PSTA SunRunner BRT

For the past several years, PSTA has been gradually putting together plans for a countywide arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network that will provide faster boarding & travel times along key corridors throughout Pinellas County. Such corridors include 1st Ave N/1st Ave S, 4th St N, 34th St N/S, 49th St N, & Ulmerton Rd.

The first such service will be situated in southern Pinellas – serving the municipalities of St. Petersburg, South Pasadena, & St. Pete Beach. This new service, called the SunRunner, will whisk residents & tourists alike between Downtown St. Pete & St. Pete Beach.

Service is expected to begin either late 2021 or early 2022. This page will be dedicated for now – as an overview page to summarize the project. Once service is underway, I will include more detailed operations information – such as fares, operating service span/frequencies, & other customer-oriented information.

As the SunRunner system gradually expands, this page will be further modified to include information on future routes. To the right is the route map for the initial SunRunner service, which will traverse 1st Ave N in the westbound direction & 1st Ave S in the eastbound direction between Downtown St. Pete & Pasadena Ave. This segment will utilize dedicated lane infrastructure to separate buses from normal vehicular traffic. A portion of Pasadena Ave will also have bus lanes equipped. The remainder of the corridor will have buses operate in mixed traffic due to roadway constraints.

All images used in this section are credited to PSTA.

Service Amenities

The SunRunner’s initial line will include the following for customer comfort & convenience.

• Off-board fare payment system: Customers will pay for their fare before boarding the bus (either using a Ticket Vending Machine for cash users, or Flamingo for everyone else), which will allow for quicker boarding. Additionally, all doors of the bus may be used for entry. If using a mobility device, signal to the operator that you wish to have the wheelchair ramp lowered & enter through the front door.
• Level Boarding Platforms: All stations will have raised platforms that are flush with the doors of the bus so that customers won’t have to step up or down to enter or exit the bus. This also makes it easier for customers using mobility aids to board.
• Information Displays: At most stations, LCD screens will be installed to display important information, including when the next bus will arrive.
• Artistic Station Canopies: At most stations along the dedicated lane infrastructure portion (1st Ave N & 1st Ave S), as well as the Downtown St. Pete terminus station, sheltered canopies will be installed. These canopies will include art by which local artist Catharine Woods has been enlisted to create.
• On-board (interior) Bike Racks: Special bike racks located inside each bus will allow for efficient securing of your bike & allow for faster boarding in-turn.
• Wi-Fi: As with the rest of the PSTA system, Wi-Fi access will be available on all SunRunner buses.

Need More Information?

As construction of the initial SunRunner system gets underway, the PSTA website will be updated with all of the information that you need. You can also contact the agency directly if you have questions or concerns that aren’t covered on the web page.