Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit provides public transportation for Hillsborough County, Florida. The agency provides fixed-route local and express bus service, door-to-door paratransit service, flex-route neighborhood connector service, a lightened version of bus rapid transit, and manages the TECO Line Streetcar system.
Fares
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 centsBus and rail routes
HART currently operates 26 local bus and 7 express bus routes. In addition, the agency operates one heritage streetcar route, 5 HartFlex Van Routes, and the MetroRapid BRT line.Local
| No. | Name | Terminus 1 | Terminus 2 | Operates | Direction | Notes |
| 1 | Florida Avenue | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
| 5 | 40th Street | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | On October 8, 2017, rerouted on Fowler Avenue rather than through the University of South Florida. |
| 6 | 56th Street | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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 | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | Tampa Bay Blvd @ Dale Mabry Hwy - West Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional. | 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. 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. Service along Main Street is proposed to be restored as new Route 11 |
| 8 | Progress Village/Brandon | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon | Daily | Bi-Directional | On October 8, 2017, deviations at Progress Village. Rerouted directly via 79th and Progress Blvd. Rerouted on the same route in both directions south of downtown on July 1, 2018. |
| 9 | 15th/30th Streets | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | On October 8, 2017, rerouted on Hillsborough and 30th Street, with sections transferred to Route 16 and new Route 42. Service on 15th Street and Sligh Avenue discontinued. |
| 12 | 22nd Street | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | |
| 14 | Armenia/Howard Avenues | Yukon Transit Center - Tampa | Swann Ave @ Howard Ave - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | On October 8, 2017, routed south of M L King Jr. Blvd so it ran on Howard/Armenia to Swann. |
| 15 | Columbus Drive | WestShore Plaza - Tampa | NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | On October 8, 2017, service along 50th, Broadway, and Orient 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 | Bi-Directional. | 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. |
| 17 | Port Tampa/Manhattan Avenue | Britton Plaza - Tampa | Idaho St and O'Brien St - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional. | 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 | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. On February 25, 2018, serves Tampa General Hospital again with discontinuation on Route 19A. |
| 30 | Kennedy Boulevard/Airport | Marion Transit Center - Tampa | Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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 replacing some of Route 10 on 7/14/2019. |
| 31 | South Hillsborough County | Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon | SouthShore Regional Service Center | Weekday Only | Bi-Directional | Rerouted on Riverview Drive on July 1, 2018. |
| 32 | Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard | NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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 | Hidden River Corporate Park - Tampa Palms | Dale Mabry Hwy @ Fletcher Ave - Carrollwood | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. Servince along Florida, Bearss, Nebraska, 139th, 20th, and 140th discontinued as Route 33 was rerouted straight on Fletcher. |
| 34 | Hillsborough Avenue | NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country | Daily | Bi-Directional | |
| 35 | Town N Country | Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility | Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country | Daily | Bi-Directional | Began service on February 25, 2018 replacing some of the early Route 60LX Airport/NWTC portion. |
| 36 | Dale Mabry Highway/Himes Avenue | Britton Plaza - Tampa | Dale Mabry Hwy @ Fletcher Ave - Carrollwood | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
| 37 | Brandon/NetPark | NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
| 38 | Mango | NetPark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Mango WalMart - Mango | Daily | Bi-Directional | Hourly service seven days a week. Created on October 8, 2017 replacing select trips on Route 32. |
| 39 | Busch Boulevard/Gunn Highway | Northwest Transfer Center - Town-N-Country | Netpark Transfer Center - East Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional. | 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 | Yukon Transfer Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional. | Route interlines with Route 45. Began service on October 8, 2017 replacing parts of Routes 1, 9, and 57. |
| 45 | WestShore/Rome Ave/Yukon | WestShore Plaza - Tampa | Yukon Transfer Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
| 46 | Brandon Boulevard | Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon | Dover Park-N-Ride Lot - Dover | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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 by 2020; 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 | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
| 400 | MetroRapid North-South | Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa | University Area Transit Center - Tampa | Daily | Bi-Direction | 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. |
Former Routes
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
- 570 - Brandon Flex - Clockwise Loop from Westfield Brandon Mall to JC Handley PnR.
