Thanksgiving is almost here, meaning that you can spend some quality time with family and enjoy a hearty meal. It also means that the shopping hubbub that Black Friday often brings to our various retail establishments. And on top of that, the Thanksgiving weekend is often jammed packed full of specials and savings at local attractions.
But what does this all mean for you, the transit rider? It means that you’ll need to plan accordingly to get from A to B, because many transit agencies will operate limited to no service on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28, 2018. Thus, you’ll want to pay close attention to the listing below to see if your area’s transit agency will be operating that day.
This year, I’ve been able to gather information on a wider array o transit agencies within the US. Please keep in mind that this list is NOT INCLUSIVE of all transit agencies within the US, so if you do not see your respective agency here, please contact them directly.
In this third episode of Journeys Afar, I will begin showcasing my recent trip to the west coast – San Francisco, CA to be exact! While I didn’t think that this particular trip would happen so soon, I’m glad that I was able to embark on it when I did – as it was almost 20 years ago that I made my last visit to this part of The Golden State.
Like my 2017 New York City excursion, I aimed to utilize as much public transportation avenues as possible – including during my departure from & arrival back to Tampa. While I originally planned on using the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) network to connect to Tampa International Airport the day of my departure from Tampa, I needed to tend to some tasks in Tampa beforehand, so I wound up departing from my family’s residence there instead of my residence in St. Pete.
On the flip side, it was a good thing to begin my journey in Tampa because I was able to follow a very similar path to TPA Airport as I had done back in 2017 when I visited NYC. Thus, I’ll be able to do a comparison of my bus rides on board the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) network back then versus this time around. For those of you who aren’t aware, HART underwent a massive route optimization project in late 2017 called Mission MAX & it dramatically changed how many of HART’s routes operate today.
HART to the Airport
An illustration showing the HART bus routes that I rode to Tampa International Airport on October 23, 2019. Click on the image for a closer look.
For my HART bus journey, I made sure to have exact change available for a $4.00 1-Day HARTride pass the day prior to. I chose to postpone purchasing any Flamingo Fares products on their app until I returned because I would otherwise lose out on a week of usage. However, once the full Flamingo Fares tap-&-go card program rolls out (hopefully next year), you’ll have the option of purchasing a reloadable card so that you don’t have to worry about wasting a transit pass if you happen to go out of town.
Now, like my NYC trip, I made sure to select my flights very carefully so that I could utilize transit to get to & from the airport without risking missing the check-in window if my buses fell behind. Additionally, because Mission MAX caused some less busy segments to be separated off their busier counterparts, I was no longer able to leave for the airport as early in the morning as I would have liked. One example of the changes made during the Mission MAX route optimization project is described in next section.
Before I move on however, I want to point out that unlike my NYC trip, I did carry a bit more baggage – so I already had in mind that because of the amount of clothing that I would need to bring, that I will need to use my rolling suitcase. That suitcase would then need to be checked-in at the airport. As I will describe later though, there is a convenient option in many cases that can allow you to check-in quickly & save you some time if you’re coming off the bus.
Route 17 to Britton Plaza
# 1514 at Marion Transit Center back on 11/21/15. This is a 2015 40′ Gillig Low Floor CNG bus.
South Tampa bus service was significantly changed due to Mission MAX. Route 4, which had limited ridership, was completely eliminated, while lesser used segments of the 19 & 36 south of Britton Plaza were split off onto other routes. The 17 designation, which was once used for a north-south local route between MacDill Air Force Base & the old Tampa Bay Center Mall via MacDill Ave during the 90s, was reused for the former 19 segment that served Manhattan Ave between Port Tampa City & Britton Plaza. The WestShore Blvd branch of the 19, meanwhile, was also eliminated due to limited ridership. The segment of the 36 south of Britton was integrated into the cross-county 360 Limted Express route that runs between MacDill & the JC Handly Park-N-Ride complex in Bloomingdale.
Like my NYC trip, I was making Check-In posts through my HARTride 2012 page.
While HART kept the overall span of service for Route 19 the same (with exception to the adjustment of early morning & early evening trips, the elimination of trips that ran through 12-midnight, & the addition of an earlier morning trip on weekends), the 17’s service span is from 6:00am until 10:00pm, with buses running hourly on all service days. This meant that the earliest bus I could take from the Port Tampa City area would leave at about 6:25am. Because of some final tasks that I needed to take care of prior to my departure, I opted to take the 7:25am departure, which arrived at Britton Plaza on time at 7:46am. Traffic on Manhattan Ave & Euclid Ave was fairly light, which contributed to an on-time arrival.
While at Britton Plaza
Even though I had about 15 minutes before my Route 36 bus arrived, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t venture off to Publix & then risk missing my connection, so I decided to stay put at the on-site bus shelter. During my wait, I encountered one of the HART Flex cutaway vans & several other HART buses that were running on the 19 or 360LX. I also spotted one of the PSTA buses that was assigned to the 100X. It’s been quite a while since PSTA retired its 2003-series MCI coaches that were originally used for the 100X & the 300X. Even though no replacements were ever purchased, the buses on the 300X have been modified to include on-board luggage racks – similar to the ones used on board airport-bound buses in NYC.
