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HART outlines June service changes that would cut three routes and boost frequency on others
Summary
HART staff presented proposed June 7, 2026 service changes — removing routes 24LX, 25LX and Hartflex South County while increasing frequency on Route 38 and adding a morning trip to Route 360LX — after extensive outreach (751 people engaged, 212 comments); board members pressed staff on alternatives and protections for vulnerable riders.
HART staff presented a package of proposed short‑term service changes the board would consider for implementation in June 2026, saying the changes are cost‑neutral and intended to improve frequency and on‑time performance.
Donny Murray, HART manager of community and business engagement, said the agency conducted a 31‑day public comment period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and hosted 21 community events, four open houses, four virtual town halls (two English, two Spanish) and numerous pop‑ups and on‑board outreach. Staff logged 751 interactions and read 212 comments, then modified the proposal based on public input.
Jesus Perez Garcia, manager of service development, said the package would remove three services: limited‑express routes 24LX and 25LX (serving Brandon East County to downtown/MacDill Air Force Base) and the Hartflex South County flex service, which averages roughly 15 riders per day. The proposal reallocates those resources to higher‑productivity services, including:
- increasing Route 38 frequency from hourly to every 30 minutes on weekdays (Route 38 serves Mango and Greater Brandon, entirely within unincorporated Hillsborough County), - adding an extra morning trip to Route 360LX, - making on‑time performance improvements to one or two other routes (to be determined in scheduling), and - removing the last daily trips on routes 7 and 46 where ridership is lowest (schedule changes only; no routing changes).
Staff provided alternatives for affected riders: Enterprise vanpool for many commuters to MacDill AFB (vanpool programs already operate from Brandon to the base) and Sunshine Line, Hillsborough County’s door‑to‑door service for qualifying seniors and riders with disabilities, for users of the Hartflex South County service. Perez Garcia said HART has coordinated with Sunshine Line and Enterprise and will conduct targeted outreach to commenters if changes proceed.
Board members pressed staff on equity and transition planning. Commissioner Myers asked for post‑implementation reporting on how many riders successfully transition to alternatives; Perez Garcia agreed to return with data after implementation. Director Walstell and others emphasized ensuring riders who lack access to vanpools or don’t qualify for Sunshine Line are not stranded.
Staff framed the changes as trade‑offs driven by limited bus and driver resources: reallocating service from the least productive trips to routes with higher demand to yield better overall customer experience. The board was informed the implementation would proceed to committee in February and the full board in March for final approval.
Next steps: HART will continue outreach with affected riders, coordinate with Enterprise and Sunshine Line, and return to the board in March for an approval vote if the committee recommends adoption.
