St. Pete Launches the Park Once Pilot Program
St. Petersburg hosts more than 1,000 annual downtown events. Many of the events feature a shuttle service provided by the St. Petersburg Trolley between designated parking locations and event locations. The Looper shuttle service has operated with a regular daily schedule.
City Invited Public Input to Discuss Downtown Parking Issues
Back in July, 2015, the City began a study of the parking challenges in the downtown area. Two public, interactive workshops were held. Residents were also invited to take an online opinion survey regarding the city’s parking challenges.
City Initiated a Six-Month Pilot Program to Provide a Free Shuttle Service on Friday and Saturday Nights
On November 6, a six-month pilot program was introduced. St. Petersburg is using two Escot Motor Coaches which each are air conditioned and hold thirty passengers. Known as Park Once, the shuttle runs between the hours of 5pm and midnight every Friday and Saturday night. It travels to the downtown waterfront area, including Beach Drive and the Central Arts District… for free.
The five convenient shuttle stops include: outside Sundial parking garage on 1st Avenue North, outside South Core parking garage on Central Avenue, Central Avenue at 4th Street, 5th Avenue North and Bayshore Drive (near North Straub Park), and Bayshore Drive at 2nd Avenue North.
Welcome aboard the St. Petersburg Park Once Weekend Shuttle
If you have questions regarding the Park Once weekend evening shuttle, call Robert Danielson, director of marketing, 727-893-7465. You may send Mr. Danielson an email at Robert.Danielson@StPete.org.
Evan Mory, director of transportation, City of St. Petersburg said, “We don’t require people to show their parking garage receipt. Riders can go to two different zones to access the shuttles. We anticipate that the number of people using the Park Once shuttle will increase due to it arriving every seven to ten minutes.”
Eric Carlson of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, Inc., told us, “The new Park Once shuttle is a great way to take advantage of parking options in downtown St. Petersburg. The free service provides weekend evening visitors with transportation to popular downtown destinations.”
St. Petersburg is willing to look at many options for weekend evening visitors who don’t want to have to move their vehicle many times, using unnecessary amounts of gasoline. The Park Once shuttle had nine riders the first weekend it was offered. By the second week, seventy-four riders accessed this great shuttle service. This free, evening weekend shuttle is a very pleasant way to travel between this city’s friendly destinations!
