Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

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Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

Parent	Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority
Founded	1980
Headquarters	1201 E. 7th Avenue
Locale	Tampa, Florida
Service area	Hillsborough County
Service type	light rail, bus service, paratransit
Routes	(26 local, 7 express, 1 Streetcar, 5 flex, MetroRapid)
Hubs	Downtown Tampa, USF Area
Stations	Brittion Plaza WestShore Plaza Northwest Marion Tampa International Airport (TIA) Netpark U.A.T.C Yukon Brandon Mall Transfer Centers
Fleet	169
Daily ridership	38,100 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[1]
Annual ridership	12,929,700 (2023)[2]
Fuel type	Diesel, CNG
Chief executive	Scott Drainville (Interim) [1]
Website	gohart.org

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (also known as the Hillsborough Transit Authority ^[3](HART)) provides public transportation for Hillsborough County, Florida. The agency operates fixed-route local and express bus service, paratransit service, demand-response service, MetroRapid service, and the TECO Line Streetcar system. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 12,929,700.

Like many local agencies throughout Florida, HART was forced in 2007 to cut its budget by $1.7 million. As a result of this, HARTflex service was canceled and numerous routes saw drawbacks in service. Limited Express Route 52 and Trolley Route 98 were eliminated due to low ridership.

During the 2009/2010 fiscal year, HART slashed another $3 million from its budget in order to compensate for additional property tax revenue losses. This move was achieved by trimming service in Town-N-Country and North Tampa, as well as cutting underutilized trips on numerous routes [2].

To counteract plummeting property tax revenues, HART proposed to switch to a sales tax-based system which many other transit agencies in Florida already use. Hillsborough County attempted to pass such a measure during the 2010 election season, but it failed by a 58/42% margin [3].

Despite drawbacks caused by state and county mandated budget cuts and the global recession, HART is striving to improve transit service in the future by managing existing service while only cutting under-performing service and gradually raising fares. HART's 2008 Community Report^{[permanent dead link]} outlined several key changes, such as the introduction of HARTflex service and the upcoming MetroRapid system.

Since 2010, a majority of HART's routes have been realigned to better serve patrons throughout the county. These changes included eliminating inefficient segments and trips, realigning travel times, and adding services that would better serve patrons in the long term. Several under-performing routes (such as Neighborhood Connector routes 87, 88, and 89) were eliminated in favor of neighboring transit routes, HARTflex service, or (in the case of Route 59LX) by improved services (Route 61LX). HART also began testing a limited stop route, Route 6LTD, to replace Route 23X.^[4]

With many fiscal impacts looming to negatively impact HART's future plans and budgeting - including, but no limited to: reducing the size of the agency's debts, preparing for possible reductions in property tax revenues and federal transit funding support, and the national trend of declining transit ridership - the agency announced in early 2017 that it would launch a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) of the entire system as part of its next Transit Development Plan (TDP) update. This analysis allowed HART to essentially evaluate every route in the system to see which ones can be improved and which ones would have to be eliminated based on ridership levels and demand. Public outreach began during the spring of 2017 and continued through the summer - eventually leading up to the announcement of a system-wide restructuring effort called Mission MAX, which focuses on modernizing the system to operate with less reliance on traditional transfer hubs and more on a grid system, shorten travel times on key core routes, eliminate out-of-direction travel, and provide more direct service to key destinations. Mission MAX will also provide HART with the foundation that it needs to better analyze and execute future expansion endeavors [4].

HART currently operates 26 local bus and 7 express bus routes. In addition, the agency operates one heritage streetcar route (The TECO Streetcar), 5 HartFlex Van Routes, and the MetroRapid BRT line.

HART provides the HART Flex Service consisting of commuter vans that have routes in designated areas. Walk-up service is provided at regular HART stops along the Flex service route, or patrons can reserve a pick-up or drop-off at a location not a HART stop by calling to reserve between 2 and 72 hours in advance. Walk-up service may be limited by the number of reservations. Fare is $1 per way, and an all-day flex pass available for $2. There is no discount available for seniors, Medicare or disabled as there are on other HART routes; however, up to 3 kids under 6 are free with fare-paying rider. Regular HART 1-Day and 31-Day passes are accepted. The service areas are typically 2.5 miles from a preset route, although at least one Flex area does not have a specific route.

