Historical Notes for HART

Page was created on 02/05/2025

Information regarding defunct services & other historical notes.

This page is dedicated to routes & services that HART no longer operates, as well as other historical notes about the agency.

NEXT STOPS:

  1. Defunct HART Fixed Routes
  2. HyperLINK On-Demand Service

Defunct HART Fixed Routes

Like any transit agency, HART has had its share of routes that have been discontinued – whether it was due to lower ridership levels, funding issues, or a partnership discontinuation. Below is a listing of HART routes that were once in service & the destinations they served. The information listed was obtained from the Wayback Machine or through preserved transit documents (i.e. schedule booklets).

Defunct Local Routes

While most of the legacy HART local bus network has remained unchanged in the sense of route designations, many routes have been significantly altered over the years, with a significant chunk being out-right eliminated.

  • Route 2: Nebraska Ave Local – Prior to the introduction of the MetroRapid BRT Lite service, there was the legacy Route 2 service that traversed much of Nebraska Ave from downtown Tampa to the University area. This route served many of the spots where the MetroRapid Nebraska route serves today – including Tampa Union Station & Sulfur Springs Park.
    • Prior to the introduction of MetroRapid, Route 2 was HART’s busiest bus route – with Route 1 being right behind. Overall frequency for the route ranged from every 15 minutes during weekdays (daytime) to every 30 minutes during early evenings & weekends, with hourly departures during late evenings. Buses generally travelled up & down Nebraska Ave between the western fringe of Ybor City to about Fletcher Ave, before turning east towards the University area.
    • Between 2001 & 2012, the route was re-aligned to operate along Nebraska Ave from Fletcher Ave to Skipper Rd, before turning east on Skipper, then Bearss Ave, & then south on 22nd St.
    • Between 2012 & 2017, the route was reverted back to its pre-2001 routing – with Route 1 taking over the segment north of Fletcher Ave. This was to align Route 2 service with MetroRapid – with Route 2 making local stops & having frequency aligned to every 30 to 60 minutes on all service days. Route 2 would retain late evening service while MetroRapid operated from 6am until about 8pm during the week.
    • With the Mission MAX route optimization project being enacted in October of 2017, Route 2 was ultimately eliminated in favor of optimized MetroRapid service.
  • Route 3: Davis Islands/Ybor City – This route was in existence during the course of the late 90s & early 2000s as part of the permanent closure of the Downtown Tampa People Mover. The route was eliminated once the TECOline Streetcar System opened in 2002.
  • Route 4: Hyde Park/Palma Ceia – This hourly route operated between Downtown Tampa & MacDill AFB in South Tampa, with service provided in the Hyde Park shopping/dining district, the Palma Ceia neighborhood, & Britton Plaza. Most trips would service MacDill AFB via either Dale Mabry Hwy or MacDill Ave. The route was in operation during weekdays only from its inception during the 1990s until October 2017, when it was eliminated during the Mission MAX route optimization project.
  • Route 6 LTD: 56th St Limited Stop – This short-lived limited stop route was designed to be a skip-stop variant of Route 6 that operated during weekday rush hours. Ridership was relatively low during its existence in the early 2010s & was ultimately eliminated in favor of Limited Express route, the 21LX.
  • Route 10 (1980s – early 2000s incarnation): Kennedy Blvd – Before the present-day Route 30, Kennedy Blvd was primarily served by the original Route 10 service. Buses served the throughfare between WestShore Plaza & Downtown Tampa, with 30 to 60 minute frequency on weekdays & hourly service on weekends. The route would ultimately be absorbed into Route 30, with the Route 10 designation being re-assigned to Cypress St service.
  • Route 10 (early 2000s – 2017 incarnation): Cypress St – Due to the above changes, Route 10’s designation was shifted to a new route serving Cypress St between Downtown Tampa & Cypress Point Park, near Tampa International Airport. Service operated every hour on weekdays only until October 2017, when it was eliminated during the Mission MAX route optimization project. During the early 2000s, limited trips were provided to WestShore Plaza & Britton Plaza via WestShore Blvd.
