Transit Update from the CEO – March 2013

After the monthly meeting of PSTA’s Board of Directors, CEO Brad Miller puts together a summary of important topics that were discussed. Here is that recap from the March 20th meeting:

Greenlight Pinellas

• At a special ACPT meeting on Monday, PSTA’s Public Outreach consultant, Tucker Hall, Inc. presented Greenlight Pinellas as the brand and strategy of our public engagement process about transit in Pinellas County.
• Greenlight Pinellas demonstrates:
  • A consensus of Pinellas County leadership
  • Engagement of the business community, civic organizations, and the public.
  • It will form the educational foundation for the future transit referendum.
• The PSTA Board will be asked to approve the outreach strategy at their April 24, 2013 meeting.

FDOT Funding Request

• The PSTA Board approved a grant application to seek continued funding from the Florida Department of Transportation for two important projects:
  1. Mobility Management – Allows PSTA to enhance mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities.
  2. Connector Service – Funds will support the continued operation of the new, innovative, and very popular North County Connector services

Pinellas Park Transit Center

• Easement Agreements and a Partnership MOU with the City of Pinellas Park to share in the capital construction expenses were approved by the PSTA Board.
• Construction should begin soon on a new, badly needed Pinellas Park Transit Center behind the Shoppes at Park Place (Target/Movie Theatre) just off US 19.

Business Community/Transit Oriented Land Use Design Outreach

• PSTA is partnering with the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to reach out to key stakeholders, businesses, and communities along the proposed rail line through St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Pinellas County, Largo, and Clearwater.
• The outreach is intended to inform and further develop the land use and economic development potential of transit related projects, such as the bus plan and Pinellas Alternatives Analysis rail corridor.

PSTA Safety & Longevity Awards

• Each year PSTA employees are recognized for their many years of service and Bus Operators’ safety records are celebrated.
• Steve Desrosier, in our Finance Department, was acknowledged for 30 years of service.
• Bus Operator Dave Beck was recognized for 35 years of safe driving.
• All together 990 years of service, and 2234 years of safe driving were recognized at award ceremonies held in-house.

Sincerely,
Brad Miller
Chief Executive Officer

Transit Update from the CEO – February 2013

After the monthly meeting of PSTA’s Board of Directors, CEO Brad Miller puts together a summary of important topics that were discussed. Here is that recap from the February 27th meeting:

Referendum for a 21st Century Transit System for Pinellas County Moving Forward

• The Pinellas Board of County Commissioners voted 5-1 yesterday, to schedule a one cent sales tax referendum on the November 4, 2014 ballot to fund significant transit improvements throughout Pinellas County including bus, trolleybus, enhanced bus services and planning for future rail service. After nearly 3 hours of public comment for those for and against setting the date, only Commissioner Norm Roche voted against setting the date.

What It Will Cost – Baseline Financial Plan Approved

• The PSTA Board reviewed and accepted the 2012 Completed Alternatives Analysis Financial Plan showing how the sales tax estimated revenue of $128M per year while eliminating PSTA’s existing ad valorem property tax would support these transit improvements.
• This analysis will be reviewed with the Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transportation (ACPT) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the coming weeks.

PSTA’s Community Bus Plan Goals and Upcoming Meetings

• Work on the Community Bus Plan continues into the next phases. Rider surveys have been collected and are being tabulated and analyzed. The Board of Directors has decided the goals of the plan are about people, service and finance. And, the goals are applicable for our riders today as well as our future ones.
• Upcoming engagement events that are open to the public are scheduled:
  •  Palm Harbor Library - March 7^th, 6 p.m.
  • Big ‘C’ Barrier Islands Council @ North Redington Beach Chamber of Commerce - March 27^th, 8:30 a.m.

Florida Legislative Platform for 2013

• PSTA Legislative Committee Chair Darden Rice and CEO Brad
  Miller reported on their successful trip last week to meet with Pinellas legislators in Tallahassee.
• They also met with transit leaders from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Thank you former County Commissioner Neil Brickfield

• Neil Brickfield stopped by PSTA’s Board Meeting today to be recognized for his 6 years of PSTA Board Service.
• During his PSTA tenure, he was a strong leader in effective restructuring of Pinellas transportation under the Medicaid and Transportation Disadvantaged program and the PSTA Board thanked him for this service.

Finally, Check out PSTA’s Most Watched YouTube Video Bus Buzz Episode 2: “Busting the Empty Bus Myth”

Top 12 in 2012

Happy new year transit fans! Let’s take a quick look back at 12 great things that happened in 2012 at PSTA:

1. Record Annual Ridership – Annual ridership passed 14 million for the fiscal year that ended on September 30th.

2. TSA Gold Standard Security Award – The Transportation Security Administration chose PSTA as one of only 17 transit agencies in the U.S. to earn this coveted security award.

