Bus ridership for May 2012 was 1,221,771, or 3.8 percent higher than the same month last year. May 2012 marks the 28th consecutive month for bus ridership increases, and year-to-date (October 2011 - May 2012), bus ridership is up 6 percent.
Ride HART. Be Smart.
This month, HART launched Ride HART. Be Smart., a public awareness campaign to educate customers on the importance of speedy bus boarding and off-boarding, helping to keep buses running on time while managing increased ridership.
"The messages of Ride HART. Be Smart. are simple, but they encourage a communal sense of responsibility. It's estimated that HART could save $3 million annually if 5 minutes could be shaved off from each of our daily bus trips," said HART Chief Operating Officer Katharine Eagan, who oversees bus scheduling and operations. "These are savings that could potentially be reinvested for more transit service to meet today's demand."
The main messages of Ride HART. Be Smart. were developed after polling HART bus drivers on rider basics for the best ways to shave off precious seconds needed to maintain and improve on-time performance:
View video of Ride HART. Be Smart. campaign
Ride HART. Be Smart. will be displayed in a variety of ways, on and off the bus and at bus shelters throughout Hillsborough County.
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