TECO Line Streetcar

TECO Line Streetcar
A TECO streetcar picking up passengers in Ybor City
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerCity of Tampa
LocaleTampa, Florida
Termini
Stations11[1]
WebsiteTECO Line Streetcar
Service
TypeHeritage streetcar
SystemHART
Services1[1]
Operator(s)HART
Rolling stockBirney
Daily ridership2,500[2]
History
OpenedOctober 19, 2002
Technical
Line length2.7 mi (4.35 km)[3]
CharacterAt-grade
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC[4]
1900's Tampa streetcar route maps
image icon Original 1920-40s (tampaheights.org)
image icon 1920's Modern Redraw (Jake Berman)
Route diagram

Legend
 Centennial Park
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
 Centro Ybor
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
 Streetcar Society
Cadrecha Plaza
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
Maintenance facility
CSX Tampa Terminal Subdivision
Silver Star (Amtrak train) Tampa Union Station enlarge…
MetroRapid
Toll Florida 618.svg
SR 618
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
 Port Tampa Bay
York Street
The Florida Aquarium
Hattricks
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
 Amalie Arena
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Tampa Bay Area#Water
 HSBC
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Tampa Bay Area#Water
 Dick Greco Plaza
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Tampa Bay Area#Water
Disabled access All stations are accessible

The TECO Line Streetcar is a heritage streetcar transit line in Tampa, Florida, run by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transportation Authority (HART), owned by the city of Tampa, and managed by Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. It connects Downtown and Channelside to the historic Ybor City district. There is also an "In-Town" trolley-replica bus system that connects Downtown, Channelside, and Harbour Island.[1]

The line opened on October 19, 2002, at 2.4 mi (3.86 km) long, and expanded to 2.7 mi (4.35 km) in 2010,[5] with 11 stations.[1] The system is single-track with several passing sidings, which mostly follows a reserved right-of-way at a cost of 13.7 million per mile. Ten replica historic streetcars and one restored historic streetcar are used on the line. The replica cars themselves cost $745,000 each. A $2.7 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation awarded in 2018 allowed HART to eliminate fares and increase frequency on the line, causing a significant increase in ridership.[6]

Despite a $67 million state grant, a proposed expansion to 4.0 miles (6.4 km) and 6 more stations has faced funding issues.[7][8] A county tax to help pay for the development was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Florida in 2021 after being passed locally.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d "Downtown Network Map - Downtown Network of Services" (PDF). Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART). 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2019" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association.
  3. ^ "TECO Line Streetcar". TECOline Streetcar. 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  4. ^ "Tampa's TECO Line Streetcar System Inventing the Future. Respecting the Past" (PDF). TECO line Streetcar. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  5. ^ "TECO Line Streetcar". tampagov.net. City of Tampa. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  6. ^ "How Tampa Tripled Ridership on its Streetcar". Streetsblog USA. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).