3. Record Monthly Ridership – A whole year full of monthly ridership records means that PSTA buses are hopping. Each month we’re carrying more riders than the same month in the year before.

4. Real Time Bus Information – Now passengers can use state-of-the-art technology to find out exactly when the bus is serving their stop. Text, web, and phone, we’ve got them all covered.

5.  Dolphin Shuttle – PSTA and the Clearwater Jolley Trolley partner to provide shuttle service between the Clearwater Marine Aquarium – home to movie star Winter the Dolphin – and the Dolphin Tale exhibit in downtown Clearwater.

6. North County Connectors – PSTA launched new specialized service in northern Pinellas County. The three Connector routes, with their ability to travel off the preset route to serve custom stops, is proving to be an extremely popular transportation option.

7. Community Transportation Manager – PSTA became county’s Community Transportation Manager which brought the Transportation Disadvantaged Program administration in house allowing for a more thorough, streamlined process for passengers.

8. Pinellas Community Bus Plan – The Plan is an in-depth study of the PSTA bus system that will identify strengths, areas for improvement, and make suggestions to improve efficiency and increase ridership. It will look at the changing mobility needs of the county’s residents, workers, and visitors. The result is not just a document but improved transit service on the street.

9. Pinellas County Alternatives Analysis – One of the components that will be part of the Pinellas Community Bus Plan, the Alternatives Analysis was an 18 month technical evaluation, agency coordination, and public participation effort that looked at the feasibility of light rail service in Pinellas.

10. New Buses – The Connector Service is using “mini” buses that are able to navigate through the narrow roads within neighborhood. And, we added more hybrid buses to the fleet thanks to a federal “State of Good Repair” grant (they’re here, being outfitted with all the electronics and whatnot that they need prior to going into service).

11. Benchmarking Group – PSTA recently joined the American Bus Benchmarking Group. This group of 15 transit agencies across the U.S. share data in order to continuously measure, compare, and understand performance in key areas. The idea is to compare ourselves to other similar agencies with the goal of finding ways to improve our operations, and help others do the same.

12. Bus Buzz – PSTA introduced a new communication tool called Bus Buzz. These short video vignettes are a low-budget, contemporary means of communicating with riders and all residents about how PSTA is a community partner working to improve the quality of life in Pinellas County. There are now two episodes of Bus Buzz on our You Tube channel for your enjoyment.

2012 was a great year for PSTA… 2013 is going to be even better!

Transit Update from the CEO – January 2013

After the monthly meeting of PSTA’s Board of Directors, CEO Brad Miller puts together a summary of important topics that were discussed. Here is that recap from the January 23rd meeting:

PSTA Board Votes Unanimously (15-0) to Ask for November 2014 Sales Tax Referendum

• After more than 60 public speakers and more than 3 hours of comment before a packed PSTA board room, the PSTA Board voted unanimously to ask the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners to place a one-percent transportation sales tax referendum on the November 4, 2014 Ballot.
• With all 4 of the PSTA Board’s Pinellas County Commissioners voting in support today, it is likely that the County Board will consider confirming this schedule next month.
• When faced with the stark choice of either moving forward towards a sustainable revenue source to create a substantially improved transit system for Pinellas County or further reducing the current bus system by nearly a third, the PSTA Board emphatically chose to take the next step.
• Approving the November 2014 date now allows the significant amount of transportation planning already underway to continue in 2013 so that a comprehensive package of transportation improvements can be ultimately presented to the voters of Pinellas County.

Inter-Agency Advisory Committee’s Role Approved

• The PSTA Board approved a revised committee structure that allowed PSTA to take the lead in recommending the package of improvements for County consideration but strengthened the role of the Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transit (ACPT) to emphasize the important roles the Pinellas Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Pinellas Planning Council (PPC) and the Tampa Bay Area Regional  Transportation Authority (TBARTA) will play in coordinating transportation improvements.

Introducting PSTA’s New Amenity Partnership Program

• Does your city have a corridor redevelopment plan?  Or maybe a Downtown Master Plan?  Then PSTA wants to partner with you!
• Earlier this month, PSTA finalized is requirements for providing capital funding support and coordinated planning to existing community planning efforts that benefit public transportation users.
• PSTA developed the program after a successful recent partnership to provide funding to the City of St. Petersburg for transit improvements in their Central Avenue Corridor district.
• For more information please contact me or PSTA’s Chief Development Officer Cassandra Borchers at CBorchers@psta.net

Welcome City of Safety Harbor Commissioner Cliff to the PSTA Board!    

