Getting Around Pinellas During Spring Break 2022

Posted byhartride2012tampaPosted inFerry Service in Tampa, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART), Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT), Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT), Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)Tags:,

Avoid parking & traffic hassles, use transit this Spring Break!

It’s hard to believe that March is here!

And when we talk about March, we talk about the rush of college students & families from all across Pinellas County & beyond to enjoy the county’s award-winning beaches.

Along with this of course, comes a lot of traffic & parking headaches. As I have done in both 2018 & 2019, I will break down some of the alternatives available to you should you join in on the Spring Break hustle & bustle.

Due to Covid-19, PSTA & its partners were forced to curtail their execution of Spring Break supplemental service. Enhanced services were also not provided in 2021.

Extra Transportation Options in Clearwater Beach

Looking towards Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach, a hotspot of tourist activity during Spring Break.

Let’s begin with the award-winning Clearwater Beach, which is a consistent hotspot for tourists & residents alike. Because of the immense amount of people who visit Clearwater throughout the year, peak tourist seasons always bring forth massive amounts of traffic across the Memorial Causeway bridge, & this year will certainly be no exception.

For the past several years, the City of Clearwater & the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) have partnered to allow residents & visitors alike, an alternative way to get to & from Clearwater Beach. There will be two locations for drivers to park in Downtown Clearwater & then catch a trolley bus to the beach. During peak periods, additional vehicles will be dispatched to help handle the increased loads.

Whether you’re driving into the Clearwater area, or using a PSTA bus route to connect to the trolleys, you can leave the driving to your bus operator & not have to worry about changing lanes or battling other visitors to find a parking space. I will tell you right now that finding parking in Clearwater Beach is extremely difficult during the peak tourist season, & you could be waiting over 15 minutes in some cases just to find a parking space.

For the Spring Break 2022 season, PSTA has created a page on its website where you can learn more about the expanded trolley service and park-and-ride lot locations. Buses will depart the park-&-ride lots every 15 minutes on Fridays & Saturdays (with PSTA and Jolley Trolley vehicles alternating trips) & customers will be able to park at the lots for free. Once at Clearwater Beach, you will be able to exit at the Clearwater Beach Transit Center & will only need to walk a short distance to get to the powder white sand of the beach, or other nearby shopping & dining destinations. Lesser service will operate Sunday through Thursday (every 30 minutes, with both PSTA & Jolley Trolley following their normal schedules). Additionally, some mainland parking options in downtown Clearwater will not be available on weekdays, so please check the link above for further information.

Please keep peeled to the PSTA website & social media channels for special Spring Break transit promotions!

Transportation Options to St. Pete Beach

PSTA’s new trolley replica vehicles are fun to ride!

If you’re heading to St. Pete Beach to take advantage of the sand & sea without dealing with the massive crowds in Clearwater, please know that there’s been a major change in the way that Central Ave Trolley operates. Trolleys are no longer serving Pass-A-Grille beach or any points south of the Don Cesar Beach Resort. For those of you wishing to access St. Pete Beach, you may do so by exiting the trolley at the county beach access parking lot at 4600/4700 Gulf Blvd.

For those of you wishing to head to Pass-A-Grille, St. Pete Beach provides a shuttle service through FreeBee. You can learn more information on their website & download their app to request a ride. Shuttles will connect to the Don Cesar Beach Resort trolley turnaround area, as well as all points south of the resort. Shuttle service is free of charge.

St. Pete Beach also serves as the southern terminus for the Suncoast Beach Trolley – which departs every 30 minutes. You can catch either trolley at the Gulf Blvd/75th Ave transfer point and quickly get to and from the beaches – whether you’re coming from St. Pete, Clearwater, or somewhere in between.

What if I’m going to another beach?

Most of Pinellas’ award-winning beaches are served by either a PSTA bus or trolley, or the Jolley Trolley lines. The only exceptions are Fort Desoto Park/Beach, Honeymoon Island, Sunset Beach, and Fred Howard Park, as there is no transit service to these destinations. However, bicyclists can ride to these areas without having to venture too far off from a bus route or The Pinellas Trail system.

The Central Avenue Trolley serves the following destinations:

  • St. Pete Beach (transfer point to the Suncoast Beach Trolley is at 75th Ave @ Gulf Blvd). No service south of the Don Cesar Beach Resort.
  • South Pasadena
  • Central Avenue Corridor & the historic Grand Central District
  • PSTA Grand Central Station
  • The Edge (Arts & Entertainment) District
  • Downtown St. Petersburg (including Beach Dr, Sundial Shoppes, and The Pier District)

The Suncoast Beach Trolley serves the following destinations:

  • St. Pete Beach (terminating at 75th Ave @ Gulf Blvd).
  • Treasure Island
  • Madeira Beach (including the John’s Pass Shopping District & Boardwalk)
    • Connection to Route 68 is available at John’s Pass. Simply exit the trolley at the stops across from the shopping district and board Route 68 at the northbound-facing stop along Gulf Blvd. You may also transfer by exiting the trolley at any stop along Gulf Blvd between the shopping district & 150th Ave (Tom Stuart Causeway).
  • Reddington Beaches (including Reddington Shores)
    Indian Shores
  • Indian Rocks Beach
    • Connection to Route 59 is available at 4th Ave. Simply exit the trolley at the Gulf Blvd stop by the CVS Pharmacy at 4th Ave & walk one block east to the stop on 4th Ave @ 1st St.
  • There are no stops in the Belleair Beach or Belleair Shores areas.
    • Unfortunately, these communities are not very friendly to transit and do not wish to place any funding towards transit service, so thus there are no trolley stops in these communities.
  • Sand Key Beach
  • Clearwater Beach (including dining and entertainment)
  • PSTA Clearwater Beach Transit Center
  • Island Estates (early morning trips only, use the Jolley Trolley for all other times)
  • PSTA Park St Terminal
  • Downtown Clearwater dining and entertainment
    • The Jolley Trolley Beach Route serves Island Estates after 10:00am. The route also serves many popular Clearwater Beach destinations throughout the day. Departure times are staggered so that you don’t have to wait too long for either a PSTA Suncoast Beach Trolley or a Jolley Trolley vehicle to arrive if you’re traversing the island.

The Jolley Trolley Coastal Route serves the following destinations:

  • Sand Key Beach
  • Clearwater Beach (including dining and entertainment)
  • PSTA Clearwater Beach Transit Center
  • Island Estates
  • PSTA Park St Terminal
  • Downtown Clearwater dining and entertainment
  • Various coastal destinations throughout Dunedin, Ozona, and Tarpon Springs – including the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks.

Regardless of where you venture off to via PSTA, be sure to download the Transit App before you go!

What other transportation options are available?

For those who aren’t using transit to get around, but still don’t want to rent a vehicle, you can utilize Uber and Lyft. Just keep in mind that surge pricing may be in effect during periods of high demand. Taxicab companies will also be busy shutting people around the area.

If you’re visiting Downtown St. Petersburg, you can also take advantage of transport options such as bike sharing & scooters (where available). Fees are affordable and there are numerous hubs located throughout the city.

Going into other counties?

If you plan to visit Hillsborough, Pasco, or Manatee County, please see the resources below for further information.

Please be sure to bookmark my website: globaltransitguidebook.com | Contact Me.

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Published by hartride2012tampa

Blogging about public transportation in Florida & beyond.

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