HART Invites Community to MetroRapid Open House

From the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART):

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is hosting an open house today (June 27) to update Temple Terrace residents about the MetroRapid East-West Project, which is now in the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study phase.

Residents are invited to stop by the anytime between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. the to learn more about the project, ask questions from HART staff and representatives, and provide input.

HART has been working to bring the innovative, faster and more convenient MetroRapid bus service to the community. This modified form of bus rapid transit (BRT) will operate in mixed traffic using Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology to give the buses longer green lights at intersections. This technology will result in reduced delays and improved travel time savings.

This new MetroRapid service—the first of its kind in Hillsborough County—also will feature more frequent service, fewer stops, ticket vending machines and custom buses. There will be enhanced passenger stations including modern shelters, bicycle racks and landscaping.

In October 2011, HART kicked off the PD&E Study for the second corridor in the system, the East-West. The East-West PD&E Study, which will comply with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, will evaluate proposed system improvements, route alternatives and station locations. HART will seek to avoid major impacts to the community and most of the improvements will generally be located within the existing right-of-way.

This approximately 16.4-mile corridor goes from Tampa International Airport (TIA) east along West Spruce Street, Boy Scout Road, Himes Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Nebraska Avenue, Hillsborough Avenue, and then south on 56th Street to the Netp@rk Transfer Center. From Netp@rk, the route returns north on 56th Street to Temple Terrace City Hall at 56th Street and E. 113th Avenue, just north of Busch Boulevard.

This new route would provide enhanced service to not only the airport, but to International Plaza, Westshore Plaza, the West Tampa Transfer Center, Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Park office complex, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Center, Erwin Technical Center, Netp@rk and Temple Terrace. The East-West would overlay portions of existing service:

• Route 34 (serving Hillsborough Avenue);
• Route 32 (serving Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard);
• Route 30 (serving Westshore and TIA); and
• Route 15 (serving Columbus Drive, Westshore and TIA).

Final design of the first corridor, MetroRapid North-South, is completed and HART is now beginning the construction phase of this project. The North-South extends 17.5 miles from the I-75 area, west along Fletcher Avenue, then south along Nebraska Avenue into downtown Tampa.

The HART MetroRapid North-South will operate on weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with 15-minute headways. Existing local bus service that overlaps MetroRapid routes is expected to operate on 30-minute headways.