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Prior to October 2, 2011 if you wanted to get from the St. Petersburg Pier to Pass-a-Grille Beach using public transit, it would have taken four different bus routes and three transfers. Now, thanks to PSTA’s new Central Avenue Trolley, that trip is easily made on a single bus and Pinellas County riders are proving that they really enjoy the convenient new service. Ridership along that corridor jumped more than 14% for the month of October over the same period in 2010!
“This has been a great partnership between the City of St. Petersburg and PSTA to combine parts of the old Central Avenue Shuttle, the Looper, the Route 35 and the Suncoast Beach Trolley to form a new streamlined service between downtown St. Petersburg, the Pier and Pass-a-Grille,” says PSTA Board Chairman and St. Petersburg City Councilman Jeff Danner.
Like PSTA’s Suncoast Beach Trolley, which runs along Gulf Blvd. from St. Pete Beach to Clearwater, the new Central Avenue Trolley appeals to visitors and residents alike…and local businesses are seeing a difference. “I can tell you that I see a lot of people out at the trolley stop now and it’s helped our customers connect with the businesses downtown whether they’re heading for a night on the town after dinner or coming here for a bite after work,” says Peter Hogdon, General Manager at Ferg’s Sports Bar.
The Central Avenue Trolley’s extended hours of operation (until 11:00 pm weekdays and nearly midnight on Friday through Sunday) make it easy for riders to enjoy evening visits to the shops, attractions and restaurants in downtown St. Petersburg and along Central Avenue and Gulf Blvd. Thomas Gabriele owns the Cigar Loft at 2448 Central is excited about the new service and its potential. “I’m so glad it’s running,” he says. “It’s downtown to beach in one shot, which makes it so much easier. We’re really looking forward to the increased traffic.”
For schedules and fare information on the Central Avenue Trolley as well as all of PSTA’s routes, visit PSTA.net or call the PSTA InfoLine at 727-540-1900.
Article provided by PSTA.
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