The Tampa Port Authority has decided to delaying paying a $100,000 subsidy to the the Tampa Historic Streetcar system until the operator comes up with a new plan to turn the system around.

Thousands of people, many of them tourists, use the streetcar system every month.

"I do remember riding these in museums but it's good it's actually useful," said Bob Bartels who is attending a convention in Tampa from Cleveland. "It's good as a tourist attraction plus it has practical uses as well." 

In spite of that, the streetcar system has struggled with low ridership numbers and low revenue. The streetcar system enjoyed a high of more than 400,000 trips in fiscal year 2009, with that number expected to be about 300,000 in fiscal year 2014.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman, who sits on the port's governing board, said she wants to know how the streetcar operator plans to capitalize on the development that's planned for the Chanel District and downtown.

"So that as we invest this $100,000 that we know where it's going in 5 years, what the vision is for it and that there's a strategy in place," said Murman.

Public transit officials said they're already working on it.

"The basic things we're looking at are improving the schedule," said Catharine Eagan, Interim CEO of HART. "Right now it starts at noon, runs until 10, it's every 20 minutes. We're looking at what the cost is to start earlier, run later, run more of them, be more useful."

Eagan said they're also studying how much it would cost to expand the service and run the streetcars by more locations downtown.

"But it has to be frequent and it has to be there when you need it," said Eagan.

Murman stresses that she does support the streetcar system.

"It's about elevating our thinking about what we want the streetcar to be when it grows up," she said.

Both the streetcar operator and the Port Authority Board said they want to work together on developing a master plan for the Chanel District's transportation needs.