Ride the (Heat)Wave with the TECO Line Streetcar this Saturday!

Tropical Heatwave this Saturday!

A Heatwave is expected to hit Ybor this Saturday - seventy-three bands across fourteen stages. Yeah, that's a Tropical Heatwave.

For over 30 years, WMNF 88.5 FM has provided the annual musical buffet of local and semi-local acts along with vendors selling food, drinks and other wares. The stages are as diverse as the performers with the Cuban Club in west Ybor; the Ritz in south central Ybor; and Centennial Park in east Ybor (among other venues) all housing acts throughout the day.

With so many venues spread throughout Ybor, your best bet is the TECO Line Streetcar. Four streetcar stations are located within 1 block of all 14 venues, so save your feet for dancing and hop on! The TECO Line Streetcar runs every 20 minutes and operates until 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Click for a map of Tropical Heatwave venues

Click the image to the right for a map of Ybor showing the Tropical Heatwave venues in relation to the TECO Line Streetcar. Visit the TECO Line Streetcar website for fare, map and schedule information.

Breakdown of streetcar stations serving Heatwave venues:

Centennial Park Station (Station #1)

• Centennial Park
• Collage

Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union Station (Station #2)

• Centro Ybor
• Crowbar 

Streetcar Society Station (Station #3)

• El Pasaje Plaza
• The Cuban Club (Band shell on the Patio, Ballroom & Cantina)
• The Ritz
• The Roosevelt 2.0

Cadrecha Plaza (Station #4)

• Creative Loafing's CL Space
• New World Brewery
• The Bricks

For more information on WMNF 88.5 FM's Tropical Heatwave, click here. Save your legs and some time with the TECO Line Streetcar! Enjoy the shows!

Things to Do in Tampa this Weekend: 5/4-5/6

Oh what a weekend...

You will absolutely LOVE this weekend if you're a music fan. Just perusing the event calendars yielded more than 5 decent sized music bills featuring a variety of genres at venues from Channelside, to Ybor and downtown. We'll begin with perhaps the biggest FREE music event taking place this weekend.

FRIDAY:

FREE music at Curtis Hixon Park! Photo: Tampa Bay Times

Rock the Park
Curtis Hixon Park - Whiting Station (Station #11 of the streetcar line)

Rock the Park is a monthly music series featuring some of Tampa's best bands. This concert normally taking place on the first Thursday of the month, has been bumped to Friday to take advantage of a big bill featuring 4 of *tbt's "Top 10 Tampa Bay area musicians".

• Sleepy Vikings
• The Groves
• Crash Mitchell 5
• Drake and Sofia

*Note the concert has moved this month from the lawn portion of Curtis Hixon to the Kiley Gardens area of Curtis Hixon.

And here's the reason it moved...

Burger Showdown
Curtis Hixon - Whiting Station (Station #11 of the streetcar line)

Rock the Park will be sharing Curtis Hixon with a good ol' fashioned Burger Showdown! The area's top restaurants will face off for bragging  rights for the title of Best Burger in the Bay.  Mayor Buckhorn is the honorary chair of the event featuring unlimited burger samples, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages.

Participating restaurants include Ashley Street Grille, Danny's All-American Diner, BGR The Burger Joint, Burger 21, Champions Bar & Grill, Chili's, Datz, Green Iguana Bar and Grill, Lee Roy Selmon's, Square 1 Burgers and Bar, Stacked Burgers and the Tampa Convention Center/Aramark. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk.

The cost for the event is $45 in advance, $55 at the gate and $95 for VIP, which includes a cocktail reception.

Celebrate the day at the Bricks of Ybor!

Star Wars Day at the Bricks: May the 4th Party 
The Bricks of Ybor - Streetcar Society Station (Station #3 of the streetcar line)

The Bricks is blowing out May 4th with a Star Wars-themed party ("May the 4th be with you") with specials, prizes for best costume and music. 21+ to enter. Party responsibly!

A few blasts from the past are in town at a number of venues in downtown this weekend...

New Edition
Tampa Bay Times Forum - Streetcar HSBC Station (Station #9 of the streetcar line)

New Edition with all six members are heading out on tour for their 30th anniversary. Wow! How old does that make you feel? A night with New Edition at the Tampa Bay Times Forum starts at $52.50.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Ritz Ybor - Streetcar Society Station (Station #3 of the streetcar line)

Another band that will show your age a bit, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are at The Ritz in Ybor Friday. The band is often credited as a progenitor of the ska-punk genre and are best known for their hit single "The Impression that I get," which reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1997 and has appeared in a number of movies.

Show starts at 8pm Friday with tickets costing $23.

SATURDAY:

"Surf's up" at the Straz Center Saturday night.

The Beach Boys
David A. Straz Jr. Center

The Kings of Surfer Rock are back! Touring together for the first time in two decades, the Beach Boys celebrate the band's 50th anniversary with a tour stopping at the Carol Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.

