TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County’s Sunshine Line was just recognized as one of the best transit options in the state of Florida.
Sunshine Line was awarded by the state as Florida’s Urban Community Transportation Coordinator of the Year.
It provides free transportation to folks in need of a ride to things like medical appointments or work.
Senior driver Wilde Ortiz has been a Sunshine Line driver for 14 years.
He says it’s often senior citizens or people with disabilities who may need a ride to a doctor appointment or to pick up some groceries. Qualified passengers are often outside of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) routes as well.
“These people touch your heart. A lot of them. You get to know them. You get to know them like they’re friends of yours,” Ortiz said.
Riders can get door-to-door service or bus passes through HART. The buses are all equipped with wheelchair access as well.
To win the award, Sunshine Line beat out 63 other entities.
That’s been a goal for the service, as they worked in recent years to hire more drivers and improve customer experience.
“It’s confirmation that we’re doing well. But everyday, it’s just continued process improvement,” said operations manager Leslye McNeil.
The need only continues to grow.
McNeil says that drivers ran more than half a million trips last year in Hillsborough County. That was more than 20 percent higher than the year before.
But Ortiz doesn’t look at it like it’s work.
It’s a lot of thankful passengers that he’s helping.
“It’s more rewarding for me to just hear them say thank you. And how grateful they are,” Ortiz said.
To find out if you or someone you know is qualified for Sunshine Line, you can call 813-272-7272.