PSTA launches Spark all-electric express bus service

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has launched Spark, the agency’s first all-electric express bus service that connects Eckerd College and the Skyway Marina District with downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach, Fla.  

The service will run along 34th Street South from Eckerd College to Grand Central Station from 5:00 a.m. to midnight, with buses arriving every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes during early mornings and late nights. According to PSTA, the service features 18 upgraded stations with modern shelters, lighting and digital screens that display real-time bus information.  

The agency says the service will expands access to jobs, schools and essential services while advancing the city of St. Petersburg's vision for a sustainable, connected future.  

According to PSTA CEO Brad Miller, “Spark is more than a bus line. It’s another step toward a cleaner, more connected future for St. Petersburg.”  

Miller goes on to note that the service “reflects years of community input, planning and partnership at every level. By connecting the Skyway Marina District, Eckerd College and downtown, Spark strengthens opportunity and access for everyone in our community.” 

PSTA notes Spark builds on the success of the SunRunner, the region’s first bus rapid transit line. However, PSTA says that unlike the SunRunner, Spark will not use dedicated bus-and-turn lanes. 

“This new service was built with the community in mind,” said PSTA Board Chair and St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders. “Spark ensures that residents in South St. Pete have reliable and affordable ways to reach jobs, schools and vital services. When we invest in transit, we invest in people, and Spark delivers on that promise.” 

PSTA says Spark will link neighborhoods that have been long separated by distance and accessibility barriers. 

“Today is an exciting day for St. Petersburg and for everyone who believes in smart, continuous growth,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. “Spark connects our neighborhoods from Eckerd College through the Skyway Marina District to downtown and beyond. It links directly with the SunRunner, strengthening a network that helps residents, workers and visitors move efficiently across our city without needing a car. The future of mobility in St. Pete isn’t just coming, it’s already here, and it’s electric.” 

According to Eckerd College President James J. Annarelli, Ph.D., Spark will provide students, staff and visitors at the school with greater mobility options.  

“For our students, Spark represents freedom and connection,” Annarelli said. “It provides a reliable and affordable way to reach downtown St. Petersburg, internships, part-time jobs and all the cultural opportunities that make this city so special. Spark also supports our values, showing how innovation and environmental stewardship can work hand in hand.” 

PSTA notes the project also delivers on the Skyway Marina District Master Plan, which calls for stronger bus connections, improved shelters and better pedestrian access along 34th Street South. 

“Spark connects our residents to opportunity, our businesses to customers and our district to the greater St. Petersburg community,” said Skyway Marina District Executive Director Misty Bottorff. “It’s proof of what’s possible when innovation meets vision. With the launch of Spark, we’re seeing our master plan in action.”