Tampa Tribune: Local bus ridership to set record

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit is poised to reach its second consecutive year of record bus ridership, carrying 10 percent more passengers than in 2010.

That's no surprise to Kyle and Deborah Kelley, who were waiting downtown Wednesday afternoon for the Route 12 bus and a 27-minute trip to the dd's Discounts store on Hillsborough Avenue.

"A lot of people are riding because of the economy and how expensive it is to drive," Kyle Kelley said, voicing a key point HART officials cite for ridership gains.

But more subtle reasons also contribute to the increase in ridership, achieved despite service cuts forced by lower property tax collections as property values continue to fall. HART buses will transport almost 14 million passengers this year.

"We have made improvements over the past few years and are steadily seeing reactions to those," HART spokeswoman Marcia Mejia said.

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