# 4501 on the South Tampa Flex Route (Route 574).
# 2904 on the eastbound Route 360LX.
# 2907 on Route 19.
A glimpse inside # 2907 with a newly installed operator area shield.
# 1305 on the westbound Route 360LX.
PSTA # 14101 on Route 100X.
My bus observations while at Britton Plaza.
Route 36 to Dale Mabry Hwy @ Kennedy Blvd
# 1404 arrives at the Britton stop, though the operator was a tad late departing. This is a 2014 40′ Gillig Low Floor diesel bus.
One of the fleet changes that I haven’t quite discussed in detail when it comes to the HART network is the small fleet of six 2014-series 40′ Gillig Low Floor diesel buses. These buses were acquired in mid 2018 from what used to be TranStar out of Orlando, FL.
TranStar did a lot of charter bus business throughout Central Florida, but probably its biggest contract was with Walt Disney World – where they operated cast member shuttles throughout the parks. I learned in late 2017 that TranStar lost the opportunity to continue its contract when Disney decided to operate the shuttles through another avenue. TranStar declined & went out of business shortly thereafter, possibly due in part to the lost business. I’m sure the company racked up a lot of debt as well by which it could not get rid of.
The 2014 diesel buses are similar to those of HART’s former 2004 diesels in the sense that they do not posses “frameless” windows & use similar seating. While these buses did have to have some added TLC upon their arrival – #’s 1402 through 1405 have run pretty well. #1406 was recently sidelined due to a blown transmission & #1401 has yet to enter revenue service.
Despite a slightly late departure (scheduled time was 8:00am, but the operator pulled up to the platform at 8:03am), the bus arrived at the intersection of Dale Mabry Hwy @ Kennedy Blvd on time (at 8:14am). Once again though, traffic was relatively light so that contributed to an on-time arrival.
In regards to Mission MAX, as I mentioned earlier, the 360LX took over the portion of the 36 that ran south of Britton Plaza. This meant that the Dale Mabry Hwy corridor south of the plaza suffered a major reduction in the span of service. Prior to the reshuffling, the first outbound 36 trip to Carrollwood from MacDill AFB was 5:30am, with the first bus to MacDill leaving Britton as early as about 5:45am at one time.
Now, the first 360LX round trip leaves Britton Plaza for MacDill at 6:55am, arriving at the Kingfisher St Burger King at 7:30am, then arriving at Britton at 7:45am to head to Brandon/Bloomingdale. Also, the 360 operates hourly all week (whereas the 36 runs every 30 minutes on weekdays with hourly weekend service), with no service north of Britton on Sundays (thus the first Sunday departure to MacDill is at 6:00am).
One last note; with the MAX changes, the 19, 33, & 36 all interline on weekends. Interlined bus & rail routes are common across transit agencies & occur when two or more bus routes are set up in a manner by which assigned buses change into one another’s routes at a common terminating point instead of simply turning around & reversing direction on their respective individual routes. So a bus starting out at the Marion Transit Center as a 19, will become a 36 at Britton Plaza, then will become a 33 at the Fletcher Ave @ Dale Mabry Hwy transfer point. That bus will then terminate at the University Area Transit Center (as the 33 does not serve the Hidden River Park-N-Ride Lot on weekends), then reverse course back to Downtown Tampa via South Tampa & Carrollwood. I generally dislike interlined bus routes because if a bus runs behind schedule on one route, it’s run on all three routes in this case will be detrimentally impacted.
# 1404 crossing the intersection of Kennedy Blvd @ Dale Mabry Hwy.
A glimpse inside # 1404.
And off she goes!
Shots of # 1404.
Route 30 to Tampa International Airport
Bus Hub & Rental Car Center
# 1026 at Britton Plaza on Route 19, taken by Carlos A. on 9/20/15. This is a 2010 40′ Gillig Low Floor diesel bus.
While my bus rides have gone well up until this point, I knew to expect delays due to it still being rush hour. I exited # 1404 & crossed Kennedy Blvd quickly so that I could snap the above photos. Afterwards, I decided to head east, instead of west, to the westbound Route 30 stop on Kennedy Blvd by Sterling St. When I went to NYC, I used the westbound stop by Church St. However, being that the two stops are about the same distance from the intersection of Kennedy & Dale Mabry, I thought to just go ahead & use the Sterling stop so that I would not have to cross Dale Mabry.
My check-in while waiting for my Route 30 bus.
While waiting for # 1026, I noticed that the wait time was increasing due to a delay along the route in downtown Tampa. Knowing that my flight was not until 11:42am, with boarding call commencing at 11:12am, I had plenty of time to make it to the airport if the bus broke down or something. Fortunately, it did not.
