Sarasota County Breeze Plus Veterans Medical Transportation
Sarasota County's Breeze Plus runs veterans from six pickup points in Venice, Nokomis and Sarasota to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and the James A. Haley VA hospital in Tampa on weekday mornings, for $8 to $13 a ride depending on the pickup. Register at 941-861-1018; Veterans Services can help with the fare.
Also called: transportation, rides, Breeze, Breeze Plus, Bay Pines, James A. Haley, Tampa VA, VA appointments, transit, paratransit.
Breeze Plus, Sarasota County's paratransit service, includes a Veterans Medical Transportation Program to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.
Registering. Call the Breeze Plus office at 941-861-1018. The page sets no discharge, rating or disability test.
Riding. Pickups run Monday to Friday between 6:25 and 7:50 a.m., at Venice Walmart Supercenter (6:25 a.m., $13), Nokomis Village Publix (6:40 a.m., $12), Westfield Sarasota Square Mall at JC Penney (6:50 a.m., $8), the Sarasota Pavilion Breeze Station (7 a.m., $8), Sarasota County Veterans Services (7:20 a.m., $8) and the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library (7:50 a.m., $8). Schedule Bay Pines appointments between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and James A. Haley appointments between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reserve by 5 p.m. the day before, and up to 14 days ahead, in the Breeze OnDemand app or portal or at 941-777-6000, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Fares are paid to the driver, or by card in the app since the county moved Breeze Plus to a new operator, Via; paper tickets ended March 31, 2026. A registered personal care attendant rides free.
Help with the fare. The page says to call Veterans Services at 941-861-2899 "to discuss financial assistance for fare payments". A veteran who cannot reach a pickup point may qualify for the county's Transportation Disadvantaged service instead.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Sarasota County Breeze Plus Veterans Medical Transportation
Gate
Rule
Veterans going to Bay Pines or the Tampa VA
A registered veteran with an appointment at Bay Pines or James A. Haley. No rating is needed.
Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.
Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.