Free Parking & Shuttle From Downtown Clearwater to the Beach
The Gasparilla pirates are gone. Now it’s time for the Spring Breakers invasion. One Spring Break perk for Tampa area residents is free parking and shuttle service to Clearwater Beach returns this weekend. The City of Clearwater announced they have worked with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) to once again offer the complimentary parking and transportation to Clearwater Beach starting Sunday, February 25. You simply park at one of the several downtown designated lots and ride the trolley to the beach.
50,000 vehicles drive through the Clearwater Beach roundabout on a typical spring break day, according to the City of Clearwater. This definitely helps keeps things moving. I used this free service a few times last year and have to tell you – it’s great. There were plenty of parking spots and shuttles ran often. Sure the beach area gets crowded with tourists once you get there, but I guess it makes me just more thankful to know I get to live here year round. We live where others vacation. And sunsets at Clearwater Beach are worth dealing with the tourists. Grab some grouper nuggets at Frenchy’s, stroll along the beach and chill out on the pier… without having to find parking or get stuck in traffic on the causeway.
Where can you park for free in downtown Clearwater?
You can park for free any day of the week at the old Clearwater City Hall at 112 South Osceola Avenue or 200 Osceola Avenue. There’s a boarding spot right there too. On weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), you can also park at 310 Court Street at the County Garage.
What are the hours of the free shuttle service?
The free downtown to the beach shuttles run from 10am to 10pm Monday through Thursday. Catch one every 30 minutes. On weekends, they extend the service until midnight and double the service, with the trolley leaving about every 15 minutes.
Here’s my pro tip: Before you go, down the mobile app called “Transit.” Or go to jolleytrolleytracker.com to get real-time updates on where the closest Jolley Trolley is at any given moment. For more info on the parking and shuttle options, visit PSTA.net.