However, the bus did arrive about 6 minutes late (scheduled arrival was 8:26am, but the actual arrival was 8:32am), so this meant that the airport arrival was about 8:45am, instead of the scheduled 8:38am. Upon arrival, I immediately headed into the Rental Car Center complex & took the elevator to the main level where the counters & SkyConnect station are located.
Looking down Kennedy Blvd towards Himes Ave.
The overall routing of the 30 has changed quite dramatically over the past two years. With Mission MAX, the segment between Tampa International Airport & the Northwest Transfer Center in Town-N-Country was separated, leaving the 30 to serve between the airport & the Marion Transit Center in Downtown Tampa only. Frequencies were kept at 30 minutes all week, with overall span of service remaining unchanged.
Initially, the cross-county Route 60LX made runs between Brandon & NWTC, taking over Route 30’s northern segment. Due to customer feedback, the 60LX was truncated to the airport & has since only operated between the airport & Brandon (with Sunday service only serving MTC & the airport). The segment between the airport & NWTC is now served by Route 35, which has 30-minute weekday frequency & hourly weekend service. The 60LX by comparison, operates hourly all week.
The second major change to Route 30 was made just this past summer, with buses traversing the WestShore/Cypress Point portion of Cypress St & serving the Social Security Administration office along the State Rd 60 frontage road in both directions. This change was done to help restore some of the service lost when Route 10 was eliminated during MAX.
Inside # 1026.
Passing the Waffle House on WestShore Blvd.
And then the Social Security Administration building.
Snippets from inside # 1026.
Tampa International Airport
Checking-In at TPA Airport
The TPA Airport Bus Hub shortly after opening in late 2017.
So when I blogged about my 2017 NYC trip, the TPA Airport Rental Car Center & SkyConnect were not yet finished, so I rode the old Route 30 to the first floor, north (Red) side arrivals drive to get off at the airport terminal stop. Since the opening of both the Rental Car Center & its adjoining public bus hub, along with SkyConnect, a total of 6 bus routes serve TPA Airport – instead of just HART Route 30 as it was before. Today, you can catch HART Routes 30, 32, 35, 60LX, & 275LX to the airport during all days of the week. On weekdays, you can also take PSTA Route 300X to the hub.
Remote Bag Check is BRILLIANT!!!
So remember at the beginning of the post where I mentioned that I would discuss an easy way to check in your bags at TPA Airport while saving time? Well here it is! Remote Bag Check! You can find this area at the southern end of the main level of the Rental Car Center, tucked between the elevator banks to the bus hub & the rental car counters (facing northward towards the SkyConnect station).
While this service is primarily geared towards those who are renting cars at the airport, it does wonders for public transit users as well. In many cases, you can check into your flight, print your boarding passes, pay any applicable bag fees, print your luggage tags, & bring your bags over to the check-in scales to be weighed & then transported onto a special conveyor that whisks your checked luggage straight to the main terminal, then your respective airside concourse for screening & loading onto the plane – all in one convenient location!
Now…let me caution you, because I did say many cases. First off, only domestic flights can be checked in at this location, & secondly, only selected airlines allow for such remote check-in. So if you fall outside of this category, then you’ll need to take the SkyConnect train to the main terminal & then take the escalators to Level 2 for check-in. However, for those who do fall into this category, Remote Bag Check at the Rental Car Center saves you the time & hassle of going down to Level 2 in the main terminal for check-in. It certainly did for me! Once I was completely checked in & dropped off my rolling suitcase, I grabbed my carry-on bags & immediately proceeded for the SkyConnect train to the main terminal.
With Check-In finished, it’s time to head to the concourse!
Traversing the airport
Level 3 of the main terminal as it appeared in early 2017. During this time, the east & west ends of the main terminal building were undergoing renovations – leaving the central portion of Level 3 to retain the mid 2000s look.
In addition to the Rental Car Center & SkyConnect, many other vast improvements have been made at the airport. This included a complete transformation of the Main Terminal’s 3rd level, which houses various shops, eateries, & the shuttle bays for the airside concourses. The airport also underwent a complete revamp of its dining & merchant options, which allows for a nice selection of both local & national brands.
Main Terminal Level 3 after completion of renovations. All of the central retail “boxes” were dismantled to give the floor a more open-air feel. This configuration also allows for quicker assembly & disassembly of merchant spaces.
Because I was able to use the Remote Bag Check option at the Rental Car Center, my time traveling through the main terminal was only about 10 minutes. I hopped off the SkyConnect train & proceeded to the escalators to Level 3. From there, I headed immediately to the Airside F shuttle bay – though I did pause for a moment at a nearby seating area to ensure that my boarding passes were secured. During my walk through the main terminal, it was definitely nice to see all of the shops & eateries completed. While I did want to grab something quick to snack on before my flight, I decided that the best option was to get over to Airside F & clear security first before I did so.
A wider view of the Level 3 scene.
A glimpse at one of many new retail spaces.
Digital signage at the Airside F shuttle bay.
