You may have heard it through the local media outlets, a project to convert Cass and Tyler streets in northern downtown Tampa from their current one-way configurations to a two-way layout is getting underway, and this undertaking could result in numerous Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) bus routes being impacted by the construction, especially at night – when lane and road closures are more likely.
The project to convert these two streets into a two-way layout is part of the broader InVision Tampa plan, which aims at creating a livable urban space within downtown Tampa and surrounding areas. A buffered bicycle trail will also be included in this project, and will run the entire length of Cass from Nebraska Ave to at least the eastern merge point of Cass and Tyler. There is also a separate project at the western merge point of Cass and Tyler, by the Straz Center, that will radically transform the two streets. That project is the planned Arts and Entertainment Residences tower, slated to begin in the not-so-distant future.
During the time of construction, HART customers should pay close attention to their commutes. Although daytime trips may not be heavily impacted, evening trips will likely be detoured at times when roads need to closed, and will thus add on to travel times. Since the project crosses the Marion St Transitway, night time routes like the 2, 19, and 30 may temporarily be detoured. Any route detour or other such interruption will be announced by HART as early as possible. However, I strongly suggest that you sign up for HyperAlert email/text services if you ride any of the affected routes, as there will be notifications sent out when buses are on detour.
To make things easier in viewing which HART routes could be impacted by the Cass/Tyler project, I’ve created a Google Map that outlines the major transit corridors through the affected area of downtown Tampa. If you spot any inaccuracies, please let me know right away.
The Global Transit Guidebook 