WESLEY CHAPEL -- Folks in Pasco County have a whole new way to get to Tampa International Airport.
- The new route begins in Wesley Chapel and ends at TIA
- It will include stops in the University area and Downtown Tampa
- The bus runs hourly and takes about an hour and twenty-minutes weather permitting
This weekend, a brand new bus route from Wesley Chapel to the airport started. Passengers like Art Passeri are already taking advantage.
"I think it's going to be one of the best routes out there, I hope," said Passeri.
For just $2, the new route leaves from the "Park 'N Ride" in Wesley Chapel, right by Wiregrass. It’s called "275 LX" and goes along Bruce B. Downs Blvd to I-275. It also includes stops in the University area and downtown Tampa.
It's first of its kind in Tampa Bay.
"It marks a milestone for local transportation in the Tampa Bay area. It's the first seven day a week, inter-county bus route," said Sandra Morrison, spokesperson for HART.
This new route started because residents and businesses in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa asked for it. HART was able to repurpose some funds from FDOT to make it possible.
The bus also connects with Pasco Transit bus routes, meaning you can get to both sides of the county by bus from Tampa.
HART says it could also be useful tourists or if passengers need to get to other locations in Tampa, like the VA.
The bus runs hourly and takes about an hour and twenty minutes, though that can vary with weather and traffic.