Tampa Bay’s public buses are still free to ride as region recovers from back-to-back hurricanes

Last week, Hurricane Milton brought widespread flooding and damage that affected transportation across the Bay area. To help our community during ongoing recovery efforts, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) offers fare-free services until Monday, Oct. 21.

In a press release, HART said that three key factors drive its decision to implement fare-free services: emergency transportation, aid for displaced residents, and support for students.

By eliminating transportation costs, HART’s goal is to relieve financial pressure on families, make sure students can continue their education without additional burdens and ensure residents have access to helpful county services, like Hillsborough’s Emergency Comfort Stations.

Across the bridge, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) also provides fare-free services to its residents. Its fare-free service started after Hurricane Helene, but PSTA recently announced that its free ride policy will be extended until Sunday, Oct. 27.

The policy applies to PSTA Access, Mobility-on-Demand, TD Door-to-Door services, and fixed-route buses.

For more information about routes and schedules visit gohart.org and psta.net.

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This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2024.