Travelers may have to pay to ride Tampa Electric Streetcar

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Electric Streetcar, one of the city's most popular transportation services, might have to begin charging riders.

According to Justin Willits, the Scheduling and Planning Director for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, the agency has been using a state grant to cover operating expenses, allowing it to keep the trolley free.

That funding, however, is coming to an end.

"We would love to keep the streetcar free," Willits told FOX 13 Monday. "It's not something we can really contemplate without a replacement funding source."

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The TECO Streetcar wasn't always free.

In 2019, HART, which operates the trollies, wanted to expand service and ridership, so it applied for and received a state grant.

Since the agency stopped charging for fares, it's regularly set records, including more than 164,000 riders in July.

Willits hopes the state can continue funding the streetcar for at least another year.

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"We love operating it. We love operating it without fares because it's a high level of service. It's really attractive and there's a ton of stuff to do downtown now," he said.

"Water Street didn't exist really three or four years ago, and now that generates a ton of trips for us and I think we'll see the same type of ridership growth when the Gasworks development comes online between Ybor City and downtown."

Willits said if the state doesn't provide additional funding, the agency will explore other options, including reducing the frequency of service.

The current wait for a trolly is never more than 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the day.

At a recent HART Board of Directors meeting, a board member suggested searching for a private business with which the agency could partner to keep the streetcar free.