| Streetcars Ride Again | |||||||||||||
| Electric streetcars again shuttling passengers in Tampa | |||||||||||||
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There is a song that goes something like... clang, clang, clang goes the trolley... ding, ding, ding goes the bell. You may want to sing it when you hop aboard one of Tampa's new trolley cars! Tampa is enjoying the nostalgic charm of the streetcar with the TECO Line Streetcar System. The streetcars are replicas of the original Birney Safety Cars that shuttled passengers around Tampa beginning in 1892. Although popular, those came to a halt in 1946. The new streetcars connect downtown to the port and Historic Ybor City. The eight cars feature air conditioning, cherry and oak seats and brass railings and can accommodate up to 88 people. The conductors (they all could have been easily cast in the barbershop quartet on Main Street U.S.A. at Disney) look like they stepped out of a history book.
Traveling 6.5 mph, the streetcars take approximately 22 minutes to make the 11 stops on the 2.3-mile track. The route isn't the most scenic in Tampa, but I expect that to change as the trolley becomes a catalyst for renovation in the area. Besides, you'll spend most of your time admiring the well-appointed cars and watching the conductor operate the controls anyway. Stops on the trolley route include the Tampa Convention Center, St. Petersburg Times Forum, Channelside, The Florida Aquarium, Port of Tampa and 7th Avenue, Centro Ybor and Centennial Park in Ybor City. The streetcars run seven days a week, with extended hours on the weekend. Effective October 5, 2008, a one-way fare is $2.50 or $1.25 for seniors 65 and older, youths (ages 5-17), disabled or Medicare cardholders.
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