Did you hear that? Megabus is coming to Tampa!

What is Megabus?

Megabus is an intercity bus service that provides daily trips to many destinations at a low cost. Many trips in fact are offered at $1.00 (there is a reservation fee though)! Megabus began in the United Kingdom in 2003, expanding to France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands thereafter. North American services began in 2006 and have gradually expanded across the United States and Canada. Megabus is owned by Stagecoach and is operated here in the US by Coach USA. Megabus is often known for their luxury double-decker buses, although they also run single-decker buses too. Each bus is equipped with Wi-Fi and plug-in ports at each seat, adding to the plush, comfortable seating and wonderful staff!

Expanding to Tampa

Since 2011, Megabus has been serving Orlando, via Jacksonville and Gainesville, from its Atlanta, GA hub. On April 30, 2014, Megabus announced that they will expand Florida services to include Tallahassee, Tampa, and Miami. Additionally, a direct route will run from Orlando to New Orleans. Buses will utilize the newly completed Marion St Transit Center northern platforms (partially assigned to Hillsborough Area Regional Transit’s MetroRapid and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s 100X and 300X).

As you can imagine, HART staff are excited about the new service! In fact, HART has recently been exploring ways to strengthen relationships with other Florida transit markets amid terminal expansion. Transit hubs in Orlando and Miami for instance, have made such accommodations already. Under an agreement between Megabus and HART, Megabus will pay HART $15,000 for a five year period to utilize the platforms at the Marion Transit Center.

Megabus services to/from Tampa will begin May 15th! Visit us.megabus.com for further information and to order tickets!