SunRunner Overview

Page was last updated on 01/08/2025.

The SunRunner is West Central Florida’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor to utilize semi-dedicated lanes. Service operates 7-days-a-week & provides residents & tourists alike, a fast, frequent, safe, convenient, & reliable trip between Downtown St. Petersburg & St. Pete Beach using a fleet of low-emission hybrid buses.

Aside from semi-dedicated lanes along 1st Ave N & 1st Ave S, the SunRunner provides level boarding platforms at nearly all stations, stylized shelters with totems that display real-time bus arrival information, & transit signal priority (TSP). The average one-way trip between Downtown St. Pete & St. Pete Beach is 35 to 40 minutes.

The SunRunner formally opened on October 21, 2022 & operates from 6:00am until 12-midnight daily, with departures every 15 minutes from 6:00am until 8:00pm, then every 30 minutes from 8:00pm until 12-midnight. Fare collection is done via contactless payment methods such as Flamingo Fares.

A map of the SunRunner route, including stops. Please click on the image for a closer look.

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. The 1st Ave N, 1st Ave S, & Pasadena Ave corridors will feature what is known as Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes. While these lanes will be mainly restricted to buses operating on SunRunner, normal vehicles are permitted to make turns where designated. PSTA staff & maintenance vehicles, as well as emergency vehicles, will also have access to these lanes when needed. The remainder of the corridor will have buses operate in mixed traffic due to roadway constraints.

Service Amenities

Customers can find the following amenities while using the SunRunner.

  • Streamlined, contactless fare payment: Cash is not accepted on board the SunRunner. Customers pay their fare instead via contactless options such as the Flamingo Fares app or smart card, contactless debit or credit cards, or mobile wallet apps such as Google Pay.
  • Easy entry & exit: All SunRunner buses employ all-door boarding & alighting, meaning both the front & rear doors can be used for entry. The Flamingo Fares validator device will be located next to each door as you board. 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 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.
    • The Beach Access Station at 4700 Gulf Blvd is the only exception, as it is at standard curb height.
  • Information displays (totems): At most stations, LCD screens are provided & display important information, including when the next bus will arrive.
  • Artistic station canopies: At most stations along the semi-dedicated lane infrastructure portion (1st Ave N & 1st Ave S), as well as the Downtown St. Pete terminus station, sheltered canopies have been installed. These canopies include art by which local artist Catharine Woods was enlisted to create.
  • On-board (interior) bike racks: Special bike racks located inside each bus allow for efficient securing of your bike & allow for faster boarding in-turn.
  • Wi-Fi & USB charging ports: As with the rest of the PSTA system, Wi-Fi access will be available on all SunRunner buses. Buses are also equipped with USB charging ports.

Fleet

# 21104 in Downtown St. Pete. Taken 10/21/2022.

The SunRunner uses an initial fleet of nine 2021 40′ Gillig BRT Plus diesel-electric hybrid buses. These buses are similar in nature to the mainstay hybrid bus fleet that was produced after 2015, but with a sleeker roof design, one-piece windshield, & BRT style rearview mirrors. Buses also are equipped with the plug style rear door, making it easier for customers to board & alight. In 2023, PSTA ordered three additional buses to help maintain a healthy spare bus ratio & prepare the service for a small extension into Downtown St. Pete. The three 2024 model Gillig buses are virtually the same as the the 2021s & entered service in May of 2024.

Because these buses are among the newest generation of diesel-electric hybrids, they run much more quieter than their older counterparts & the diesel engine only exists to recharge the rooftop batteries when needed. In order to minimize emissions in certain residential areas of St. Pete, buses will operate in battery-only mode along portions of the SunRunner route.

SunRunner Intro Page
PSTA Main Page