PSTA prides itself on being an active member of the community, and nowhere is that more evident than with our Universal Pass program, also known as “UPASS.” Through the UPASS program, schools, hotels, and employers can partner with PSTA to provide free transportation to their students and employees.
With the recent additions of Orlando Health and The Hiatus Hotel, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the UPASS program. We’ll explore the program’s early beginnings and, most importantly, how it’s helped expand transportation options for students, teachers, employees, and tourists.
A student boards a PSTA bus and shows the operator their school ID to ride free through the UPASS program.
An Idea Becomes a Successful Reality
In the early 2010s, PSTA leaders began brainstorming ways to improve the agency's service to the community, particularly those with a daily commute. Students and employees were already frequent riders on PSTA’s buses and trolleys. Thus, PSTA saw an opportunity to better support schools and businesses—what if the agency partnered directly with schools and employers to provide free fares to their students and employees?
The idea was simple: an organization pays PSTA a yearly fee that covers fares for their members, allowing them to ride fare-free by showing their participating ID to the bus operator. Everyone involved benefits!
By 2014, the fine details of the program had been developed, and the very first UPASS contract was signed with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP), allowing free rides for all students, faculty, and staff. Soon after, St. Petersburg College (SPC) would join. That same year, Tradewinds would become PSTA’s first hotel partner.
Business Partnership Specialist Marvin “Joe” Joseph educates SPC students about the UPASS program.
Over the ensuing years, more organizations would join the ranks of this burgeoning program. And soon enough, it wasn’t just schools and hotels—employers like the City of St. Petersburg, United Maintenance Company, Evara Health, and, most recently, Orlando Health, would later join.
For the last two years, PSTA has embarked on two new exciting types of UPASS partnerships with the launch of the EDGE Business District and a first-of-its-kind program for the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association. Both new partnerships have already seen great success, an encouraging sign for the future of UPASS’ growth.
Helping Connect Students, Employees, and Neighbors in Pinellas
For many students and workers, a lack of reliable transportation presents a significant barrier to education, income, and better career opportunities. It’s this need that the UPASS program strives to address. But the program has also encouraged individuals to try riding a bus for the very first time, allowing them to experience the many benefits of choosing public transit. To better understand the role UPASS has played in providing essential transportation to those who need it and how it has inspired folks to give public transit a try, we’ll hear about the program’s success from two current UPASS partners.
Juli Norberg, Dual Director of Sales and Marketing, Hampton Inn & Suites Clearwater Beach and Winter the Dolphin's Beach Club
Juli first discussed the possibility of becoming a UPASS partner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since signing the dotted line, the partnership has become essential to Hampton Inn & Suites and Winter the Dolphin’s Beach Club. For the hotel’s staff, many of whom are housekeepers, UPASS has provided them with reliable transportation and more financial flexibility.
“Without the UPASS program, we wouldn’t have staff,” Juli said.
Juli explained that many staff members without their own vehicles were previously relying on Uber or Lyft rides to make their commute, a cost that adds up quickly and eats into their budget. For Juli, the UPASS program presented an opportunity to take care of their staff and provide yet another perk to their hotel guests.
“We’ve got a 91-room hotel that runs at around 91% every day. Taking the extra revenue and putting it towards covering bus fares was the best decision we’ve made,” Juli explained. “Our staff are essential, but they’re also like family. It means so much to know they now have extra money to put food on the table or go out for family fun. And because Pinellas schools are UPASS members, their children ride fare-free, too!”
With happy staff and happy guests enjoying the benefits of the UPASS program, Juli has been telling all the neighboring hotels about their success and encouraging them to partner with PSTA as well.
Juli’s huge smile could be heard through the phone as she said, “I love the UPASS program and what it’s done for us. We’re excited to re-sign again; there’s no question that we will. Thank you, PSTA!”
Alexis Baum, Treasurer, Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association
The year was 2022, and Alexis Baum was serving as President of the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association (HKNA). As the name implies, it’s an organization that oversees the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood, a charmingly artistic and diverse district located just west of downtown St. Petersburg. PSTA’s Public Engagement Manager, Bob Lasher, was attending one of HKNA’s meetings to promote the brand-new SunRunner service, which had two stations within walking distance of the neighborhood. During his presentation, the UPASS program was discussed; Alexis perked up and raised her hand.
“Has UPASS ever partnered with a neighborhood association?” she asked.
No, PSTA had never partnered with a neighborhood association before. In fact, such a partnership would be the first of its kind in the state of Florida. But Alexis saw an exciting new opportunity for her beloved community, a way to provide yet another unique and tangible benefit to members of the neighborhood association. And PSTA saw an opportunity to test a new type of UPASS partnership. Why not give it a shot?
A group photo from the official launch of HKNA’s UPASS program
HKNA’s UPASS program began in June 2024 as a pilot program and has been a runaway success. Since its launch a little over a year ago, the service has provided over 6,700 rides to HKNA UPASS riders.
“It’s been phenomenal!” Alexis exclaimed. “Not only has it provided a wonderful amenity for existing members, but it’s actually grown our membership. People who move in are shocked when we explain the program to them.”
Before the launch of HKNA’s UPASS program, their membership was around 450. Now they have close to 800 members—nearly double! And it hasn’t just brought an increase in membership. Members have also become more involved in community events and stepped up to volunteer.
Early on, HKNA’s Board of Directors created a private Facebook community to educate members on how UPASS worked and share tips on riding the SunRunner and other PSTA services. Members could ask questions and, best of all, coordinate fun group outings that utilized public transit. HKNA’s UPASS program has played a role in fostering community friendships, while also allowing transit newcomers to try out the SunRunner.
PSTA CEO Brad Miller with Megan Basnett, the very first HKNA UPASS cardholder.
“Members tell me all the time how the UPASS program made it easier to attend events downtown and save money on parking. We have neighbors who use the SunRunner to commute to their jobs on the beach,” Alexis said. “And since last storm season, a neighbor lost her car to flooding and now has free transit to help her out.”
Alexis has lived in many big cities, where she never drove a vehicle and relied on public transit—for her, using the bus in St. Pete is only natural. Since the wild success of HKNA’s pilot program, the association has been looking for more ways to tap into multimodal transit options, such as using scooters to reach SunRunner stations even more quickly.
“Our UPASS program has added enormous value to our community,” Alexis said proudly. “And I hope that we can be a model for the rest of the city by using public transit.”
The Future of the UPASS Program
The UPASS program provides benefits for everyone involved. For PSTA, it serves as an additional source of revenue for an agency with very limited funding. For schools, businesses, and other organizations, it provides an attractive and cost-saving benefit for students, employees, and members. And for UPASS riders themselves, it offers transportation options to those without vehicles or who wish to save on gas and avoid wasting time in traffic.
Just this past month, PSTA has added Orlando Health and The Hiatus Hotel to its roster of UPASS partners. In the case of Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, more than 2,000 employees and contractors now join 3,500 additional healthcare workers in Pinellas County who already save money with free transit access through UPASS. With the cost of living on the rise, UPASS helps ease that burden and makes transportation more accessible for essential healthcare staff who keep our community safe and healthy.
The launch of Orlando Health’s UPASS program.
PSTA will continue to pursue opportunities to partner with various entities throughout Pinellas County, providing affordable and convenient public transportation for our community. Do you know of an organization that could benefit from a UPASS program? Let’s talk about it! Send an email to UPASS@psta.net and let’s work together.