Page Updated on 3/11/17 Uploaded 14 new photos – galleries are updated to 3/12/16.
Further updates to the gallery are in progress.
Welcome to the PSTA Gillig Low Floor page! PSTA has had low floor buses since the late 1990s and currently only posses these types of buses for its local, circulator, and trolley routes. In fact, since 2010, the agency has gone to an almost all-Gillig Low Floor fleet, retiring its New Flyer Low Floor buses from 1996, 1997, and 1998. The only exception, is the fleet of 10 2003-series Motor Coach Industries (MCI) 40-foot coaches that are used for Routes 100X and 300X.
Currently, the oldest fleet of buses that PSTA has in revenue service is from 2001. While most of the 2001 and 2002 series buses are painted in the current blue and white livery, some buses still don the old white livery with gray and orange stripes. I have a feeling that some of these buses will be retired in the coming years as they reach the ends of their working lives.
To note; all of PSTA’s diesel Gillig buses are powered with either Cummins ISL or ISM engines, and Voith transmissions (which are most recognizable by the “whistling” noise they make as the bus slows down). As you’ll see throughout the photo galleries, each model bus has different options, such as seating arrangement, different style of wheelchair lifts, etc. None of the buses have opening side windows, a characteristic that some agencies possess.
Please scroll to the last section of this page to view the Express MCI Coaches. While this is primarily a Gillig bus page, the MCI coaches reaching the ends of their lives soon. So therefore, it is not proper to place these buses into their own page at this time. When the time comes for the retirement of #’s 2306, 2308, & 2309, I will place them into a future Retired Fleet page.
Contributor Photos
Some photos on this page were contributed by Carlos A. (THE South Florida Transitfan). Contributor photos will be noted accordingly.
2001-series 40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2101 through 2116)
The sixteen 2001-series Gillig Low Floor buses are virtually identical to the 2001-series Gilligs that HART possesses. The only real difference are agency liveries (of course) and interior layout. All active buses were repainted during the course of 2013 through 2015.
As of September, 2015; #’s 2102 through 2104, 2110, and 2111 are no longer in active service.
#2110 on Route 4 at the Goodwill facility on Gandy Blvd N. This was one of a handful of buses that still possessed the old PSTA livery. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2112 on Route 59 heading towards Williams Park.
#2112 at Williams Park.
Side view of #2112.
#2105 leaving the 34th St N/PSTA Facility Transfer Platform on Route 52 to Williams Park.
#2113 at the 34th St N/PSTA Facility Transfer Platform on Route 11 to Roy Hanna Dr/Pinellas Point.
Another angle of #2113.
Another angle of #2113.
#2113 stays behind as I left on Route 52.
Later, # 2105 is spotted on a layover at the Clearwater Park St Terminal.
#2116 at Williams Park.
#2105 at the Park St Terminal.
#2112 at Williams Park, not having a good day (it later had to be towed back to the garage).
2002-series 30/40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2201 through 2210 & 2230 through 2233)
Virtually every Gillig transit bus order from 2002 going forward was a split order, meaning that each order comprised of either a batch of 40-foot buses and 35-foot buses, a batch of 40-foot and 30-foot buses, or in one case, all three lengths. In the 2002 order, the buses are split between 30-foot and 40-foot variants. The 30-foot buses tend to run on routes that have lower capacity. All active buses were repainted during the course of 2013 through 2015.
As of September, 2015; #’s 2210 and 2231 are no longer in active service. #2230 was also pulled from active service and was later used in a road crash simulation test.
#2203 on US 19, Route 74. Old livery.
#2208 on layover via Route 4.
Same bus, different angle…
Rear of #2208.
#2201 at Gateway Mall.
The front of #2201.
And the rear…
#2209 at Williams Park.
#2233 (30-footer) at Gateway Mall.
#2205.
2005-series 30/35/40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2501 through 2508, 2510 through 2517, & 2530 through 2534)
This split order of Gilligs comprises of all three lengths. The 30-footers are currently subbing in for the 2012 North County Connector cutaway vans due to manufacturer problems. Please do not ask me what these problems are – as I only know limited information.
As of September, 2015; #2512 is no longer in active service.
#2511 (35-footer) at Grand Central Terminal.
#2510 (35-footer) at Williams Park.
Another angle of #2510.
And another angle…
#2514 (35-footer) at Countryside Mall, Route 67.
Side view of #2514 with customers boarding.
Rear of #2514.
#2530 (30-footer) at Countryside Mall, Oldsmar/Tampa/Countryside Flex Connector.
Rear of #2530.
