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June kicks off the start of hurricane season, and once again, experts predict an active season. Should a storm threaten Hillsborough County, HART is prepared to move residents to safety with its emergency evacuation bus routes.

For residents who find themselves without safe transportation to a shelter, HART will operate 10 emergency evacuation bus routes in the event of a hurricane. These will begin operating after the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center instructs HART to do so and public shelters have been opened. Each route is designated with letters from "A" - "J" and will transport residents to one of four open Red Cross Shelters:

• Sgt. Smith Middle School in Citrus Park area
• Pizzo Elementary School on Bull Run and Fowler Avenue in Tampa
• Middleton High School on Osborne and 22nd Street in Tampa
• Doby Elementary School in Apollo Beach

"These routes are designed to get people out of low-lying hurricane evacuation areas -- which are subject to storm surge -- and to a safe shelter," said Jeff Copeland, Interim Director of the Hillsborough County Emergency Management Department.

"Residents should remember that they may just need to travel about 10 miles -- not 100 miles -- to get to higher ground," Copeland added. "There's the misnomer that moving to higher ground means evacuating to cities as far away as Orlando."

View Video Next Stop with HART:  Moving You to Safety

How & Where to Board

Specific stops along each route are marked with blue and white "Emergency Shelter Bus Stop" signs. Any resident may board at one of these stops. Or, residents may stand at a corner anywhere along the route and wave down the bus as it approaches. In addition, residents may ask the driver to stop at any time along the fixed route to evacuate to a destination other than the designated Red Cross shelter. All HART buses are ADA accessible and can accommodate a maximum of two wheelchairs at any time.

What to Carry On Board

Passengers may carry one suitcase per person with items they may need at a public shelter:

• Clothing
• Medication & toiletries
• Pillows & blankets
• Flashlight & batteries
• Identification & important documents
• Cash
• Drinking water & non-perishable food
• Books & games

When exiting the bus at the shelter, remember the route letter of the bus. This information is important because after the storm has passed and the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center has determined that it is safe for residents to return home, buses will depart from shelters to return riders to their original pick-up point.

Areas Not Covered by Evacuation Routes

For residents located in areas not covered by one of the 10 HART emergency evacuation bus routes, Hillsborough County Public Schools is also a transportation partner during disaster response.

"There are multiple agencies at the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center that support emergency response during a disaster, including the local school district," Copeland said. "Therefore, in addition to HART buses, we have access to school buses to assist with transportation, as well as Hillsborough County Sunshine Line vehicles for residents with disabilities."

The Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center manages transportation to special needs shelters. Residents who have a medical condition requiring special assistance should call 813-272-6900 to register for a Special Needs Shelter.

Emergency evacuation bus routes should be considered only as a last resort. HART and the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center urge you to make arrangements now for the safety of your family should a storm force you from your home.

L-R:  Andrew Bell, James Chapman, Rickey Kendall (HART Director of Risk & Environmental Safety), Richard Alvarez, Marion Wells.

Four HART bus drivers have a combined safe-driving stretch of 7 million miles! This is equivalent to driving to the moon and back 14 times without an accident!

They each were recognized for this remarkable achievement during the Tampa Area Safety Council's 31st Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held May 19:

• Richard Alvarez - 2 Million Miles of Driving without a preventable accident
• Andrew Bell - 2 Million Miles of Driving without a preventable accident
• James Chapman - 2 Million Miles of Driving without a preventable accident
• Marion "Rocky" Wells - 1 Million Miles of Driving without a preventable accident

In addition to this recognition, these drivers will boast a special HART patch on their uniforms to distinguish them as a million-mile safe driver.

James Chapman is a senior bus operator who trains those who are new to the HART family. He currently drives Routes 4 and 18, which connect Palma Ceia/Macdill and downtown Tampa/University area, respectively.

"Although today's buses are better for driving safely -- better brakes and acceleration -- there are more cars and traffic on the road," Chapman said. "Basically, it's just a matter of being very cautious every day when you get behind the wheel."

January marked his 27th year with HART. On average, it takes about 14 years for an operator to achieve 1 million miles of driving without a preventable accident.

In 1994, and every year since 1998, several HART drivers have been inducted into this prestigious million-mile club. Eighteen HART drivers have qualified for the 2 million mile club, and one has qualified for the three million mile club.

HART has more than 400 bus and van operators. Before they get behind the wheel for their first route, HART provides each driver with an extensive training course that covers safety, customer service, ADA and emergency response. View video:  Who's Behind the HART Wheel?

Charles Lang HART Patron

I have been in Hillsborough County for 30 years, and started riding HART about 20 years ago. There have been many changes since I started riding, especially more routes or existing routes have been extended. There used to be places that bus routes wouldn't take me and I had to get a ride from someone else. I would like to see more frequency or more community-based transit, especially in the areas outside of city limits. Most of my family and friends have their own cars, but say they would ride public transit if buses ran more frequently and if bus stops had more shelters to protect them against the elements. I'm looking for a second job to get some extra cash. I depend on HART to get me around, so today I was riding the bus along several routes to make sure I apply at job sites located along a route.

We hear you! Some routes run as frequently as every 15 minutes. Plus, today riders will find shelter at one of every seven bus stops, compared to one of every 15 just a few years ago. HART continues to add shelters and other bus stop amenities through its Basic Transit Infrastructure Improvement Program, which uses impact fees to leverage state and federal funds to pay for more shelters or improved accessibility to any of the 3,500 HART bus stops.