***PROJECT UPDATE***

 April 11, 2013

MetroRapid North-South Landscape Enhancements & Progress Updates

 

HART has an ongoing commitment to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve, and we are passionate about our environmental responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint.     

                                     

As the progress to complete major MetroRapid projects continues on schedule, professionally-designed landscaping enhancements are being performed to beautify the route and enhance the aesthetics at approximately twenty MetroRapid stations.

Trees are being planted, landscape beds are being installed, and other steps are being taken to enhance aesthetics in a natural, environmentally-friendly way.

Care was taken to preserve existing palm trees during the beautification of the HART Station #2 at the Jackson/Pierce intersection, and the preservation of an established oak at Station #8 at the Nebraska/Columbus intersection. At some locations, utilities are being relocated and/or sidewalks and ramps are being upgraded or replaced to make them ADA-compliant and accessible to everyone.  

                                

Here are other exciting MetroRapid North-South progress updates:

  • Meanwhile, a fiber optic communications network and GPS-based system called Transit Signal Priority (TSP) is being installed along the MetroRapid corridor to improve efficiency and shorten transit travel times by up to 15%. It also connects to city and county traffic management centers for improved traffic signal management and the system can also be used by emergency and fire rescue departments.      

                
  • The TSP system, which works by providing authorized transit vehicles an extended green light or shorter red light at signalized intersections based on conditional criteria, will be ready for integration next month.                                
  • 58 of 59 stations along the MetroRapid route are now under construction, and installation of mainline fiber optic conduit is nearly complete and installation of the fiber optic cabling has begun.   
                                     
  • Plans for the MetroRapid North-South corridor include a connection to the proposed MetroRapid East-West route, which is now finalizing the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) phase, at two locations along Nebraska Ave at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Hillsborough Avenue.  

Communities along the MetroRapid North-South corridor will be positively impacted in a variety of ways. Not only will they enjoy new transit services and landscape beautification, but they will also benefit from improved access to nearby businesses and employment centers. The MetroRapid North-South project is on schedule to commence operations on June 10th.

 














































For more information about MetroRapid, visit www.goHART.org/MetroRapid

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MEDIA Contact for HART:

Sandra Pinto

Interim Public Information Officer

Office: (813) 384-6610

Cell: (813) 545-5497

PintoS@goHART.org