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St. Pete mayor pens letter in support of BRT
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman penned a strongly worded letter to St. Pete Beach Mayor Alan Johnson Wednesday afternoon, making a case for the proposed Central Avenue BRT project and threatening to move on with the project without St. Pete Beach’s approval.
The letter comes after the St. Pete Beach City Commission appeared hostile and unwilling to compromise with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s latest iterations of the project, made in response to St. Pete Beach residents’ objections to large bus sizes and preferred termination of the route.
As previously reported by the St. Pete Catalyst, the commission objected to BRT on St. Pete Beach and pushed PSTA to terminate the route at 75th Avenue. The commission said St. Pete Beach could employ its own transit option to get passengers to other stops on the island.
The commission scheduled an emergency meeting for Thursday morning to consider a resolution against the project or to sign an interlocal agreement only if PSTA agrees to terminate service at 75th Avenue.
Kriseman stated that the Commission’s demands were not acceptable, as it “would significantly lower ridership and put the entire project in jeopardy.”
“These provisions do not represent an acceptable compromise to the original plan,” wrote Kriseman. “It significantly waters down the original plan far beyond the compromise we would accept which would still meet the needs of our respective communities and our region.”
Kriseman also stated that if St. Pete Beach refuses to compromise, the City of St. Petersburg would consider the original draft of the interlocal agreement at its own City Council meeting Thursday afternoon, putting larger 60 foot buses and the previously explored routes, including service terminating at the Don CeSar hotel, back on the table.
Kriseman implored Johnson to consider both local and regional interests of the project.
Read Kriseman’s full letter below.
Jess t
May 4, 2022at8:43 am
Mass transit always sounds perfect but the result is usually lower then expected ridership and the areas along the routes usually start to attract more homeless and young street thugs who have nothing better to do. And without the access wouldn’t have vehicles to get to these destinations
I’ve watched it happen in two cities I’ve lived in and it wasn’t pretty. In fact I worked at one of the stops and everyone was so thrilled for all these new tourists and traffic that would be arriving on this new metro link. Even president Clinton came to take the first ride
The crime showed up right away and our cars started getting broken into and you couldn’t be in the parking lot at night. The area dropped and major businesses and hotels left
Our company moved as well.
Ericka Guy
July 15, 2019at4:18 pm
Having BRT could be a win/win for tourism and resident transport in both areas. Fewer tourists in rental cars slowing down traffic or causing accidents and more people able to visit the beach and having accessible and AFFORDABLE parking. Crazy to pay $20 in some spots for parking when you’ll only be there a couple of hours. I’m with you Mayor Kriseman.
David Sillman
June 17, 2019at9:44 am
I’m with Kreisman! The interests and benefits to the broader community + tourists outweighs a minority of loud complainers who “just don’t want it”. And in the larger scheme, the entire proposed route for these new buses is under threat of being under water in the not-too-distant future. Obstructing solutions [to the threat of rising seas] is untenable and unacceptable. The ‘pluses’ here FAR outweigh the ‘minuses’. To the whiners I would simply say: “suck it up, buttercup! You’re going to get some great new, advanced mass transit that will unclog traffic and clean the air a bit whether you like it or not”!
Robert Neff
June 13, 2019at7:39 pm
St, Petersburg Mayor Kroseman trying to strong arm St. Pete Beach. He is all for spending money to make himself look good.
HB Busch
June 13, 2019at3:53 pm
What are the reasons St. Pete Beach residents are opposed to BRT?
Al Johnson
June 14, 2019at4:45 pm
As our resolution states, we are opposed to the currently proposed plan – 60′ articulated busses, U-turn at the Don, etc. It also states that we see want to continue the dialogue to arrive at a plan that St. Pete, South Pasadena and SPB can accept.
Megan Holmes
June 17, 2019at9:56 am
Mayor Johnson, the resolution opposed the plan as CURRENTLY proposed South of 75th Avenue – (ie, 40 ft buses on Gulf Boulevard to County Park). You are referring to the original plan, which was not in the interlocal agreement that PSTA drafted.
John Royse
June 13, 2019at1:22 pm
If Kriseman is so concerned with public transit he should check PSTA in his own community where some of us have had access to only one route running once an hour for the last 35 years.
BR Pettit
June 13, 2019at8:59 am
BRT is adamantly opposed by St Pete Beach residents. We value our home rule. We are the second highest bed tax contributor in the county. Dump the BRT.