Tampa streetcar extension opens Dec. 19, in time for Outback Bowl

Service on the one-third-mile downtown streetcar extension from the Channel District to Franklin and Whiting streets is expected to launch Dec. 19.

The $5.5 million extension should help connect downtown with the Ybor City and Channelside Drive entertainment areas in time for the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl, whose fans have been avid streetcar passengers in the past.

Officials with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, which operates the 2.3-mile TECO Line Streetcar, primarily hope the extension will add traffic from downtown workers at lunchtime and hotel guests throughout the day.

HART also said it will have bus service on Christmas. Sunday schedules will be in effect Dec. 25, which falls on a Saturday.

HART will also operate a regular Saturday schedule on Friday, Dec. 24, which is the Christmas holiday all levels of government observe.

HART will operate a weekday schedule on Friday, Dec. 31, because not all levels of government will be closed or observe New Year's Eve as a holiday. A Sunday schedule will be in effect New Year's Day.

HART provided Thanksgiving Day service this year for the first time since 1996, operating a Sunday schedule that produced 7,689 trips compared with normal Sunday ridership of about 12,000 in November.

Many businesses generally open Sundays were closed Thanksgiving, but HART staff expects holiday ridership to pick up once community awareness spreads.

On Nov. 26, when retail outlets expected to break even for the year with the surge in Black Friday holiday shopping, HART reported 20,718 passengers.

In October, HART reported its eighth consecutive 1 million-plus ridership month.

Bus ridership increased 7.8 percent to 1.13 million riders in October compared with a year ago. Overall, HART service, including streetcar, paratransit, flex and vanpool, increased 6.7 percent to 1.2 million passengers.