RECORD CROWDS ENJOY STREETCAR’S OKTOBERFEST

Attendees line up to board a streetcar at the Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union station at Centro Ybor during TECO Line Streetcar's Oktoberfest, held October 13, 2007.

More Than 13,000 Take Advantage of 5-Cent Rides on Saturday, October 13

October 16, 2007, Tampa, Florida – Bay area residents set a new single-day ridership record for the fifth anniversary of the TECO Line Streetcar System on Saturday, taking a total of 13,451 rides during the TECO Line Streetcar’s Oktoberfest, this year’s annual streetcar celebration.

The final total far outpaced last year’s ridership of 10,641 for the event, shattering the system’s previous single-day ridership record.

TECO Line Streetcar’s Oktoberfest offered riders a chance to jump on the streetcar for only 5 cents from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Restaurants and attractions from Ybor City to Channelside to Dowtown Tampa joined in the fun with special discounts and events for streetcar riders.

Fiscal year 2007, which ran from October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007, was also a record-breaker for the system with a total of 440,200 streetcar riders. The previous high mark was 434,498 rides, set in FY 2005.

The TECO Line Streetcar System is managed by Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. and operated by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) under contract to Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc.

The mission of the Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. (THS) is to offer a dynamic new component to Tampa’s transportation system by providing attractive, reliable, comfortable, convenient and safe streetcar service to local residents and visitors alike. For more information about the TECO Line Streetcar System including a map, operating hours, and the complete fare structure, visit www.tecolinestreetcar.org.

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