ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The breakers are here!
Tampa International Airport says traffic from spring breakers is up almost 9 percent compared to this time last year. And not surprisingly, many of these breakers are headed to the Tampa area beaches.
The city of Clearwater prepared to move more visitors.
“We’ve teamed up w PSTA, we’ve teamed up with Clearwater Ferry to help get people from downtown Clearwater over here to the beach," said Jason Beisel with the city of Clearwater. "So they can park downtown for free, ride the ferry, ride the PSTA Trolley, they don’t have to worry about sitting in traffic in their car, they don’t have to worry about trying to find parking, pay for parking and they can get to and from the beach in a rather quickly manner.”
Visiting Clearwater during spring break? Here are a few things you should know:
- Use Clearwater Ferry or PSTA Trolley to avoid driving in beach traffic. A one-way ticket for adults is $4.
- Be sure to book the Clearwater Ferry ahead of time on the ferry website.
- The PSTA park and ride is free. So is the trolley. Find bus schedules and routes on the PSTA Trolley website.
- More tips for traveling wround the beach area are available on the City of Clearwater website.
- Alcohol is only allowed in designated areas, such as motels and restaurants. Be prepared to pay $118 fine or face jail time if you get caught.
- Be sure to look for color flags outside lifeguard stations so you know the safety issues:
- Double Red Flag: Water closed to the public
- Red Flag: High surf and/or strong currents
- Yellow Flag: Moderate surf and/or currents
- Green Flag: Low beach hazard
- Purple Flag: Dangerous Marine Life on the beach