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PSTA Bus Operators have been talking about it for months. They’ve noticed it day after day, but didn’t know if ridership only seemed heavier on their routes or system wide.
“I didn’t know for sure,” says Driver Micheal Thomas, “but it just seemed like more more people were riding this year.”
With the numbers now official, the suspicions of Thomas and his colleagues have been confirmed: More rides were taken on PSTA vehicles in 2010-2011 than ever in the 92 years of public transportation service in Pinellas County. 13,103,206 rides to be exact.
“It’s clear evidence of the value Pinellas County citizens place on public transit, especially during this economic rec ession,” says PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “More people than ever are relying on PSTA to get to their jobs, access medical services, get to the store, or hopefully...to apply for a new job."
Most recently, PSTA launched its new Central Avenue Trolley, offering a one-seat, non-transfer ride from Pass-a-Grille to the St. Petersburg Pier and ridership in the first three weeks is already exceeding expectations.
"Hopefully, we can continue to roll out new and improved public transit options like the Central Avenue Trolley. In the coming year, PSTA will be launching its first comprehensive transportation planning effort in two decades to redesign the PSTA bus system and make it even better so we can break even more records," Miller added.
PSTA is planning to seek substantial public input over the coming year as part of its planning initiative. Be on the lookout for a meeting or presentation in your neighborhood. Everything that you need to know about how to join your 13 million friends on the bus and take advantage of PSTA’s money-saving service can be found at www.psta.net or by calling the PSTA InfoLine at 727-540-1900.
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