TAMPA, Fla. — Free rides on Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) buses are no longer available for many kids and teens in Hillsborough County.

A COVID-era program let anyone ages six to 18 take the buses at no charge, but HART officials said funding has run out, and they’re back to offering discounts for young passengers.

One parent of Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) students said she’s concerned the change will create challenges for some families.

What You Need To Know

  • Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) is reinstating its youth pass, which gives passengers six to 18 years old a 50% discount on regular fares

  •  Since 2020, these passengers were able to ride for free thanks to a pandemic-era program

  •  A HART spokesperson said the program was funded by the CARES Act, and that funding has run out

  • A parent of Hillsborough Schools students says she's concerned not all families will be able to afford the pass

Miki Powell said she and her two children, now in the twelfth and tenth grades at Middleton High School, have relied on the program since her son was a freshman four years ago. Powell said she normally drops them off at the school, then they’ll take a HART bus home. On April 1, however, she said they were all taken by surprise.

“They called me in a panic — ‘Ma, we need money. I need money to get on the bus.’ Before I could send her the money to get on the bus, the bus driver had kicked her off,” Powell said. 

Up until the beginning of this month, Powell said they were able to show their student IDs and ride for free. HART said April 1 marked the end of those fare-free rides.

“The information was not communicated. It was not communicated effectively. I don’t know what they were trying to do,” Powell said.

HART Manager of Communications and Marketing Frank Wyszynski said the youth free fare initiative started in 2020 to support the school district’s free lunch program during the pandemic.

In fiscal year 2023 alone, more than 449,000 free trips were provided. Wyszynski said the CARES Act money that funded it has run out, and HART faces an $18 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2025, meaning it can’t support the program.

He said HART reached out to the district about funding it but said HCPS is also facing financial challenges. The decision was made to bring back the HART Youth Pass, which offers a 50% discount off regular fare prices. Anyone 18 and younger can pay $1 for a one-way ride, $2 for a one-day pass or $32.50 for a monthly pass. Kids five years old and younger can still ride free with a parent or guardian. 

Wyszynski said HART began advertising the change and doing digital and in-person outreach in schools in February. HCPS posted an alert to its Facebook page on March 27.

Powell said she doesn’t think enough was done to make sure all impacted parents and students were aware. She told Spectrum News she’s struggled to get information from her kids’ school.

“I go in — it’s a parent issue. My daughter is a choice student, so since my daughter is a choice student for Hillsborough County Public Schools in the district, it’s my responsibility to get her to school. I agree. She was using public transportation to do that,” Powell said. 

Despite the confusion, Powell said she’s fortunate. She said she can afford to pay for the passes for her children, but she worries other students and their families can’t.

“These children rely on the bus to get them to school for breakfast in the morning, to make sure that they’re on time,” she said. “They utilize these resources to get to their after-school jobs, their volunteer work, their community service.”

Powell said she’d like to see local leaders look into a plan to bring free service back for young people. 

To get the HART Youth Pass, eligible riders can bring a valid ID to the customer service windows at the Marion Transit Center or University Area Transit Center. The pass is only available on HART’s mobile app, Flamingo Fares. Passengers paying cash can show a student or state ID to buy a one-ride or one-day pass at the discounted rate.