St. Petersburg, Florida. – The SunRunner is literally on the move.

The bus that takes people between downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Beach will have a new station by the end of the year, and it’s in a prime location near the pier.

On Friday morning, representatives from local, state and federal leaders joined the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority for the groundbreaking of the new station.

“We’ve heard requests from citizens, authors, staff and elected officials about how to connect the boardwalk and pier to the SunRunner,” said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “Now those requests are about to become a reality.”

The new station will be located near the Sundial parking garage on 1st Avenue North. Crews completed the original SunRunner project $5 million under budget. The extra money will be used for the new station.

“I grew up here and have seen St. Petersburg evolve. It was a sleepy little town and is now a vibrant, exciting place where people want to live,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor. “They want to work here. They want to come visit, and when you add in these forward-thinking initiatives like the SunRunner or the Bus Rapid Transit that people can rely on, it takes it to a new level.”

READ: ‘Forward-thinking’ program allows St. Pete’s Kenwood residents free rides on SunRunner UPASS

Castor and State Senator Darryl Rouson said they have lobbied at the state and federal levels to fund and support the SunRunner because it is convenient for everyone in the region and because hybrid and electric buses have a positive impact on the environment.

“With electrification, St. Pete can help save us money and make the ride smoother and more enjoyable,” Castor said.

The SunRunner saw a record number of riders for PSTA in its first year of service in 2022, when the service was free. However, since October 2023, when the $2.25 fare was introduced, there have been about 238,000 fewer riders than in the same period last year, according to PSTA data.

However, PSTA said the SunRunner still has the most participants of any track in the county. The SunRunner also had the most participants ever in one day, about 6,000, on the Saturday of Pride weekend in June.

Local decision makers also pointed to a study by FDOT and Forward Pinellas that looked at crash data from the year before the SunRunner was launched to the year after it was introduced on the route. After the SunRunner was introduced, the number of fatal crashes fell by half.

READ: PSTA expands its fleet with electric and hybrid buses with the help of federal grants

“The future of transportation in Tampa Bay is here and it’s time to get involved,” said Gina Driscoll, St. Pete City Councilwoman and PSTA Board Chair.

The new station is scheduled to open later this year, and will be joined by three new SunRunner buses. When the new station opens, the SunRunner will run every 15 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays until midnight. Currently, it runs every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight.

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