Page was created on 12/26/2025
What other services does PSTA provide?
There are a few other services that PSTA provides – either directly operating or operating through its contract partners.
JUMP TO SERVICE TYPE
Shuttles
A Starcraft Allstar cutaway van (# 204) being used for the Snapper on-demand shuttle. The service is primarily handled by contract partner TransDev.
PSTA partners with outside parties to facilitate shuttle services to help transport customers to & from areas that have poor transit access. Rider demand & financial resources may not allow fixed-route buses to connect to certain areas in the long term.
Reservation-Based Shuttle
The East Lake Shuttle (ELS) operates within the northeastern section of Pinellas County – primarily bounded by the Pinellas/Hillsborough County Line to the east, Keystone Rd to the north, Lake Tarpon to the west, & Tampa Rd to the south. However, small portions of Tarpon Springs – surrounding Keystone Rd & US 19, as well as the area surrounding the Shoppes at Boot Ranch are included in the zone.
On-Demand Shuttle
The Snapper operates in two areas in northern Pinellas County: Safety Harbor & portions of Clearwater.
Customers may book their rides via smartphone app, the PSTA website, or by phone.
Current Zones
- Clearwater:
- Connect to either the Park St Terminal in downtown Clearwater or Countryside Mall.
- Safety Harbor:
- Connect to Countryside Mall.
Standard PSTA fares apply for each trip, with cash, Flamingo Fares, & contactless debit & credit cards being acceptable payment options.
At this time, point-to-point rides within a zone is not available. The purpose of the Snapper is to connect customers in areas with poor transit access directly to hub locations where they can catch a fixed-route PSTA bus.
On-Demand Shuttle, focused on providing access from Clearwater Beach to St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport
Due to long-term construction activities at & around St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport, PSTA has largely been unable to provide direct bus service to & from the airport (the last time a bus route served the airport was during the late 2000s). Overall rider demand & limited funding have also contributed in the inability to restore transit links to the airport.
The Grouper service is an effort to restore these transit links by focusing on the higher-demand, tourist-focused area of Clearwater Beach.
Customers may book a ride directly from the airport to any safe location within the Clearwater Beach service area. The northern section of Sand Key (from around the area of the Clearwater Beach Marriott Resort northward) & Island Estates are included.
For those making their return to the airport for their return flight out, rides can be booked from a safe location in the Clearwater Beach service area to the airport.
The cost to use the Grouper service is based upon how many riders are traveling. Payments & booking can only be conducted via smartphone app or the website.
Future expansion of both Snapper & Grouper are possible, but will depend on rider demand & available financial resources.
Ferries
PSTA began contracting with outside parties in recent years to help provide ferry transportation. With many parts of the Tampa Bay Region being accessible by boat – ferry services can be provided in certain areas. In fact, waterborne transportation is already provided in the form of the Pirate Water Taxi in Tampa, as well as tourist ferries connecting Egmont Key & Fort De Soto, & connecting Honeymoon Island with Caladesi Island.
Connecting Clearwater Beach & Downtown Clearwater
PSTA began expanding its offerings to include waterborne transportation in 2024 when it began to partner with the Clearwater Ferry service – which originated in 2015. The service provides two routes & utilizes three vessels to allow customers to connect to Clearwater Beach without having to hassle with traffic backups on the Memorial Causeway Bridge.
Connecting Downtown St. Pete & Downtown Tampa
When the original Cross-Bay Ferry service ended in mid 2025, PSTA & various government partners got right to work in order to formulate a replacement service. Hubbard’s Marina – which operates the Egmont Key Ferry – has been contracted to operate the new Tampa Bay Ferry service & efforts are underway to purchase a vessel to be used for the service. If everything goes to plan, service may be able to launch in the summer of 2026.
Other Links
The Global Transit Guidebook 