Hill Country Transit District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States
 | |
| Founded | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 4515 West US Highway 190, Belton, Texas United States |
| Service area | Bell County, Coryell County, and Milam County |
| Service type | Bus service, paratransit, microtransit |
| Routes | 5 bus routes 9 microtransit zones |
| Stops | 19 |
| Hubs | 1 |
| Fleet | 153 |
| Fuel type | Diesel & Unleaded Fuel |
| Operator | Hendrickson Transportation Group (Management Only since 2022) |
| General Manager | Raymond Suarez |
| Website | http://www.takethehop.com/ |
The Hill Country Transit District, branded as The HOP, is a public transit operator serving the Killeen–Temple metropolitan area. The HOP operates microtransit services in five urban cities, three rural cities, a commuter bus route connecting Belton, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Killeen, and Temple, and rural demand-response service in three counties. The district also operates transit service within Fort Hood under the name Cavazos Connector.
The district is governed by a board of directors with a representative of each county and major city served and is a member of the Killeen Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization.[1] Funding for the district comes from transit fares, the Federal Transit Administration, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and contributions from the counties and cities served.[1]
Microtransit
The HOP operates microtransit services in nine cities: Belton, Cameron, Copperas Cove, Gatesville, Harker Heights, Killeen, Rockdale, and Temple. Trips cost $2 and can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance, but they must stop and end in the same city. For trips that utilize the Connector Route to commute between cities, the fare is $4.[2]
Regional Commuter bus
The HOP operates a Regional Commuter route between the five urban cities, which operates on weekdays on a fixed schedule.Rides cost $2 per ride (in addition to any Microtransit fares incurred).[3]
Cavazos Connector
Cavazos Connector service consists of a dedicated microtransit service. Microtransit services the fort's barracks, cantonments, and family housing areas. Unlike most of The HOP's services, Cavazos Connector services operate seven days a week and are free.[4]
Rural Demand-Response
The HOP operates demand-response service in Coryell County, Milam County, and non-urban portions of Bell County. Trips cost $4 and can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance, but they must stop and end in the same county.[5]
The HOP previously operated Rural Demand-Response services in Hamilton County, Llano County, Mason County, Mills County, and San Saba County. On March 1, 2025, service in these counties was transferred to the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (Llano), the Concho Valley Transit District (Mason), and the Central Texas Rural Transit District (Hamilton/Mills/San Saba). On March 1st, 2026, service in Lampasas County was transferred to Central Texas Rural Transit District.