride HART," said Jeff Seward, HART Interim Chief Executive Officer. "Enhancements through Mission MAX have provided HART with solid foundation of high-quality bus service that we can build on as our community grows".

Below are the key HART service enhancements changes, including four route changes serving Tampa International Airport:

ROUTES WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY IMPROVEMENTS:

* Route 6 will expand weekday service to every 15 minutes

* Route 34 will arrive every 15 minutes for weekday service and every 30 minutes

for Sunday service

* Route 35 will increase frequency to 30 minutes for weekday service

* Route 46 will change to 30 minutes for weekday service

ROUTES WITH ITINERARY CHANGES:

* Westbound Route 15 and 32 will stop at the bus stop at the International Plaza
parking lot

* Southbound Route 19 will resume its service to Tampa General Hospital

* Route 19A, the shuttle to Tampa General Hospital, will be discontinued

* Route 20X will be extended to serve MacDill Air Force Base

* Northwest Transfer Center to Tampa International Airport (TPA) segment of Route
60LX will now be designated Route 35

* Route 46 will not serve Oakfield Drive and will remain on Brandon Boulevard

* HARTFlex Brandon will turn onto Parsons Avenue, rather than Vonderburg Drive

ROUTES WITH SCHEDULE CHANGES:

* Weekday service time changes for Routes 6, 20X, 24LX and 51LX will have minor

time changes during weekday service

* Route 33 and 36 will have minor time changes during weekend service.

* Route 15, 16, 19, 32, 34, 35, 39, 46, 60LX and the TECO Line Streetcar will have
minor time adjustments for weekday and weekend service

Many of these changes are the direct result of passenger feedback and a comprehensive study conducted on several routes to provide faster travel times and improved connections.

To inform customers of these bus service enhancements and to encourage an easy transition, HART staff are out in the community speaking to riders of the upcoming Feb.25, 2018 service improvements. Click here to see the number of opportunities throughout the county.

For more information regarding these service changes, please visit www.gohart.org or call (813) 254-HART to speak with a customer service representative. Join the conversation on Facebook ( Hillsborough Area Regional Transit), Twitter ( @GoHART), YouTube ( Go HART).

Please see below the complete list of community voices of support for Mission MAX enhancements.

"The upcoming February 25 service enhancements maximizes the performance of existing services while responding to new community mobility needs."

Commissioner Lesley "Les" Miller, Hillsborough County BOCC District 3 and HART Board Chair

"I'm proud of the work and investment my colleagues on the Hillsborough County Commission took in supporting HART and realizing this round of enhancements."

Commissioner Stacy White, Hillsborough County BOCC District 4, Chaplain and HART Board Member

"The service improvements to the new Mission MAX Network will greatly benefit current passengers and future passengers of HART. Mission MAX creates an efficient riding experience for 85% of their customers by improving current routes and bus stops to accommodate the growing population of Tampa."

Councilman Frank Reddick, Tampa City Council District 5

"For the past 30 years, CUTR has been a user of HART services and a partner in making transportation safer, more efficient, more accessible and more sustainable in our community."

Robert L. Bertini, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Director, Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)

"We applaud HART's efforts to modernize our community transportation system to deliver more efficient services and higher frequency on high demand routes. Reliable transportation is imperative to CDC of Tampa, Inc. efforts to connect our clients to workforce opportunities, as well as to services we provide in the community."

Ernest M. Coney Jr., MPH, President and CEO, Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc. (CDC)

"From event sponsorships to daily bus passes for clients, HART has stood with Abe Brown Ministries. HART has also transformed lives and families in the community by hiring graduates of the Ready4Work-Hillsborough program."

Robert P. Blount, III, President, Abe Brown Ministries and Director, Ready4Work-Hillsborough

"We strongly support the HART proposal to the Mission MAX Network project to enhance the public transportation in the Tampa Bay community. The enhancements are expected to improve frequency, reduce overcrowding and improve on-time performance. Men of Vision Inc. is one of the largest all male young groups in the Intercity and across the Tampa Bay Area. As Youth Ambassadors for HART we will support HART endeavors on safety and improvements to its services offered in the Tampa Bay community."

Ross Anderson, Founder, Men of Vision Inc. 2006

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION:

Sandra Morrison, HART Public Information Officer, (813) 384-6610, (813) 545-5497 cell, [email protected]