Inside one of the Bombardier shuttle cars that traverse between the main terminal & each of the airsides. SkyConnect uses Mitsubishi Crystal Mover vehicles.
Additional scenes at TPA Airport.
Upon arrival at Airside F, I quickly went through security (though I forgot to empty out my plastic water bottle that I brought from home, so the screener flagged me for that) & had a look around. Just after clearing security was a display honoring those in our military who earned the Medal of Honor. This display was sponsored by American Airlines, which happened to be the same airline that I embarked on for this trip (as well as my 2017 NYC trip).
The Medal of Honor display at the Airside F lobby area (after clearing security).
With the revamp of the shops & eateries, I was very delighted to see what had taken the place of what used to occupy parts of the main terminal & the airsides. For instance, the Airside F lobby area following security, used to house an express version of Chili’s & I believe some sort of newsstand. Now the spaces are home to local retailer Bay to Bay & The Cafe by MiseEn Place, which is a scaled down version of its mainstay restaurant in Tampa (along the Grand Central area of Kennedy Blvd). What really caught my eye however was the presence of illy Caffe, an Itallian-based cafe serving illy-branded coffees, as well as pastries & sandwiches. I wound up grabbing a Spinach & Feta Cheese sandwich & an orange juice from the cafe before sitting down in the adjacent seating area – both of which were right next to Gate 78 (where I’d be boarding my flight at shortly).
Bay to Bay.
The Cafe at Mise En Place.
illy Caffe.
Airside F merchants. There are a few more situated on the eastern side, but I did not explore that side of the concourse.
By the time I had gotten my food & sat down, the time was 9:45am. I still had almost an hour & a half before my flight would board, so I took this time to consume my sandwich & juice, as well as surf the web & social media. TPA Airport has provided complimentary WiFi access for everyone who traverses the airport complex & for this, I’m very grateful for. Just a decade ago, if an airport that you were travelling through offered internet access – you likely had to pay for it. That’s the experience I had back in 2009 when I traveled through a couple different US airports while en-route to & from Belgium.
My last HARTride 2012 Page check-in post before I boarded my flight.
Looking towards the western end of Airside F as I waited for boarding call.
Part 1 Wrap-Up
Two final notes before I wrap up this post. First, if you want to learn more about the different things that I’ve mentioned in this post, please feel free to select any of the links below.
Second, I’m going to point out that I purchased a bag online a few months ago that has been a vital part of my travels. The merchant is called ebags & the bag that I wound up purchasing is called the TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible. This bag is extremely convenient for airline travel as a carry-on item & has many convenient pockets for clothing, important documents (such as your passport), & even a laptop computer! I’ve used this bag several times during my intercounty bus travels, but this was my first time using it for airline travel. I will tell you right now, that this bag is absolutely awesome! I love it!
Be sure to check out their site routinely, as they do hold some good sales.
While I’ve written several Transit Tourism type posts during the course of the past several years, I never really had a name for the series. But now I do!
Journeys Afar will take you on a documented journey along my out-of-town trips by which I’m able to utilize public transportation. Such posts will include re-launches of my 2013 trip to Norfolk, VA & my 2017 trip to New York City, as well as my more recent visits to Jacksonville, FL & San Francisco, CA.
Be sure to look out for my first Journeys Afar posts in the coming weeks – beginning with a re-launch of my first & second NYC 2017 posts, followed by my first SFO 2019 post.
Monday, November 11 is Veterans Day, with Friday, November 10, 2019 being observed by government offices. While most transit agencies that I cover will operate a normal weekday schedule on November 11, some agencies may have exceptions as to which routes will run. Other agencies (specifically some smaller agencies) will not operate at all on Saturday or both days. Please see the following list to see if your respective transit agency will operate on Veterans Day.
As always, I want to thank all those who are currently serving in our nation’s military, or have served in the past. Thank you!
Holiday Transit Schedules
Normal weekday schedules will be in effect for many transit agencies. Below are the agencies that I cover by which will either have exceptions in service or will not operate at all. If you are unsure of whether your transit agency will operate on Veterans Day, please contact them directly.
Polk Citrus Connection (Lakeland/Winter Haven, FL): No Service.
StarMetro (Tallahassee, FL): Saturday schedule w/Night Service operating.
Hampton Roads Transit (Hampton/Norfolk, VA): Regular weekday service across all modes. However, Routes 919 & 922 will not operate.
Customer Service
Transit agencies that are operating normal weekday schedules will very likely have their customer service centers operating on normal weekday hours as well. For those agencies that are operating with service exceptions, please contact them directly for hours of operation.
Veterans Ride FREE!
Some transit agencies are running special Ride FREE promotions on Veterans Day to all those (active or retired) who have served in the military & supply valid ID when boarding. To see if your transit agency is taking part, please contact them directly.
Disclaimer
As always, I try to make sure that all information in this post is correct. Schedule information is obtained from the transit agencies themselves, so they are ultimately responsible for what goes out to customers. However, if you spot something that I’ve typed that is incorrect, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may make corrections.
