When Manatee County got rid of bus fares, ridership went up. And it’s not the only place in the Tampa Bay area where more people started taking the bus after fares went away.
Hillsborough County made its most popular bus route – from downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida – free for this year, and ridership is way up.
Later in this episode of "Florida Matters," you’ll hear why Manatee County says it makes sense to get more people on the bus, even when not collecting fare revenue.
And you’ll get caught up on some of the latest transportation news from around the region. Hear why the Cross Bay Ferry is sailing for the last time and about Tampa International Airport’s animal problem.
But first, have you driven on the new Howard Frankland Bridge yet?
Howard Frankland span opening
The span opened in March. It’s built higher so it can withstand storm surge like what happened during last year’s hurricanes. And it includes pedestrian and bike lanes. Next year, express lanes will open, adding more capacity to the bridge.
ALSO READ: The new Howard Frankland Bridge is open
WUSF’s Sky Lebron caught up with historian Rodney Kite-Powell, with the Tampa Bay History Center, on top of the bridge before it opened to traffic.
Kite-Powell reflected on the original Howard Frankland Bridge, which opened in 1960 during a postwar population boom.
The new bridge coincides with another population boom that kicked off during the COVID-19 pandemic.
No bus fares
If you’ve hopped on the Route 1 bus in Tampa from the University of South Florida to downtown lately, you might have noticed something different. You no longer have to search through your wallet or handbag for your smart card to pay for the ride once you get on.
"When the word circulates – 'free' – everybody’s going to find out. You don't have to advertise that because it’s going to be word of mouth,” said Alfred Eady, a driver with the Hillsborough Transit Authority.
ALSO READ: HART's Route 1 is free this year, and ridership is now 'exceeding expectations'
HART made the popular route free for 2025. The goal is to boost ridership and cut down on delays.
Justin Willits is HART’s former director of planning and scheduling. He said ridership jumped from 3,300 a week in December to 5,000 a week in February.
"It really shows a real appetite for transit in this community, in this corridor, and what's possible when you invest in really great frequent service.”
Hillsborough’s not the only county doing away with fares to boost ridership. Manatee tried it for 18 months across all county bus routes. In May 2024, when the pilot program ended, officials decided to make it permanent.
Kevin Hoyt is the transit division manager for county. He says it’s not just about getting more people on the buses. It also makes it safer for drivers.
“It increases ridership, no matter what agency is allowing free fares. But the one key point is a safety measure,” he said. “It's big around the nation about driver disputes with fare disputes, and since implementing free fare, there's absolutely zero fare disputes between the customer and the operator.”
He also says the county is aiming to double its yearly ridership from 1.5 million to 3 million.
What they want more than a free ride on a bus to nowhere is just a trip that is going to be meaningful and take them where they need to go.Kea Wilson, Senior editor, Streetsblog USA
The idea of fare-free transit has been around for a while. To get a sense of how it’s being used in other parts of the country, "Florida Matters" spoke to Kea Wilson, senior editor with Streetsblog USA, a news site founded in 2006 that covers the movement to end car dependency and improve biking, walking and transit.
While there are many reasons people support or oppose fare-free bus rides, the one thing Wilson observes is that people just want to be able to get where they’re going.
“The argument that we see is that low-income riders, what they want more than a free ride on a bus to nowhere is just a trip that is going to be meaningful and take them where they need to go, and they would rather pay a little bit of their income for that rather than the opposite,” Wilson said.
The Cross Bay Ferry
There are other ways to get around in the region besides the bus.
If you’re in Ybor City, you could hop on the TECO Streetcar.
And you won't be able to ride the Cross Bay Ferry between St. Petersburg to Tampa much longer. Hillsborough County commissioners voted to end the almost-decade-long ferry service.
WUSF’s Kylie Petracek said this is because the ferry owner, HMS Ferries, filed for bankruptcy. It was planning to double the travel time by adding a new vessel, but commissioners voted to end the contract five months before it was scheduled to end.
The Cross Bay Ferry is slated to dock for good Wednesday.
I-4 expansion
If you spend any time on Interstate 4, you’re probably familiar with the six miles or so from Davenport to Disney World.
And there’s good news for drivers. This past week, an additional lane opened in either direction on that often gridlocked stretch to ease congestion.
Gov. Ron DeSantis talked about the project during a press conference in Kissimmee a couple of weeks ago. He said it would improve connectivity and mobility in what he called the “dreaded I-4 corridor.”
“What good does it do to break ground 10 years from now? We need to be breaking ground and bringing these projects to fruition now. And that's exactly what this initiative is doing," DeSantis said.
ALSO READ: New lanes to relieve I-4 congestion near Disney will open by end of April, DeSantis says
It’s not the only effort to make traffic run a bit smoother on I-4. Other improvements on the way include adding general use and express lanes, resurfacing the road, and other safety measures along a 14-mile stretch from U.S. 27 to World Center Drive.
Suncoast Parkway
Drivers on I-4 may be happy about an extra lane or two. But plans to build a new interchange as part of a Suncoast Parkway widening project are upsetting some people who live near the toll road.
WUSF’s Steve Newborn reports that northbound traffic has been backing up for several years as the highway narrows to two lanes north of Van Dyke Road.
He says state transportation planners want to widen the parkway in both directions to three lanes, from Van Dyke to State Road 52. There have been over 100 accidents reported on that stretch from 2018 to 2022.
Still, residents in Odessa aren’t excited about the project.
Kayem Shaukat spoke during a virtual public hearing.
“We at Bexley are strongly against any interchange at Rangeland Boulevard because Bexley is a small residential community, and it's built on the concept of natural trails, biking [and] pedestrian lifestyle,” he said.
Tampa International Airport’s animal problem
WUSF's Lily Belcher explains how airport officials are responding to the dangerous run-ins some planes have had with wildlife.
She said birds are the primary invaders, but bats and coyotes are also an issue.
“Tampa International officials were told by the FAA to deal with the wildlife hazards near the airport at the beginning of this month after 141 reported wildlife strikes by planes last year,” Belcher said.
Tampa International Airport spokesperson Joshua Gillen said it is considering ways to manage nearby animals.
“Wildlife is always an issue, especially birds. And birds do fly through the same space that the airplanes do, and unfortunately, impediments or collisions do happen," Gillen said.
You can hear all the stories on the media player above.
"Florida Matters" is going on the road next week. And you’re invited to a special taping, Friday, May 9, at the Palladium in St. Petersburg.
Host Matthew Peddie will be talking with a panel about the community’s role before, during and especially after a hurricane hits. The taping is free, but seating is limited.
You can sign up here.
