Agencies unveil plan to speed travel between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties
May 4, 2021 - Buses will soon be driving on the shoulders of Interstate 275 from 5th Avenue North to Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg. It's part of a project by the Florida Department of Transportation and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority to enhance reliable transit travel times between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties on PSTA's Route 100x, a news release said. When travel speeds on I-275 fall below 35 miles per hour, the bus will have the option to enter the outside shoulder in authorized locations to avoid the slower interstate traffic. The bus will travel at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour and will never travel at a speed higher than 15 miles per hour over general traffic, the news release said. Vehicles entering I-275 via on-ramps will need to yield to the bus if it is riding on the shoulder. Bus on shoulder signals have been installed at the 38th Avenue and 54th Avenue interchange on-ramps in the northbound and southbound directions. When a bus is approaching on the shoulder, the signal will turn red, stopping oncoming ramp traffic for a few seconds. Once the bus safely passes the on ramp, the BOSS will go dark and traffic can proceed as normal.