Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority

• 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 In 1996, the agency introduced electronic fare cards (called GO Cards) and began replacing their outdated bus fleets with a combination of New Flyer and Gillig buses.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 commuter buses 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.[1] PSTA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tampa Bay Regional RT), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to conduct an Alternatives Analysis of transit corridors in Pinellas County. The study would focus on the area between downtown Clearwater, Gateway, and downtown St. Petersburg. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recognized the MOU as an excellent example of inter-agency cooperation.PSTA partnered with the MPO, TBARTA and Pinellas County Communications to carry out the region’s first ever eTownHall Meeting on Transit and the Pinellas County Alternatives Analysis. The event was broadcast live on PCC-TV and on the web, and citizens were able to participate online or via telephone. It was the first time that all three technologies were combined for a Town Hall type of event in Pinellas County. In 2010 PSTA added 14 Diesel-Electric Hybrid Buses, bringing the hybrid fleet up to a total of 24 vehicles. These vehicles are branded with the SmartBus logos and are painted a sleek shade of silver.Agency leaders decided that investing in the environmentally friendly and fuel-saving hybrid technology was the best move for both PSTA and the community. As a result, PSTA replaced 10 standard gasoline cars with new Ford Fusion hybrid-electrics. Like their hybrid bus counterparts, the agency has branded its new hybrid sedans as SmartCars.
• In 2012, PSTA launched the North County Connector flex-route van service, allowing customers in areas of northern Pinellas to have access to transit service - including those in neighborhoods by which regular transit buses have difficulty accessing or where a traditional fixed bus route would have lower ridership projections. The three routes have since been modified to serve areas with demand for the service.[2]

PSTA operates 38 routes (including one limited express route) that traverse Pinellas County and 2 express routes that connect into downtown Tampa.[3]

• Grand Central Station - Downtown St. Petersburg - Serving Routes: 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18, 34, 52, 52LX, 79, 90, CAT (Also serving Downtown St. Pete are Routes 4, 14, 16, 20, 23, 32, 79, 100X, Looper
• Park Street Terminal - Downtown Clearwater - Serving Routes: 18, 52, 52LX, 60, 61, 65, 66L, 67, 73, 76, 78, Jolly Trolley, SBT
• Tyrone Square Mall - Serving Routes: 5, 7, 18, 20, 22, 23, 38, 62, 68, 73, 75, 79
• Westfield Countryside - Serving Routes: 19, 61, 62, 67, 76, 78, DPC, OTC, SHC
• Gateway Mall - Serving Routes: 4, 9, 16, 58, 74, 75, 100X
• Pinellas Park Transit Center - Serving Routes: 11, 34, 52, 52LX, 74, 75
  • Serves as a stop for Greyhound.
• PSTA 34th Street Transfer Center - Serving Routes: 4, 11, 52, 52LX, 59
• Largo Transit Center - Serving Routes: 19, 34, 52, 52LX, 79
• Ulmerton Park-n-Ride - Serving Routes: 59, 300X
• Largo Mall - Serving Routes: 18, 59
• Seminole Shopping Center - Serving Routes: 18, 58, 65, 74
• Indian Rocks Shopping Center - Serving Routes: 59, 61, 65
• Clearwater Beach Transit Center - Serving Routes: SBT, Jolly Trolley

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.

PSTA operates a fleet of 210 transit buses.[4] The bus fleet consists of a fleet of Gillig Low Floor and BRT buses as well as BYD buses. They are powered by clean diesel, diesel-electric hybrid, and battery-electric. All buses are being equipped with barrier shields in the operator area.

