The Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) announced its TECO Line Streetcar celebrated one million riders in Fiscal Year 22 on Aug. 31 by surprising a lucky rider with a prize pack featuring a $100 gift card donated by the Columbia Restaurant.
The lucky rider, Arpan, rides the streetcar five days a week to medical school and was on his way to USF Health Morsani College of Medicine when staff surprised him as the millionth rider.
"I appreciate it. I take it (the streetcar) every day to med school and it's very useful,” Arpan said.
The TECO Line Streetcar has seen a resurgence in FY22, breaking the previous annual ridership record of 850,788 trips in FY19 and setting all-time monthly ridership records.
"We are elated to celebrate a milestone of a million rides this year," said Michael English, president, Tampa Historic Streetcar. "It is quite an achievement to set an all-time ridership record just out of a pandemic which at one point saw the Streetcar only operating essential service."
The TECO Line Streetcar will be celebrating 20 years of service in October 2022.