HartFlex Routes

• 571 - South County Flex - Bi-Direction from HCC Southshore Campus to La Estancia Apartments Guadalupe via Sun City Center.

Former HartFlex Routes

• 570 - Brandon Flex - Clockwise Loop from Westfield Brandon Mall to JC Handley PnR. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; partially replaced by extension of Route 38.^[20]
• 572 - Northdale Flex - Bi-Direction from Fletcher Ave/Dale Mabry Hwy to St. Joseph's Hospital North via Dale Mabry Hwy. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; replaced by extension of Route 33.^[21]
• 573 - Town ‘n Country Flex - Clockwise Loop From Northwest TC to Tampa Community Hospital. Discontinued on January 24, 2021.^[22]
• 574 - South Tampa Flex - Counter Clockwise Loop from Britton Plaza to SSA - Frontage Rd/Laural St. Discontinued on January 24, 2021; replaced by restored Route 10 on Cypress Street; alternative service from Britton Plaza and Social Security/MacDonald is available on Route 36 and transfer to Route 30.^[23]

In 2004, HART revised its express bus route system. The changes included new routes to Brandon and Pasco County, changes to existing routes (such as Route 28X), and the addition of 12 new Gillig BRT buses to the existing HART bus fleet. Almost all of the Commuter Express routes connected to Downtown Tampa. You can identify express routes by looking at the suffix letters at the end of the number (X means Express and LX means Limited Express). Some express routes operate on a Peak Direction schedule early morning and late afternoon. Others operate on an All-Day schedule. Due to changing ridership patterns, these routes were modified as needed. With the 2016 Mission MAX restructuring, Routes 21LX, 22X, 27LX, 28X, 47LX, 61LX, and 200X were all eliminated. Routes 60LX and 360LX were into service on the day Mission MAX was established. They’re also the first All-Day Limited Express Routes HART has established providing stops to Brandon, Downtown Tampa, Tampa Int’l Airport and South Tampa seven days a week. Route 275LX became the third All-Day Express Route replacing Route 51X serving Wiregrass, UATC, Downtown Tampa and TIA. There’s also talk about a NEW All-Day Express Route serving the Tampa Airport, Westshore, Downtown Tampa and Plant City. Although the official date of operation is unknown.

MetroRapid is HART's "light" Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, which launched on May 28, 2013. Between May 28 and June 7, HART provided customers a chance to use MetroRapid for free. This allowed customers to get a feel for the new service, while allowing HART staff to work out any last-minute problems before the start of revenue service. MetroRapid officially began revenue service on June 10, 2013, with a formal ribbon cutting held at the Hidden River Corporate Park grounds in Tampa Palms.

MetroRapid currently consists of one line, the north–south line (numbered as Route 400), which runs from Downtown Tampa (MTC) to the University Area Transit Center (UATC) via Nebraska and Fletcher Avenues every day, every 15 minutes. It replaced Route 2.

This service is a 2.7-mile streetcar line that runs along Downtown Tampa, through the Channel District, and Ybor City. The system features historical replica streetcars of the original Tampa Streetcar Line. The TECO Line Streetcar is now FREE with extended morning and late night hours.

In its heyday, Tampa's streetcars whisked passengers to and from Ybor City, Ballast Point, Hyde Park, Sulphur Springs and points beyond. Operated by uniformed conductors, the Birney cars were a welcome sight, and the familiar clang of the streetcar bell was music to the ears. To ride the streetcar was to feel the pulse of the community.

Tampa's first electric streetcar lines built in 1892 quickly became an essential part of everyday life as workers took the streetcar downtown and to the cigar factories of west Tampa. And families climbed aboard for a picnic or ball game in DeSoto and Macfarlane parks. Reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1920s with almost 24 million passengers in 1926, Tampa's streetcar system rolled to a stop in August 1946 following World War II.

