Starting next Monday, the TECO Line Streetcar System in Tampa will begin operating at 7 a.m. for commuters in downtown, the Channel District, and Ybor City. It’s the beginning of a six-month pilot program to measure demand for morning service hours along the streetcar line.
The 2.7 mile long opened for service in 2002 amid great fanfare, but has been troubled for years with low ridership. It’s been considered more of an amenity for tourists than a means of transportation for city residents, in part because of its reduced hours of service.
That will change over the next six months.
“This is a golden opportunity to make the TECO Line Streetcar System service more convenient than ever before,” said Katharine Eagan, HART Chief Executive Officer. “Plus, it will provide a new way for residents and workers in Downtown Tampa, the Channel District, and historic Ybor City to take transit without the hassle of driving. This is just another example of how HART is leading the way in finding new and innovative ways to make transit seamless and easy to use in the Tampa Bay area.”
HART will review the ridership, costs, etc. following the end of the pilot on March 24, 2017.
Meanwhile, the city is conducting a public transportation feasibility study for the extension and modernization of the streetcar.
In January the city awarded HDR Engineering a $1.2 million contract to conduct the study. The majority costs of the study are being paid from a $1 million Florida Department of Transportation grant.
The news schedule starting Monday thru Thursday for the next six months means that streetcars will begin running every half-hour from 7:00 a.m. to noon, and then every twenty minutes until 10 p.m.
On Friday only they will run every half hour until 11:00 a.m. in the morning, and then every 20 minutes after that. From midnight to 2:00 a.m. they will run every 3o minutes.
On Saturdays they will run every 20 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to midnight every 20 minutes, and then every 30 minutes from midnight to 2:00 a.m.
On Sundays they will every 20 minutes from noon to 8:00 p.m.
