Councilman Curtis Stokes HART Board

This month, HART launched a very important promotion, It All Started on a Bus, which builds awareness about the significance that transit played in the American Civil Rights Movement. It All Started on a Bus highlights the brave actions of Rosa Parks in 1955 when she refused to obey a bus driver's order to give up her seat. Instead, she took a stand by taking a seat, and shaped the course of history.

It All Started On A Bus is an important reminder about maintaining and improving equal access to public transportation. HART takes seriously its responsibility to provide everyone with an affordable opportunity to connect with their family and friends, and get to the places that are important to their livelihood, such as work, church and medical appointments.  Whether it's providing more late-night service for those who work third shift, installing a bus shelter or curb cut for improved customer convenience and accessibility, or community outreach to find out directly from residents on ways to enhance bus services, HART is driven to serve!

Today, more residents are taking advantage of HART. Bus ridership is up by 10.7 percent in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, compared to the first quarter of 2010.

You too can help shape the future course of this area. The benefits of public transportation are immeasurable for both individuals and the community at-large. Ride HART to save money, reduce stress and go green. Riding HART helps this community by reducing congestion costs, which means reducing strains on roads, traffic delays and wasted fuel.

Curtis Stokes is a member of the Tampa City Council and was appointed to serve on the HART Board of Directors in 2010. As a vice president for Fifth Third Bank, he manages community affairs. He was recently the recipient of the Malcom X Award by the Council on American Islamic Relations for his work promoting social justice and equality in civil rights. He was also recently listed in the Top 40 Under 40 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

This is the new Whiting Streetcar Station, which includes a lighted public art feature, SITELINER, by James Woodfill.

Federal and local officials joined HART on Jan. 31 to celebrate the completion of the TECO Line Streetcar Extension Project.  

The $5.3 million extension project adds a third of a mile to the 2.4-mile streetcar system, as well as a new station with a lighted public art feature.

The streetcar line previously ended at Dick Greco Plaza, and now ends at Whiting and Franklin Streets in downtown Tampa.

This important extension links Ybor City, Channelside, and now downtown Tampa, making it a convenient and feasible transportation option for visitors and nearby workers.

On hand for the celebration were Congresswoman Kathy Castor, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, and keynote speaker Federal Transit

Extension & New Station Inaugurated  L-R:  Stephanie Agliano (Tampa Historic Streetcar Board Director); David Armijo (HART Chief Executive Officer); David Mechanik (President of the Tampa Historic Streetcar Board); Kathy Castor (Congresswoman); Alison A. Hewitt (Chair of the HART Board); Peter Rogoff (Federal Transit Administrator); Pam Iorio (City of Tampa Mayor).

Administrator Peter Rogoff. HART Board members, and Tampa Historic Streetcar Board members were also present among many guests.

"Tampa and Hillsborough County are unique because you're still growing," Rogoff said. "Even during the economic downturn, transit ridership in Hillsborough County is still growing. It's an example of how we can work together to meet the needs of people who are going to work, school and entertainment in this area."

Economic development along the previous streetcar corridor has occurred to the tune of $1.2 billion since 2005. The extension and new station is expected to continue this type of spur and increase ridership. A new streetcar family pass has been popular since it was introduced in November 2010. For $12.50, a family of five (two adults and three children, or one adult and four children) can ride the streetcar all day and for an unlimited number of times to enjoy a Saturday at the Glazer Children's Museum, then lunch at Ybor City, then catch a flick at the IMAX.

For more information about streetcar hours of operation, fare costs and more, visit www.tecolinestreetcar.org

Next time you're on the road, take notice of HART.

Of course, you'll first notice HART buses. You probably also notice HARTPlus vans with passengers who otherwise might have to rely on family and friends to get around town.

Capital Projects by Zipcode

Then, you'll start noticing the true impact of HART in almost every pocket of this community:  bus stops, bus benches, bus shelters, trolleys, streetcars, HARTFlex, signs pointing to a nearby transit center or park and ride facility.

And, there's more to come. MetroRapid is underway and scheduled to break ground in late 2011. There are plans to introduce more zones for HART Flex service. In addition, a comprehensive study of the HART park and ride system has just been completed, which will provide HART an overview of the areas where facilities could be streamlined or areas that would benefit from an additional park and ride.

HART is building capital to continue providing transit solutions, and it's important to let residents know about HART in their community.

It's as simple as logging onto the Capital Projects page at www.goHART.org to find an atlas map to easily locate nearby HART facilities and services.

Find out about how this HART family can better serve your family ...

Sisters for Transit:  Gerri Freeman and Gloria Live Watch Next Stop with HART:  It All Started on a Bus City of Tampa Television

Gerri Freeman and Gloria Live are two sisters who are the third of four generations of transit riders in Tampa, including their grandmother and mother, who transitioned from riding the original streetcar system to riding Tampa Transit Lines, Inc. The original streetcar system stopped operating in 1946, and Tampa Transit Lines, Inc., a privately owned bus company, operated until 1971. The City of Tampa then became the providers of public transportation until 1979, when HART was created by Florida Statute to provide countywide public transportation.

During the early 1960s, African Americans made up 80 percent of bus ridership. "Buses played a vital role in the African American community because it provided opportunities to travel to areas beyond their neighborhoods, especially for work," said Freeman. Many African American women, including their mother, said Freeman, were domestic workers during that time and they rode the bus to Beach Park, Ballast Point, Culbreath Isles and Davis Islands.

"When you think about the bus system then and you think about it now, it still provides us the same thing:  A vital link," said Freeman. "It's on a bigger scale now and we're all grateful for that. That's why we don't ever want anything to happen to HART. We want it to keep rolling!"

With the absence of school buses at the time and segregation in full force, the bus was also an extension for educational opportunities for African Americans. "Again, the bus provided us that link of transportation that otherwise we wouldn't have had because our parents didn't have a car -- we didn't have any money!" Freeman said chuckling with reminiscence of hard times.

Who is the fourth generation? Live said just like the bus system provided a link for her during grade school, the bus system provided a link for her daughter to work while going to school.

"She was able to connect to a bus that would bring her from Tampa Bay Technical High School all the way to downtown Tampa, where she worked as a library page," Live said.

Transportation:  A link from Point A to Point B, a link for progress, and a common link between generations.