Today, electric streetcars are back in Tampa, supporting continued growth in Downtown, the Channel District and Ybor City. The TECO Line Streetcar System is a 2.7 mile section that connects these three areas, improving transportation capacity, supporting Tampa's thriving cruise industry and transporting workers to and from their jobs

In 2006, HART introduced late-night bus service on nine local bus routes in order to meet the diverse needs of its patrons. Some of these routes now run as late as 12 am as a result in the increase of service. Since 2007, the number of routes running weekday services beyond 8:00pm has increased to 16 routes.

• One-way fares on Local & Limited Express: $2.00
• One-way fares on Express: $3.00
• Unlimited one-day Local & Limited Express pass: $4.00
• Unlimited one-day Express pass: $6.00
• Unlimited 31 day Local & Limited Express pass: $65
• Unlimited 31 day Express pass: $95

HART fares listed above will be given a 50% discount if a proper HART ID card is present prior to purchase.

HART has a partnership with the University of South Florida, where students can ride HART local, limited express, and flex routes for free if they show the bus operator their USF ID. USF Faculty & Staff can use the same services for only 50 cents^[28]

Like many transit agencies, HART has operated its bus system similar to a hub and spoke model. However, with system redesigns taking place in 2005 and 2017, the reliance on traditional hubs has lessened in favor of a grid-based system where transfers are done at key intersections and corridors.

The main hub for HART is the Marion Transit Center in Downtown Tampa, serving 16 local and express routes (including PSTA's 100X and 300X) from 17 Bus Platforms (Platform A-N surrounding the station and the East, North and West Platforms), and also serves as stops for FlixBus and Greyhound. The center was constructed in 2001, replacing the obsolete Northern Terminal, which sat underneath the I-275 viaduct. The Marion Transit Center is located at the northern end of the Marion Street Transitway and includes a customer service center, office space, bus driver lounge, restrooms, bus shelters, and an array of public art displays. Was under construction where the station is being resurfaced since November 4, 2019 and completed construction on June 1, 2020. Serving Routes 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 19, 30, 20X, 60LX, 275LX, 360LX, PSTA Routes 100X and 300X, and the MetroRapid North-South Line. HARTPlus also serves the station since June 8.

Other major bus terminals include:

• University Area Transit Center: Constructed in the late 1990s and located in the USF area (within the quadrant of 131st Ave, Livingston Ave, N 27th St, and 132nd Ave), the UATC is the transfer point for 10 local bus routes. This facility includes bus shelters, restrooms, and a customer service center. Prior to the UATC's construction, HART spent several years juggling around several different locations as a transfer point in the university area, including University Mall. However, the University Mall plan failed to materialize due to financial problems and community opposition. [5] [6] [7].. Serving Routes 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 33, 42, 48, 275LX and the MetroRapid North-South Line.
• NetPark Transfer Center: Located in east Tampa (off 56th Street and Hillsborough Ave), this facility is a transfer point for 8 local routes and includes restrooms, phones, and vending machines and will serve as a stop for HART's MetroRapid system. Serving Routes 6, 15, 32, 34, 37, 38, 39 and 48.

• West Tampa Transfer Center: Located right next to Raymond James Stadium. Permanently closed following the Mission MAX system redesign in 2017. HART currently has no immediate intention to reactivate the hub and could sell the land in the distant future for redevelopment if longer-term plans deem it necessary to do so. During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games, the station will be open for HART MVP Express which operate for $10 round trip. Northbound trips on Routes 32, 36 and 45 have closest bus stops to provide entrance to Raymond James while Route 7 has stops on MLK Blvd/Himes Ave when events are available (Effective 8/16/2019)
• Northwest Transfer Center: Located on the corner of Sheldon Road and Waters Ave, the Northwest Transfer Center replaced the makeshift bus depot at Hanley/Waters Plaza. Construction began in the spring of 2007 and was dedicated/opened to patrons July 29, 2008 [8]. The new facility is equipped with vending machines, restrooms for both patrons and employees, an adjacent park-n-ride lot and 4 local bus routes, and eight bus loading bays. Serving Routes 16, 34, 35, 39, Town-N-Country FLEX service, and the PSTA Tampa/Oldsmar Flex Connector.
• Tampa International Airport Rental Car Facility Bus Hub: Located on the grounds of TPA Airport, adjacent to the new Rental Car Facility, five bus loading bays along a straightaway drive allows for loading and unloading of transit buses, with future expansion in mind. Customers can easily connect to and from the airport terminal via SkyConnect. Serving Routes 30, 32, 35, 60LX, 275LX, and PSTA Route 300X.