Beginning Monday, November 4, 2019, through February of 2020, the TECOline Streetcar Line will experience a service interruption due to ballast replacement along the streetcar right of way between Cadrecha Plaza in Ybor City & Cumberland St in the Channelside District. Please see the map below for an overview of how service will operate during this time.
What to expect if using transit in the area.
Credit: HART.
As mentioned above, a bus bridge shuttle will fill in the gap during the times that the streetcar is not running through the affected area. Please keep in mind that the closure is currently set for weekdays only between the above mentioned times. The streetcar will operate the full line on weekends, as well as holidays & during special events. Also keep in mind that the closure schedule is subjected to change at any time. For the latest information, please visit the HART website.
Our November Showcase photo is here! Can you believe we’re almost at the end of 2019? Anyhow, we continue our journey across the US. Where to next you ask?
MUNI Metro # 2029, paired with # 2006 (in the background).
If you happen to follow my HARTride 2012 page on Facebook, then you already know that I was given the opportunity to travel again – this time, to the San Francisco Bay Area. This was my first trip to the Bay Area in nearly 20 years & I wanted to make sure that I utilized public transit to the greatest extent possible. Be sure to look out for my new blog series Journeys Afar featuring highlights from this trip. I’ll also re-launch & (hopefully complete) my 2017 New York City trip under the new series.
Selecting this month’s Showcase photo was no easy task, as I had about a dozen good transit photos from my trip that I deemed worthy of putting up. So yesterday, I put everything up for a vote on The Global Transit Guidebook Forum Facebook group & asked members which of the photos would they like to see uploaded? While the voting process began as a rather close battle with two other photos, the spread widened during the evening hours just prior to me closing the poll.
Discussing the featured photo & its accompanying system now, the train photographed is San Francisco Municipal Railway (known as MUNI) # 2029, which was paired with # 2006 (showing in the background). These trains are 2016-series Siemens LRVs, with # 2006 coincidentally being the first set to enter revenue service back in November of 2017. The trains are poised to replace aging Breda (which was acquired by Hitachi in 2015) model trainsets through 2028.
Both the Siemens LRVs & the older Breda LRVs operate on MUNI’s Metro system – which is a light rail network that operates like a metro/subway – especially along the central section underneath Market St. In fact, trains utilize the upper level of the double decker track section underneath Market that was originally envisioned for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) service that would have connected to Marin County. Marin was originally supportive of BART but eventually withdrew in the early stages of the network’s planning & construction process, thus plans to connect the rail network to that county died completely.
The MUNI Metro system comprises of 6 lines, all denoted by letter. Each letter is derived from the corridor by which each line travels down after exiting the central section underneath Market St. For instance, the (T) is derived from its running along Third St. A 7th (shuttle) service operates as a supplement to regular services in the central section during peak weekday hours & San Francisco Giants home games. An 8th line is currently under construction & projected to open in 2021.
The broader MUNI multimodal network was originally established in 1912 & is owned & operated by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). The network includes over 50 bus routes, roughly 17 of those being trolleybus lines by which electric buses run on overhead poles connected to overhead wires, 2 heritage streetcar lines that operate on street level, & 3 heritage cable car lines. The agency also operates the Presidio Go shuttles in the Presidio section of San Francisco, as well as SF Paratransit services.
Want to see your photo featured?
This month’s Showcase photo was courtesy of The Global Transit Guidebook Forum member G.D.W.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been making some major revisions to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) subsection of The Global Transit Guidebook website. These revisions include the addition of over 100 new transit vehicle photos, the creation of a new retired transit vehicles subsection, & updating route info to reflect the newly minted service changes for the fall. I hope that you’ll spend some time going through the changes I’ve made to this subsection & let me know what you think!
In the coming months, I intend to make the same revisions to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) subsection, which you’ll notice that I’ve temporarily taken down in preparation of this. What you see on the revised PSTA subsection will be similar to what you’ll see on the revised HART subsection.
In addition to the PSTA subsection overhaul, I’ve also revised the Tampa International Airport & Cross-Bay Ferry subsections, as well as opened the Polk Citrus Connection subsection. The latter will begin as a single-page subsection until I’m able to make a trip out to Polk County to explore the system there.
Vacation Time!
With the above said, it’s about time for me to embark on another adventure! Where am I going exactly? Well, you’ll have to stay tuned to my social media channels to find out. If you’re not already following me on social media, please take a moment to do so via the links found at the bottom of the post. I also suggest that you follow my HARTride 2012 page on Facebook, as this is where you’ll see my check-ins & other musings during my adventure.
As always, there will be no website updates or new blog posts until I return & social media activities will be somewhat limited. However, my social media moderators are available to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. If you’re not already a member of The Global Transit Guidebook Forum Facebook Group, I highly encourage you to join! Before I wrap up this post, I want to go over a few things that you’ll see in November.
The November Showcase photo & corresponding blog post will be posted/uploaded on Saturday, November 2, 2019.
