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Downtown Tampa Commuters District

Tampa Commuting

Save yourself money and stress while doing your part to combat poor air quality by not always driving alone to work. We can help you choose which commute option(s) work best for you – carpool, vanpool, bus, walk, bike or telework. Take advantage of the many free services available such as carpool partner searches, individual trip planning assistance, tax-savings tips, bike pool groups and more.

Want to split your costs in half?

Click here for help finding a carpool partner using the EZRide online database.
Click here to determine eligibility and enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (free taxi ride home from work in an emergency).

Driving more than 15 miles one way?

Click here for help finding a vanpool partner using the EZRide online database. (5+ riders in one van).
Click here to determine eligibility and enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (free taxi ride home from work in an emergency).

Would a bus route work for you?

Click here to visit HART’s Google Transit and see which bus route would work best for you. Downtown Tampa is served by 30 local and express bus routes + the $.25 In Town Trolley Green and Purple lines circulating through downtown every 10-15 minutes (check hours and routes).
Click here to determine eligibility and enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (free taxi ride home from work in an emergency).
Ask your company if they subsidize transit and/or allow employees to buy passes using pre-tax dollars.
Click here for HART’s free Travel Training program instructing new riders on how to take the bus.
Visit the PSTA website if you live in Pinellas County. There are express buses running service over all 3 bridges.

Want to combine your commute and work out?

Walking or biking may actually save you time (and money) if you consider your commute time part of your daily exercise program. Most buildings have bike racks and lockers/showers are available at the downtown YMCA Wellness Centers for a small “commuter membership”.
Click here for a listing of cyclists looking for “bike pool partners”.
Visit the Tampa BayCycle website for safety tips and route recommendations. Keep in mind that all HART buses and downtown trolleys are equipped with a bike rack.
Click here to determine eligibility and enroll in the Emergency Ride Home Program (free taxi ride home from work in an emergency).

Telework Tampa Bay

TeleworkTampa Bay offers telework consulting services, at no charge, to employers for implementing telework programs. Teleworking can be utilized as an emergency management and disaster recovery tool, as well as a viable work option that includes benefits such as improved productivity; improved employee retention and recruitment; reduced absenteeism; and reduced overhead. Visit the Telework Tampa Bay website for more information.

Programs and Services for Companies

We understand that getting your employees to work is not part of your core business and should not put a heavy burden on your company. There is a lot of information about transportation available and it can be overwhelming to sort through it. Our goal is to make it easy for you to engage in choosing a solution that fits.

Recruit and retain top talent
In order to attract and retain quality employees in this increasingly competitive job market, offering tangible benefits they will use can give you the edge. Employees want solutions to their costly, time-consuming and stressful daily commute. With a customized transportation benefits package designed to ease these commuting concerns, imagine the positive impact on productivity that can result from getting your employees to work reliably and inexpensively.

Take advantage of tax incentives
By helping your employees pay for commute options that discourage them from driving alone, you can reduce your tax burden and strengthen your company’s bottom line.

At the federal level, the Internal Revenue Service allows the use of pre-tax income for transportation expenses for both the employer and the employee. It allows employees to set aside up to $115/month in pre-tax income to pay for transit or vanpooling. Up to $220/month can be set aside for parking costs. For every dollar an employer spends to subsidize transportation costs they receive the equivalent amount in tax deduction. Click here for more information.

Support the growth of downtown Tampa
Help foster the economic growth of Tampa by bringing more people into the city with creative commuting solutions. By freeing up parking spaces for use by customers and visitors, downtown becomes more accessible and businesses more profitable. New businesses are attracted to such locations bringing economic growth to the region. What's more, delivery of goods and services becomes more efficient and the cost of doing business in the area drops.

By reducing the number of individual drive-alone commuters you can help protect the quality of life for your employees and the Tampa Bay region.

Best Workplace for Commuters

In 2005, Tampa's Downtown received national recognition from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for becoming a "Best Workplaces for Commuters District." Our urban core was the first in Florida and only one of 16 in the country to gain this status. Downtown Tampa employees are eligible for a comprehensive commuter benefits program including subsidized vehicles, free emergency taxi rides home, reduced fare on trolleys, etc.

Comprehensive commuter benefits tend to improve a company's bottom line while bettering quality of life issues for employees and the communities in which they live. Many companies may already qualify. The application process to become a Best Workplace for Commuters only takes a few minutes and can be done online by clicking here.

Traffic Updates

Log onto www.511tampabay.com or call 511 for up to the minute traffic delays on most major Bay Area routes.

Construction Updates

Log onto www.mytbi.com for the most up-to-date Interstate construction information.

Regional Service

Amtrak / Union Station: 813-221-7600

Greyhound Bus Station: 813-229-2174

Directions to downtown Tampa:

From Interstate 275 South: Exit 44
From Interstate 275 North: Exit 45
From Interstate 4: Exit 45
From Selmon Expressway: Exits 5,6,7 or 8