• In addition to Safety Harbor, Mr. Merz will also represent the Cities of Tarpon Springs and Oldsmar on the Board.
• PSTA welcomed two new members to its 15-member Board.

Sincerely,
Brad Miller
Chief Executive Officer
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)

Transit Update from the CEO – December 2012

After the monthly meeting of PSTA’s Board of Directors, CEO Brad Miller puts together a summary of important topics that were discussed. Here is that recap from the December 5th meeting (there was not a meeting in November):

PSTA Board Considers Asking for November 2014 Sales Tax Referendum & How to Best Plan for Transit Improvements

• The PSTA Board plans to vote at their January 23, 2013 whether or not to request that the Pinellas County Commission establish November 4, 2014 as the date for a possible sales tax referendum.
• Setting the November 2014 date allows the significant amount of transportation planning already underway to continue in 2013 with greater focus towards “green lighting” the best package of transportation infrastructure improvements possible.
• The PSTA Board discussed a revised committee structure that allowed PSTA to take the lead in recommending the package of improvements for County consideration but strengthened the role of the Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transit (ACPT) to emphasize the important roles the Pinellas Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Pinellas Planning Council (PPC) and the Tampa Bay Area Regional  Transportation Authority (TBARTA) will play in coordinating transportation improvements.
• While no vote will be taken until January, there was consensus that it was essential for PSTA and the County to move forward with its plans to seek a sustainable revenue source for improving transit.

PSTA & HART to Make Recommendations on Completed Consolidation Study

•   On Monday, December 10 at 9:30 a.m. at PSTA and then again on Monday, January 14, 2013 at HART offices, both PSTA and HART Boards will meet to discuss and then vote what recommendations can be made regarding consolidation or merging the two transit agencies, following the completion of the state-required consultant study.
• The study, funded by PSTA & HART identified  that one way to avoid a referendum being needed was the creation of a Joint Powers Authority which could act as a consolidated public transportation system in the region.  The study also estimated that while there would be further planning and up-front costs, up to $2.4M in annual savings could be identified through elimination of redundant overhead positions.
• While there was no consensus by the PSTA Board on any specific step towards “formalized partnering,” if non-agency resources could be identified, there was support to further develop this scenario while being mindful of PSTA’s plans to identify a sustainable funding source by November 2014. 

New North County Connector Flex Routes Start Monday, December 10, 2012 – And They’re FREE to Ride in December!

•   Dunedin Mayor Eggers, Tarpon Springs Mayor David Archie, Clearwater Council members Bill Jonson & Doreen Hock-DiPolito, Dunedin Commissioner Julie Bujalski, and PSTA Chair & St. Petersburg Councilmember Jeff Danner cut a ribbon yesterday to celebrate Monday’s start to PSTA’s first new weekday transit routes in many years.
• Serving previously unserved-parts of Northern Pinellas County and connecting over to HART in Hillsborough County, the Connector Flex Routes will operate Monday-Saturday and can be accessed either at normal PSTA bus stops along the routes or by calling and scheduling a “flex” pick-up closer to where you are at 540-1900.
• Throughout December, try out these new services at no cost! Two of the three routes connect at Westfield’s Countryside Mall so you’ll have more money for holiday shopping!

PSTA Ridership Going Up! Up! Up!

• Following the completion of most successful year for public transportation ridership in Pinellas County history (more than 100 years), October’s monthly ridership was the single-highest monthly total ever.
  • And November, 2012 was the highest November on record ever as well!

Welcome Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long & Bellair Bluffs Commissioner Joe Barkley!     

•   PSTA welcomed two new members to its 15-member Board.

Thank  you Terry Parks!!! PSTA’s Extraordinary Customer Relations Manager to Retire after 39-Years of Impeccable Service to PSTA’s Customers 

• Terry received a nice send-off at the PSTA meeting today but following her end-of-year retirement, she will most certainly be missed!

Sincerely,
Brad Miller
Chief Executive Officer

A tale of two budgets

Ah, budgets. Every person, company, and government agency has as least one, and sometimes they can be complex and confusing. Hopefully we can break ours down here for you a little bit.

We have two budgets here at PSTA: operating and capital. Generally speaking, it can be said that “operating” dollars buy the every day things we need to run service and “capital” dollars buy big special things.

