Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

The HART Vision Plan 2026 details a long-term strategy for public transportation enhancements in Hillsboro County. The plan aims to provide convenient, reliable, and accessible service by focusing on improvements such as increased frequency on existing routes, the development of new routes and service areas, diversification of service types, and upgrades to amenities for an improved rider experience. It serves as a guide for HART's growth and the future of transit services over the next decade.

The meeting commenced with the call to order for the March 2nd, 2026 board of directors regular meeting. Public comment included a citizen raising concerns regarding supervisor dispatchers sleeping on the job and issues related to an arbitration decision concerning hazard pay and union representation effectiveness. Another speaker presented emails detailing unresolved disciplinary actions against them. A new board member, Mr. Randrico Rico Smith, was welcomed. The Director of Legal Services provided an update on the ATU arbitration decision regarding COVID pay, stating the arbitrator found the grievance procedurally and substantively nonarbitrable due to waiver and failure to advance the claim to arbitration in a timely manner. Action items involved approval of service changes, including increasing frequency on Route 38 and improving on-time performance for Routes 7 and 9, while removing low-productivity routes (24 Alex, 25 Alex, and Hardly South County). The board also approved the consent agenda items recommended by the Finance and Audit Committee, and action items related to strategic planning and external relations.

The meeting commenced with introductions, followed by the public comment section where a question regarding information transfer between HART and Yellowcat services was raised, scheduled for response during the round table discussion. Key actions included the election of a new ADA committee member, Maya Hill, to fill a vacant position, and the approval of the minutes from the October 16, 2025 ADA accessibility committee meeting. A presentation detailed proposed service changes for June 2026, following a comprehensive operational analysis. The proposed changes involved the removal of routes 24 and 25 LX, which were deemed the least productive, with alternatives like Enterprise Vanpool service suggested, and the reallocation of resources to increase frequency on route 38 from hourly to every 30 minutes on weekdays to better serve high-ridership areas. Additionally, the elimination of the least productive route, Heart Flex South County, was proposed due to its high cost per ride.

The meeting commenced with the pledge of allegiance, followed by an attendance roll call which initially determined a lack of quorum. Due to this, the approval of minutes from the September 27 meeting, which covered public hearings for the final millage rate and annual budget for Fiscal Year 2022, was postponed until a quorum was established. Key segments of the meeting involved recognizing outstanding employees from various divisions (Operations Support, Customer Service, Teamsters, and Maintenance) for their performance in the third and fourth quarters of Fiscal Year 2021, including Operator and Driver of the Month selections and Employee of the Month recognitions for April through September 2021. Subsequent agenda items included a report on sole source awards and procurement deviations for August and September, specifically noting a $35,000 sole source award for an after-safety audit in July 2021. Following the establishment of a quorum, the Board unanimously approved the minutes from the September 27 meeting and unanimously approved the consent agenda items (A through E) recommended by the joint strategic planning, external relations, operation and safety, and finance and audit committees that met on October 18. The Chief Executive Officer also reported on logistical changes allowing for in-person attendance following the post-COVID environment.

The meeting commenced with the election of a temporary chair due to the absence of the regular chair and vice chair, followed by the approval of minutes. The main discussion centered on the presentation of a facility study conducted by AECOM regarding the need for expanding or establishing a satellite operations and maintenance facility, necessitated by potential fleet expansion and current facility limitations. Key aspects reviewed in the study included determining the required footprint, ideal location criteria (within an eight-mile radius of the existing facility), necessary facility features like fueling (currently focused on CNG), maintenance capabilities, and cost estimations for small, medium, and large scenarios. Discussions also involved potential coordination with Hillsborough County School District regarding an adjacent site and initial assessment of FDOT District 7 requirements for site redesigns. The study is intended to prepare HART for future federal funding applications (FTA).