ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new proposal from Pinellas County transportation officials could give travelers the chance to hop off the plane and head right to the beach.
At a board meeting on Wednesday, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) proposed adding bus service between St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Clearwater Beach.
"We have heard loud and clear...the desire for us to look into providing new service between Clearwater Beach and the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport," Darden Rice, PSTA's chief planning and community affairs officer, said, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
"My team is working with stakeholders to determine what that service looks like, what the ridership will be, the operating and the capital costs and the potential sources of revenue to pay for it. Stay tuned," she continued.
The move would be a first for PIE, which currently has no public transportation services available. Travelers now only have the option to order a rideshare or taxi, hop on a shuttle, get a ride from a friend, or drive themselves.
At PIE, the short-term parking maximum cost is $24 a day, while the long-term parking maximum cost is $15 a day. Economy parking is available for $10 a day but requires a shuttle to get to the terminal.
The Business Journal reports that PIE would welcome the opportunity to offer more transportation options for passengers as the airport continues to grow.
PSTA is set to present options for the proposed bus service at a meeting in July. The budget, which could include funding for the project, will be finalized in September.