• WestShore Plaza - WestShore Business District: Routes 15, 45, and South Tampa FLEX.
• Britton Plaza - South Tampa/Interbay: Routes 17, 19, 36, 360LX, South Tampa FLEX, and PSTA Route 100X.
• SouthShore Regional Service Center - SouthShore/Ruskin: Routes 31 and SouthShore FLEX.
• Westfield Brandon - Brandon: Routes 8, 31, 37, 46, 75LX, and Brandon FLEX.
• Yukon Transfer Center - Sulphur Springs: Routes 14, 16, 42, and 45.

Constructed in the 1980s, the Marion Street Transitway provides a line of bus shelters along the street to allow patrons to easily board and deboard buses within Downtown Tampa. The transitway runs from the Marion Transit Center to Whiting Street and was originally a "fare-free" zone until 2008. All of the shelters along the transitway were equipped with departure time signage but have been removed.

HART has the following projects planned to begin service within the next five years.

HART and the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority have been discussing plans to build a transfer center at Tampa International Airport since 2008. Originally, the facility was to be located at the corner of O'Brien and Spruce streets [9]^{[permanent dead link]} but was dropped in 2011 in favor of a site closer to the TIA terminal. [10] Plans for any type of transfer center on TIA property collapsed in 2012 following the impact of global economic downturn and the consolidation of the airline industry on TIA's broad terminal expansion plans. In March, 2013, plans were unveiled for a possible Multi-Modal center along Interstate 275 in the WestShore Business District that could cater to multiple bus connections, light rail or commuter rail lines, and a People Mover system connecting the airport. This plan is heavily dependent on whether public transit in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are able to further expand. This in-turn, would be dependent on future funding situations [11][12]. As of 2020, the multi-modal center remains a part of the Florida Department of Transportation's Tampa Bay NEXT interstate-based transportation plan.

According to HART's 2008 Community Report, efforts are currently underway to construct an intelligent transportation system (ITS). Elements of this project include installing surveillance cameras and audio monitoring equipment, GPS systems, automated annunciator systems, real-time information display signs and other elements to all HART buses and several transfer centers. Such systems will allow patrons in the future to see in real-time, upcoming departures, major intersections, landmarks, and connecting routes. Many of these elements, including GPS, security, and automated annunciator systems were installed during the course of 2008 through 2010.

HART is slated to receive just over $15 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 that President Barack Obama signed into law in February 2009. Among the improvements that HART proposed to make: an expansion and upgrade to its operations facility in Ybor City, secure the purchase of 30 forty-foot Gillig Low Floor buses, streetcar extension, and the repainting of HART's existing fleet. ([13])

In September 2019, HART has several plans for the future of transportation in Hillsborough County under the hashtag #TRANSitFORMATION. Some of these plans include improvements and added services on select routes, more detailed information and improvements in bus shelters, adding electric bus pilots to their fleet and replacing select gas/diesel fuel buses, adding more Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes along Florida Ave, Nebraska Ave and Fowler Ave. also, HART has planned future commuter passenger rail or high speed rail transport across Hillsborough and its neighboring counties among the CSX rail corridor and possible future extensions for the TECO Streetcar Line.

As of October 2023, most local/express HART buses are in the blue and white livery. Trolley buses are in a similar pale blue/white livery, and MetroRapid buses are in a green/gray/white livery. (As Of May 2019 Only Some MetroRapid Units are in the MetroRapid Livery.) Since the May 2019 incident, most buses have protection driver doors to protect its operator from future offenses.

