HART Tampa Arterial BRT Study

The Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) contracted Benesch to identify the most suitable corridor for a premium Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service connecting Downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida Tampa campus. This corridor was a long-identified priority in HART’s vision for expanding BRT service, addressing the need for an express transit connection between these two major activity centers.

The project was completed in three phases. In the first phase, Benesch assisted HART in selecting a locally preferred alignment that met Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Improvement Grant (CIG) requirements, making the project eligible for federal funding. This phase also included public and stakeholder outreach and identified street-level bus service improvements and infrastructure enhancements along the corridor.

The second phase finalized the alignment based on operating needs, station placement, and runningway conceptual operations and design. This phase also produced 30% design-level plans for key sections of the corridor.

In the final phase, 60% and 90% design plans were developed for the initial segments of the corridor that were implemented as a low-cost alternative version of the BRT service. This study helped lay the foundation for improved connectivity and enhanced mobility in the Tampa region.