ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) board this week held off on a proposal to cut Route 90, a bus route connecting downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach, after concerns that the change could affect beach employees who rely on public transit.

The route runs along Gulf Boulevard, where businesses including Crabby Bill’s sit near Route 90 bus stops. Luis Maldonado, assistant manager at Crabby Bill’s, said several employees depend on the bus to get to work.

“We have at least five or six people that take the bus to come to work,” Maldonado said.

PSTA staff recommended cutting the route because of low ridership. Route 90 currently averages 730 riders a month, and staff said the ridership does not justify the resources needed to keep it operating.

At a recent PSTA board meeting, Darden Rice, PSTA’s chief planning and community affairs officer, said changes made to the route did not produce the desired ridership results.

“When we look closely at Route 90, unfortunately, the tweaking that we did to try to make this route work better with the connected community bus network just didn’t take hold,” Rice said.

Some board members raised concerns that cutting the route could affect the workforce at hotels and restaurants on St. Pete Beach, including businesses still rebounding after the 2024 hurricanes.

“On St. Pete Beach, their hotel room numbers were largely skewed because of the hotels that didn’t reopen,” PSTA board member Kathleen Peters said. “And there’s still quite a few that aren’t open, but they’re opening now.”

Peters also pointed to future hotel room growth as more properties reopen and the TradeWinds begins construction.

Maldonado said Route 90 is convenient for employees because the stops are near the restaurant.

“Because we depend on them. And transportation is the way that they come to work,” Maldonado said. “So I think it’s important for them to have the bus running.”

PSTA staff will monitor ridership on Route 90 for the rest of the year before providing the board with a final recommendation.

Staff said savings from cutting Route 90 would go to other services or help protect against rising gas prices. A longer alternative route is available for commuters who take the Spark to the SunRunner.