PSTA Launches FL’s First Neighborhood Transit Pass In Kenwood

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority partnered with St. Petersburg’s Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association to launch Florida’s first neighborhood transit pass for unlimited rides.

The passes can be used on every bus route, as well as the SunRunner, which connects downtown St. Petersburg with St. Pete Beach.

Under the agreement, residents can receive a UPASS, or Universal Pass, as a benefit of their neighborhood association membership at no additional cost to them. They can then tap to ride unlimited buses and the SunRunner to travel the county.

“By eliminating the cost barrier associated with riding the bus and the SunRunner, we are ensuring that every resident has the ability to travel freely across Pinellas County,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller said. “This will make it easier for people to commute to work, attend school, access healthcare services, and take part in community activities.”

Through the partnership, the neighborhood association will pay for UPASSes at a discounted rate and make them available to every resident who has paid their membership fees. Procedures are in place to deactivate passes when a card is lost or a resident moves out of the neighborhood.

For this pilot program, PSTA has created a template that can be repeated in other neighborhoods in the future.

“The Historic Kenwood Neighborhood is one-of-a-kind. But there’s no reason this partnership should be one-of-a-kind. What we’re announcing today can absolutely become a model for other neighborhoods in our community and across the United States,” Richie Floyd. St. Petersburg City Council member, said.

Kenwood was one of Tampa Bay’s first “streetcar suburbs,” according to PSTA. A trolley line connected the neighborhood to downtown St. Pete before most people owned cars.

The trolley ran on tracks down Central Avenue. That transit option — which mirrors the SunRunner route the city has today — made it possible for people to commute to work and stay connected to the community.

“That transit connection 100 years ago allowed St. Petersburg to flourish, and this new approach to transit will help write the next chapter of St. Pete’s story,” Miller said.

The passes will be distributed to members of the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Gateway Subs, 3112 3rd Ave. N.