Another front shot of #2530, this time at the Shoppes at Boot Ranch near East Lake.
Side view of #2530. Even though the Flex Connectors usually run cutaway vans, 30-foot Gillig buses are periodically placed on the routes depending on how they get handed out each day. They often can make scheduled deviations without any major problems too.
Rear-side angle of #2530 at the HART Northwest Transfer Center in Town-N-Country.
The sun shines nicely off #2530.
#2508 at Gateway Mall.
#2505 at Williams Park.
#2503 at Gateway Mall.
#2510 at Williams Park.
#2502 on Route 4.
#2507 on layover.
#2510.
And #2510 again…
#2505 at Gateway Mall, Route 59.
And later, she springs up at Largo Mall.
#2502 at Williams Park.
Same bus, different angle.
#2518 leaving Carillon, Route 98.
#2505 was a regular fixture on Route 59 prior to October, 2016. While it may still be assigned to the route nowadays, it normally springs up on Route 4.
2006-series 35/40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2601 through 2636 & 2650 through 2661)
The 2006 Gillig batch is the first for PSTA to have “framless” windows, meaning that the exterior window frames are squared instead of curved. Many transit agencies go with this window style to add a sleek, modern look to their transit fleets.
As of September, 2015; #’s 2622 & 2626 are no longer in active service.
$2610 at Williams Park. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
The front of #2610. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2617 on Route 79 at Williams Park. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2601 at Clearwater’s Park St. Terminal. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2602 near Roy Hanna Dr. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2613 at Williams Park.
#2607 comes down 25th Way S.
Closeup of #2607.
#2601 heading towards Pinellas Park.
#2607 at Williams Park.
Another angle of #2607.
Rear of #2607.
#2616.
Another angle of #2616.
Another angle of #2616.
Rear of #2616
#2614 at Gateway Mall, Route 74.
#2604 on Route 4.
Both buses at Gateway Mall.
#2655 at Williams Park.
#2660 at Williams Park.
#2657.
#2611.
And off she goes!
2620 at Williams Park.
#2658.
2608.
#2628 runs the 100X today, taken at Britton Plaza.
And she roars back into the station after her Marion/Downtown Tampa stop.
And off she goes!
#2620 at Williams Park.
#2613 on Route 23.
#2661 on Route 15.
#2653 leaving on Route 38.
#2535 leaving on Route 18.
#2609 basks in the sun before her Route 14 run.
#2614 on layover, Route 23.
#2604 at Gateway Mall.
#2612 at Williams Park.
#2620.
#2624 at Gateway Mall.
#2620 springs up at the Pinellas Park Transit Center.
#2604 on the 59.
#2607 on the 4 at Goodwill.
#2612 at Park St Terminal, Route 60.
#2632 leaving Park St, Route 18.
#2620 leaving Largo Mall, Route 18.
A few days later, #2620 was involved in an accident. 😦
2007-series 35/40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2701 through 2718)
The 2007 Gilligs are similar to their 2006 counterparts with only interior seating varying.
#2702 (40-footer) at the Park St Terminal in Clearwater. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012, but released into the Public Domain (used on Wikipedia).
#2713 (35-footer) filling in for one of the Gillig Replica Trolleybuses on the Suncoast Beach Trolley (Route 777). Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2715 (35-footer) near The St. Pete Pier.
#2713 at Williams Park.
#2710 (40-footer) basks in the sunlight.
#2713 at Tyrone Square Mall.
#2717 (35-footer) at Countryside Mall.
Side angle of #2717.
Rear of #2717.
#2701 on Roosevelt Blvd, Route 59.
#2712 at the Park St Terminal.
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
#2713 winds up at Tyrone Square Mall again, Route 68.
Rear of #2713.
#2710 at Williams Park.
#2715 on layover.
#2708 on Route 4.
#2709 on Route 23.
#2702 at Gateway Mall.
#2704.
2008-series 35/40-foot Gillig Low Floor (Unit #s 2801 through 2815 & 2830 through 2835)
The 2008-series Gilligs are powered by Clean Diesel, which is what many transit bus manufacturers have been moving towards when it comes to diesel fueled transit vehicles. The main difference with these newer buses is the particulate tailpipe. Otherwise, these buses look nearly identical to their 2006 and 2007 counterparts.
#2834 on the Pinellas Park Shuttle (Route 444). Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.The rear of #2834. Notice the tailpipe. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2803 at Grand Central Station.
#2806 at Williams Park, Route 18. Photo Credit: HARTride 2012.
#2809 on Route 4.
#2815 at Williams Park, Route 59.
#2815 shows up later on along Route 4.
