TAMPA, Fla. — The city of Tampa is planning a celebration honoring a big anniversary for the TECO Line Streetcar.
The old-style trolleys returned to the streets of Tampa 20 years ago this week. The system actually started running in the 1890s, connecting areas like Ybor City, Ballast Point, Hyde Park and Sulphur Springs.
But after World War II, people started turning to automobiles and buses, and so the street cars stopped rolling in 1946. Then 20 years ago this week, the electric street cars started operating again in Tampa, moving through downtown, Channelside and Ybor City.
Once considered a tourism novelty, they’ve become a vital part of the downtown transportation system carrying tourists between attractions — and increasingly carrying people who now reside downtown between places where they live, work and play.
“I work right here at the arena, so every 15 minutes when it runs, I just hop on there. It’s very easy and convenient just to take it to work,” Brian Butler said.
“The convenience of it,” is what Stacy York said she likes about the streetcars, “And it’s free,” she laughed. “So, it’s just a great experience to ride in it.”
Andy Garzoli, visiting from California, agreed.
“Because it’s way easier than an Uber,” he said. “It gets you around and see some other things outside of the downtown area.”
The city was conducting a feasibility study to expand and modernize the streetcar system.
The InVision project, as it’s called, would replace the replica street cars with modern vehicles, add 1.3 miles of a fixed overhead-powered guideway, and modernize the existing track to accommodate those newer, modern vehicles.
If you would like to attend Friday’s TECO Line Streetcar celebration, it’s taking place 10:30 a.m. at the downtown Tampa Streetcar station located at 340 S. Franklin St. in Tampa.