The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is expanding its SunRunner bus rapid transit (BRT) system with a new station in downtown St. Petersburg. Located near the Sundial parking garage at 150 1st Avenue North, the new stop will give residents and visitors closer access to the St. Pete Pier, Beach Drive, the Cross Bay Ferry and all of the restaurants, businesses and hotels along downtown waterfront. Currently, from 5th Street station, it takes 12 minutes to get to the Pier; the new stop would make the commute a five-minute walk.
“SunRunner’s colorful, efficient buses and beautiful bus stops have literally transformed our community,” said Brad Miller, CEO, PSTA. “There are fewer vehicles on the road, more people attending events, eating out, shopping at local businesses. SunRunner is truly improving our quality of life and helping drive our economy.”
Ridership has increased every month since the service launched in October, with more than 115,000 people using SunRunner in March alone. The new service is also helping people get to special events like Halloween on Central, Localtopia and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which all saw ridership numbers surpass 10,000 on their respective weekends. To meet the growing demand, PSTA will be adding buses to its SunRunner fleet, shortening the wait and allowing for more capacity along the route.
“Residents and visitors are saving time and avoiding the hassle of looking for parking downtown by riding the SunRunner to special events in our city,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. “The service is also providing new opportunities for local businesses to open along the route. Land that was under-utilized or vacant is being redeveloped because residents and businesses want to be near the SunRunner.”
PSTA notes traffic accidents are significantly down along the corridor since the launch of SunRunner, and drivers have easily adapted to the well-marked bus-and-turn-only lanes.
“All of the SunRunner’s buses are low-emission, hybrid vehicles,” said Gina Driscoll, PSTA Board chairperson and St. Pete city councilwoman. “Nearly half of the SunRunner riders who were surveyed said they used the bus rather than their personal cars for their trip. That reduces pollution and congestion and is good for environmental sustainability.”
The original SunRunner project came in $5 million under budget, so PSTA will be using the leftover federal dollars to fund the expansion. The new station will be open for service in 2024.
“This showcases the best of business and government: When we work together with shared goals, we can build something as bold, transformative and successful as the SunRunner,” Miller said.
The SunRunner is free through Oct. 31, 2023.