  • Route 11: Northwest Tampa – This route largely served portions of Town-N-Country, Egypt Lake/Leto, & Drew Park. Early versions of the route had limited service to Oldsmar. The 11 wound up vanishing in 2005 due to a system-wide route reorganization.
  • Route 17 (2001 – 2005 incarnation): MacDill Ave – This was another relatively short-lived route, but was aimed at providing weekday-only hourly service on MacDill Ave between the old Tampa Bay Center mall & Britton Plaza. Service was provided on most trips to MacDill AFB. Like the 11, the 17 vanished in 2005 due to a system-wide route reorganization.
  • Route 17 (2017 – 2023 incarnation): Manhattan Ave/Port Tampa City – The 17 designation was briefly revived as part of the Mission MAX route optimization project as an effort to de-interline higher ridership Route 19 service north of Britton Plaza from its lower-performing segment south of the shopping center. Service operated hourly on all service days. The route was ultimately eliminated in 2023 in favor of a HART Flex van test period that wound up being unsuccessful. Route 19 service has since been restored to the corridor – serving Port Tampa City – while Tampa General Hospital service was relegated to Route 5 as of late 2024.
  • Route 18: 30th St – This route served the 30th St corridor from just north of I-4 to the University area. Most trips also served various apartment complexes in the northern fringe of the University area off Livingston Ave. Weekday service operated every 30 minutes, with the final evening trips & all weekend departures operating hourly. The route was eliminated in October 2017 as part of the Mission MAX route optimization project, with Route 9 taking over 30th St from Rowlett Park to the University Area Transit Center & the Route 44 circulator serving a small section of Livingston Ave between Bearss Ave & Sinclair Hills Rd.
  • Route 41: Sligh Ave – This route served the Sligh Ave corridor between the old Tampa Bay Center mall & the old East Lake Mall (today NetP@rk Transfer Center). The route was said to be one of the final 80s era routes to be established in the HART system & saw few routing modifications during its existence. Between 2003 & 2013, the route had its western terminus shifted to Town-N-Country – serving Hanley/Waters Plaza, before being reverted back to its pre-2003 routing. The route was eliminated in October 2017 as part of the Mission MAX route optimization project.
  • Route 46 (1990s – 2023 incarnation): Davis Islands/Port of Tampa/Causeway Blvd/Brandon Blvd. The earliest (known-to-me) variant of Route 46 served Davis Islands & the Port of Tampa during the course of the mid/late 90s to the mid 2000s. The route was gradually extended during the mid/late 2000s towards Brandon via Causeway Blvd. In the early 2010s, the Davis Islands portion was discontinued & the western terminus was shifted to Downtown Tampa (Marion Transit Center). The eastern terminus would then shift to the former Dover Park-N-Ride Lot just east of Brandon. Throughout its lifespan, the 46 has generally operated with hourly service on weekdays only, with some hourly weekend service introduced in the late 2000s. In October, 2017, service west of Brandon Exchange Mall was eliminated due to the Mission MAX route optimization project & the route itself saw a temporary elimination between mid 2023 & late 2024 in favor of a HART Flex van test that was ultimately unsuccessful. The 46 has since been restored as of late 2024, using its 2017 – 2023 routing.
  • Route 57: Temple Terrace – This route connected the University Area Transit Center with NetP@rk Transfer Center between 2005 & 2017, with hourly all-week service between the two transfer points via Fowler Ave & Harney Rd. The route was ultimately eliminated in October 2017 due to the Mission MAX route optimization project, but a variant of the route – the 48 – was instituted in 2019 due to rider feedback.

Defunct Circulator Routes

During the course of the late 1990s through the mid 2010s, HART operated a series of neighborhood circulators that served more remote areas of Hillsborough County. All of these services no longer exist due to lower ridership & funding constraints.