#2835 on layover.
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
#2833 on layover.
#2832.
#2830.
#2814.
Same bus, different angle.
#2807.
Replica Trolleys – 35-foot Gillig Low Floor [Unit #s (2)720 through (2)722, (2)820 through (2)825, & (2)920 through (2)926]
The Suncoast Beach Trolley and the earlier variant of the Central Ave Trolley both used to run replica trolleybuses that were manufactured by either Optima/Chance, Cable Car Concepts, Trolley Enterprises, or Supreme Corp. The latter two are still used on city-owned services such as the St. Pete Downtown Looper. Today, PSTA utilizes an all-Gillig replica trolley fleet.
The Gillig Low Floor Replica Trolley is offered through a collaboration between Gillig Corporation and Cable Car Classics. It effectively blends in the standard Gillig Low Floor bus with add-on features to create the appearance of an old-fashioned trolley. Additionally, these trolleys are also manufactured with the hybrid drive option.
The exterior incorporates weatherproof, wood-looking trim and decals, along with a cosmetic cupola and a brass bell to convey the traditional trolley appearance. The interior includes solid oak seating, similar to a traditional streetcar. Yes, the bell even works!
The 2007 (with fleet numbers 7XX) and the 2008 fleets (with fleet numbers 8XX) are diesel powered, whereas the 2009 fleet (with fleet numbers 9XX) are diesel-electric hybrids (the hybrid components are stored within the decorative rooftop elements). To note, PSTA uses 3-digit fleet numbers to distinguish the trolleybuses from the rest of the bus fleet.
Buses that have blue liveries are typically assigned to the Suncoast Beach Trolley, while yellow buses are typically assigned to the Central Ave Trolley. However, depending on how the buses are handed out each day, either model bus can run interchangeably on each other’s routes. In fact, as of mid 2016, each trolley route operates at least one hybrid bus.
Apparently, some of the fleet was originally adorned with the replica bench seating but later replaced by standard transit bus seats. Why PSTA did this, I do not know, but I do respect their decision.
#825 on the Central Ave Trolley (Route 35).
#722 on the Suncoast Beach Trolley (Route 777), preparing for departure.
Another angle of #722.
#823 at Williams Park.
And later…#823 winds up at Pass-A-Grille Beach.
Another view of #823.
Another view of #823.
Another view of #823.
#922.
Another view of #922.
Another view of #922.
Another view of #922.
Unknown trolley # heading towards the Park St Terminal.
#821 at Williams Park.
Inside #821, with Carlos at the front (he just boarded).
#821 leaving Williams Park. Notice how unlike most o the other yellow trolleybuses, #821 has the regular PSTA logo on both sides of the bus.
In 2009, PSTA began purchasing 35 and 40-foot Gillig Low Floor BRT style Hybrid-Drive buses, which are painted in a gray livery with a blue and green “swoosh” rather than the blue livery with a teal and white “swoosh”. These buses, known as the “Smartbus”, accounts for about 30% of the agency’s transit bus fleet.
All of the hybrid buses are equipped with Cummins ISB engines and either the Allison H 40 EP or the BAE HybriDrive Series E transmission. #’s 2910 and 2911 utilize Cummins ISL engines and Voith transmissions.
While each of the buses look nearly identical on the outside, the inside seating layout varies by model year. The 2015 and 2016 buses also have LED signs that differ from their older counterparts.
#10104 along Gandy Blvd N (Frontage Road).
#10104 at Gateway Mall.
#13107 at Williams Park.
The front of #13107.
#12101 at Williams Park.
Another angle of #12101.
Another angle of #12101.
Another angle of #12101.
Another angle of #12101.
Another angle of #12101.
#13104 at Gateway Mall.
The front of #13104.
That lone side seat on #13104.
#12103 at the 34th St N/PSTA Facility Transfer Platform.
Another angle of #12103.
The front of #14106 at Clearwater’s Park St Terminal.
The rear of #14106.
#2901 subbing in on the Central Ave Trolley (Route 35). This was PSTA’s first hybrid bus.
#2901 at the PSTA Facility. Photo Credit: PSTA.
#14101 at Grand Central Terminal.
#12102.
#15103 at Williams Park.
#15112 at Park St.
#15110 at Williams Park.
Another angle of #15110.
The rear of #15110.
Another angle of #15110.
The back of #15101 at Gateway Mall.
The front of #15101.
#2901 at Williams Park.
Another view of #2901.
#10105 at Williams Park.
Another angle of #10105.
Another angle of #10105.
Another angle of #10105.
Another angle of #10105.