- 571 - Southshore Flex - Bi-Direction from HCC Southshore Campus to La Estancia Apartments Guadalupe via Sun City Center.
- 572 - Northdale Flex - Bi-Direction from Fletcher Ave/Dale Mabry Hwy to St. Joseph's Hospital North via Dale Mabry Hwy.
- 573 - Town ‘n County Flex - Clockwise Loop From Northwest TC to Tampa Community Hospital.
- 574 - South Tampa Flex - Counter Clockwise Loop from Britton Plaza to SSA - Frontage Rd/Laural St
Commuter Express
| No. | Name | Terminus 1 | Terminus 2 | Midway Stop | Operates | Direction | Notes |
| 20X | Pasco/Lutz Express | Lutz Target - Lutz | MacDill Air Force Base. | Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa | Monday through Friday Only | Peak Direction | This is the only express route to remain largely unaltered by Mission MAX and to have Express fare prior to boarding. Extended to serve MacDill AFB to/from Downtown Tampa/MTC since February 2018. |
| 24LX | Fishhawk/South Tampa Limited Express | FishHawk Sports Complex Park-n-Ride - Brandon | MacDill AFB - Tampa | Kennedy Blvd @ Pierce St, Jackson St @ Pierce St - 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 | MacDill AFB - Tampa | Kennedy Blvd @ Pierce St, Jackson St @ Pierce St - Downtown Tampa | Monday through Friday Only | Peak Direction | Reclassified as "LX" service on July 11, 2010. Like 24LX, buses stop midway at Downtown Tampa since October 8, 2017 |
| 60LX | Cross-County Limited Express | Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility | Bloomingdale Park-n-Ride - Brandon | Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | Hourly service seven days a week. Operates full route on weekdays and Saturdays, and serves Downtown to Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility only on Sundays. Route includes service west of Tampa International Airport replacing part of Route 30 and west of Downtown replacing part of Route 61LX. On February 25, 2018, section west of Tampa International Airport was transferred to new Route 35. On December 2, 2018, Terminus to Westfield Brandon Mall was discontinued and route was extended which now terminus at Bloomingdale Park-n-Ride. |
| 75LX | South County Shopper Limited Express | Kings Point Shopping Center - Ruskin | Westfield Brandon Mall - Brandon | N/a | Limited Service - Tuesdays and Thursdays ONLY | Bi-Directional | Replaced part of 53LX on October 8, 2017. This route operates all day Tuesday and Thursday from 8am-5pm |
| 275LX | New Tampa/Pasco Limited Express | Tampa International Airport CONRAC Facility | Wiregrass Park-n-Ride - Westley Chapel | Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa, University Area Transit Center - USF Area | Daily | Bi-Directional | Hourly service seven days a week. Route is in service since July 1, 2018; replaced Route 51X. Northbound trips serve Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel before entering Wiregrass |
| 360LX | Brandon/South Tampa Limited Express | MacDill AFB - Tampa | J.C Hanley Park - Brandon | Britton Plaza - South Tampa, Marion Transit Center - Downtown Tampa | Daily | Bi-Directional | 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. |
Former Routes
MetroRapid Service
MetroRapid is HART's "light" Bus Rapid Transit 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, which runs from Downtown Tampa to the University Area Transit Center via Nebraska and Fletcher Avenues every day, every 15 minutes. It replaced Route 2.
TECO Line Streetcar System
This service is a 2.7-mile streetcar line that runs along Downtown Tampa, through the Channel District, and Ybor City. The system features historical replica streetcars of the original Tampa Streetcar Line. The TECO Line Streetcar is now FREE with extended morning and late night hours.In its heyday, Tampa's streetcars whisked passengers to and from Ybor City, Ballast Point, Hyde Park, Sulphur Springs and points beyond. Operated by uniformed conductors, the Birney cars were a welcome sight, and the familiar clang of the streetcar bell was music to the ears. To ride the streetcar was to feel the pulse of the community.