Operating Budget = Everyday Running of PSTA

The Operating budget pays for transit passenger services (both bus and DART) and includes things like labor costs (payroll, benefits, etc), fuel, insurance, supplies, and utilities. We get some funding from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the operation of certain bus routes (like the express routes to Tampa, and the new Connector services coming to northern Pinellas in December), but most of the money for operating expenses comes from property taxes and farebox revenues.

Capital Budget = Purchase of Equipment

Money for the Capital budget comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) after Congress completes their annual appropriation for transit programs. Capital funding can be used for the purchase of equipment (buses, shelters, computers, etc.) and preventive maintenance (parts, labor, and services that extend the useful life of equipment and facilities).

Why They Are Not Interchangeable

We are often asked questions like “why can you buy buses but you can’t make my bus come every 15 minutes.” The reason comes down to funding sources and their various requirements and limitations. As operating budgets get tighter, many transit properties are making dramatic cuts in service. Many agencies are trying to get the Federal Government to allow capital dollars to be spent on operating costs. Basically this would allow us to buy the buses, and use the same bank of funds to pay the drivers to drive them. We’re hopeful that will happen some day, but until it does, we must follow the rules of the FTA, or we risk of losing capital funding altogether.

The New Budget Year

PSTA’s new total annual budget is $119 million and will run from October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013 – a period of time that we refer to as Fiscal Year 2012/13 or FY2013.

Of that figure, this year’s Operating budget is around $60.5 million. This is the day-to-day cost of running the transit system – labor, fuel, supplies, utilities, etc. On the Capital budget we’re planning to spend about $34 million – this includes things like replacement buses, tire lease (yes, it’s more affordable for us to lease rather than buy tires!), computer hardware and software, bus shelters, and some preventative maintenance.

If you’d like to learn more detail about PSTA’s budget on your own, I invite you to visit PSTA.net and read through the FY2013 Budget Draft. The final budget (which was adopted by the Board on 9/12/12) will be posted within the next couple of weeks; you’ll be able to find it under the About Tab, Plans and Reports, Financial Documents.

Questions? I’ll be glad to answer those I can, and find answers for those I don’t!

Your Editor,
Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt
Marketing Communications Coordinator

Grab your bike and hop aboard!

When we first launched our Bikes on Buses program back in March of 1998, we had no idea it would be so successful. That first month we carried 2000 bikes. In 2005, the National Center for Transit Research named PSTA the highest ridership Bikes on Buses program in the State of Florida with 17,000 per month, or more than 200,000 rides per year. Last year we carried 360,000 bikes!

We’ve come a long way! When the program first launched, bikers were required to get a Bikes on Buses permit. PSTA partnered with several local bike shops who showed a short how-to video and sold the permits for $2. Over the years, we realized that the rack is so easy to use, hardly any instruction was really necessary. In June of 2006, we got rid of the permits and opened up the rack to anyone who could lift their bike into the slots.

The program continued to grow in popularity, so when it became obvious that 2-bike racks just weren’t going to cut it, we installed 3-bike racks on most of our buses. Unfortunately, the 3-bike racks had a little problem: when fully loaded, the criss-crossing spokes of three bikes blocked the bus headlights. Our plan to expand access to the Bikes on Buses program had become a serious safety hazard. We take safety pretty seriously around here, so the 3-bike racks had to go. But, I’m pleased to tell you that our Maintenance Department has been working diligently with several rack manufacturers in an attempt to develop a new rack that can hold three bikes, while also meeting our safety standards. We’ll let you know when we find the right solution.

In the mean time, if the racks are full (which they often are) we want you to have a safe place to lock your bike, so we’ve been installing bike storage racks at our bus stops and transfer stations like crazy. Thanks to a partnership with the Pinellas County Health Department we were recently able to add almost 100 more racks than we had planned. Bike riding is a great way to improve your health, and the Health Department is about that! They purchased racks that we’re currently working to install at 50 of our busiest bus stops around the county. We also have additional bike racks in our bus stop amenity plan for the coming years – if you know of a high bike traffic bus stop that could use a rack, please let us know and we’ll check it out.

Should you happen to have a folding bike (these are really cool!) we’re happy to announce that you can now bring it inside the bus – no need to place it on the rack! We do ask that you have it already folded before you board the bus. After you find your seat, please tuck your bike out of the aisle so no one trips on it.

So, are you ready to bring your bike along for a ride? Before you head out, I encourage you to visit the Bikes on Buses page of our website where you can see a video about how to use the rack on the bus. We look forward to welcoming you – and your bike – aboard soon!

Your Editor,
Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt

Sometimes you have to pat yourself on the back…

Mia Kabigting, our award-winning web designer, along with PSTA Director of Marketing Janet Recca

We’d like to take a moment to congratulate your award winning Marketing Department for once again being commended for excellence! PSTA was recently recognized by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s annual Future of the Region Awards for our outstanding website. If you haven’t visited PSTA.net lately, I invite you to swing by and hang out for awhile.