Transit Fixed-Route Buses

Year	Builder/Model	Picture	Numbers	Length (feet)	Fuel Type	Notes
2005	Gillig Low Floor		2501-2508, 2510-2517, 2530-2534	40, 35, 29	Diesel	Contingency Fleet. 2512 is no longer in service.
2006	Gillig Low Floor		2601-2636, 2650-2661	40, 35	Diesel	2622 and 2626 are no longer in service.
2007	Gillig Low Floor		2701-2711, 2712-2718	40, 35	Diesel	2706 is no longer in service.
2008	Gillig Low Floor		2801-2815, 2830-2835	40, 35	Diesel	2808, 2830-2835 are no longer in service.
2009	Gillig Low Floor BRT		2901-2903, 2910-2911	35	2901-2903: Hybrid, 2910-2911: Diesel
2010	Gillig Low Floor BRT		10101-10114	35	Diesel-Electric Hybrid
2012	Gillig Low Floor BRT		12101-12108	40	Diesel-Electric Hybrid	12106 was involved in an accident in July, 2019. It is not clear if it will return to service.
2013	Gillig Low Floor BRT		13101-13108	40	Diesel-Electric Hybrid
2014	Gillig Low Floor BRT		14101-14108	40	Diesel-Electric Hybrid
2015	Gillig Low Floor BRT		15101-15113	40	Diesel-Electric Hybrid	15104 was involved in an accident in 2017. Was put back into service in 2019. 15101 is a pilot bus equipped with LCD screens that will eventually be used for the 2020 Gillig BRT Plus order, as well as white colored destination signs that were adapted to the 2018 & 2019 Gillig orders.
2016	Gillig Low Floor BRT (BRT front, Standard rear)		16101-16107	40	Diesel-Electric Hybrid	16101, 16103, & 16106 are now specifically designated for Route 300X service with special wrapping and on-board luggage racks
2017	Gillig Low Floor BRT (BRT front, Standard rear)		17101-17103	35	Diesel-Electric Hybrid
2018	Gillig Low Floor BRT (BRT front, Standard rear)		18101-18109	35	Diesel-Electric Hybrid	Arrived in Fall 2018
2018	BYD K9		18110-18111	35	Battery-Electric	First battery electric buses for PSTA. To be used on the expanded Downtown St. Petersburg "Looper" route. Arrived in August 2018
2019	Gillig Low Floor BRT (BRT front, Standard rear)		19101-19109	35	Diesel-Electric Hybrid	Arrived in Spring 2019
2018	Champion/Freightliner Defender		1801-1808	27	Diesel	Used on the North County Connector.

Retired Fleet

Year	Builder/Model	Example	Numbers	Length (ft)	Notes
1973	General Motors TDH3302A		101-121	30	Formerly Central Pinellas Transit Authority 101-121
1975	General Motors T6H4523A		201-214	35	Formerly Central Pinellas Transit Authority 201-214
1976	General Motors T6H4523A		1164-1173	35	Formerly St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System 1164-1173.
1978	General Motors TW7603		401-404	35	Formerly Central Pinellas Transit Authority 401-404
1979	General Motors T7W603		1174-1187	35	Formerly St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System 1174-1187.
1980	General Motors T7W603		601-614	35	Formerly Central Pinellas Transit Authority 601-614
1982	General Motors T8J604		1200-1224	40	first 40-foot buses in St. Petersburg/Clearwater Formerly St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System 1200-1224.
1983	General Motors T7J604		701-707	35	Formerly Central Pinellas Transit Authority 701-707.
1985	Flxible 35096-6T		1001-1015	35	First buses ever Purchased new by Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
1983	Flxible 40096-6T		8301-8308	40	formerly HART 311, 313-318, 321 bought in 1986. 8301-8307 were sold to Palm Tran as 8301-8307 in 1995.
1989	Flxible 35096-6T		8901-8915	35	1 unit (unknown model year) was bought by Fleetwood and was used as a shuttle at Shades of Green Resort in Bay Lake, FL. It was spotted running in March 2008.
1991	Gillig Spirit		9101-9110	30	2 units were sold to Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation (Citilink) as 9158-9159.
1992	Bus Industries of America Orion I/01.502		9201-9210	30
1993	Flxible 35096-6T		9301-9321	35
1994	Gillig Phantom S50T3596		9401-9432	35
1995	Advanced Vehicle Systems Electric		2001	30	Battery-operated electric bus
1996	New Flyer D40LF		9601-9615	40	9601, 9609, 9610, 9613-9615 sold to Paul Revere Transportation.
1997	New Flyer D30LF, D35LF		9701-9735 (35-foot), 9750-9759 (30-foot)	30 and 35	9702, 9705, and 9729 sold to Maingate Transportation. 9713 and 9718 sold to Transtar.
1998	New Flyer C40LF		9801-9804	40
1999	Gillig G21D102N4		9901-9908	40
2001	Gillig G27D102N4 Low Floor		2101-2116	40	2102-2104, 2110-2112 are retired. 2111 sold to City Sightseeing San Francisco 229.
2002	Gillig G27D102N4, G27E102R2 Low Floor		2201-2210 (40-foot), 2230-2233 (29-foot)	40 and 29	Retired as of 7/1/19.
2003	Motor Coach Industries (MCI) D4000		2301-2310	40
2008	Gillig Low Floor		2808 2830-2835	40 35

• Official website
• Tampa Bay Transit