4305 East 21 St. Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605-2300
Phone: (813) 623-5835 Fax - (813) 664-1119

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City’s First Replica Streetcar to Be Shown 
at Gasparilla Festival of the Arts

February 15, 2000 - On March 3 and 4, visitors to the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts will get a sneak peek of the city’s first of eight replica electric streetcars, scheduled to run again in Tampa next year. In their heyday, Tampa’s streetcars whisked passengers to and from Ybor City, Ballast Point, Hyde Park, Sulphur Springs and points beyond. They were an essential part of everyday life as workers took the streetcar downtown or to cigar factories in West Tampa, and families climbed aboard for a ball game in Macfarlane Park or shopping or a movie downtown. 
Tampa’s first electric streetcar lines were built in 1892. They reached a peak of popularity in the 1920s, and rolled to a stop in 1946 following World War II. Now, more than 50 years later, they’re back. The first phase of TECO Line

Streetcar System will open in 2001. Eight cars will operate on the first phase 2.3 mile long track and will carry passengers to and from downtown and the visitors’ crescent that encompasses the Convention Center, Ice Palace, Garrison Seaport, Florida Aquarium and Ybor City. With front-door service at major venues, the streetcar will make it easy for visitors to go from one place to the next. The system also connects major parking hubs, so both downtown workers and visitors can park their cars and hop aboard the streetcar. The streetcars will be powered from a single suspended overhead electric line. Generally, the tracks will run in a separate right-of-way, adjacent to, but out of the flow of automobile traffic.

The streetcars themselves recapture the charm and craftsmanship of the original enclosed Birney Safety Cars, with wood furnishings and polished brass fixtures. Yet new technology will ensure maximum reliability, and conveniences such as air conditioning, sheltered station stops and handicapped-accessible features will ensure passenger comfort. For the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, the streetcar will be on display at the intersection of Ashley Drive and Polk Street. Visitors will be able to walk through 

the streetcar during festival hours at no charge. HART will provide a free park and ride shuttle serving downtown parking lots, parking garages and street parking from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The yellow nostalgic trolleys will circulate through downtown Tampa every 10 minutes, and are accessible to people who use wheelchairs. Simply look for the designated Festival Park and Ride Stop signs, and hop on and off the trolleys.

-HART-