Take the TECO Line Streetcar to the Channelside July 4th Fireworks Display!

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved."  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

American freedom was achieved through a revolution against Great Britain lasting seven years and costing over 25,000 colonists their lives. 

This Wednesday, July 4th, Americans across the country will celebrate this sacrifice for freedom with fireworks, family and food. Locally, Channelside is hosting the 11th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The TECO Line Streetcar is a proud sponsor of the event taking place in the waters near Channelside Bay Plaza. 

The fireworks display begins at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, with live music starting at 1 p.m. The event draws a HUGE crowd, so it is suggested that visitors arrive a couple hours early in order to get a good viewing spot. Only the first 3,000 people will be able to see the fireworks from the Wharf area of Channelside.

Whiting Station is across from Ft. Brooke parking garage

Officials suggest taking the TECO Line Streetcar to avoid the congestion and parking hassle that Channelside will face with thousands converging on the area. 

Suggested parking garages are the Palm Avenue garage in Ybor City or the Ft. Brooke garage in downtown, both garages are less than a block from the TECO Line Streetcar System.  Click here for an interactive map of downtown/Ybor City showing the location of the parking garages to the streetcar line.

The TECO Line Streetcar System is extending service until 11 p.m. on Independence Day.

For more information on the Channelside Fireworks Spectacular, visit www.channelsidebayplaza.com.   

Visit www.tecolinestreetcar.org for TECO Line Streetcar System hours, fares and schedules.

"Fan Photo Friday" Kickoff on the Streetcar Facebook!

What comes to mind when you think of Tampa?

Sipping a cafe con leche with warm Cuban bread in Ybor City, with its cast iron balconies and cobble stone streets, as bright yellow streetcars pass you by?

The streetcar rumbling through the Channel District past the family fun of The Florida Aquarium and Tampa Bay History Center. Residents of the nearby condos and visitors enjoying frou-frou drinks in the courtyard of Channelside Bay Plaza, the faint sound of the "clang" from the streetcar bell in the distance. The streetcar marching on to The Tampa Bay Times Forum and Hattricks which are both overflowing with Lightning bolts for game night.

Notice the streetcar in the "P" in Tampa!

Ask a hundred different people and you'll get a hundred different answers, however the TECO Line Streetcar usually finds its way into collective image of Tampa.

Since returning to the streets of Tampa in 2002, the TECO Line Streetcar  has provided an iconic backdrop to a number of media outlets including international (Daily Mirror), national (Super Bowl XLIII broadcasts, NEW ERA commercial featuring Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria, Southern Living, Travel and Leisure Magazine, etc.) and local (broadcast news morning shows, local magazines).

Needless to say, the streetcar craves the limelight!

We're kicking off "Fan Photo Fridays"!

We're looking to take advantage of the streetcar as an iconic backdrop by kicking off a new promotion that we're calling Fan Photo Fridays! Starting today, we're looking for your best shots of the TECO Line Streetcar in Ybor, Channelside and downtown Tampa! Send your photos via our Facebook (tag the streetcar or upload directly to the page,) and Twitter (upload the photo and use the hashtag #TampaStreetcar).

Every Friday morning we'll choose a photo to be featured as our cover photo on the TECO Line Streetcar Facebook page and the photographer will receive a shout out! Each winning photo will then be placed in a monthly raffle for a prize.

Things to know about Fan Photo Fridays:

• Vertical photos work best with the cover photos
• Cover photos are 851 pixels wide x 315 pixels tall
• Only photos with the streetcar (somewhere) in it will be included
• Both smartphone and traditional camera photos will be accepted, so FILTER away!
• Prizes are subject to change
• Only one entry per person, per week
• By submitting your photo, you grant HART permission to use your photo for all purposes, including marketing and promotion. You also confirm that you have all rights necessary to grant this permission, including from all subjects in the photo and the person who took the photo.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! We look forward to seeing your photos!

Getting there, with HART!

In town for the day? Staying for a weekend? Live here? Tampa has a number of things to do for visitors and residents alike.

Traveling with kids? Discounted passes for 17 and under on HART and the TECO Line Streetcar mean the fun doesn't have to end just because school's starting back up.

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the costs and hassles of parking:

• Adventure Island - Route 5
• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Centro Ybor - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8 and the TECO Line Streetcar
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line
• Henry B. Plant Museum - Route 30
  
• International Plaza - 15, 30, 59LX
  
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• Port of Tampa Cruise Terminal - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Raymond James Stadium - Routes 7, 32 36, 4
• St. Pete Times Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley Green Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley Green Line and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Bay History Center - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Yacht Starship Cruises - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Ybor Museum State Park - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
  

All day HART passes begin as low as $1.85 for children and $3.75 for adults. For more information on HART fares, click here.

Getting around downtown?

Getting around downtown is easier than ever with the In-Town Trolley. The In-Town Trolley is a rubber-wheeled "trolley-bus" made to replicate old-time streetcars/trams. The In-Town Trolley costs only 25¢, and covers most of the downtown Tampa attractions. The Purple Line runs during weekdays and the Green Line runs on weekends. Both lines operate on 15 minute frequencies.

Click here for Purple and Green In-Town Trolley operating hours.

The TECO Line Streetcar offers a unique opportunity to take a ride through Tampa's past, while also serving the majority of the attractions listed above.

Things to know about the TECO Line Streetcar

The 2.7 mile streetcar line runs every 20 minutes (exceptions apply) on rails that connect Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. It operates 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday service begins at noon and runs until 8 p.m.

A "family pass" was recently introduced and costs only $12. The pass includes all day rides for up to 2 adults and 3 children, or 1 adult and 4 children! Please note that Streetcar Motormen do not provide change.

Click here, for HART maps and schedules.

For TECO Line Streetcar fares, maps and schedules, visit www.TECOlinestreetcar.org.

Enjoy your day(s) in Tampa with HART!