Need a Ride in Downtown Tampa? Try the Downtowner instead of Uber. It’s free!

Lifestyle Photography by Coco Prop Shop

Tired of Uber? Try this free alternative!

Are you visiting downtown Tampa for business, or are you a resident who commutes to an office space there? Are you staying in the area to catch a Bolts game, now that hockey season is underway? Either way, it’s expensive for tourists to rent a car, and parking in downtown Tampa is also pricey for residents. The solution for many would be to walk or take an Uber.

Uber has some advantages, but many people are feeling less comfortable with the company after a series of PR nightmares. Prices have gone up, while the quality of service has gone down. The good news is, downtown Tampa has their own alternative to Uber. The service is called the Downtowner, and it’s been operating in downtown Tampa since 2016. The major advantage to the Downtowner; it’s free. This isn’t a limited offer, or a trial designed to get you hooked. When using the Downtowner, money never changes hands (unless you tip your driver).

The Downtowner service is funded and operated by the city of Tampa. Delray Beach in South Florida tried it first to great success, and now it’s slowly spreading to other cities like Aspen and Tampa. Like Uber and Lyft, an app is required to hail the car and input your destination. Thanks to the growing fleet Tampa has, cars usually show up within minutes ready to take you to your destination.

Tampa city officials recognized that ride sharing was the future, and the service would help cut down on overflowing parking garages in addition to encouraging tourism. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the service had 100,000 different riders in their first 7 months. Eco-minded tourists will be glad to read that the entire Downtowner fleet is exclusively electric. Every time I’ve taken a Downtowner with a friend, they’re always amazed at the tablet found mounted in the backseat.

If you’re visiting downtown or jumping back and forth from office space to other venues for meetings, then the Downtowner is for you. Think of it like an airport or hotel shuttle, but with a wider reach. The Downtowner isn’t for taking rides to the beach or the airport. As of now, its service area is limited, but expanding. There are plans to bring the service to Tampa Heights with more areas on the way. While the smaller service area may seem limiting, there are lots of options to do in the downtown area.

Even though it can’t take you to Clearwater Beach, there are plenty of great tourist attractions within their service area, like the Tampa Aquarium. The bottom line: it’s fun, it’s unique, it’s eco-friendly and it’s free! Why not try the Downtowner next time you’re downtown?