As St. Petersburg continues to evolve as a city where everyone has the opportunity to find success and enjoy the amenities that our progressive city offers, it is essential that public transit evolves as well to help us meet those goals.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is taking a major step forward with the Oct. 26 launch of Spark, a premium express bus service along 34th Street South that will dramatically improve connections between our southwest neighborhoods and downtown St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach and beyond. This is the most exciting, change-making transit enhancement since PSTA launched the SunRunner, the bus rapid transit service linking downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach, three years ago.
Spark is another critical piece of a stronger transit system, with positive impacts for residents, workers, the local economy and our transportation network overall. This frequent, reliable and energy-efficient bus service aligns with St. Petersburg’s economic and transportation strategies, with hopes that this addition should have positive ripple effects throughout Pinellas County.
For residents — from college students to seniors — Spark will make it faster and easier to reach downtown St. Petersburg and beyond. This high-frequency route connects Eckerd College to PSTA’s Grand Central Station travelling along the 34th Street corridor. Students at Eckerd, Pinellas Technical College, Gibbs High School and St. Petersburg College will benefit, as will all the residents moving into new apartments in the revitalized Skyway Marina District, which is undergoing a transformational growth.
Spark will also boost the local economy. Our workforce can more easily reach employment downtown and in the Skyway Marina District, creating a larger workforce pool for businesses and more accessible job opportunities for residents. Tourists and shoppers will find it easier to get to shops and restaurants downtown, and to explore the growing Skyway Marina District. With affordability a constant challenge, the more ways we can efficiently get people to jobs, businesses and the beaches without them relying on cars and paying for parking, the better.
From a transit perspective, Spark brings major improvements. There will be 18 stops along 34th Street, with buses arriving every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 8 p.m. to midnight. Each stop will have dedicated shelters and branded signs showing real-time arrival information. Clean, efficient, all-electric buses will run along the route, and Spark will help relieve traffic congestion as each bus can take as many as 50 cars off the road.
While Spark and the SunRunner both offer high frequency and have many similarities, there are differences. Spark will not have dedicated bus-and-turn lanes or specially branded vehicles like the SunRunner, and Spark will accept both cards and cash. Importantly, Spark and the SunRunner will complement each other, and it will be easy for riders to switch from one to the other.
Along with Spark’s launch, PSTA is updating its entire county-wide transit system on Oct. 26, rolling out the Connected Community Bus Network. Following extensive public outreach, the network reorganizes routes and schedules to create a bus system that is clearer, more consistent and more connected.
The timing of Spark’s debut could not be better. The Skyway Marina District continues to transform into a vibrant residential and commercial district, and our southwest neighborhoods now have more accessibility. A reliable, clean, robust public transit system is key to building a connected community that everyone can access and enjoy, and Spark is another strong step toward that vision.
Deborah Figgs-Sanders is a St. Petersburg City Council member and represents District 5, which includes portions of the Spark route. She chairs the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Board of Directors.