The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) is extending public transportation hours along the island on Friday, July 12. It is adding extra buses to the schedule on Saturday, July 13, for the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
On Friday, July 12, the SRIA’s three free open-air trolleys will begin transporting customers starting at 7:30 a.m. and extend their service to Park East, located a mile east of Portofino Resort, until 6 p.m. Following that, the regular route will resume until midnight.
On Saturday, July 13, starting at 6:30 a.m., the SRIA will have four buses in addition to the three open-air trolleys running and will extend their service area to Park East until 6 p.m. Following that, the three open-air trolleys will resume normal operations until midnight.
On Friday and Saturday, buses and trolleys will service passengers from Park East and Park West to the show center at Casino Beach throughout the day. Passengers will only be picked up and dropped off at designated trolley stops.
Post-air show, trolleys servicing Portofino Resort/Park East will be staged on Via de Luna in front of Sideline’s Sports Bar and the Hampton Inn (facing east). Trolleys servicing Park West will be staged on Fort Pickens Rd. in front of the Surf & Sand Hotel and The Sandshaker (facing west).
Due to extreme traffic and congestion buildup on Friday and Saturday, trolley service to the access road stops (Grand Marlin, Radical Rides/Laguna’s, Quietwater Beach, and the Boardwalk) will be temporarily suspended until 6 p.m. Following that, the regular route will resume until midnight.
Passengers wishing to return to their vehicles as soon as the air show ends need to be on the first fleet of buses leaving Casino Beach post-show. Due to the gridlock immediately following the air show, riders should expect to wait 90 minutes or more for the trolleys or buses to return to Casino Beach if they are not on the first trip out.
The SRIA also wants to remind the public to use the designated pedestrian crosswalks only across the island.
The official 2024 Pensacola Beach Air Show will begin just before noon on Saturday. The Santa Rosa Island Authority provides the free trolley and bus service, and Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) handles the expert driving.