Tampa's first electric streetcar lines built in 1892 quickly became an essential part of everyday life as workers took the streetcar downtown and to the cigar factories of west Tampa. And families climbed aboard for a picnic or ball game in DeSoto and Macfarlane parks. Reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1920s with almost 24 million passengers in 1926, Tampa's streetcar system rolled to a stop in August 1946 following World War II.
Today, electric streetcars are back in Tampa, supporting continued growth in Downtown, the Channel District and Ybor City. The TECO Line Streetcar System is a 2.7 mile section that connects these three areas, improving transportation capacity, supporting Tampa's thriving cruise industry and transporting workers to and from their jobs
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.Bus Terminals/Transit Centers
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 from 17 Bus Platforms, and also serves as stops for Megabus and RedCoach. The center was constructed in 2001, replacing the obsolete Northern Terminal, which sat underneath the I-275 viaduct. The Marion Transit Center includes a customer service center, office space, bus driver lounge, restrooms, bus shelters, and an array of public art displays and flanks the northern end of the Marion Street Transitway, which was constructed in 1989 as a "fare free" zone. Was under construction where the station is being resurfaced since November 4th, 2019 and completed construction on June 1st, 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 8th.Other major bus terminals include:
- University Area Transit Center: Constructed in the late 1990s and located in the USF area, 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. .. Serving Routes 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 33, 42, 48, 275LX and the MetroRapid North-South Line.
- NetPark Transfer Center: Located in east Tampa, 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.
- 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
- 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 . 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
Awards
In 2009, the Florida Public Transit Association awarded HART with the "Outstanding System" award. The award was granted to HART based on numerous system improvements and growing ridership over the past three years. The FPTA also awarded HART in several other categories including marketing, safety, and Mechanic of the Year.On May 27, 2010, HART announced that they have been awarded the 2010 "Most Outstanding Mid-sized Public Transportation System Achievement" Award. The award touts HART's achievements in ridership growth, financial management, environmental sustainability, workforce development, and community relations. The American Public Transportation Association honors one public transportation system in North America in three size categories every year. Systems are judged on their performance over a 3-year period.
Budget cuts and system reorganization (2007 through 2011)
Like many local agencies throughout Florida, HART was forced in 2007 to cut its budget by $1.7 million. 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 .
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. However, this proposal requires voter approval and the chances of such a move passing during the nationwide recession is extremely low. HART and Hillsborough County attempted to pass such a measure during the 2010 election season, but it failed by a 58/42% margin .
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. outlined several key changes, such as the introduction of HARTflex service and the upcoming MetroRapid system.
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 were eliminated in favor of neighboring transit routes, HARTflex service, or by improved services. HART also began testing a limited stop route, Route 6LTD, to replace Route 23X.
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 of the entire system as part of its next Transit Development Plan 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 .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 but was dropped in 2011 in favor of a site closer to the TIA terminal. 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 .Intelligent Transportation Systems
According to HART's 2008 Community Report, efforts are currently underway to construct an intelligent transportation system. 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.Bus fleet reorganization/improvements
Another improvement to HART's existing bus fleet is the repainting of buses to better 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 are being repainted in a blue and white scheme. 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 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 40-foot 2010 model 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 Flixible Metro buses purchased during the 1980s. These buses were replaced by 30 2009 model year 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 Gillig Phantom buses were retired, along with most of the models. The final nine buses that were phased out during the week of September 30, 2009 included #s 703, 708, 711, 713, 717, 720, 723, 725, and 726, with #725 being featured at HART's 30th Anniversary Ceremony on September 30.
In 2010, HART retired all but two of its 2000 model 30 ft Gillig buses after the arrival of the 10XX Gillig fleet. Bus #2005 and #2015 will remain active until 2012, due to extended downtime earlier on in 2008/2009. In 2009, bus #2006 was retired due to an accident that permanently put it out of service. During the summer and fall of 2010, the 25XX and 26XX buses were all repainted in HART's blue and white livery. The MetroRapid system will bring forth another fleet of new buses, including the possibility of articulated buses further down the road.
