Downtown Tampa welcomes Dash, a new ride-sharing service offering $2 rides across 7 neighborhoods

Last week marked the initiation of Dash, a new ride-sharing initiative featuring Tesla SUVs, in downtown Tampa. Dash is an acronym for Downtown Area Shared Hubs.

The Dash service operates at 20 designated hubs scattered across seven downtown Tampa neighborhoods: the Downtown Core, Downtown River Arts Neighborhood Association, Channel District, Water Street, Encore, West River, and Tampa Heights. Riders can conveniently schedule a ride by downloading the Dash app on their smartphones. Each ride will cost $2, and the app will automatically determine the closest available hub to the user.

The app has the capability to accommodate up to four passengers per trip. It is anticipated that Dash will serve a variety of needs, from commuting to lunch and business meetings to running errands and attending events.

The fleet of Tesla SUVs will be operated by specially trained "driver-ambassadors," as reported by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, a nonprofit organization responsible for downtown management in agreement with the city. The service also includes the option for passengers to request a wheelchair-accessible van via the app.

On its debut last week Thursday, Dash operated from noon to 11 p.m., with standard operating hours taking effect the next day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.