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‘Beyond the bus’: New SunRunner station opens downtown
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) cut the ribbon Friday on the newest SunRunner station in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, marking another expansion of the region’s first bus rapid transit system.
The new station, located near the Sundial parking garage along 1st Ave. N., will offer service every 15 minutes. PSTA is also launching a new initiative called “SunRunner After Dark,” providing double the number of buses and more frequent pickups from 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
“This station is closer to the waterfront district and state-of-the-art St Pete Pier,” said Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA. “It took decades of planning, work and design to get across the finish line, and unbelievable cooperation with our federal, state and local partners.”
PSTA broke ground on the station last August, completing construction in about four months.
The new station is the easternmost stop on the SunRunner route. Image: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
According to PSTA, the original SunRunner project, which started in 2022, was completed under budget. PSTA used the leftover funds to build the new station.
“Name me one other project that comes in $5.8 million under budget and you’re able to add a station and three busses at zero cost. Oh, and by the way, give some money back. It doesn’t happen,” said Copley Gerdes, Chairman of the St. Petersburg City Council. “This just shows you what true partnership does when level heads come together and work hard for the right reasons, for the community.”
In addition to opening a new station, PSTA is on track to reach a milestone of two million riders in the coming days. The SunRunner line is one of PSTA’s most utilized services and features a 100% electric fleet of buses.
“If you want to know what it looks like to lower people’s cost of living, grow our economy and reduce our impact on the environment all at the same time, just look at the SunRunner and the leadership of PSTA,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross. “This investment is providing affordable, efficient transportation, and it demonstrates how we can improve our quality of life here in our community; not just in St Petersburg, but across Pinellas County.”
Like the other SunRunner stations, the new stop has amenities like 14-inch elevated platforms for easy boarding, improved crosswalks and ramps for accessibility, real-time signage and off-bus ticketing to expedite the boarding process.
PSTA CEO Brad Miller (right), elected officials and local leaders gave speeches at Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, celebrating the opening of the newest SunRunner station.
PSTA was originally awarded $21.8 million in 2020 from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant program, which covered approximately half of the capital cost for building the SunRunner. The rest of the construction costs were covered by the Florida Department of Transportation, PSTA and the City of St. Petersburg.
In 2024, PSTA was awarded another PSTA $27.8 million in federal funding to continue growing the SunRunner line. St. Petersburg City Council also recently approved the funding to support the “SunRunner After Dark” program.
City councilwoman and chair of the PSTA board Gina Driscoll noted that since the service began, PSTA has documented a decline in the number of crashes along the SunRunner corridor.
“That means something- we are keeping people safer,” Driscoll said. “Dedicated lanes and improved traffic management are all part of the SunRunner project. This goes beyond the bus; it’s a great example of how investing in good transportation infrastructure can make our communities safer for everyone.”
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MIKE
January 13, 2025at11:56 am
Steve there’s two studies referenced in that link.
One by department of transportation showed that traffic was slowed down by this city bus.
The second is misrepresented. I followed up with forward pinellas and they take zero responsibility for these assertions.
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Another report from Forward Pinellas, the county’s land use and transportation planning agency, compared crashes along the SunRunner route in the year before and the year after it launched. It found they declined from more than 800 in the earlier period to fewer than 600 in the latter, with fatal collisions dropping from six to three.
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This was “reported” by a non expert in a social media post. This post is not scientific. One observation means nothing. They compared the year of construction to the year of implementation. Who’s to say the construction didn’t cause multiple accidents? There’s no uncertainty analysis. There’s no source data and they won’t provide the source data. There’s no compensation for change in number of cars (ie accidents per car). It’s not peer reviewed. It was A BLOG POST BY AN INTERN. Call forward pinellas. They will not take any responsibility for this “reporting”. Yet here we are getting systematically LIED TO. And you personally regurgitating this like it’s factual. It’s what’s wrong with the post Fact Age.
I personally have seen at least two sun runner busses totaled in accidents. Two. Where’s those reports by the pats PR machine??
Mike C
January 13, 2025at9:37 am
More waste, no ROI, double down on what residents dont want or use. Double the buses after dark? why? are the buses at capacity? Where is the analysis and data to support any of this nonsense?
Mike
January 12, 2025at5:02 pm
Not only are bus stops on both sides, but the stops are at the same *location* on both sides.
It took these “experts” 10 years of “planning” to turn a three lane road into a one lane road. Thats some magic trick.
Thats some type of “planning”. These “experts” are profoundly incompetent or blatantly, maliciously crooked or both. What ither conclusion are we observers to draw? That they are doing a good job? I cant believe that anyone on that corridor and has a car thinks this is anything other than a historic boondoggle.
Steve D
January 12, 2025at9:12 am
Mike, how does the SunRunner ruin the Central Ave corridor? It doesn’t operate on Central Ave. And, BTW:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2023/12/27/do-bus-lanes-work-st-petersburg-sunrunner/
John, public transportation is a public service. It’s not meant to be profitable. So, if you insist on that as a condition, what is the profit and loss analysis for public parks, public schools, and…oh yeah,… the public roads you drive on with your private vehicle?
John Donovan
January 11, 2025at9:32 pm
What is the profit and loss profile of this line? Thought bus ran every 30 minutes. How does it visit new station every 15 minutes? Meanwhile, another bus is still servicing 1st Ave N and S. from the natural side (opposite) of the road. But the SunRunner is an attractive looking bus.
Steve Sullivan
January 11, 2025at8:07 pm
Please explain how Central Ave was impacted by the service when it doesn’t even service Central
Mike
January 11, 2025at7:36 am
This bus ruined the central ave corridor.
Please provide a reference to the “documented” drop in crashes, because that didnt happen. Its been REPORTED, but those are just the typical lies of the psta PR machine.
Imagine “decades” of planning to put bus stops on the wrong side of the road! Imagine!
We deserve better than this!!! We deserve better than these LIES!!!