Great news convention-goers! Starting soon, the historic Tampa Streetcar will offer FREE rides and increased service for anyone wishing to hop aboard! This is thanks to a $2.67 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.
Once implemented, the streetcars will run every 15 minutes for the next three years, connecting Tampa’s Downtown to Channelside and Ybor City. The streetcar was always a popular mode of transportation for convention-goers, but now it will support local tourism even more by giving visitors a free and convent transit solution with unlimited rides.
The TECO Line Streetcar System is special to our City’s history, as the first electric streetcar lines were built in 1892. The streetcar was essential to the everyday life of Tampanians, as it gave workers an easy way to get to downtown and to work in the West Tampa cigar factories.
Today, not only is the Tampa Streetcar a fun and unique way to get around town, it’s also convenient. The Convention Center is located right next to Dick Greco Plaza station—stop #10 on the streetcar route. Convention-goers can easily hop on board to grab a bite to eat, sightsee, or head back to their hotels.
Improving transportation and supporting Tampa’s economy is the main goal of the streetcar system. And starting soon with free rides, visitors will be able to enjoy this historic mode of transportation even more. The streetcar has always been a popular form of transportation for visitors,
The timeline for when the Streetcar will go fare-free has yet to be announced, but reports project the change to go into effect late summer/early fall 2018.
For more information on the Tampa Streetcar, including routes and current fares, visit: http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/