Video above: Pirates invade downtown Tampa ahead of Gasparilla
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — With hundreds of thousands of swashbuckling visitors expected in Tampa for the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, traffic headaches abound.
Here’s how potential pirates can chart their course and plan ahead for Saturday.
Where can I catch an Uber or Lyft?
On its Gasparilla information website, the City of Tampa laid out plans for a rideshare exclusion zone.
It covers Bayshore Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods, so if you’re looking to catch a ride, be prepared to walk.
Drivers will be prohibited from picking up passengers in restricted areas.
Where can I ride shared E-Scooters and bicycles?
Electric scooters and bikes, offered through a service like Lime or Spin, are not allowed to operate in downtown Tampa or the Bayshore Boulevard areas on Gasparilla weekend.
According to a map provided by the city, the no ride zone is in effect from 10 p.m. Friday to noon on Sunday.
Non-electric bicycles are permitted at the festival. Riders must walk their bikes where the streets are closed off and are not allowed to lock them onto city or private property.
Can you take public transportation?
Festivalgoers can use HART buses to get to the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa. To view bus routes and more information about the transit system, visit the city’s Gasparilla information website.
The TECO Line Streetcar (8:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.) and HART bus shuttle (9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) will offer free transportation between downtown Tampa and Ybor City.
Staying home?
You can watch our coverage of the pirate invasion and parade online and on air. Coverage of the invasion will begin on WFLA Now at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27. The Parade of Pirates will be broadcast on News Channel 8 at 2:30 p.m.