The HART subsection revisions will begin on Sunday, November 3, 2019 & will continue through the month. My goal is to have the revised subsection up by the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Veterans Day Holiday Transit Service Schedules blog post will be posted on Sunday, November 3, 2019.
The 2019 Winter Holiday Transit Service Schedules blog post will be posted on Thursday, November 14, 2019.
Episode 7 of my Transit 101 series will be posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is enacting its fall, 2019 service changes on Sunday, October 20, 2019. While most of the changes comprise of minor scheduling adjustments, some big changes are coming to Routes 18, 73, the Central Ave Trolley, & the North County Connector network. In this post, I’ll first highlight these four significant changes & what they mean for riders, then briefly highlight which routes will see the minor changes. Such minor changes include running time &/or time point changes.
Route 18
# 2629 at the Park St Terminal in Clearwater.
For many years, Route 18 has made several trip deviations off Seminole Blvd in the northern Seminole/south Largo area to serve the Heritage Presbyterian Apartments complex – a low income senior living apartment complex on 122nd Ave. These trip deviations are currently made 6 times a day Monday through Saturday & 5 times a day on Sundays. While these trips allow apartment residents to catch the 18 during these selected trips, the deviations often cause buses to run well behind schedule – especially during weekday rush hours. On top of this, overall boardings/de-boardings along the deviation have been rather low. I’ve witnessed this for myself while riding the 18 through one of these deviated trips & noticed that no one had gotten on or off the bus at the Heritage stop. Because of the overall low usage of this deviation, along with the need to keep buses running on time, PSTA has proposed eliminating the deviation several times over the past decade, but ran into opposition from apartment residents.
A Direct Connect sign at the Pinellas Park Transit Center. A new Direct Connect stop will be added as part of the Route 18 changes.
Since the Direct Connect partnership between PSTA, Uber, United Taxi, & Wheelchair Transport went countywide a couple years ago, many customers like myself have been able to enjoy a seamless first-mile/last-mile link that we previously did not have. In order to compensate for the removal of the Route 18 deviation, PSTA has been working very closely with residents & staff at Heritage, as well as with United Taxi, to come up with a solution. That solution is a new Direct Connect stop located near the intersection of Seminole Blvd & Walsingham Rd, which would allow residents to summon a United Taxi cab & traverse to or from the stop at little to no out-of-pocket cost to them. To me, this is definitely a huge win-win for both PSTA & the residents at Heritage.
In addition to this major change, many bus stops along the Route 18 corridor will be balanced out as part of a systemwide effort to consolidate & balance out bus stops. As a result of this, some closely spaced stops may be combined & others with very low usage may be removed entirely. This will in-turn allow for faster travel along the already very long route. In conjunction with the overall bus stop balancing, the three stops currently in place at the Largo Mall complex will be consolidated. Stop #’s 3634 (Dollar Tree) & 3667 (Bealls/Rue 21) will be eliminated, while Stop # 3651 (Target) will remain active. Routing within the mall’s parking lot will also change as a result. Finally, as a result to both of these changes, scheduling changes will be enacted with more uniform frequencies throughout the day.
Route 73
# 2655 leaving the Park St Terminal.
While on the subject of bus stop balancing, Route 73 will be seeing faster travel times & a scheduling adjustment due to these changes.
Central Ave Trolley
# 922 approaching Grand Central Station.
The Central Ave Trolley (CAT) will also undergo some bus stop balancing, but the biggest change will take place in St. Pete Beach.
If you reside in Pinellas County, then chances are, you’re already aware of the discord between PSTA & the community of St. Pete Beach. I won’t go into details as to what it’s all about, but to give a brief synopsis for those who aren’t familiar with the situation; St. Pete Beach is NOT a member city of the PSTA network. They’ve simply paid PSTA an “a-la-carte” fee every year to have CAT service provided to Pass-A-Grille beach. This agreement remained intact with few (if any) changes for many years until the Central Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project came to light.
With the BRT project, there have been some miscommunication between PSTA & St. Pete Beach leaders by which have resulted in not only these leaders not supporting the BRT project wholeheartedly, but also effectively ending the prospect of CAT service serving Pass-A-Grille for at least the foreseeable future. Instead, city leaders have signed an agreement with a microtransit provider that will be running electric golf cart-like vehicles (you may have seen these in Downtown Tampa & Downtown St. Pete previously) through the community.
With these changes come the loss of what was a very convenient one-seat ride for those who wanted to visit Pass-A-Grille, which is often times far less congested than Clearwater Beach. In my personal opinion however, if St. Pete Beach is unwilling to work with PSTA & would rather play blame games & spew misinformation about the BRT, then I’d say, let these leaders do what they wish & see who suffers later. Because it won’t be these elected leaders who feel negative repercussions later on, it’s the countless number of residents & workers who rely on the CAT each day to get to & from work, school, & other necessary places.
Commentary aside, here’s what to expect over the next couple of months.
Sunday, October 20, 2019:
CAT service will begin to be phased out of the Pass-A-Grille area of St. Pete Beach. New schedules & maps reflect this change.