70-series routes were exclusive to Plant City & were dubbed as the Strawberry Connection, while 80-series routes served other parts of the county.

  • Routes 70, 71, 72, & 73: Plant City Strawberry Connection services (1990s – mid 2000s service) – These were circulators that traversed the Plant City area. Service was supported by the city & provided by HART. When the city decided to withdraw its funding, the circulators all ceased service. Any attempt to restart local service will require new funding streams to be established.
  • Route 81: South Tampa Connector (1990s – 2005 service) – This was the original variant of neighborhood circulator service for South Tampa, serving Britton Plaza & WestShore Plaza via WestShore Blvd.
  • Route 83: University Area Connector (1990s – 2012 service) – This was the original variant of neighborhood circulator service for much of the University area. Destinations included University Mall (now known as the Rithym at Uptown), University Community Hospital (now known as AdventHealth Tampa), the USF Tampa Campus, the James A. Haley VA Hospital, & the University Community Development Center. The route was eliminated in 2012 in favor of expanded local route service – including a re-aligned Route 33.
  • Route 84: South County Circulator (1990s – 2006 service) – This was the original neighborhood circulator service for the Ruskin, Sun City Center, & Wimauma areas. Weekday service was provided, along with limited Saturday service. The route was eliminated in 2006 in favor of more optimized service in the form of Route 86.
  • Route 85: South Tampa Weekend Connector (2004 – 2009 service) – This was the 2nd variant of neighborhood circulator service for South Tampa, serving MacDill AFB, Britton Plaza, & WestShore Plaza on Saturdays (Sunday service was added in 2006). The route was eliminated in 2009 in favor of extending all weekend Route 36 trips to MacDill (previously, the route terminated at Britton Plaza, with weekday only trips extending to the base in 2005).
  • Route 86: SouthShore Connector (2006 – 2011 service) – This was the 2nd variant of circulator service for the Ruskin, Sun City Center, & Wimauma areas, providing more coverage as the region’s population grew (the Route 87 designation was revived for a component connector route for the region, but lasted until 2009). The route was eliminated in 2013 in favor of HART Flex South County service.
  • Routes 87/88: Town-N-Country Connectors (1990s – 2011 service) – This duo circulator pair served portions of Town-N-Country by which using a regular 40′ bus would not have been feasible. While Route 87 was ultimately eliminated in 2005, the 88 survived up until 2011 – when it was replaced with HART Flex Town-N-Country service.
  • Route 89: South Tampa Weekday Connector (2005 – 2011 service) – This was the 3rd variant of neighborhood circulator service for South Tampa, serving Britton Plaza & WestShore Plaza on an hourly basis. Service was eliminated in 2011, when it was replaced with HART Flex South Tampa service.

Defunct HART Flex Zones

Like HART’s fixed routes, the HART Flex van service has also seen various changes in how it operates. The only legacy zone that has operated uninterrupted is Route 571 in SouthShore.

  • Route 570: HART Flex Carrollwood (never launched). As part of the original plans for HART Flex, a zone in Carrollwood was proposed – with service to launch in the fall of 2010 (alongside the 1st incarnation of the Brandon zone & the South County zone). However, due to funding constraints, the service never launched.
  • Routes 572/577: HART Flex Brandon (1st variant 2010 – 2019, 2nd variant 2023 – 2024). Two variants of this zone were implemented: The first being in 2010 (alongside South County) & the second being a trial in 2023. Both zones were similar in nature in terms of coverage, but no route deviations were provided in the second incarnation. Both zones were ultimately eliminated due to lower ridership usage & the preference to allow local fixed routes serve the affected areas.
  • Route 573: HART Flex Town-N-Country (2011 – 2019). This zone was a direct replacement for Route 88 & was ultimately eliminated in 2019 due to low ridership & funding constraints.
  • Route 574: HART Flex South Tampa (2011 – 2019). This zone was a direct replacement for Route 89 & was ultimately eliminated in 2019 due to low ridership & funding constraints.
  • Route 575: HART Flex Port Tampa City (2023 – 2024). This trial zone – with no deviation option – was launched due to low ridership on the second incarnation of Route 17. However, the trial was unsuccessful & Route 19 service to Port Tampa City was restored.

