St. Petersburg is running several shuttles between downtown St. Pete and the Trop this week as tens of thousands of fans head in for the Tampa Bay Rays World Series games. The move is meant to steer traffic, ease parking pressure and give fans a cheaper way to get to the stadium.
Game 3 starts at 8 p.m. on Monday, and the city is bracing for a surge that will build again for Game 4 on Tuesday night and, if needed, Game 5 on Wednesday night at the Trop. That is why the shuttle plan matters now: the people coming downtown this week are not just buying tickets, they are trying to figure out how to get there without paying stadium rates.
City officials say parking downtown St. Pete can be found for about $25, then fans can catch a shuttle to the stadium. Near the Trop, the average price to park for the World Series is $150. That gap is the core of the city’s plan, and it gives fans a clear reason to leave the car a little farther away.
The shuttle service is part of the city’s traffic and parking plan for the World Series, built around the stretch of games at the Trop. It is also the city’s answer to the reality of a packed downtown, where the cheapest option and the most convenient option are no longer the same thing.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday night, with Game 5 on Wednesday night if it is needed. For fans trying to get in and out of downtown St. Pete, the city has made the choice plain: pay more to park close, or save money and ride in.
