‘ I’d like to make a correction about HART service between the University of Tampa and TIA as reported in an article titled ‘Students limited with rides to Tampa International’ published in the April 15th edition of the Minaret.
‘ On March 29th, HART increased frequency of service on Route 30 between downtown and the airport to 15 minutes all day on weekdays. The article references a ‘direct airport shuttle’ that operates from the Marion Transit Center, noting that it is quite a distance from UT, and that there is no direct airport service from the university to the airport.
‘ There is no such shuttle. In fact, the bus line the writer is referring to is actually Route 30, which stops right in front of UT ‘- again, every 15 minutes ‘- and does provide direct (not non-stop) service to TIA, getting you there in about 35 minutes and dropping you off at the terminal, just outside the red baggage claim area.
‘ So, if you’re standing at the bus shelter on Kennedy Blvd. in front of UT, you won’t have to wait more than 15 minutes for a bus on weekdays, you’ll get to the airport in about a half-hour, and you won’t have to lug your bags all the way to Marion Street to get it. That’s actually some of the best bus service in the city!
‘ As noted in the article, UT students can indeed purchase a discounted 31-day fare card in the OSLE office, but a one-way trip to the airport is just $1.75.
‘ Route 30 does connect you to the Marion Transit Center at the north end of downtown Tampa’s Marion Street transitway, HART’s main transit hub. From there, you can hop on a bus and reach just about any other point in Hillsborough County.
‘ I invite you to visit our website for maps, schedules and an online trip-planning feature powered by Google Transit. Our correct web address is http://www.goHART.org (incorrectly reported in the article).
‘ I hope you’ll take another look at your transit system. You just might find that it suits your needs much better than you thought!
‘ Kathy Karalekas
Public Information Officer
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
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