REMINDER: Public Workshop in Clearwater Tomorrow

St. Petersburg, Fla. – The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will hold a public workshop at the Clearwater Public Library, 100 North Osceola Avenue, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25.

The workshop will provide those in attendance with a solid background on the current PSTA fare structure, an overview of a simplified structure model, and information regarding fare price adjustments. Riders will also have the opportunity to speak directly with PSTA Senior Planners and Planning staff to answer unique and rider-specific questions.

Those unable to attend the workshops are encouraged to provide written comment by mail or email at engage@psta.net.  For more information on the Fare Workshops call the InfoLine at (727) 540-1900 or visit www.psta.net.

PSTA Helps Prepare Local Students for School

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Four bins filled with school supplies were donated to St. Petersburg’s Melrose Elementary School Friday, courtesy of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.

Through PSTA’s Operation Giveback, employees filled bins with notebooks, binders, pens, and pencils.

PSTA employees decided to host the school supply drive as an opportunity to give back to the community.

“The donations came directly from bus operators, mechanics, and all of the other hardworking members of our team here at PSTA,” said Tamika White, PSTA Employee Training and Engagement Generalist. “This was something they wanted to do.”

Melrose Elementary Principal Nanette Grasso accepted the donation on behalf of the students at the school’s Meet-the-Teacher event Friday.

“We are thankful that PSTA has been so generous to us here at Melrose,” Grasso said. “This is really about being there as a community for the students.”

PSTA also donated bus passes to the school which were raffled off to parents at the event.

“Transit matters to this school,” said Grasso, “and it’s an essential part of this community.”

PSTA Sets Record Despite Severe Weather

St. Petersburg, Fla. —Despite severe weather and record rainfall throughout the county, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has set a new record for the highest ridership ever in July.

Riders boarded PSTA vehicles 1,260,603 times, a 0.7 percent increase from the same month in 2014, and the 74th consecutive month of ridership exceeding 1 million. The nearly 9,000 additional trips made last month came despite several days of heavy rainfall that left three counties flooded, dozens of roads closed, and forced evacuations.

“The safety of our passengers is always our first priority and that is even more so during severe weather,” said Safety, Security, and Training Superintendent Michael Gloss. “PSTA bus operators go through months of training and practice to help prepare them for all types of weather situations .”

PSTA staff was able to keep riders updated on route detours in real-time by using Rider Alert text messages, emails, and social media.

“It’s our responsibility to not only keep our riders safe and secure,” said Gloss, “but also to keep them informed and prepared in a timely fashion.”

As an active member of the Emergency Operations Center for Pinellas County, PSTA buses will continue to run routes during a storm to help transport and evacuate people until it is no longer safe to travel.

Riders can stay updated on all PSTA bus service by calling the PSTA InfoLine at 727-540-1900, visiting our website at www.psta.net, and following us on social media at @RidePSTA.

REMINDER: Public Workshop in St. Petersburg Tomorrow

St. Petersburg, Fla. – The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will hold a public workshop at the Gladden Park Recreation Center, 3901 30^th Avenue North, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20.

The purpose of this workshop is to gather comment from riders and other community members on Phase 1 of a proposed Service Redesign plan. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to meet with PSTA staff to learn more about the plan, make comments, and ask questions.

The routes affected in Phase 1 are: 1, 30, 58, 444, and the East Lake Connector.

Riders unable to attend are invited to send comments to engage@psta.net. For more information, visit the Public Workshops page or call the InfoLine at (727) 540- 1900.

REMINDER: Public Workshop at PSTA Tomorrow

St. Petersburg, Fla. – The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will hold a public workshop at PSTA’s Administrative Building, 3201 Scherer Drive, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18.

The purpose of this workshop is to gather comment from riders and other community members on Phase 1 of a proposed service redesign. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to meet with PSTA staff to learn more about the plan, make comments, and ask questions.

The routes affected in Phase 1 are: 1, 30, 58, 444, and the East Lake Connector.

Riders unable to attend are invited to send comments to engage@psta.net. For more information, visit the Public Workshops page or call the InfoLine at (727) 540- 1900.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Proposed Fare Increase

Proposed Fare Increase
Effective October 11, 2015

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will hold a Public Hearing on:
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
PSTA Administration Building
3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Hearing is schedule for ½ hour, but will be extended if necessary. The proposal will be available online one week in advance of the hearing, and printed copies will be available at the hearings. If you are unable to attend in person, written comments are welcome by mail or email.

