In recognition of the sacrifices and service that America’s military personnel provide, HART will once again commemorate Veterans Day by offering free rides to those who show valid veterans or military identification on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11.
HART extends this invitation to ride to all members of the armed services, both active and retired, as well as to their family members or dependents. This promotion is not valid for use of HARTPlus service or the TECO Line Streetcar System.
On Veterans Day, HART local bus routes, HARTFlex (Northdale), and HARTPlus will operate on a Saturday schedule. The TECO Line Streetcar System will operate on a Tuesday service schedule from Noon to 10:00 p.m. There will be no service on Veterans Day for:
The HART Customer Service line at 813-254-4278 (TDD 813-626-9158) will be open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
HART Customer Service Centers at University Area Transit Center and Marion Transit Center will be open 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. HART at City Hall will be closed. All other HART offices will be open and operating regular business hours.
In addition, HART joins the public transportation industry in saluting the very special men and women of our Armed Forces, both veteran and active duty. HART is proud to be one of the many transit agencies across the country that actively hires veterans, who constitute a vital part of our HART team.
The HART organizational family currently includes more than 100 employees who are veterans or family members of veterans, each with a special story of bravery and sacrifice.
In fact, approximately 15% of the HART current workforce consists of veterans who serve across a number of departments and specialties including vehicle operations, vehicle maintenance, revenue planning, safety/security, customer service, and information technology, just to name a few.
Lyndon Dallas, for example, who is a Maintenance Supervisor II, has been with HART for 29 years. Previously he was an aircraft fuel systems mechanic in the Air Force Reserves for 21 years before retiring as a Master Sergeant. “One of the valuable attributes that I brought to HART from my career in the Air Force,” Dallas explains, “was the work ethic and attention to details.”
Phillip St. Pierre, who works as a Scheduler II in Service Planning also served for eight years in the Air Force before joining HART about 14 months ago. “My primary job was maintaining ‘mission ready’ status as an aircrew member,” he says, “but I also worked in two different scheduling functions.” He transferred those skills to HART, where he now analyzes, improves, and develops public schedules and operator rosters for the HART fixed route system.
Similarly, HART Chief Financial Officer Jeff Seward is a veteran of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine program. He was a Yeoman, or administrator, and served on nuclear-powered submarines and even got to drive the sub as one of his assignments. “I have used my 13 years of military experience throughout my entire civilian career,” Seward says, “working to get the job done no matter what it takes and working in a diverse skill and employee environment. Most importantly, military service gave me the drive to contribute to the common good through public service.”
“HART and its employees salute our nation’s veterans and thank them for their service,” said Katharine Eagan, HART Chief Executive Officer. “We are recognizing the veterans within HART who have served across various branches of the armed forces and who work diligently to execute the agency’s mission.”
