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Stimulus To Benefit HART

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By RICH SHOPES

rshopes@tampatrib.com

Published: February 25, 2009

TAMPA - Bus riders will get a smoother ride next year thanks to millions in federal stimulus funding.

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority is poised to get $15.1 million and says it will use some of the cash to buy 29 buses and refurbish 124.

If the plan is approved Monday by its governing board, HART will order the buses right away and take delivery in 2010. The agency also plans to install shelters and benches at more stops and fix up its maintenance yard on 21st Avenue.

"What this really does is give us a lot more options. We were facing some pretty tough deficits in terms of shortfalls in our capital funding," HART Executive Director David Armijo said.

Successive funding shortages have forced HART to keep buses in the rotation two years longer than scheduled, which raised maintenance costs.

Buses typically have a 500,000-mile lifespan. Exceeding that can cause maintenance and fuel expenses to increase because older buses are more prone to breakdowns and less efficient.

The buses will be introduced throughout HART's service area.

Riders should notice immediate differences. For one thing, the vehicles will sit lower, making access easier for people in wheelchairs or pushing strollers. They also will have more seat padding and improved suspension.

"We anticipate a 10 to 15 percent increase in fuel economy," maintenance chief Philip Hale said.

HART ordered 28 buses in August. Those will arrive this fall. With that purchase and the next, HART's bus rotation will be up to date, Armijo said.

HART ridership has grown an average of 7 percent a year the past five years. The agency projects it will expand its fleet from 234 buses to 400, or by 71 percent, in the next 10 years.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

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