How PSTA is improving St. Pete connections

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority believes a revamped Connected Community Bus Network will increase job access and meet evolving transit demands in St. Petersburg.

Agency officials presented their plans to city council members at a Housing, Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting Thursday. They expect PSTA’s governing board to approve the reimagined network, which includes new downtown transfer hubs, in April.

Darden Rice, chief planning and community affairs officer for PSTA, said the changes are “cost-neutral” and would capitalize on core routes. The network will offer more night and weekend services to meet demand and decrease travel times through timed transfers.

“It’s not very often you get to really go back to your network and just start over from scratch,” Rice said. “And look at what’s working, what’s not, and the new trends we’re recognizing happening – both in the community and nationwide – and make those changes.”

She noted that people are typically averse to change, which is one reason the existing network has remained mostly unchanged for the past 40 years. PSTA has conducted extensive public outreach regarding the plans, and those efforts will continue over the next six months rather than “just flipping the switch right away.”

Planning manager Jacob Labutka said about 27,000 residents can get to evening jobs within an hour under the current system. Many routes end by 8 p.m., and the new, expanded network would increase those rates by 24%.

About 15,000 people can reach their jobs within an hour on a Sunday afternoon. Labutka noted that many routes “don’t operate at all” that day, and the less-frequent service disproportionately affects people of color.

Another focal point is decreasing the transfer times on intermittent routes. Passengers must often wait 30 minutes to an hour or walk several blocks before continuing their journey.

“The solution we’ve tried to come up with in this plan is, how do you implement transfers in a very bustling downtown area,” Labutka said. “It certainly wouldn’t be realistic to do a transfer facility like we have in Grand Central.”

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority buses await passengers at St. Petersburg’s Grand Central Station. Photo by Mark Parker.

PSTA will instead create transfer hubs, which Labutka described as a “common area” for multiple bus routes. He highlighted the blocks between 3^rd and 4^th Streets, near 1^st Avenue South.

Labutka explained that PSTA would route buses through “mostly existing” stations within the area. Drivers would pick up and drop off passengers without a layover and head to various locations throughout downtown.

Agency and city transportation officials will soon explore locations on the southern edge of downtown, within a two or three-block radius of the Publix on 3^rd Street South, “to find existing spaces where buses could layover but still spread out,” Labutka said. “But close enough so that, from a scheduling perspective, we can create this transfer hub and implement timed connections.”

A community survey found that 32% of riders strongly agreed that the new network “will be better for the county overall.” Another 34% agreed with that statement, and 10% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

PSTA’s consultant said the responses were significantly more positive than those found in similar surveys nationwide. Labutka noted the 10% who disagreed wanted “more” – increased frequency and weekend service.

“And while this certainly moves the needle in that direction, this is, I would say, the springboard from which we can make future improvements,” he said. “For example, we’ve been talking internally about what the next premium service is beyond SunRunner and (34^th Street) Spark.”

Councilmember Gina Driscoll questioned if the transfer hubs would offer enhanced shelters. Labutka said PSTA will utilize current downtown stations with “pretty good amenity coverage.”

Rice, a former city council member, said the agency would not revisit implementing a transfer system in Williams Park. While passengers may still have to walk two or more blocks to a connecting route under the new system, “there’s a guaranteed transfer that didn’t exist before.”

Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders credited PSTA for listening to its board and, most importantly, its riders. Rice announced that the EDGE District will now participate in the popular Universal Pass (UPASS) program.

In June 2024, St. Petersburg’s Historic Kenwood residents became Florida’s first to receive unlimited public transit rides through their neighborhood association. Rice said the initiative will continue expanding according to participation.

“St. Pete – you’re like the most-favored nation status,” Rice concluded. “So, we look forward to working with you.”