Tampa — Streetcar Conflict

Rail Transit Online, February 2006

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority(HART) board of directors has decided it doesn’t want to run the TECOLine streetcar line any longer and has requested Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. to seek a new contractor.  The HARTline transit agency has operated the 2.3-mi. (3.7 km) line between downtown and Ybor City since it opened in 2002 using revenue from the historic streetcar organization’s endowment.  Several board members who have always opposed the streetcar finally got a majority on their side.  “We want to be singularly focused on running a bus service,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner and HART board member Ronda Storms said at a Jan. 10 meeting.  “Just get out of it.”  Board member and County Commissioner Brian Blair suggested mothballing the line in part because it fails to break even.  Others defended the trolley, noting that buses also require a subsidy.