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.Conversion to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
In November, 2011, HART was awarded a $2.3 million federal grant to build a CNG fueling station at its operations facility. This will allow all of HART's existing fleet to gradually be replaced by CNG fueled vehicles. Construction is slated to begin sometime in 2012, with completion in 2013 .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 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.Active fleet
- As of November 2010, all 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. Since the May 2019 incident, most buses have protection driver doors to protect it's operator from future offenses.
| Year | Builder/Model | Example | Numbers | Length | Active | Notes |
| 2005 | Gillig Low Floor BRT 40FT | 2512 | 40 | 11 | All buses, except 2512 have been retired as of 5/22/19. | |
| 2006 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 2601–2612 | 40 | 12 | 2604 has been retired as of 5/22/19. | |
| 2007 | Gillig Low Floor Replica Trolley 30FT | 2701–2705 | 30 | 5 | Currently active & Currently used ON THE ROUTE 33. These trolley buses used to serve the In-Towner trolley Routes 96 and 97. | |
| 2009 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 2901–2930 | 40 | 30 | ||
| 2010 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 1001–1029 | 40 | 29 | Unit 1018 Is Retired As Of 5/18/19 Due To An Incident On METRORAPID 400 That Included The Bus Operator Being Stabbed And Killed | |
| 2011 | Gillig Low Floor BRT Suburban 40FT | 1101-1106 | 40 | 6 | Acquired Sarasota County Area Transit - Former #'s 1101X-1106X. Delivery was delayed for several months due to paperwork issues. . All buses have been delivered as of 5/22/19 and will enter service sometime by August, 2019. #1102, #1104, #1105 and #1106 are currently in active service and are used for either Routes 60LX or 275LX as of today. | |
| 2012 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 1201-1212 | 40 | 12 | Standard Low Floor units with rear roof fairing option, wrapped in special livery for MetroRapid. As of 7/20/16, #1212 was repainted in gold colors with a full ad wrap and is operating on local and express routes. As of 6/1/18, the bus has been re-wrapped back to MetroRapid livery and is once again operating there. As of today, all of these buses are in HART's standard colors. They are expected to be all in HART's blue/white livery in the near future | |
| 2012 | Gillig Low Floor BRT Suburban 40FT | 1217-1218 | 40 | 2 | Acquired from Sarasota County Area Transit - Former #'s 1201X-1202X. These buses have special baggage racks on their roofs. They are used for either Routes 60LX or 275LX since they serve Tamp Int’l Airport. | |
| 2012 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 1215–1216 | 40 | 2 | ||
| 2013 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 1301-1312 | 40 | 12 | ||
| 2014 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT | 1401-1406 | 40 | 6 | These are used buses that was purchase from a private bus company in Orlando name Transtar Transportation but won't be put into service for some time due to engine & transmission problems except for 1402, 1403 and 1406 which are already in service. | |
| 2015 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 1501-1522 | 40 | 22 | ||
| 2016 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 1601-1613 | 40 | 13 | All buses have been delivered to HART as of 9/5/16. All buses are in revenue service as of 10/29/16. | |
| 2017 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 1701-1715 | 40 | 15 | All buses have been delivered to HART as of 9/1/17. All buses are in revenue service as of 10/2/17. | |
| 2017 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 1716-1725 | 40 | 10 | Funding obtained through a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. All buses are in revenue service as of 12/17/17. #1718 has a special “Jetbus” livery as a promotion of the Route 275LX. | |
| 2019 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 1960-1969 | 40 | 10 | All buses are in revenue service as of 5/22/19. | |
| 2020/2021 | Gillig Low Floor 40FT CNG | 20XX-21XX 2nd Generation | 40 | 96 | Planned order - exact number of buses will be contingent on All For Transportation referendum funding. If all is successful, these buses will replace all mainstay diesel buses. |