An 8-week transition period will take place between CAT service ending & the start of the new St. Pete Beach microtransit service.
Sometime in December, 2019:
The St. Pete Beach microtransit service, provided by BeeFree, will begin. An exact date is yet to be determined.
Sometime in February, 2020:
Very likely during the February, 2020 service change cycle – depending on when modifications to the Pinellas County beach access at 4600 Gulf Blvd can be completed, CAT service will begin truncating here & will no longer proceed south of 46th Ave on Gulf Blvd.
Changes to Route 90 may also be enacted during this time. Right now, it’s business as usual for the 90 (no changes will be enacted on 10/20/19).
You may still see these vans around the Countryside & Dunedin areas, but for how much longer remains a question. # 1805 is pictured here.
Due to current ridership patterns, PSTA has decided to convert all three North County Connector flex routes into standard fixed routes. Few people were making flex reservations & when such reservations were made, vans were often thrown behind schedule – despite several efforts to try & build such time into account. The new routes will go by the current internal numbering for the flex routes – which are 812 (Tampa/Oldsmar), 813 (Dunedin/Palm Harbor), & 814 (Safety Harbor). Additionally, the 812 & 813 will see a shift back to their pre-2018 routings in the Countryside & Dunedin areas respectively. During the past year, the 812 was removed from Countryside Blvd in favor of Belcher Rd & the 813 was shifted off Alderman Rd in favor of Nebraska Ave.
A lot of questions have been raised as far as how much longer these routes would remain in operation due to the overall low usage. In my opinion, I can see the 813 & 814 being combined into one fixed route in the next couple of years that would run limited Monday through Saturday trips. For the 812, once the All For Transportation money in Hillsborough is available & transit system improvements are able to kick into high gear, that route will be eventually replaced by a HART-operated limited express service. Both changes would allow for the current line of vans to be used elsewhere in the PSTA network – for maybe circulator shuttles or special events.
Other Changes
# 17101 on the 100X. The 100X will not change this time around, but the 300X will see some minor scheduling adjustments.
Minor scheduling changes will be made to Routes 9, 14, 20, 52, 52LX, 59 (Largo Mall routing/stop consolidation), 62, & 300X.
This post was originally going to be a part of my overall Transit 101 series. However, I thought it would be best to make it a completely separate post so that I can emphasize how important it is to not only have a peaceful bus or train ride, but to also ensure that others on board have that same level of peace as well.
The basics
My fictional character Nick is a police officer. He boards transit buses & trains often to help make sure that things are as peaceful & orderly as possible. Nick knows what he should & should not do while using public transit & does his best to make sure that the rules of the road & rail are enforced at all times. Keep in mind though, just because there may not be an authority figure like a police officer on board your transit vehicle – doesn’t mean you can go about making your transit ride miserable for yourself & others.
While some transit agencies may have specific rules & regulations regarding fare collection, pets & bicycles on transit vehicles, & other matters, the following is a relatively universal list of do’s & don’ts while using public transit.
Do’s
Don’ts
Have your fare media ready for immediate use & inspection before boarding a transit vehicle or entering a station turnstile. If you are qualified to pay reduced fares, please have appropriate accompanying ID ready as well.
Dress appropriately. While this doesn’t necessarily mean dress up in your Sunday’s best each time you use transit, please be thoughtful in what you wear because you are in a public place. Virtually all transit agencies require you to wear a shirt, appropriate bottoms, & shoes at all times.
Remain seated at all times. If standing due to capacity issues, please do not stand in prohibited areas of the transit vehicle – which are clearly marked.
If bringing a folding cart, please make sure that the cart is folded & not blocking aisles.
You are welcome to listen to music or otherwise use your portable media device or smartphone while on board transit vehicles. However, you are asked to use headphones when playing any sort of media.
If taking a cell phone call while on board, please keep conversations as quiet as possible & to a minimum.
Always dispose of trash & recyclables into their respective receptacles.
Do not talk to the transit operator while he or she is driving the transit vehicle.
Do not eat or drink while on board the transit vehicle (note that bottled water & baby formula are typically considered exceptions – assuming that the container can be easily sealed closed.
Do not bring alcoholic beverages on board the transit vehicle – these are strictly prohibited in most jurisdictions.
Do not smoke while on board the transit vehicle (this includes electronic cigarettes & the like – transit agencies are taking notice & are banning such devices accordingly)
Do not bring other unsafe electronic/mobility devices on board the transit vehicle (things like hoverboards & motorized gas bikes).
Do not bring flammable or otherwise hazardous chemicals & such on board the transit vehicle.
Do not lean against, hold open, or block exit doors.
Do not travel in between moving train cars – unless a provision exists to do so – such as articulated gangways.
Do not solicit products or services while on board the transit vehicle. Many transit agencies prohibit solicitation while on board a transit vehicle or at a transit facility.
Some additional don’ts…
Do not commit any act of violence against anyone on board the transit vehicle – including transit employees.
