ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — From the beach to downtown, the SunRunner has been connecting people across St. Petersburg for the last two years. Now, it's expanding ever further to include a local hotspot.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) broke ground Friday on a new SunRunner station in downtown St. Petersburg. Located near the Sundial parking garage at 150 1st Avenue North, it will give riders easy access to Beach Drive, the St. Pete Pier and the Cross Bay Ferry.
The new station will also connect residents and visitors to an array of restaurants, businesses and hotels along St. Pete's waterfront.
“We are fulfilling our promise to the community by continuing to improve the SunRunner,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller said in a statement. “We’ve heard the requests from citizens, riders, staff, and elected officials to connect this service to the beautiful waterfront district of St. Petersburg. Today we are starting the process of turning those requests into a reality.”
PSTA says the new stop, along with three new SunRunner buses will keep the promised 15-minute frequency on the line.
“It’s an incredible asset for our community,” Gina Driscoll, PSTA Board Chairperson & St. Pete City Councilwoman, added. “The SunRunner is helping St. Petersburg become an even safer and cleaner community. The hybrid electric vehicles reduce the number of cars on the road and lower carbon emissions. Traffic crashes are also significantly down along the corridor since service began.”
The new station is set to open by the end of 2024.