Volume 2, Issue 1
Posted on 01/15/2025
Updated on 01/23/2025
Welcome to the Winter, 2025 edition of On The Move! I’ve decided to roll in a few different topics of interest into one post due to time constraints. Here’s what you can find in this quarter’s issue:
- What’s New?
- Tampa Buckles Down For Gasparilla
- Recent Service Changes
- PSTA SunRunner Improvements
- Journeys To The “Other” Bay Area
- Connect With Me!
What’s New?
You’ve probably noticed that things have been awfully quiet around here during the course of 2024. The reason for this is simple – other obligations. Because this is my hobby website, it often gets put onto the backburner when more pressing tasks take priority & 2024 was full of them.
My goal is to get back on track for 2025 & resume regular website updates & additions, as well as regular blog posts to some capacity. I might not necessarily be able to post every week, but I’ll do my best to make a post at least once a month when possible.
A HART bus on layover outside of the Shops at Wiregrass.
In order to complete some important updates specific to my HART (Tampa, FL) & PSTA (St. Pete/Clearwater, FL) pages, I temporarily had the GTG site hidden from public view during the course of December. These updates include creating a new consolidated page regarding fare collection across both agencies, as HART has made the move to eliminate legacy mag-swipe cards in favor of the Flamingo Fares semi-regional fare payment project. PSTA eliminated their legacy mag-swipe cards at the beginning of 2024.
Tampa Buckles Down For Gasparilla
Pirates, beads, transit, oh my!
It’s almost that time again for one of Tampa’s long-standing annual traditions – Gasparilla! If you’ve resided in the Tampa region for over a few years, then you likely already know how much fun the annual Parade of the Pirates can be. However, you likely also know just how messy traffic can be throughout Downtown Tampa & the Bayshore Blvd corridor.
Just like in years past, you’ll have different parking options to choose from if driving in from places afar, as well as various transit options – depending on which event(s) you’re planning to attend. If you are driving in & finding a place to park, please be aware of the various restrictions that will be in place during the event(s) so that your vehicle doesn’t end up being towed away.
Key Dates
The first of the Gasparilla events is fast approaching as of the writing of this post. Below is quick rundown of what you can expect to see & when.
- Saturday, January 18, 2025:
- Gasparilla Children’s Parade
12-noon to 7:30pm
Bayshore Blvd between Bay to Bay Blvd & Edison Ave.
- Gasparilla Children’s Parade
- Saturday, January 25, 2025:
- Gasparilla Pirate Fest
Parade runs from 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Bayshore Blvd between Bay to Bay Blvd & Downtown Tampa, parade ends at Ashley Dr & Cass St in Downtown.
Other corresponding events are scheduled during the day.
- Gasparilla Pirate Fest
- Saturday, February 8, 2025:
- Krewe of Sant’ Yago Illuminated Knight Parade
7:00pm to 11:00pm
Ybor City – 7th Ave
- Krewe of Sant’ Yago Illuminated Knight Parade
- Saturday, March 1, 2025:
- Gasparilla Outbound Voyage
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Sparkman Wharf
- Gasparilla Outbound Voyage
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If you’re driving in…
Many neighborhoods adjacent to the Bayshore Blvd corridor in South Tampa (including Hyde Park) will have temporary parking restrictions due to City of Tampa guidelines. Additionally, many streets in the general vicinity will be closed – with some closures already being enacted as of the writing of this post.
The City of Tampa provides helpful resources for those driving in to attend the Gasparilla events – including parking locations & an interactive database/map showing roadway closures. I would strongly suggest to view these resources before heading out so that you don’t get stuck in traffic all day & wind up missing the festivities.
If you don’t necessarily have to be in South Tampa (Ballast Point, Bayshore Blvd corridor, & Hyde Park) &/or Downtown Tampa on January 18 or 25, then I would strongly advise to steer clear of the areas altogether due to increased traffic. The bulk of the street closures throughout South Tampa & Downtown Tampa will occur in around the 25th – with every Hillsborough River bridge crossing in the downtown vicinity being closed, except for North Blvd, I-275, & the Selmon Expwy.
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If you’re taking transit…
Whether you’re parking at a designated city lot or garage or taking HART bus routes into the city, you can rest assured that you’ll have a safe, convenient ride into the festivities!
Gasparilla Children’s Parade
Saturday, January 18, 2025
This section has been updated with links to detour maps.
- HART bus routes 5, 14, 19, & 360LX will be detoured accordingly due to traffic restrictions & other routes throughout Downtown Tampa & South Tampa are subject to significant delays. TECO Line Streetcar service will operate normally (Saturday schedule), but may experience some delays due to traffic congestion.
- The Clearwater Jolley Trolley will provide the complimentary Jolly Roger Trolley route between the Bayshore Blvd Publix parking lot & the area of Bayshore Blvd & Bay to Bay Blvd. Trolley vehicles will use the Selmon Expwy to travel between the two points.
Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates
Saturday, January 25, 2025
This section has been updated with the HART Gasparilla flyer. However, due to a HART website error, I am unable to post the link for the route detour maps. A separate post will be made for the route detours.