Do not commit any act of vandalism to a transit vehicle or other piece of transit agency property.
Do not engage in any other disruptive, aggressive, disturbing, or otherwise discourteous behavior towards others – including transit employees.
Do not litter – especially at rail stations, where trash can easily fall onto the tracks & result in track fires.
Roller skating, roller, blading, and skate boarding are not allowed.
Bus specifics
Below are some additional, but specific things to keep in mind while on board a transit bus.
If standing while inside the bus, your feet should not be in front of the yellow safety line, as depicted here.
Yellow Safety Line
When the bus becomes standing room only, it’s important not to step forward of the yellow safety line that is located just behind the operator’s seat. This is so you’re not encroaching upon the operator’s field of vision – especially if he or she needs to look towards the right for any reason. Additionally, you risk violating the operator’s personal space if you do. Also, you don’t want to be in the way of the wheelchair ramp if it needs to be activated.
Windows
Some buses have opening windows in the passenger area. Unless instructed by the operator, you should not open the windows.
Wheelchair boarding
When boarding the bus, if at all possible, allow the customer using the mobility device to board first. Or, if that individual is boarding after the fact, board and remain clear of the “Priority Seating” area towards the front of the bus so that the individual can board & be secured. When exiting, please use the rear door if one is present, or allow the individual using the mobility device to exit first.
Never inhibit the operator’s duties to ensure that the mobility device is properly secured!!!
Credit: Palm Tran.
Rail Specifics
Below are some additional, but specific things to keep in mind while on board a passenger rail train.
Yellow Safety Line
While I’ve discussed the subject of the yellow safety line on board the transit bus, it takes on a slightly different context when relating to passenger rail networks. Here, the safety line is to indicate the edge of the elevated platform so that you don’t accidentally fall onto the tracks. While many systems indicate the platform edge via a yellow line, some may indicate this via a blue, orange, or red line. In order to comply with accessibility laws, these platform edge markers are often comprised of ribbed surfaces so that those with visual impairments can be alerted.
Emergency Brakes
Too often, I hear of situations where a passenger rail train – especially a subway train – being stopped suddenly because someone has pulled the emergency brake handles. This is not only heavily inconvenient for those on board the train, but it’s also a major safety implication for the entire rail network because transit agency staff have to reset all of the necessary mechanisms to get the train moving again, which also in-turn, leads to system-wide delays. Thus, pulling the emergency brakes should only be done in an actual emergency.
Dangers of walking between trains
Another thing I hear of too often, especially in the realm of the subways, is people traveling in between railcars. Unless a provision exists – such as an interconnecting gangway that allows for safe passage between train cars, you should never try to travel between train cars unless instructed to by transit agency staff. Doing so can lead to serious injury or even death if you wind up getting thrown off the train.
Other things to keep in mind
Priority Seating
The seats closest to the operator on board buses & select areas on board (subway/metro & commuter rail) trains are often marked as “Priority Seating”, meaning that you should always offer these seats to those who need them – including the elderly, persons with disabilities, & expectant mothers. But also, these are the areas that are often designated for those who use mobility devices – such as wheelchairs. If a customer boards using a mobility device, you will need to immediately vacate your seat & allow space for the customer’s mobility device to be secured.
Pets on Transit
Some transit agencies allow small pets to travel on board vehicles, but only if they are in a carrier & is not blocking any aisles. Please check with your respective transit agency for details.
Allow arriving customers to exit the vehicle first before boarding
As a courtesy, you should always allow arriving customers to exit the bus or train first before boarding.
Treating the transit operator with respect
Whether you’re riding a bus or a train, it’s important to treat the operator & other transit agency staff members with the utmost respect. They have a very tough job to do & the pay & benefits may not be as good as you may think they are, so please…be kind, courteous, & respectful to them.
With all of the above said, please have a safe & wonderful transit journey!
By now, you most likely have heard about the horrible incident that occurred near the historic French Quarter in New Orleans, LA. The Hard Rock Hotel, which was under construction, partially collapsed – leaving many injured, as well as claiming at least one or two lives. Our thoughts & prayers go out to all those affected by this incident & their families.
What to expect if using transit in the area.
Due to numerous streets surrounding the hotel site being closed off, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has detoured bus routes that would typically traverse these affected streets. Additionally, the Riverfront & Rampart – St. Claude Streetcar Lines have been suspended in their entirety while the Canal Streetcar has been partially suspended. Bus substitutions will be in effect during these closures.
Previously, affected Central Business District bus routes have been congregating at the NORTA headquarters at 2817 Canal St. Since 10/23/19, temporary transfer hub operations have shifted to Duncan Plaza at 343 Loyola Ave. This second shift was supposed to occur on 10/19/19, but due to difficulties caused by the demolition of the cranes surrounding the Hard Rock site, the move was postponed.
Customers should expect longer than normal travel times as a result. The RTA will be dispatching additional staff to help assist customers in getting to where they need to go. For further information, please contact the New Orleans RTA.
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