Mail to: PSTA Budget Public Hearing or PSTA Fare Public Hearing
3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Email comments to: engage@psta.net

For the official record, please include your name and address on all correspondence. If you need a sign language interpreter, large print material, or other ADA accommodations in order to participate, please call the InfoLine at (727) 540-1900 or email engage@psta.net one week before the meeting.

PSTA Adds New Date to Service Redesign Workshop Series

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Those who have not yet had the opportunity to attend one of the public workshops being hosted by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will now have one more opportunity to do so.

A fifth date has been added to the series after PSTA received requests from citizens to add a workshop in the corridor-area of St. Petersburg.

Attendees are encouraged to meet with PSTA staff to ask questions and make comments about phase one of the proposed service redesign. The workshops are not structured and no formal presentation will be made.

The phase one routes are: 1, 30, 58, 444, and the East Lake Connector.

Riders unable to attend are invited to send comments to engage@psta.net.

For more information, visit the Public Workshops page.

Workshops are scheduled for: 

• Monday, Aug. 17, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  Pinellas Park Library, 7770 52nd Street
  (727) 541-0718

• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  PSTA Administrative Building, 3201 Scherer Drive
  (727) 540-1800

*NEW*

• Thursday, Aug. 20, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  Gladden Park Recreation Center, 3901 30^th Avenue North, St. Petersburg
  (727) 893-7458

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Route Changes

Affecting Routes 1, 30, 18, 58, 444, East Lake Connector

Effective October 11, 2015

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will hold a Public Hearing on:

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.

PSTA Administration Building

3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Hearing is schedule for ½ hour, but will be extended if necessary. The proposal will be available online one week in advance of the hearing, and printed copies will be available at the hearings. If you are unable to attend in person, written comments are welcome by mail or email.

Mail to: PSTA Service Public Hearing

3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Email comments to: engage@psta.net

For the official record, please include your name and address on all correspondence. If you need a sign language interpreter, large print material, or other ADA accommodations in order to participate, please call the InfoLine at (727) 540-1900 or email engage@psta.net by August 16, 2015

Information discussed and public comment gathered at these events will be included in the PSTA Transit Development Plan.

Public Invited to Seminole Library for Second PSTA Workshop

St. Petersburg, Fla. – The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is holding the second of four public workshops today at the Seminole Library, 9200 113^th Street North, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer questions and receive feedback on the first phase of a proposed service redesign.

Nearly twenty people attended the first workshop at the East Lake Library yesterday to learn more about the service redesign that will focus on the lowest performing routes in the system: 1, 18, 30, 58, 444, and the East Lake Connector.

There is no tentative schedule for the workshops and no formal presentation will be made. Attendees are encouraged however to walk around freely to meet with PSTA staff for a more personal interaction.

Those unable to attend are encouraged to send comments to engage@psta.net.

Date	Locations	Affected Route(s)	Time of Day	Routes Serving Venue
8/11/15	Seminole Library: 9200 113th Street North (727) 394‐6905	58, 18, 1, 30	2:30 p.m.-     4:30 p.m.	58
8/17/15	Pinellas Park Library: 7770 52nd Street (727) 541‐0718	444, 1, 30	10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	74, 52, 444
8/18/15	PSTA Administrative Building		6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	11, 52, 59

Note: Use of the libraries’ meeting rooms does not imply their affiliation or sponsorship of the workshops.

PSTA Heads to East Lake for First Public Workshop

St. Petersburg, Fla. – The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is holding its first public workshop today at the East Lake Library, 4125 East Lake Road South, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discuss the first phase of a proposed service redesign and upcoming fare redesign.

If approved by the board next month, this phase will eliminate or realign the lowest preforming routes in the system and save a projected $930,000 as planned in the FY 2016 budget.

Included in phase one are routes 1, 30, 58, 444, and the East Lake Connector.

Information on all routes affected will be available at every workshop as well as information on a potential fare redesign that will be the focus of the August board meeting.

Riders unable to attend are invited to send comments to engage@psta.net.

Workshops are scheduled for:

• Monday, Aug. 10, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  East Lake Library, 4125 East Lake Road S
  (727) 773-2665

• Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  Seminole Library, 9200 113th Street N
  (727) 394-6905

• Monday, Aug. 17, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  Pinellas Park Library, 7770 52nd Street
  (727) 541-0718

• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  PSTA Administrative Building, 3201 Scherer Drive
  (727) 540-1800