Defunct Limited Express & Express Routes

Prior to 2017’s Mission MAX route optimization project, HART boasted a robust Limited Express & Express bus route network, primarily aimed at serving Downtown Tampa workers on weekdays. Two remaining routes – the 24LX & 25LX – continue to operate due to their focus on transporting those who work at MacDill AFB in South Tampa. Mission MAX was enacted primarily due to HART’s long-term operating deficit & the failure of several sales tax ballot initiatives that would have brought in additional funding to the agency. The lower ridership nature of most of the express routes & changing demographics would prove to be catalysts for elimination later on.

The following routes existed up until 2005:

  • Route 57LX: Northern-Cross County Limited Express – Connected Oldsmar & Town-N-Country to East Tampa via Carrollwood & the University area. Route was eliminated in early 2005 in favor of Route 59LX & optimized local connections.
  • Route 58LX: Southern-Cross County Limited Express – Connected Oldsmar & Town-N-Country to East Tampa via Downtown Tampa & WestShore. Route was eliminated in late 2005 in favor of Route 59LX & optimized local connections. With the elimination of this route, service between Oldsmar & Hillsborough County as a whole ended until PSTA introduced its Route 812 service in 2012.

The following routes existed between 2005 & 2010:

  • Route 35LX: Brandon/SouthShore Limited Express – Connected Brandon Exchange Mall with the Wimauma & Sun City areas. Service launched in 2006 & lasted until 2010, when it was replaced with Route 53LX.
  • Route 59LX: Town-N-Country Limited Express – Connected Town-N-Country (Tri-County Business Park) to Downtown Tampa via WestShore. Service was launched in 2005 & lasted until 2010, when it was replaced with Route 61LX.

The following routes existed up until 2007:

  • Route 52LX: New Tampa/East Pasco Limited Express – Connected eastern Pasco County with New Tampa & Downtown Tampa. The route originally operated as a full express route, being demoted to a Limited Express service in early 2006 to serve the University area. In late 2007, the route was eliminated entirely due to state-mandated budget cuts.

The following routes existed up until 2010:

  • Route 23X: Temple Terrace Express – Connected Temple Terrace with Downtown Tampa. Route was eliminated in 2010 in favor of the skip-stop variant of Route 6, called the 6LTD.
  • Route 26X: Carrollwood Express – Connected Carrollwood with Downtown Tampa. Route was eliminated in 2008 in favor of optimized local connections.

The following routes existed up until 2013:

  • Route 50X: Citrus Park Express – Connected the area of Citrus Park to Downtown Tampa. Service was eliminated in 2013 due to demographic shifts & low ridership. Operational efficiencies & an extension were both enacted on Route 61LX to compensate.

The following routes existed between 2010 & 2017:

  • Route 53LX: This route was a direct replacement for Route 35LX & followed a similar path to it via US Hwy 301 between Brandon & Sun City/Wimauma. Service was eliminated without any compensatory service outside of Route 31, with a required transfer to either Route 8 or 360LX in Brandon.

The following routes existed between 2014 & 2017:

  • Route 21LX: University/Downtown Express – After the Route 6LTD trial was deemed unsuccessful, Route 21LX was introduced to provide Limited Express service between the University Area Transit Center & Downtown Tampa via 56th St. Service began in late 2014 & ended in October 2017 due to the Mission MAX route optimization project, with customers resorting to using Route 275LX service instead.

