PSTA drivers helped save thousands of lives during storms

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority drivers completed nearly 570,000 emergency trips before and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the area.

The organization celebrated its unsung first responders as typical service resumed Monday after back-to-back storms. Drivers worked tirelessly to help vulnerable Pinellas County residents prepare, evacuate to safety and begin an extensive recovery process.

Connie Stein, a lead Jolley Trolley driver, said it felt rewarding to transition from a recreational service into a vital community asset. She also noted it was “sad and emotional” to witness the devastation before many regular customers returned home to pick up the pieces.

“After Helene, they were told to evacuate for Milton, but a lot of them had lost their cars,” Stein said. “Roads were flooded, neighborhoods were isolated, and so many people were left wondering how they would reach safety.

“Yet through the chaos, we stood ready. We didn’t just do our jobs – we helped the community.”

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) transported 569,853 passengers, including 1,229 targeted evacuations, before and after the hurricanes. The agency’s largest operation occurred at a makeshift shelter that lost power during Helene.

PSTA drivers transported 300 people, 230 with mobility issues, from the Good Samaritan Church in Pinellas Park to a permanent shelter. Tom Wallace, assistant general manager, said the agency helped provide a sense of familiarity during a decidedly uncertain time.

“They know PSTA, it’s local,” he added. “It’s like family to them. So, they were relieved when they would hear that name.”

Stein shared the same sentiment. She said drivers form bonds within the community, and it was hard to witness such significant losses. “It was unreal,” she twice repeated.

Stein said the past month has highlighted what it means to be an essential worker. “It means putting others first, even when you are facing challenges and worried about your own households.”

Many drivers also experienced storm damage. Stein said she waited until the last minute to evacuate with her son. After a 16-hour commute, they eventually found an available room in Macon, Georgia.

“I did my best to get as many people as possible who had lost their cars in Helene to evacuation centers or to food or help,” Stein said. “But it wasn’t just me.”

She explained that fellow drivers and dispatchers provided continuous updates on impassable roads. Stein also credited maintenance crews and agency leadership – who urged employees to prioritize their safety – for their efforts throughout the storms.

She said PSTA officials took time to check on their staff throughout the storms and had backup drivers ready to replace those who evacuated. One of those was Chris Blackshear, who typically works as a dispatcher.

Agency drivers assisted thousands of disabled residents during the storms.

Blackshear volunteered to drive a paratransit van that serves residents with disabilities. Many drivers convinced their regular passengers to leave home and seek shelter.

“I didn’t hardly have any damage, so I could pour in 100% to help the riders who needed it,” Blackshear said. “It meant a lot to me before and after the hurricane.”

Blackshear and five or six other emergency drivers traveled throughout Pinellas County assisting disabled residents. He recalled transporting a man who needed lifesaving kidney dialysis treatments.

Blackshear said the passenger was distraught over potentially losing his home and wondered if he hurriedly packed enough medication. “But he was more grateful and happy that he was alive.”

“They needed us, and they thanked us,” Blackshear said of his riders. “My hat goes off to PSTA because they had everything set up for us to be great.”

The agency relocated homeless residents who stayed at Pinellas Hope until the compound flooded. Officials also utilized 20 reliable, decades-old buses.

Stein noted that out-of-state electrical workers are still utilizing the Jolley Trolley. She points out damaged places that were once bustling with tourists.

Stein was adamant that the area would again “be paradise” for visitors. She also pledged that her trolley would always embody its moniker.

“We can’t let anything take our joy away,” Stein added. “When we’re going down the streets, we see children who have gone through this devastation with us, and they’re jumping up and down and telling us to ring the bell. They’re happy to see us out here again, too.”