What does the Marketing Department do besides take care of the website, you ask? Well, we write this blog for one, along with sharing lots of great articles and links on other social media platforms (like Twitter and Facebook). We go out to local civic organizations, businesses, schools, neighborhoods, etc. and share bus information with the community. This takes the form of giving “how to ride” type presentations, setting up tables at community events and sharing bus information, and bringing buses to Touch A Truck events. Our Community Relations Manager stays in contact with our local media outlets to share good news stories, creates informational videos, and conducts public outreach efforts (like presentations and the survey we’re doing right now for north county). The Marketing Department staff designs timetables and schedule boards in the bus shelters, informational posters, brochures, maps – any and all printed materials. We write the copy for all of these pieces, plus articles that are often printed in trade publications. Our Customer Relations Manager has a staff of Customer Service Representatives who answer the InfoLine and give bus information, and sell tickets and provide bus info at the terminals.

In addition to marketing and public relations efforts that promote PSTA, Marketing Department staff also sells bus advertising. Since we sell these ads in-house, PSTA gets 100% of the revenue (most transit agencies hire an outside agency who takes a cut of the revenue). With a tight budget like we’ve had for the past several years, additional money coming into PSTA helps ease that squeeze just a little.

PSTA is very proud of the Marketing Department (full disclosure: your editor is, of course, part of the department, so perhaps a wee bit biased in this opinion). As a group they have consistently been recognized with various industry awards. Here is a list of just a few of the projects that have won awards recently:

• New Bus Stop Sign
• SmartBus Design
• Website
• Social Media Program
• Pick Up the Phone TV Commercial
• GO Card Promotional Bus Poster
• Dump the Pump Campaign
• Ambassador Program

We do good work, so thanks for letting us take this moment to pat ourselves on the back!

Your Editor,
Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt

No losers here

You saw the winning photos last week (and clicked a lot, thanks!), now we’d like to share a few of the other great photos that were entered in our contest. There are no losers here: take a look and you’ll see why our judges had such a hard time choosing the top three!

“Modes of Transportation” by Angel Trueblood

“Bike Rack” by Angelina Wilcox

“Greetings from the Bus Driver” by Angelina Wilcox
(The driver is Eliseo Roman)

“Payment” by Brandon Jeffrey

“Green is the Cool Scene” by David Reed

“Route 66 Tarpon Springs” by David Reed

“Rainy Night Ride” by David Reed

“Here it comes” by Michelle Ann Pence

“Relax Here” by Michelle Ann Pence

“Stop Here” by Michelle Ann Pence

“My Time to Study” by Nick Stees

So, what do you think? Which is your favorite? One of the winners, or one of these outstanding non-winners?

Your Editor,
Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt

And the winner is…

Wow! You all take some pretty fabulous photos! We asked you to send us a photo that shows what PSTA means in your life and your community. So many great entries were submitted to our photo contest it was hard to choose the winners, but luckily we had a panel of experts to help. Before we announce the winners, please help us thank our judges. Here’s a little about each of them:

Lorrie Lykins – Lorrie has written the Ask Dr. Delay column for the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times) since 2005, answering reader questions about the highways and byways of the Tampa Bay area. She is a graduate of Eckerd College and Queens University of Charlotte and is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Follow her on twitter: @AskDrDelay

Michael C. Weimar – Michael C. Weimar is an editorial and commercial photographer based in the Tampa Bay area. He specializes in sports and portraiture. His past assignments have found him at the Superbowl, Final Four, and BCS National Championship. A link to his work can be found at www.mikeweimar.com.

Emanuel Ponteriero – Besides having his own professional photography business, Emanuel conducts major seminars throughout Florida. His “Get the Picture” instructional videos are among the top ten on Amazon, and he is a monthly guest on Studio 10 Connects, a Tampa TV program.

These kind folks donated their time to judge our contest and we really appreciate their expertise.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… our winners!

Third Place
“Limo to the Dance” by David Reed

Second Place
“Transportation for the Next Generation” by Brandon Graham

First Place (our iPad2 winner!)
“In Motion” by James Branaman

Please join us in congratulating our winners! (And, please remember that these are copyrighted images.)

Your Editor,
Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt

p.s. Wonder what our winning photographers look like? Here’s a photo of David and James (along with me) following the award presentation at today’s Board of Directors meeting, and a photo of Brandon when he came in to claim his prize (he wasn’t able to join us at the meeting).