[NFBF-Tampa] Tampa Bay Times aarticle to read or read again before tonight's hearing

[Sherrill O'Brien]

Hello Tampa chapter members and friends,

 

I believe I sent out the following article a while back, but thought I'd
resend it. The stark and unfortunate parts of the article which talk about
our transit system being one of the worst in the country, and that it's
making all these dramatic changes on a shoestring budget are.dare I say
it.disHARTening.

This article was published back in June, but is a good synopsis. One of the
frustrations for all blind riders is HART's online "interactive map" which
is totally useless without a good amount of vision.

 

I regret I am not with you at the demonstration and hearing, but I'm there
in our Federation spirit! I'll certainly be attending the crucial HART board
meeting on August 7 and hope lots of you can be there with me! 

Sherrill

 

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority officials explained during a
workshop Monday at Hillsborough Community College's Ruskin campus that those

who live by popular routes can expect more frequent service following more
direct paths.

 

But for those who live or work in less populated areas - say Ruskin, Apollo
Beach, or Sun City Center - catching a bus is going to be more difficult
starting

in October.

 

Tampa Bay has one of the worst public transit systems in America. Here's
why.

 

Hillsborough transit agency braces for overhaul of bus network, route cuts

 

The route changes are part of a HART overhaul culling the system's 41 routes
to 34. HART officials said this should improve service for about 80-percent

of riders.

 

"If they're on one of the major routes, chances are their service will get
better or at least stay the same," said Marco Sandusky, HART's director of
government

and community relations.

 

But those who rely on routes with poor ridership might see their route
disappear entirely.

 

That's what's happening in South Hillsborough County, which will lose the
53X - a bus that runs from Kings Point in Sun City Center along U.S. 301 up
to

Westfield Brandon Mall. Under the proposed 2018 route plan, anywhere south
of Boyette Road will be served by a single route that runs along U.S. 41
once

every hour on weekdays.

 

"People living down here who don't have cars are literally trapped down
here," said Constance McNair, a HART rider who lives in Brandon. She was one
of

four people who attended the workshop.

 

Monday's meeting focused on south Hillsborough, but the same will be true of
other parts of the county facing cutbacks, such as East Tampa, Carrollwood

and Westchase. Residents in those parts of the county will have the chance
to weigh in on the new routes during a series of meetings over the next few

weeks.

 

They'll also be able to click through an 

 interactive map

that shows them how far they can get on the new system within travel times
of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 60 minutes.

 

The network changes are financially driven, as HART struggles to offer
frequent and reliable bus service on a shoe-string budget.

 

Tampa Bay's transit network is one of the worst in the country, and a Tampa
Bay Times analysis found that Hillsborough's bus network receives far less

funding than its peers nationwide.

 

As HART faced looming financial constraints, engineers at Tindale Oliver
were tasked with designing a new system that would improve commutes for most
riders

while cutting costs. Previous outreach focused on whether commuters wanted
busses that ran more frequently or if they wanted routes that covered more
parts

of the county and included more stops.

 

"Instead of spreading thin and expanding coverage, they said, 'No, focus on
the areas that have high ridership, high density and then have busses that

come more often,' " senior project manager Asela Silva said during Monday's
presentation.

 

The revamped 2018 network is the first step in a 10-year plan that aims to
build a network centered around the urban core and other key destinations,
such

as the University of South Florida and Tampa International Airport, Sandusky
said.

 

For instance, the new system combines routes that run close to each other
and might be splitting ridership, such as the MetroRapid and Route 2, each
which

operates along Nebraska Avenue. It also will integrate with other
transportation options, like the new people mover that Tampa International
is building

and USF's Bull Runner bus, instead of duplicating services. Doing so allows
HART to increase frequency on its remaining routes, with several increasing

to every 15 or 20 minutes.

 

"Those are the types of savings we found that help us deal with the budget
crises and also do a little bit more with less," said Tindale Oliver senior

planner Justin Willits.

 

The month-long outreach process

will culminate at a July 26 public hearing.

 

Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston at tampabay.com or (727) 893-8779. Follow
@cljohnst.

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