The SunRunner stops at 30 stations along First Avenue North and South.
Courtesy of City of St. Pete
By Brianna Bush
On Oct. 21, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) introduced the SunRunner, the newest bus rapid transit service to St. Petersburg, making it “the first of its kind in Tampa Bay,” according to PSTA.
The groundbreaking transit service, which is free for students, extends over 10 miles and has 30 stations running along First Avenue North and First Avenue South.
PSTA pulled all the stops to make transportation for St. Petersburg residents more convenient, including comfortable and clean seating for passengers as well as free Wi-Fi charging stations at every seat.
This 35-minute route provides transportation to popular destinations like downtown St. Petersburg and award-winning Pinellas County beaches like St. Pete Beach.
SunRunner buses arrive every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday through Saturday and evening service runs every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight, as mentioned on the PSTA website.
The SunRunner makes a stop on Third Street South across from USF St. Petersburg’s on-campus housing Osprey Suites, making it beneficial for students who don’t have a mode of reliable transportation.
“You take it for granted when you have a car or you have access to your own transportation ––there’s a lot of people that don’t,” Sean Schrader, the USF St. Petersburg campus student governor, said. “The fact that there’s a bus stop right on the campus across from the dorm in a central location makes it really easy and accessible for people who need to get on campus.”
The SunRunner is also beneficial for students who want to enjoy a fun day at the beach without the hassle of finding parking, fitting its “To the Beach” slogan.
While helping students get to their destinations, the SunRunner was created with Pinellas County’s fast-growing population in mind.
“In St. Petersburg, like other communities, you do experience congestion a lot of times, especially in downtown,” Schrader said. “If more people use this bus service, I think it will help reduce the traffic congestion we have and, in the process, it will help our environment.”
According to the PSTA, each SunRunner bus can take up to 50 cars off the road and help manage roadway congestion with the help of designated bus and turn lanes.
To support its benefits, USF St. Petersburg’s Student Government is planning to host an event in which students go to a participating Bulls Country location using the new bus system.
Bulls Country is a partnership between Student Government and local businesses that provides discounted goods and services to the USF community.
“Some of the businesses that are located in St. Petersburg they are actually located on the route that the SunRunner takes,” Schrader said. Those businesses include St. Pete Brewing, The Dali Museum, and the Maple Street Biscuit Company.
To learn more about the SunRunner, students can visit PSTA’s website at www.psta.net.