#15101 at Williams Park.
Another angle of #15101.
Another angle of #15101.
#12105 at Countryside Mall.
Rear of #12105.
#15102 at Gateway Mall.
#15103 at Gateway Mall.
#15106 at Gateway Mall.
#15101 at Gateway Mall.
#15113 at Gateway Mall. This is the last of the 2015 batch!
The rear of #15113.
#15107 on Route 300X.
#10112 at Gateway Mall.
The front of #10112.
#15106 winds up again at Gateway Mall.
The front of #15106.
#10106 prepares to turn onto 28th St N from Roosevelt Blvd near Carillon.
#10104 at Williams Park.
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
#15109 at Williams Park.
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
#2902 at Gateway Mall.
And she’s off!
#2910 is actually a straight diesel bus, along with #2911. However, the two are also branded as “Smartbuses”.
#2910 is virtually identical to the rest of the hybrid fleet, but of course, there is no hybrid tank and components. The rear faring is identical to HART’s Gillig Low Floor BRT buses.
The front of #2910.
The rear of #2910.
Another rear shot…
“Smartbus” wording.
#15108 at Tyrone Square Mall.
Same bus, different angle…
#15105 pulls into Grand Central Station.
#15105 on layover at Grand Central Station, Route 14.
And she pulls out…
#15104 on Route 60 at Clearwater Mall.
#15109 also winds up at Clearwater Mall.
#15111 at the Pinellas Park Transfer Center.
#13102 on Route 100X.
#15103 at Gateway Mall.
#15112 at the Park St Terminal.
#15111 leaving Williams Park.
#10111 on Route 74.
#15112 on Route 74.
#15103 at Tyrone Square Mall – Route 23.
Same bus, different angle.
#13106 on Route 4.
#’s 15102 and 12101 at Williams Park.
And #12101 takes off!
#15102 at a different angle.
#13108 at Williams Park – Route 4.
#15105 ends its morning peak run at Williams Park.
#12105 on layover.
#12104 on layover.
#10104 on layover.
#15108 on layover.
#13102 on Route 4.
And going in the opposite direction on Route 4, #13103.
#10107 on layover.
#15102 at Gateway Mall.
#12103 at Williams Park.
#15108.
Same bus, different angle.
#15103.
3 Hybrids on lineup.
#10101.
#10105.
#13103.
#2911 Straight Diesel.
Same bus, different angle.
#14102.
#13101.
#15103 springs up again at Gateway Mall.
#12107 at Williams Park.
#10105 on display.
#10102
#15103 at Shoppes at Park Place.
#15102 on Route 74. Due to construction on Gandy Blvd, the 74 was detoured for a time and now follows a different route along Gandy.
#12108 at Gateway Mall.
#10103 passes by on Route 74.
And here’s #10112 going in the opposite direction. This bus is mostly on Routes 76 and 78 nowadays.
#12104 at Largo Mall.
#10110 waits at the Park St Terminal for its next run on the 61.
In 2003, PSTA purchased ten 40-foot Motor Coach Industries (MCI) coaches for use on the 100X and 300X. These coaches are mostly white with side wraps depicting an artistic view of downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa connected by a bridge, highlighting the cross-bay connection between Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.
As of March, 2017, the following buses are no longer in service: 2301, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2307, 2310. I strongly suspect that once PSTA has the funds in place for their planned Clearwater/Tampa express route, the MCIs will be entirely replaced by suburban style Gilligs.
#2308 leaving Britton Plaza. Photo Taken by HARTride 2012, but released into the Public Domain (used on Wikipedia).
#2301 at Britton Plaza on Route 100X, with a HART Route 36 bus behind it. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2309 sits beside two of its sisters at the PSTA Facility. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
Another angle of #2309. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
Another shot of #2309. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2303 at the HART Marion Transit Center, Route 300X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2304 on Route 100X, turning the corner at Britton Plaza. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2305 on Route 100X, approaching the Marion Transit Center. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2307, Route 100X, travelling down the Marion St Transitway. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2301 springs up at the Marion Transit Center, Route 300X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2302 approaching the Marion Transit Center, Route 100X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2310 leaving the Marion Transit Center, Route 100X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2308 on the Marion St Transitway, Route 100X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2307 on the Marion St Transitway, Route 100X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2302 arriving at the Marion Transit Center, Route 100X. Photo Credit: Carlos A.
#2304 at Gateway Mall.
#2306 at the Ulmerton Rd Park-N-Ride Lot.
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
Same bus, different angle…
#2304 at the Marion Transit Center.
#2303 heading back to the garage after its run on the 100X.