The repainting of buses was done to match the livery that is already carried by Commuter Express buses. However, instead of the purple and white livery of the express buses, local buses were repainted in a blue and white scheme (matching the colors of HART's logo). Bus #2015 was the first bus to be painted in the new colors, returning to service in August 2008, upon the receipt of federal stimulus funds in 2009, HART accelerated the repainting process, allowing more buses to sport the new livery.

In 2008, the agency acquired 12 25-foot Champion/Freightliner T-300 buses (from Dallas Area Rapid Transit) to be used on the fixed-route system while its existing fleet was repainted. These buses were retired in March and April 2010, with the arrival of the 29 40-foot 2010 model (10XX) Gillig Low Floor buses.

Beginning in August 2009, HART retired its fleet of Gillig Phantom buses, which the agency purchased in 1996 and 1997 to replace Flxible Metro buses purchased during the 1980s. These buses were replaced by 30 2009 model (29XX) year 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor buses that were purchased with the help of federal stimulus funds. Although seven of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Phantoms were already taken out of service in 2007, HART kept three (#s 602, 608, and 609) in service beyond that time. By mid September, 2009, all of the 30-foot (9.1 m) Gillig Phantom buses were retired, along with most of the 35-foot (11 m) models. The final nine buses that were phased out during the week of September 30, 2009, included #s 703, 708, 711, 713, 717, 720, 723, 725, and 726, with #725 being featured at HART's 30th Anniversary Ceremony on September 30.

In November 2011, HART was awarded a $2.3 million federal grant to build a CNG fueling station at its operations facility. It was completed in 2013.[14] In 2014, HART began purchasing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transit buses, along with a small fleet of CNG powered paratransit vans. In total as of 2020, there are 70 CNG powered buses in the fleet, though one (# 1708) was retired earlier in the year due to severe accident damage.

In 2020, the agency received a $2.7 million federal grant to purchase 4 electric buses [15]. These buses are expected to be on the road by 2022, though it is unclear which manufacturer will be selected to produce them.

Year	Builder/Model	Example	Numbers	Length (ft)	Active	Notes
2006	Gillig Low Floor		2601–2612	40	12	# 2604 has been retired as of 5/22/19.
2007	Gillig Low Floor Replica Trolley		2701–2705	30	5	Contingency spares. Were originally used for the In-Towner trolley until the network was eliminated in 2017, then used for Route 33. It is likely that they will be moved to Routes 42 & 44 in 2021.
2009	Gillig Low Floor		2901–2930	40	30
2010	Gillig Low Floor		1001–1029	40	29 (28 active)	# 1018 was retired in 2019 due to an incident that involved the death of bus operator Thomas Dunn.
2011	Gillig Low Floor BRT Suburban		1101-1106	40	6	Acquired Sarasota County Area Transit - Former #'s 1101X-1106X. Delivery was delayed for several months due to paperwork issues. [16][17]. All buses have been delivered as of 5/22/19 and will enter service sometime by August, 2019. #1102, #1104, #1105 and #1106 are currently in active service and are used for either Routes 60LX or 275LX as of today.
2012	Gillig Low Floor		1201-1212	40	12	Standard Low Floor units with rear roof fairing option, wrapped in special livery for MetroRapid. As of 7/20/16, #1212 was repainted in gold colors with a full ad wrap and is operating on local and express routes. As of 6/1/18, the bus has been re-wrapped back to MetroRapid livery and is once again operating there. As of today, all of these buses (except for 1202, 1208 and 1210) are in HART's standard colors. They are expected to be all in HART's blue/white livery in the near future
2012	Gillig Low Floor BRT Suburban		1217-1218	40	2	Acquired from Sarasota County Area Transit - Former #'s 1201X-1202X. These buses have special baggage racks on their roofs. They are used for either Routes 60LX or 275LX since they serve Tamp Int’l Airport. [18][19]
2012	Gillig Low Floor		1215–1216	40	2
2013	Gillig Low Floor		1301-1312	40	12
2014	Gillig Low Floor		1401-1406	40	6	Acquired from TransStar out of Orlando, FL when the company shut down. #'s 1402 through 1406 initially entered service during the course of mid 2019, with # 1401 entering service in October, 2020 due to extensive mechanical issues. Original unit #'s with TransStar were 4026–4031.
2015	Gillig Low Floor CNG		1501-1522	40	22
2016	Gillig Low Floor CNG		1601-1613	40	13	All buses have been delivered to HART as of 9/5/16. All buses are in revenue service as of 10/29/16.
2017	Gillig Low Floor CNG		1701-1715	40	15 (14 active)	All buses have been delivered to HART as of 9/1/17. All buses are in revenue service as of 10/2/17. # 1708 was retired in 2020 due to severe accident damage.
2017	Gillig Low Floor CNG (BRT Plus)		1716-1725	40	10	Funding obtained through a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. All buses are in revenue service as of 12/17/17. #1718 has a special “Jetbus” livery as a promotion of the Route 275LX.
2019	Gillig Low Floor CNG		1960-1969	40	10	All buses are in revenue service as of 5/22/19.
2021	Gillig Low Floor CNG		2125-2140 (provisional) 2nd Generation	40	96 (Planned)	Planned order - exact number of buses will be contingent on All For Transportation referendum funding. If all is successful, these buses will replace all mainstay (excluding second-hand acquisition) diesel buses.
2021/2022	Proterra ZX5 40FT Battery Electric		2141-2144 (provisional) 2nd Generation	40	4	Planned order due to federal funding received.