Hear all their greatest hits! The show begins at 8pm on Saturday and tickets start at $49.50.

The War on I-4: Tampa Bay Storm vs. the Orlando Predators
Tampa Bay Times Forum - HSBC Station (Station #9 of the streetcar line)

The War on I-4 is back! Watch the Tampa Bay Storm take on the Orlando Predators at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The game kicks off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $12.

Need help getting around? You can download a map of the HART/TECO Line Streetcar downtown network of service here.
  
Ticket to Dine

Don't forget you can score some savings with your Florida Aquarium admission receipt or Tampa Bay Times Forum ticket stub. Simply show the streetcar motormen your admission receipt or ticket stub for HALF off a round-trip fare on the TECO Line Streetcar! There are a couple events at the Forum in the list above - so get to saving!

Bikes on Buses during National Bike Month!

Being National Bike Month, we're taking a look at the relationship between personal (bikes) and public transportation.

Once seen as a child's toy, bikes have become a serious tool for individuals looking to speed up their commute.

Bikes on Buses saves time, money and the environment!

Committed to getting our riders to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible, HART has added racks to all buses, rubber-wheeled trolleys and most recently HARTFlex vans. Folding bikes - in proper carrying bags - were allowed on board beginning in November 2011.

Bike riders might not view a 30 mile round trip bike ride to downtown as an attractive commute. However,  pair a quick 1-2 mile bike ride with a HART route to pick up the majority of the miles and you have some serious peddle power.

Cycling HART riders find that bikes not only speed up their commutes, but also provide them more exercise, ground coverage, and route options.

For example, you might live within walking distance of a route 34 stop, but possible transfers don't work well with your schedule. Instead, you choose to bike to the route 1 stop where you can catch a straight shot to Marion Transit Center and save 10 minutes. Couple those time savings with the low-cost of a HART 1-day pass ($3.75) or 31-day pass ($60, $1.95 a day) and you've saved time, money and the environment!

Don't take our word for it though. Over 20,000 boardings were part of the Bikes on Buses program last month.

We see bikes as a supplement to our service as we celebrate a nearly 20-year relationship with the bicycle!

Click here to learn more about the HART Bikes on Buses program including how to secure your bike on the bus bike rack.  We also have a Bikes on Buses how-to video on our YouTube page here.

Ride on!

Just call us the Nickelback of commuting... better yet, don't.

P.S.

Falling under the alternative commutes umbrella, bicycling and public transportation, we hope to one day become as "alternative" as Nickelback.

Not sure how you can be "alternative" when you've sold over 50 million records worldwide? Exactly our point.

However, that's for another day, another post.

Ticket to Dine - Half off on TECO Line Streetcar!

We've got your ticket to ride during Ybor City's 'Ticket to Dine' promotion. From now until May 31, use your Florida Aquarium admission receipt or your Tampa Bay Times Forum ticket stub to get half-off an adult round trip fare on the TECO Line Streetcar!

Leave the car behind and enjoy the beautiful spring weather on one of our air-conditioned heritage streetcars or the open air 'Breezer' car for HALF the price.

You can also use your receipt or ticket stub for discounts at a number of Ybor City's best restaurants!

Bernini of Ybor

Half off an adult round trip fare! (Breezer shown)

$2 Martinis
1702 E. 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 248-0099
BerniniofYbor.com 

King Corona
10% Off Drinks & Purchases
1523 E. 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 241-9109
KingCoronaCigars.com

New World Brewery
10% Off Food
1313 8th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 248-4969
NewWorldBrewery.net
     
Sunday's Fine Dining
15% Off Food
1919 E. 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 248-4000
SundaysFineDining.com

The Laughing Cat Bistro
1811 N. 15th Street, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 241-2998
TheLaughingCat.com

Click here for more information on the 'Ticket to Dine' promotion.

For TECO Line Streetcar fares, maps and schedules visit www.TECOLineStreetcar.org.

EVERY day is Earth Day at HART!

Earth Month, Earth Day, Earth Week, Earth Hour... days, weeks and hours devoted to Mother Earth. What's it really mean when Earth Month shares April with Cranberries and Gooseberries Month, Straw Hat Month and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Month? Designations that are great company... if you're a gooseberry growing, straw hat wearing, IBS sufferer.

The point is that while it is great that society has taken the time to designate a day in celebration of the Earth, we ask if that's enough? Is one hour, day, week, month or even year good enough to celebrate and create awareness for the protection of the environment?


At HART, EVERY day is Earth Day. We live it, we breathe it, we love it and we're not alone. Environmentalism and public transportation go way back as transit by nature (no pun intended) is green.

One bus can take up 50 cars off the road!

It's easy to see why! Did you know that just one 40-foot bus can take up to 50 gas-guzzling, carbon emissions-spewing cars off the road? How about that a two-car household can reduce their carbon emissions by 4800 pounds or 10% annually, just by switching their commute to public transportation?

