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HART adds produce stand to additional transit center

Expanding effort to end food deserts
Posted at 6:00 PM, Jan 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-18 18:00:47-05
HART and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful are expanding efforts to put an end to food deserts. Fresh produce is now accessible at two Tampa transit centers.
 
 
 
 
“I got off the bus, I saw the stand here, and I said oh, wow fresh vegetables that’s really good,” Eloise Best-Williams said. 
 
The University Area Transit Center is a routine stop for Best-Williams. Usually, grocery shopping just adds hassle to her commute, until now. 
 
“This is more convenient I think for people who are coming through through the bus stop and don’t have to run over to Walmart and then run back in take the bus and go home,” she said.
 
The newest fresh produce stand opened at UATC Wednesday.
 
“A lot of these areas don’t have grocery stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables so basically there’s a need,” Sandra Morrison with Hart said. 
 
This set-up will be here once a month and there's an effort to keep prices low. Morrison said, the Netpark location has about 150 regular patrons. 
 
“I just got off work so stepping off the bus and seeing this, yeah, and it would probably be good for anybody else because there’s a lot of people I know that walk or ride the bus or ride a bike and this is easier,” Angela Adair said. 
 
"This way I can just get off the bus, do my little shopping, get on the bus and go home,” Best-Williams said.
 
You can find fresh produce at UATC the third Wednesday of every month.