Year	Builder/Model	Example	Numbers (if available)	Length (ft)	Time in service	Number of buses in fleet	Notes
1971–1974	Flxible New Look		121-154,221-245	35	1981–1993	48	These buses were among HART's initial fleet, given by the city of Tampa, when the agency was formed in 1981. Numbers 130,140,150,160,222,230,233,240,244 not used.
1974	GMC New Look		246-248;097-099	35	1981–1993	6	These buses were among HART's initial fleet, given by the city of Tampa, when the agency was formed in 1981. Some of these buses were used for a Tampa-St Pete shuttle experiment by the state of Florida, the others were acquired second-hand by HART from the Florida Department of Transportation in the early 1980s..
1978	GMC RTS		249-269	35	1981–1993	17	These buses were among HART's initial fleet, given by the city of Tampa, when the agency was formed in 1981. Numbers 250,255,260,266 not used.
1982	Flxible Metro (870)		111,112,215-219,271-309	40	1982–1994	40	HART purchased these buses in 1981 to expand its initial fleet. Numbers 277,280,288,290,299,300 not used.
1983–1985	Flxible Metro		113-115,171-199,351-379	35	1983-1995/96/97	57	HART purchased these buses in 1981 to expand its initial fleet. These buses were replaced by Gillig Phantom buses, beginning in 1996. Numbers 180,190,360,370 not used.
1983–1985	Flxible Metro		311-319,321-326,341-346	40	1983-1995/96/97	21	HART purchased these buses in 1981 to expand its initial fleet. These buses were replaced by Gillig Phantom buses, beginning in 1996.
1986/1987	GMC RTS		221-235,401-420	40	1986–1999	35	HART purchased these buses between 1986 and 1987 to further expand its fleet. They were later replaced by Gillig Low Floor models. 200's model T80606, 400's model T80604.
1988/1989	Flxible Metro		121-140	40	1988–2001	20	Twenty of these buses were ordered in the late 1988-89 time frame and were later replaced by Gillig Low Floor models.
1996/1997	Gillig Phantom		601-610, 701–727	30/35	1996/97-2009	37	The Gillig Phantom bus fleet replaced the early 1980s models of Flxible Metro buses, as well as other older models. HART purchased 10 30-foot models in 1996, followed by 27 35-foot models in 1997. In 2007, the authority began phasing out all but three of the 30-foot (9.1 m) models. The remaining models continued to run on lower frequency routes. HART retired the remaining 30 and 35-foot (11 m) models in August 2009 in favor of 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor models (29XX buses), with the final nine (703, 708, 711, 713, 717, 720, 723, 725, and 726) being retired in late September.
1998	Optima American Heritage Streetcar		801-802	28	1999–2007	2	HART used trolley type buses around downtown Tampa on more than one occasion. The most recent retired trolley fleet was acquired in 1999 from Optima Bus Corporation. These buses were retired after HART purchased a small fleet of replica trolleys from Gillig Corporation.
1999	Gillig Low Floor		901-917	35	1999–2012	17	These buses ran in the HART system from 1999 through 2012. Although some buses had an interior refurbishment, high maintenance costs forced HART to retire them as well. There are no immediate plans to replace this fleet due to a lack of funding.
