For Immediate Release

March 26th, 2025

PSTA Approves Historic “Clear, Consistent, and Connected” Bus Network

Pinellas-Suncoast Transit Authority’s Board Green Lights Connected Community Bus Network

ST. PETERSBURG, FL—Pinellas County will see a bus network that is more clear, more consistent, and more connected after the Board of the Pinellas-Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) approved the agency’s Connected Community Bus Network today.

One of the largest community engagement efforts in PSTA’s history gave planners thousands of community responses to guide them as they updated the county’s bus schedules and routes.  

The Connected Community Bus Network is Clear, Consistent, & Connected: 

• Clear—Route schedules are easier to understand
• Consistent—Nearly all routes will operate 7 days a week
• Connected—Functions as a network, with routes and timing that improve transfers  

The updates are cost-neutral, meaning no additional costs are expected for taxpayers or the agency. 

“For close to two years, we’ve been reaching out to our riders, our operators, and stakeholders across Pinellas County. How can we keep delivering great service, while improving what we do?” said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “We heard that our bus network needs to be clearer, more consistent, and better connected. That’s what we presented today, thanks to a tremendous amount of feedback and work.”

Unprecedented Community Engagement 

The listening and community engagement effort proved to be one of PSTA’s largest ever, including:

• More than 30 public presentations at community and government meetings 
• More than 30 popups at community events
• More than 1,500 survey responses
• More than 1,500 in-person conversations at community events, on PSTA buses, and at PSTA bus terminals 
• More than 11,000 views of Connected Community Bus Network messaging in Transit, PSTA’s official trip planning app

The final network approved Wednesday includes several revisions to the original proposal that planners made based on public feedback across the county.

“This was truly a cross-agency and community-driven effort. We’ve spoken to our union operators who drive the routes every day, our riders who use our services every day, and the community at large who are interested and invested in PSTA service,” said PSTA Planning Manager Jacob Labutka, who serves as project manager for the Connected Community Bus Network. “Now we’ll return to those groups as well as our Scheduling, Operations, Facilities, and Communications teams to begin the hard work ahead of implementation this fall.”

Service Improvements

Driven by public input, Connected Community Bus Network improvements include: 

• More weekend service options, with more consistent scheduling seven days a week
• Increased access to jobs
• Decreased travel time with better-synchronized transfers between routes
• Capitalizing on premium core routes and creating variants on key routes to ensure that service reaches both new and existing riders 
• Addressing tourist transportation demand 

For details on specific adjustments to frequency, routes, and stops, see https://psta.net/connectcommunity

To continue to rank as one of America’s top transit systems, PSTA completes a community bus plan exercise every five years to assess service. As required by federal law, under the plan approved Wednesday, major service change recommendations do not create disproportionate adverse impact on Title VI communities. 

Timeline

PSTA will dedicate the coming spring and summer to detailed planning and educating the public about changes. The agency will then implement the Connected Community Bus Network this fall.

Grayson Kamm

Catalyst Communications Senior Vice President 

C: 727-430-2247

E: grayson@catalystcg.com

Amanda Baird

PSTA Director of Communications & Marketing

O:727.540.1984 C: (722) 922-5321

E: abaird@psta.net

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ABOUT PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Since 1903, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has served as the premier public transit provider for Pinellas County, Florida’s most densely populated county. The SunRunner, Tampa Bay’s first-ever Bus Rapid Transit service, provides a reliable, car-free option from downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Beach. With 41 fixed-route bus routes, two express routes to downtown Tampa, the Suncoast Beach trolley, Jolley Trolley and Looper and their paratransit service Access, PSTA provides 10.7 million rides annually. For more information about PSTA, visit www.psta.net