ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For anyone in Pinellas County looking for a new way to take a trip to the beach, look no further!
On Oct. 21, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will launch the SunRunner which will create a new way to get to the beach. The new transportation option will also allow beach-goers to ditch the hunt for parking and sandy mess in their cars.
And even better news: The bus will use its own dedicated lane which means it won't hold up traffic.
“The Tampa Bay area has added more than 400,000 people in just the past 10 years, and when you’re trying to find a parking space, it seems like all 400,000 of those people are heading to the beach just like you,” Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA, said in a statement. “When the SunRunner opens next month, it’ll connect ‘the beach and the ‘Burg,’ so you can park anywhere along the route between Downtown St. Petersburg and the Gulf, and we’ll do the driving.
"Hop off at the TradeWinds Resort or at a park along the water in St. Pete Beach. Then a bus will be by every 15 minutes when it’s time to head home.”
Transportation leaders say the first six months of the service will be free, but after that, the price will be the same as PSTA's normal fares. As of now, a one-day group pass for up to five people is $10, with kids 8 and younger able to ride for free.
There will be free Wifi offered with charging ports at every seat, interior bike storage and raised platforms at the stations for strollers and wheelchairs.
To learn more about the new service coming soon, click here.