2000	Gillig Low Floor		2001–2017	29	2000–2012	17	These buses ran in the HART system from 2000 through 2011. HART originally had plans to keep these buses in a contingency fleet, but those plans were scrapped after a sales tax referendum failed in November 2010. #2015 was rebranded and placed back into service in August 2008 (due to a period extended downtime). #2005 was rebranded and placed back into service as of April, 2010. These two buses were retired in early 2012 due to high maintenance costs. There are no immediate plans to replace this fleet due to a lack of funding.
2001	Champion T300		52XX - 55XX	27	2008–2010	12	HART acquired 12 of these buses from Dallas Area Rapid Transit in Dallas, Texas, in 2008 as part of their contingency fleet during fleet rebranding. These buses have since been retired in favor of 40-foot (12 m) Gillig Low Floor models (10XX buses).
2001	Gillig Low Floor		2101–2123	40	2001-2016	23	All buses, except #2106, were retired as of October, 2015. #2106 was decommissioned from revenue service as of 7/5/16, replaced by #1601.
2002	Gillig Low Floor		2201–2210	40	2002-2016	10	All buses, except #2210, were retired as of October, 2015. #2210 was decommissioned from revenue service as of 8/16/16, replaced by #1602.
2002	Gillig Low Floor		2215–2229	29	2002-2015	15	All buses have been retired (replaced by the 1500s)
2003	Gillig Low Floor		2315-2327	40	2003-2016	12	All buses, except #'s 2325 and 2327 were retired as of October 29, 2016. Replaced by #'s 1603 through 1613. The remaining units were replaced by #'s 1701 and 1702.
2003	Gillig Low Floor		2301–2310	29	2003-2017	10	All buses have been retired (replaced by the 1600s & 1700s)
2003	Gillig Low Floor		2315–2327	40	2003-2017	2	All buses have been retired (replaced by the 1600s & 1700s)
2004	Gillig Low Floor		2401–2419	40	2004-2017	18	All buses have been retired (replaced by the 1700s)
2004	Gillig Low Floor HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle)		2425–2427	40	2004-2017	3 [20]	All buses have been retired (replaced by the 1700s)
2005	Gillig Low Floor BRT		2501-2512	40	2005-2019	12	All buses were retired in 2019 (replaced by the 1900s). # 2508 was donated to Hillsborough Community College for first responder training.
2010	Gillig Low Floor		1018				Retired in 2019.
2017	Gillig Low Floor		1708				Retired in 2020.

• HART's 2006/2007 proposed fare and service changes A list of service and fare changes that will encompass FY 2006/2007.
• HART To Take Riders From Door To Store^{[permanent dead link]} Tampa Tribune - January 29, 2007.
• Hillsborough County to start door-to-door bus service Bay News 9 - 4/3/07.
• HART To Scale Back Service^{[permanent dead link]} Tampa Tribune - June 24, 2007.
• Bus systems roll with cuts St. Petersburg Times - July 8, 2007.
• MetroRapid project information - www.goHART.org
• HARTflex Information - www.goHART.org

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.

• GoHART Official Site
• TECO Line Streetcar System
• Why Transit?^{[permanent dead link]} from goHART.org
• Tampa Bay Transit