GTG On The Move – Spring, 2024

I originally contemplated writing a stand-alone blog post for the upcoming Good Friday holiday. However, it’s not a holiday that all transit systems in the U.S. observe. In fact, the only two U.S. transit agencies that I am aware of that modify their services on Good Friday are the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) in New Orleans, LA, & the Capital Area Transit System (CATS or CATSBR) in Baton Rouge, LA. The two latter agencies typically revert to a weekend schedule for Good Friday due to lower ridership demand. Keep in mind that there may be a few other agencies out that also reduce transit service on Good Friday, but I am not aware of them. You can let me know if there’s any other U.S. transit agencies that do the same.

NORTA services will operate on a Saturday-level schedule, while CATSBR services will operate on a Sunday-level schedule. Please check their websites respectively if you reside in either city, as your particular route may not operate on Friday.
Now, you may be wondering, why am I even paying attention to Good Friday on this level if most U.S. transit agencies don’t reduce their service levels (despite many government offices being closed). The answer relates to the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) in Tampa, FL, which I’ll be explaining further in the next story. No, they are not reducing their service for the holiday, but there will be a few route detours to take note of.

It’s almost time for the biennial Tampa Bay AirFest in Tampa, FL & for those of you who may be new to the region, MacDill Air Force Base hosts the AirFest every even numbered year. Prior to 2013, the event was an annual affair – drawing in hundreds, if not thousands of spectators. However, major changes in the way that military base hosted air shows function were enacted, forcing some bases like MacDill to resort to a more community-driven model. This also resulted in some bases like MacDill to hold their events every 2 years instead of every year.

Due to various financial constraints, the AirFest was not held in 2002, 2012, & 2013. The event was also not held in 2020 due to the global lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those who have resided in the Tampa Bay region for years & have been to past iterations of AirFest, you know how bad traffic will be in South Tampa during the event. During some of the past events the City of Tampa, HART, Hillsborough County, & base officials have been able to work out some sort of agreement to allow for HART to provide shuttle buses to & from the event. However, this hasn’t always worked out – as I recall in a couple of instances, no shuttles were provided but basic (hourly) bus service was allowed. In a couple other instances – because the parties weren’t able to reach any kind of agreement, there was no transit access to the base whatsoever. Unfortunately, as was with the 2022 event, no agreement was able to be reached for the 2024 AirFest – so there will be no HART buses entering MacDill at all.

Those who wish to attend AirFest, but do not have their own vehicle, can consider carpooling or riding a bike to the event. If you ride a bike, you must wear a helmet. Attendees may also walk to the event.

Different for this year, AirFest falls on Easter weekend. This means that unlike the Saturday/Sunday setup that has been in place for nearly all prior events, this year’s event will be on a Friday/Saturday setup. I’m actually glad that organizers set up AirFest this way for this year, so that people who wish to spend Easter Sunday (Sunday, March 31) with family & friends, or even head to their place of worship, can do so without interruption from planes flying overhead or added traffic on the roads.

Friday, March 29, 2024

• Route 10: No impact, regular route & schedule.
• Route 14: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 19: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 24LX: Will operate, but AM trips will truncate at Britton Plaza. PM trips will originate at Britton Plaza. Buses may see delays due to increased traffic.
• Route 25LX: Will operate, but AM trips will truncate at Britton Plaza. PM trips will originate at Britton Plaza. Buses may see delays due to increased traffic.
• Route 36: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 360LX: Buses south of Britton Plaza will detour in a clockwise pattern – using Euclid Ave, MacDill Ave, Gandy Blvd, & Dale Mabry Hwy. A flag stop zone will be established along the detour zone.
• Port Tampa Flex (Route 575): Vans may see delays due to increased traffic.
• PSTA Route 100X: Will operate a normal schedule. Buses may see delays due to increased traffic.

Saturday, March 30, 2024

• Route 10: No impact, regular route & schedule.
• Route 14: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 19: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 36: Buses may see delays due to increased traffic, regular route & schedule.
• Route 360LX: Buses south of Britton Plaza will detour in a clockwise pattern – using Euclid Ave, MacDill Ave, Gandy Blvd, & Dale Mabry Hwy. A flag stop zone will be established along the detour zone.
• Port Tampa Flex (Route 575): Vans may see delays due to increased traffic.

Normal Sunday Service on Sunday, March 31, 2024

Visit the HART website or follow their social media channels for detour maps & additional information.

Spring, 2024 Service Changes

The Spring, 2024 service changes have been released. The most significant changes will include restoring Route 46 to its 2017 – 2023 routing (Flex service has not been working out). An adjustment to South Tampa service (Route 19 will be modified to replace the current Flex service, as that also hasn’t been working out) will also be performed, as well as schedule adjustments to Routes 1 & 400. Changes will take effect on Sunday, April 14, 2024, with new schedules being available about a week prior to.

Youth Fare Structure Revamp

The gradual shift from legacy fare payment methods to the Flamingo Fares smart card (tap & go) & smartphone app payment system led to a temporary suspension in enforcement of the agency’s discounted youth fare category. However, now that the inner-workings of how youth fares will be collected under the Flamingo system have been hashed out, enforcement of the fare will resume on Monday, April 1, 2024.

