logo
Founded	1982
Headquarters	3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL
Locale	Pinellas County, Florida
Service type	bus service
Routes	37[1]
Fleet	205[1]
Web site	psta.net

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) provides public transportation for Pinellas County, Florida. The authority manages a bus system that encompasses 34 local routes, two express routes, and the Suncoast Beach Trolley (using a fleet of replica trolleys that consist of Optima and Gillig-made vehicles).

History [link]

PSTA began in the early 1900s as the St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System (SPMTS). The system began with a streetcar line to Gulfport and eight buses to run several routes throughout the St. Pete area. By 1928, ridership on the system hit 4.2 million. In 1949, the Gulfport streetcar system was closed, marking the end of streetcar service in Pinellas County. Meanwhile, transit service elsewhere continued to expand.

In 1970, the Central Pinellas Transit Authority (CPTA) was formed, serving the Clearwater area and northern Pinellas. The agency was fully established by 1973 and operated 9 routes with a fleet of 21 buses. The CPTA saw 900,000 riders in its first year of service. In 1975, SPMTS begins paratransit services and both agencies continue to expand their fleet. In 1978, tourist trolley service (using trolley-replica buses) began in downtown St. Petersburg and became successful. By the 1980s, the two agencies formed a cooperative agreement, which allowed the expansion of routes throughout Pinellas County.

In October 1984, the two companies merged to create the PSTA. In the years following their merger, PSTA operated nearly 80 routes with a fleet or nearly 130 buses. The agency begins installing electronic fareboxes and completed its central Pinellas operations center, as well as several bus terminals. In 1990, PSTA obtained its first express route, previously operated by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART). Also in 1990, PSTA established a cross-county bus route via US 19.

Massive expansion and improvements took place during the 1990s and well into the 2000s. PSTA constructed its Williams Park terminal in downtown St. Pete in 1994. In 1996, the agency introduced electronic fare cards (called GO Cards) and began replacing their outdated bus fleets with a combination of New Flyer and Gillig buses. In 2001, the Suncoast Beach Trolley began service along the gulf coast beaches and in 2003, PSTA purchased a fleet of motorcoach buses (from Motor Coach Industries) to operate its express routes. Additional capital improvements were made during the early 2000s as well, including the renovation of the Park Street Terminal. In 2001, the website PSTA.net debuted.

In 2004, HART and PSTA began an intersystem passport to allow patrons from either county to use each other's bus systems without paying additional fares. A year later, PSTA's current operations center opened near Roosevelt Boulevard. In 2006, PSTA expanded its fleet with the purchase of 48 Gillig low-floor buses. HART and PSTA agreed to honor each other's reduced fare photo permits. In 2007, PSTA introduced an online trip planning system. This system allowed patrons to better plan out their trip throughout the PSTA system. In 2009, the interface was scrapped in favor of a partnership with Google, which HART began partnership back in 2007. This newest alliance allows patrons to seamlessly plan their trips on both the PSTA and HART systems.^[2]

Fares [link]

New fare changes went into effect on October 3, 2010.^[3]

• One-Way Cash Fares
  • PSTA Local Routes: $2.00
  • Local Route Student and Youth Fare (Restrictions Apply): $1.25
  • Discount Local: $1.00 (Proper ID Required)
  • PSTA Express Routes: $3.00

• PSTA Passes
  • 1-Day Unlimited GO Card
    • Local and Express: $4.50
    • Discount (Proper ID Required): $2.25

• • 7-Day Unlimited GO Card
    • Local and Express: $20.00
    • Discount (Proper ID Required): $12.50

• • 31-Day Unlimited GO-Card
    • Local and Express: $65.00
    • Discount (Proper ID Required): $35.00

• • 20-Ride GO Card
    • Express ONLY: $48.00

• • Intercounty PSTA/HART Monthly Passport: $85.00
    • For use on all PSTA and HART Bus, Trolley, and Streetcar Routes.

Bus routes [link]

PSTA operates 34 routes that traverse Pinellas County and 2 express routes that connect into downtown Tampa.^[4]

Note: The table below is under construction

Local [link]

• Route 61 - Indian Rocks Beach/Dunedin
• Route 62 - Tyrone Square Mall/The Shoppes of Boot Ranch
• Route 66 - Tarpon Springs/Indian Rocks Beach
• Route 67 - Downtown clearwater/Downtown Oldsmar via SR 580 & Hercules
• Route 68 - Tyrone Square Mall/John's Pass Village
• Route 73 - Tyrone Square Mall/Downtown Clearwater via Keene Rd/Starkey Rd/Park St
• Route 74 - Williams Park & Downtown St. Pete/Indian Rocks Beach via Park Blvd
• Route 75 - Tyrone Square Mall/Gateway Mall
• Route 76 - Downtown Clearwater/Westfield Countryside via Belcher Rd & Sunset Point
• Route 78 - Downtown Clearwater/Westfield Countryside via SR 580
• Route 79 - Downtown St. Pete/Whitney Rd & US 19
• Route 90 (Commuter Shuttle) - St. Pete Beach/Downtown St. Pete
• Route 97 (Commuter Shuttle) - 49th St & Carillon/Downtown St. Pete
• Route 98 (Commuter Shuttle) - 49th St & Carillon/Downtown Clearwater
• Route 444 (Circulator) - Pinellas Park

Note: Commuter Shuttles and Circulators run on a limited timetable (typically only at peak times).

Express services [link]

Suncoast Beach Trolley [link]

PSTA Suncoast Beach Trolley connects patrons to the Pinellas Gulf Coast Beaches via trolley-replica buses (similar to HART's downtown trolleys, but rubber-tired). The Suncoast Beach Trolley also connects to local bus routes 35 (at St Pete Beach), 58 (at Park Blvd), 59 (at Indian Rocks Beach), 68 (at Johns Pass) and 90 (at St Pete Beach), for seamless travel to and from other Pinellas destinations.

Connection to PCPT [link]

In addition to the cross-bay express routes, PSTA also provides connections to Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT) bus routes 18 and 19 via PSTA routes 19 and 66.

Active Fleet [link]

The PSTA bus fleet encompasses several different models, including those from New Flyer, Gillig, and Motor Coach Industries.

Transit buses [link]

Express coaches [link]

Year	Builder/Model	Example	Numbers	Length (ft)	Active	Notes
2003	Motor Coach Industries D4500CT		2301-2310	45

Trolley replicas [link]

Retired Fleet [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

• PSTA Website
• Tampa Bay Transit