Streetcar sees spike in ridership as drivers avoid downtown traffic hassle

TAMPA - For those struggling to figure out all the road closures in downtown Tampa, there may be a better option that doesn't even involve driving.

The Hillsborough Transit Authority said on Tuesday this week, the number of riders on its streetcars jumped more than three times the average.

"To avoid the hassle, we came here," said Gloria Serralta, who watched the convention on TV and wanted to check it out in person.

Since driving and parking downtown requires equal doses of patience and composure, people are finding their way to Ybor City to hop on the trolley that takes riders through Ybor and Channelside.

The last stop can get people just a few blocks away from the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"We don't know if driving down there if we'll get stuck in a traffic jam. We just don't know," she said.

The system isn't perfect. As Serralta and her husband found out, sometimes avoiding one hassle makes you run into another. They didn't realize the trolley doesn't start its regular stops until 12:30.

They ended up walking to Channelside.

Another group made the same mistake.

"With something big like this you'd think they'd want to get people there as early as they could," said Greg Taylor who was with his family to catch the street car.

Once the afternoon trolley schedule picked up, there were few complaints, and more people caught on.

"It's the solution to beat the traffic," said Woogie Bajgier, while riding to Channelside.