Largest DOT Grant In City's History To Expand Tampa Streetcar

TAMPA, FL —Transportation officials announced that Tampa has received the largest single transit award in the city's history to expand the streetcar system.

The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded the city a $67.3 million grant dedicated to Tampa's Streetcar Extension and Modernization Project.

“Today, we are excited to announce the award of $67.3 million of State New Starts transit program funding to the Tampa Streetcar Extension and Modernization system. This is the largest transit funding award the state has ever given to the Tampa Bay region,” said FDOT Secretary David Gwynn. “I’m hoping this strong commitment from the state will also help solidify the city’s position in its pursuit of federal funding for this project.”

He said the project will transform Tampa’s streetcar system by transitioning to faster, modern vehicles and platforms with level-boarding that will improve service for users, including people who have special mobility needs. The new modern, expanded streetcar system will serve as a convenient and reliable commuter option to residents, workers and visitors in Tampa’s greater downtown area.

“To realize transit within our region is going to take a village; it’s going to take partnerships between the city of Tampa, HART, Hillsborough County, the state of Florida, and the federal government; and we’re well on our way towards the modernization and extension of our streetcar system,” said Tampa’s Director of Mobility Vik Bhide.

“Today is a great step in transforming Tampa’s tomorrow,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “We are all still hopeful that we will get a positive ruling from the Florida Supreme Court on the All for Transportation funding, and that will bring additional funding into our area so that we can provide more transportation solutions and enable our roads to be safer to travel.”

Hillsborough County voters passed the 1-cent sales tax All for Transportation initiative in 2018 to fund transportation improvements throughout the county. However, the legality of the tax has been challenged and its fate is now in the hands of the Florida Supreme Court.

“By 2040, we will have 100,000 people living within walking distance of this streetcar system,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “That says a lot.”

She said the project will position the streetcar system to be ready for expansions as Tampa continues to grow including north up to the University of South Florida, east to East Tampa neighborhoods and west to Westshore and the Tampa International Airport.

Courtesy City of Tampa

A map shows the proposed extension of the streetcar system.

The Tampa Historic Streetcar System is a 2.7-mile-long streetcar transportation network that provides a connection from downtown Tampa and the Channelside District to the Ybor City historic district.

Originally a steam-powered street railway system built in 1885 to carry workers from Tampa to the cigar factories in Ybor City, it was converted to steam in 1893 and operated by Consumers Electric Light and Power.

When Tampa Electric Company took control of Consumers Electric Light and Powerin 1899, the streetcar line consisted of 21.5 miles of track, which carried passengers between Ballast Point, DeSoto Park, Ybor City, and West Tampa -- all for a nickel.

By the late 1930s, the streetcar was no longer in use in many cities and by the end of World War II, Tampa and St. Petersburg were the only Florida cities with streetcars. On Aug. 4, 1946, the last Tampa Electric Birney car retired to its car barn. Decades later, the overhead wires were taken down and the rails paved over.

It took nearly 60 years for the city to appreciate the advantage of a streetcar system. The city revived a 2.4-mile section of the streetcar line on Oct. 19, 2002, and expanded it to 2.7 miles in 2010 with 11 stations, 10 replica historic streetcars and one original streetcar discovered in a backyard in Sulphur Springs and restored.

Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

The original streetcar system was shut down in 1946.

A $2.7 million grant from the FDOT in 2018 allowed the city to implement the first phase of the InVision: Tampa Streetcar plan. This week's grant will be used for the second phase of the project which includes:

1. Replacement of the existing replica streetcar vehicles with modern streetcar vehicles;
2. Construction of a 1.3-mile fixed guideway with overhead power within existing rights of way from the western terminus of the existing system through the core of downtown Tampa to Tampa Heights;
3. Construction of stops along the extension guideway;
4. Modifications to the existing 2.7-mile alignment guideway, power system and stops to support modern streetcar operations; and,
5. Modifications to the existing vehicle maintenance and storage facility to accommodate the new vehicles.