- HART bus routes 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 19, 30, 360LX, & 400 will all see detours throughout the day. Other HART bus routes may also be impacted. The TECO Line Streetcar will operate a modified Saturday schedule – with several stations being incrementally closed throughout the day. Continuous bus shuttles will provide service between designated parking garages in Ybor City & Downtown Tampa throughout the day.
- Because of traffic restrictions & HART bus route detours, bus service will not be provided to Tampa General Hospital on Davis Island (after 1:00pm) or HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital near Hyde Park (all day). Those who normally take HART service to either of these hospitals will need to make alternative transportation arrangements.
Recent Service Changes
A LYNX articulated bus on layover.
During the past month, several transit agencies that I cover implemented service changes. Here’s a quick summary of which agencies they were & which routes changed.
- HART: January 5, 2025.
- Route 1 – Implementation of year-long fare-free pilot, funded by the City of Tampa. Restoration of weekday 15-minute daytime frequency.
- Running time &/or other scheduling changes on Routes 5, 14, 15, 16, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 39, 48, & 275LX.
- LYNX (Orlando, FL): December 8, 2024.
- Running time &/or other scheduling changes on Routes 7, 10, 23, 25, 26, 56, 60, 61, 62, 104, 108, & 812.
- Routing & scheduling changes on Routes 49 & 125.
- Routing changes on Routes 9, 37, 44, 48, 49, 105, 301, 302, 303, 311, 443, & 813.
- Route number changes:
- Route 443 -> Route 43.
- Route 601 -> Route 801.
- Route 604 -> Route 804.
- Route eliminations: Routes 155 (as of January 1, 2025) & 612 due to low ridership.
- Santa Clara VTA (San Jose, CA): January 13, 2025.
- Running time &/or other scheduling changes on Routes 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 37, 40, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 66, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 77, 84, 85, 102, 121, 500, 523, & 568.
- Routing & scheduling changes on Routes 47, 89, 288, & 522.
- Route eliminations: Route 44, 288M, & the SVMC service.
PSTA SunRunner Improvements
2025 has gotten off to a great start for PSTA! But before we get into that, let’s step back a few months to roughly mid 2024 when the agency welcomed three new buses for the SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line.
Elsewhere on the GTG site, I’ve mentioned about PSTA’s plans in 2023 to order another three buses for the SunRunner to add onto the nine initial buses that were ordered when service began in 2022. These additional buses will ensure that the SunRunner is able to continue operating every 15 minutes during the day while keeping a healthy spare bus ratio. The initial buses – manufactured by Gillig in Livermore, CA in 2021, are numbered 21101 through 21109. As the SunRunner became more popular, instances of regular 35′ buses being inserted onto the route became more commonplace – causing a slightly downgraded experience for customers. The new buses – while built in 2024 – are numbered 21110, 21111, & 21112 to keep continuity in the overall series for this dedicated fleet. Since the units entered service in May, substitutions by regular buses have become all but a rarity.
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Now, going back to the big news of 2025, the completion of the new 1st Ave N/1st St N SunRunner station in Downtown St. Petersburg! The new station is located conveniently next to the southern main entrance to the Sundial Parking Garage, allowing quick access to the adjacent shopping & entertainment complex. It also allows for a shorter walk for those wanting to explore the current iteration of the St. Pete Pier, which opened a few years ago. The opening of the new station, along with the new buses, are all thanks to the initial SunRunner project coming in below budget at the time of completion, allowing for the leftover federal monies to be wisely spent on these improvements. If you want to hop on the SunRunner from the new station, you can do so today!
Oh, & one final improvement to report for the rising (in popularity) BRT line! Thanks to funding from the City of St. Petersburg, PSTA is able to introduce 15-minute evening service during Fridays & Saturdays, called SunRunner After Dark. This extended period of 15-minute frequency will allow visitors & residents alike to better access employment centers, as well as dining, shopping, & entertainment opportunities across the corridor.
Journeys To The “Other” Bay Area
In 2019, 2022, & 2024, I made three separate trips to the San Francisco Bay Area & surrounding spots to check out various transit systems, spend time with family, & meet new friends. I also got to visit some of the popular tourist spots throughout northern California – including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, & the Pacifica shoreline.
In addition to all this, I was able to also attend fun events such as MUNI Heritage Weekend, which for 2024 coincided with the historic electrification of the Caltrain commuter rail service. I’m really grateful to have been able to explore & enjoy so many things that northern California has to offer, but also know that there’s still even more in store!
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New Caltrain EMUs in San Francisco, CA.
In the coming months, I’ll be writing several posts regarding my trips to California. However, I’m still trying to figure out how to structure each blog post & discuss each of the various subject matters. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me via the Contact Form.
In the meantime, here’s a listing of some of the transit agencies that I’ve been able to ride while in northern California:
- San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI)
- Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit)
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
- San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans)
- Golden Gate Transit
- Marin Transit
- Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT)
Connect With Me!
Well, that about wraps it up for this edition of On The Move! If you wish to follow me via social, please visit the links below:
The Global Transit Guidebook 
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