The following routes existed up until 2017 (eliminated due to the Mission MAX route optimization project):

  • Route 22X: Dover/Brandon Express – This route connected Brandon & Dover with Downtown Tampa via the Selmon Exwy. Service was eliminated in favor of retained Route 46 service to Brandon Exchange & Route 360LX service from near the mall.
  • Route 27LX: FishHawk/Riverview/South Brandon Limited Express – This route served as a compliment to Route 24LX (which was then designated as just the 24X). The 24X did not stop in Downtown Tampa as it does today, but the 27LX terminated at the Marion Transit Center, prompting HART to eliminate it in favor of having the 24 re-designated as Limited Express & stopping in Downtown (though it does not serve the MTC).
  • Route 28X: East County Express – This route connected Downtown Tampa with the western outskirts of Plant City, even after the plug was pulled on the Strawberry Connection circulator service. Service was eliminated without any compensatory service, leaving customers to rely on intercity providers like FlixBus or regional vanpool services.
  • Route 47LX: South County/Brandon Limited Express – This route connected Downtown Tampa with the Southshore region (Ruskin), providing a direct connection between the two areas without having to transfer buses in Brandon. Service was eliminated without any compensatory service outside of Route 31, with a required transfer to either Route 8 or 360LX in Brandon.
  • Route 61LX: Northwest Limited Express – This route was a direct replacement for Route 50X & connected Town-N-Country & Citrus Park with Downtown Tampa. Service was eliminated & partially replaced with Route 60LX service.
  • Route 200X: Clearwater Express – This intercounty express route connected Downtown Tampa with the eastern fringe of Clearwater, making no other stops between. Service was eliminated with no compensatory service, leaving customers to rely on regional vanpool services or PSTA Routes 100X, 300X, or 812.

Post-Mission MAX changes

  • Route 20X: This route connected central-south Pasco County & Lutz with Downtown Tampa. Much of the route remained largely unchanged until 2018, when a “last gasp” attempt was made to save the route from elimination was made by extending trips from Downtown Tampa to MacDill AFB in South Tampa. The route was ultimately eliminated in 2020 with no compensatory service provided.
  • Route 51LX: This route connected southeast Pasco County & New Tampa with Downtown Tampa & was originally viewed as a compliment to Route 52X until it was converted to Limited Express service. The 51X was in of itself converted to Limited Express service with the Mission MAX changes in October 2017 & ultimately eliminated in 2019, with Route 275LX taking over.
  • Route 60LX: This route was created as a result of the Mission MAX changes in October 2017 as a cross-county Limited Express route between Brandon Exchange Mall & TPA Airport. Due to the re-introduction of Route 10 & changes to Route 30, the 60LX was ultimately eliminated in 2019.
  • Route 75LX: This route was created as a result of the Mission MAX changes in October 2017 as a “last gasp” shopper’s connector between Brandon Exchange Mall & the Sun City Center area. The route only operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays with extremely limited service between the two areas – with only one intermediate stop at St. Joseph’s Hospital South. The route was ultimately eliminated in 2019 with no compensatory service provided.

HyperLINK On-Demand Service

In 2015, HART attempted to launch an innovated on-demand van type service called HyperLINK that would provide similar service to that of rideshare providers like Uber & Lyft. The contracted service operated in limited spots throughout northern Hillsborough County & was proposed to be expanded countywide if it was successful. However, due to higher than expected operating costs & lack of interest from potential contract vendors (the original vendor – TransDev – chose not to renew), the service ended in 2018.

Former HART CEO Katharine Kelleman (right) speaking at the HyperLINK launch event in 2015. Kelleman left HART at the end of 2017 to become CEO at Pittsburgh Regional Transit in Pittsburgh, PA.
One of the original minivans used for the HyperLINK service.
One of the Tesla electric vehicles that were acquired in 2017 – with hopes of future service expansion. When the HyperLINK program ended in 2018, the City of Tampa acquired the vehicles to be used on their DASH shuttle service in Downtown Tampa.