Clearwater Launches Free Shuttle Service to Beach During Spring Break Season

Clearwater started a free Park-and-Ride shuttle to bring visitors from parking areas downtown out to the beach when spring break hits. March 1 kicked things off. It runs through May 3, but only on certain days.

The city teamed up with PSTA to make this happen.

Visitors park at three spots downtown, then hop buses or trolleys straight to the beach without paying a dime.

Shuttles roll out on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and midnight through March 22, then pick back up April 17 and continue through May 3. Sundays? Those run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday stays quiet — no shuttles running those days.

You can catch a ride from the Gould Parking Lot at Gould Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, where PSTA buses stop. Two garages also work: the Pinellas County Parking Garage at 310 S. Court St. and the Garden Avenue Parking Garage at 28 N. Garden Ave. Trolleys swing by both spots.

Things shift when the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival arrives — March 27 through April 12. During those weeks, shuttles run Sunday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., then extend to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Parking in the garages becomes free after 6 p.m. on weekdays. Weekends are free all day. The Gould Street Lot costs nothing whenever shuttles run.

Want to head back downtown? Catch return trips from Pier 60 or the Clearwater Beach Marina. This marks the seventh year the city and PSTA have partnered on this program.

More than 50,000 cars pass through the beach roundabout on a typical spring break day — that's a lot of traffic. Construction downtown shifted this year's pickup spots from where they used to be.

"Clearwater Beach continues to thrive as one of the top destinations in the state of Florida," said Lisa Chandler, operator of Pier 60 concessions and founder of the festival, according to ION Tampa Bay. "While there is plenty of room to spread out over three miles of our sugar sand beaches, finding a place to park your vehicle can be challenging at times."

Chandler mentioned that ride-sharing and public transit stay crucial for keeping the barrier island economy moving. They give visitors a cheaper way to get to the beach without the hassle.

Looking for other ways to get around? Try the Clearwater Ferry, Grouper Airport Express, Snapper On Demand, Uber, Lyft, or United Taxi. Want more info on beach parking? Check MyClearwater.com/Parking or PSTA.net/SpringBreak.