Details are available below:

Funding Struggles Continue

While overall ridership has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, HART remains faced with numerous financial constraints which includes continuing to operate most routes at hourly headways. The agency will receive no funds from the court-invalidated All For Transportation sales tax that originally passed in 2018. The Florida state supreme court invalidated the measure in 2022 & it was left to state legislators as to what would become of the collected funds. The outcome was all but sealed by this past legislative session. With the possibility of another sales tax referendum attempt low at this time, the possibility of garnering funds through other avenues is gaining steam.

Challenges With Paratransit

Many transit agencies across the U.S. have been working to improve their paratransit operations – which are geared towards those who are unable to use regular transit avenues such as fixed-route buses. HART has not been immune to the many challenges that face transit agencies – including on-time performance, fare modernization, vehicle dispatch optimization, & other matters. As mentioned above, HART’s overall funding woes also act as a barrier to providing optimal paratransit services for its customers.

Transit Agencies Across The U.S. Celebrate Transit Employee Appreciation Day

March 18, 2024 was National Transit Employee Appreciation Day. Originally known as Transit Driver Appreciation Day, the appreciation campaign was rebranded & expanded to show appreciation for all employees in the transit industry – not just bus operators. Transit agencies across the nation showed their appreciation for their employees in various ways – including hosting breakfasts & luncheons.

Spring Break Season Is Well Underway!

Many have flocked to Florida to spend spring break at the state’s many award-winning beaches. As usual, I’ve put out a comprehensive spring break transit guide that provides information on how to access most of Pinellas County’s sunny beaches via public transit.

Please keep in mind that if you’re heading to Clearwater Beach, PSTA & its partners have you covered with enhanced bus & trolley service to & from the beach all week long through April! Be sure to follow PSTA on social media (using @RidePSTA) for spring break promotions!

Transit Vehicle & Motorcoach Manufacturers Struggle

You may have heard in the news during the past several months regarding several transit & motorcoach manufacturers falling on hard times due in large part to the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’ve missed the articles though, you can bring yourself up to speed below:

• Nova Bus: Will cease U.S. operations by 2025 to solely focus on their Canadian assets. Nova Bus has previously pulled out of the U.S. transit bus market before – only to return several years later.
• El Dorado National: Its parent company – REV Group – is ceasing transit bus operations altogether & siphoning off its school bus division to Forest River Bus. REV Group will re-focus its energies on producing RVs & heavy first responder vehicles.
• Proterra filed for bankruptcy in 2023 & sold its transit bus division to Phoenix Motorcars. The ultimate fate under the new ownership is currently unknown, but from what I’ve heard in the transit enthusiast community, it’s unlikely that existing electric bus orders will be able to be fulfilled & that operations will eventually cease altogether.
• VanHool, an international producer of RVs, transit buses, & motorcoaches – based in Belgium – is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. If this occurs, it could mean the end of its overseas operations – including in North America. The situation could also mean the company’s exit from the transit bus manufacturing realm altogether. The company previously announced that it will no longer pursue manufacturing of battery electric buses.
  
  It is to note that while VanHool has had a presence in North America for quite some time, orders of transit vehicles were very limited during the course of the late 2000s & early 2010s – with no further transit bus orders being pursued thereafter. All other orders placed through the company have been for motorcoaches.

Will NYC’s Congestion Pricing Plan Ever Be Implemented?

For the past few years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, which operates New York City’s array of public transit avenues, has been working on a congestion toll that would be charged to most drivers entering Manhattan’s central business district south of 60th St. The plan has been met with much controversy, with many residents concerned about affordability, though also realizing that something must be done to be able to combat overall congestion & improve the state of the transit network for years to come. Many advocacy groups & politicians have come out in support of the plan, but others have come out against it.

What do you think? Should NYC’s congestion pricing plan be implemented?

Bus Network Redesigns Move Ahead

From AC Transit in Oakland, CA, to the New York MTA, many transit agencies have been working to overhaul their bus networks. Many bus systems were established when legacy streetcar networks were dismantled, leaving today’s commuters confused because they don’t serve areas by which reflect current commuting patterns, or it takes too much time to get from A to B.

In Oakland, AC Transit has released the findings of its three network coverage options as part of its Realign initiative – one focusing on retaining as much coverage as possible, one focusing on a more core-only, high-frequency network, & one allowing for incremental improvements as additional funding becomes available. While the agency has chosen the third option, additional public feedback will be solicited before the changes become effective.

Transit 101

The Transit 101 section of helpful articles is now fully posted on the website! I created Transit 101 as a way to assist first-time users in learning how to use transit – from paying fares to making transfers, I feel that the series makes things easier & less intimidating. Please know however, that your transit agency may offer travel training programs if you’re someone who needs a face-to-face experience with a transit agency travel trainer. Please contact your transit agency to see if they offer travel training.

Photo of the Month

The Photo of the Month carousel is returning to the website! Because of other obligations, I was unable to switch photos for the month of March. There will be an update however for April, so stay tuned!

Want to contribute? Please use the contact page & I can consider your contribution for a future Photo of the Month post.