Hillsborough Area Regional Transit is adding Tesla model X's to its pilot program which it hopes will bring more bus riders on board.
Cesar Hernandez of HART says they're trying to address the "last mile" challenge of riders getting to the bus stop or getting home after a long day. Hyperlink will take bus riders for an extra fee. And riders can pay cash and even call to book the ride if they aren't able to use the app.
But let's face it, some people have historically not ridden the bus because they're in a hurry.
Hernandez says he's tested the hyperlink with the HART bus and it takes him the same amount of time to get to work--45 minutes.
"It times itself with the metro rapid at UATC, I get on the bus, I pop on the WiFi and I start working and I have a smooth ride to downtown. It just take these initial individuals to kind of want to adapt this technology and change the way they look at transit," Hernandez said.
The pilot program will run in Brandon, Carrollwood and the "innovation district" around USF. Hernandez says he hopes more people will use the service, which was created through a public-private partnership.