Do you love heavy doses of carbon dioxide? Neither does the environment. Carbon dioxide contributes to smog in cities as well as some scientists believing that it contributes to the gradual warming of the Earth. Luckily, public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. That number is equivalent to emissions resulting from electricity generated for ALL of the households in D.C., New York City, Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles... combined.

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint?

The great thing is that there are fairly easy ways to reduce your footprint. Check out this Carbon Savings Calculator to see how much you can reduce your carbon footprint by switching part or all your travel to public transportation.

65% of shelters have solar panels

HART Green Initiatives

At HART, we not only help others go green, but we like to practice what we preach. Over the years, HART has focused on being more environmentally responsible with a number of green initiatives, including solar panels on shelters, recyclable vehicle wash systems and a LEED-certified renovation of our Operations and Maintenance facility. You can visit the HART of Green section of the HART website for more details on HART green initiatives.

Want to do your part?

Businesses:

If you're looking to do your part as a business owner, Best Workplaces for Commuters has a top 10 list of ways to help green your employees' commute. You can check out the list here.

Individuals:

HART is a great way to start doing your part. Not only are you saving the environment, you're also saving money (up to $10,000 a year), reducing congestion and relieving stress.

Ride HART FREE with a friend on Earth Day

If you're already riding HART, the next best thing to do is share how easy HART is with a friend.

That's why on Earth Day - 4/22/12 - we're offering a FREE ride when you ride HART with a friend. That's right, you BOTH ride free! So spread the word of transit, make a friend and prepare to save green while going green!

Foursquare Day 2012

Check in at HART venues and leave a tip!

Happy Foursquare Day! We are giving away a FREE 31-day pass to celebrate.

Here's the deal. Check in today (April 16, 2012) on Foursquare at one or more of the official HART transfer/transit centers and leave a tip. You'll know that they're official because they'll show HART in the bottom right of the page as the staff "managing" the venue. Tomorrow we'll pick a winner at random and announce them on Wednesday, April 18.

For those that are unfamiliar with Foursquare, it's a game that utilizes the GPS function of cell phones, allowing users to "check-in" at venues, earning them badges and unlocking specials. You have to physically be at the venue in order to check-in. The Foursquare app is free and available for a number of platforms (IPhone, Android, Windows 7, Blackberry, etc.). Visit www.foursquare.com to sign up!

HART has a foursquare page and all of our transit/transfer centers are listed on the site. You can find a list of official HART venues, as well as tips that we have left at area attractions here.

You can leave as many tips as you want, but only one check-in and tip per transfer/transit center will be counted toward the promotion. Anyone can play, only one will win the 31-day pass - so get to tipping!

Tampa Fun for Frozen Four

A champion will be crowned in Tampa!

The Frozen Four and Tampa, Florida conjures up the image of an ice cube in the sun.

Despite the warm climate however, Tampa Bay is Hockey Bay and this week has Tampa at the center of the biggest week in NCAA Men's Hockey - the Frozen Four. HART would like to offer a big welcome to all the Ferris State, Union College, Minnesota and Boston College athletes, students and fans. Tampa has a number of attractions and things to do while you're in town!


Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid renting a car and the parking hassles:

The Tampa Bay Times Forum - Home of the Frozen Four!

• Tampa Bay Times Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Adventure Island - Route 5
• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8 and the TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza (Dining, retail, Splitsville and Channelside Cinemas) - Route 8, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Ybor City Historic District (Centro Ybor) - Routes 8, 12, the TECO Line Streetcar
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley
• International Plaza (Shopping) - 15, 30, 61LX
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza (Shopping) - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Tampa Theatre - In-Town Trolley, TECO Line Streetcar

A schedule of Frozen Four events can be found here.

Convenient service to airport!

Flying out? Route 30 runs between downtown and Tampa International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends. Service begins at 4:40 a.m. through midnight during the week and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends.

A 3-day Visitor Unlimited HARTride card is your best bet at only $11.00 and valid on all HART local buses, In-Town Trolley and the TECO Line Streetcar System.

Things to know about the In-Town Trolley and TECO Line Streetcar System:

• 
  In-Town Rubber-wheeled Trolley: The In-Town Trolley makes stops at popular locations in downtown Tampa weekdays for only 25¢, 6 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m. The In-Town Trolley operates on a 15-minute frequency with a stop at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

• TECO Line Streetcar Line: The streetcar line runs on rails that connect Ybor City, Channelside and downtown Tampa, which includes a stop at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. It operates Noon - 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Service runs every 20 minutes except on Friday and Saturday from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., when service is 30 minutes.  Streetcar Operators do not provide change.

 
It's easy to plan your own trip! Visit www.goHART.org to use the Google Trip Planner feature or call 813-254-HART (4278).

Click here for a map of downtown Tampa's network of public transportation service, including streetcar stops, In-Town Trolley service and HART bus routes.

Have a great time taking in the Frozen Four and while you're here, we hope you enjoy all that Tampa has to offer!