The price at the pump may be frightening, but PSTA has your back!

Gas prices in the Tampa Bay Area have surged higher than $4 per gallon, the highest since 2022! And considering insurance prices are at an all-time high, private car owners are certainly feeling the strain. In fact, a recent study showed that the average cost of owning a car in Florida is $8,483 per year or more, with Floridians paying the most in hidden car ownership prices nationwide. A rise in gas prices just adds insult to injury.

But despite this current rise in fuel pricing, PSTA remains ready to provide some relief. From fixed-route and premium bus services to on-demand services and partnerships with Uber and Lyft, we offer a wide range of alternatives to driving your expensive car.

Let’s talk about why PSTA is in the perfect position to support you during times of high gas prices, and some of the ways we can help you save money on gas and reduce wear and tear on your car.

Fixed-Route Service

At the center of PSTA’s offerings are our fixed-route buses, which comprise 39 different routes throughout Pinellas County. These routes are designed to prioritize high-commuter areas and provide frequent service to popular destinations, especially since the launch of our Connected Community Bus Network in October 2025. The Connected Community Bus Network was the largest system redesign in agency history, and focused on providing more frequent service on high-ridership routes, as well as finally giving all routes service seven days a week. Life doesn’t take weekends off, and now neither do any PSTA routes!

Among our fixed routes are premium services such as SunRunner and Spark. These two services boast a 15-minute frequency during peak hours and provide seamless connections to downtown St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, South St. Petersburg, and Eckerd.

Speaking of the beach, we offer four routes that can get you there with our Suncoast Beach Trolley and our partners at Jolley Trolley. The Suncoast Beach Trolley serves all the beaches from Clearwater Beach down to St. Pete Beach. Jolley Trolley’s North Beach Route serves the northern half of the Clearwater Beach barrier island, its South Beach Route runs from downtown Clearwater to south Clearwater Beach and down to Sand Key, and its Coastal Route runs from Clearwater Beach up to Tarpon Springs.

The best part of all these services? The fare is only $2.25 per ride, and it caps at $5 a day when you use the same payment method. Paying is simple with our contactless card readers—just hop on board and tap your card! Just by using the bus a few days a week, you could reduce your fuel consumption and overall wear and tear on your vehicle.

PSTA provides fare programs to many schools and businesses throughout the county with our UPASS program. Check whether your school or employer already offers you free fares through the UPASS program. If it doesn’t, see if your school or employer would be interested in working with PSTA to provide free transportation as a benefit!

Click here to learn more about fares and our fare programs.

Commuter Service

Have a group at work that would be interested in carpooling? PSTA’s Vanpool might be the perfect solution for you. The Vanpool program lets you lease an Enterprise vehicle to share with 4 to 15 other commuters, helping you save on gas, avoid daily wear and tear on your personal vehicle, and reduce the time you spend behind the wheel.

The fee you pay is determined by the distance to work, how many people you ride with, gasoline, and tolls. But all participants can expect to save hundreds in gas each month. And by alternating drivers each day, you can avoid the stress of driving and get some of your “me” time back. Click here to learn more about PSTA’s Vanpool program!

On-Demand Service

PSTA also offers on-demand service in select areas or at select locations. Our new Snapper On-Demand service provides rides in Clearwater and Safety Harbor when you need them. Additionally, we offer on-demand service from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach through our Grouper Airport Express. Both of these services can be booked online at grouper.psta.net or by downloading the Grouper On-Demand app to your phone.

Live too far from a bus stop? Try our Direct Connect program, which offers discounted rides with Uber, Lyft, or United Taxi to bus stops beyond walking distance. With 26 locations throughout the county, Direct Connect makes it easier and more affordable to connect to bus service.

How PSTA Remains Steady Amidst Fuel Uncertainty

Unlike the average fuel consumer, PSTA locks in its diesel prices at the beginning of the fiscal year. This allows PSTA to continue providing service regardless of the price per barrel. But there’s another reason PSTA is resilient to soaring gas prices—81.9% of our fleet is either full-electric or hybrid-electric buses.

Our hybrid-electric buses use far less fuel than our 40 diesel buses, and our all-electric vehicles, of course, use no fuel at all and can travel up to 300 miles on a single charge. With a fleet less dependent on diesel and the agency’s fuel prices locked in for the year, PSTA is uniquely positioned to weather any fuel pricing storm that comes our way—and we want to share those benefits with YOU!

Historically, we see ridership increase when gas prices go up. In fact, data show that a 10% sustained rise in gas prices leads to a 4% to 9% jump in ridership—and PSTA is ready for this, as we always are.

Year-Round Savings

PSTA is poised to help alleviate vehicle costs year-round, not just when gas prices surge like this. We know that private vehicles are convenient, especially for unexpected travel. But even taking the bus to work, just opting for public transit a few days a week, or using SunRunner while you’re downtown, can help you save on gas. And, things as they are, every penny counts. For those who make the full switch to public transit, the cost savings are even bigger!

If you’re interested in soothing your wallet and giving public transit a shot, download the free, PSTA-endorsed Transit app—it’s like Google Maps but for public transit! It will give you step-by-step instructions throughout your entire trip so you can navigate PSTA’s services with confidence.

If you want to dabble in transit before fully committing, try SunRunner next time you’re in downtown St. Petersburg. The whole thing runs in a loop on 1st Ave North and South, making it easier than ever to get around downtown or to the beach. Just look for the vibrant SunRunner stations and check the totem screen for real-time arrival and route information.

Transit is a public service, meaning PSTA is there for you when you need it. Let us help you save money on transportation when fuel prices surge!