SunRunner Bus Welcomes 1 Millionth Rider Since October Launch: PSTA

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The SunRunner, a rapid-transit bus system connecting St. Pete Beach and downtown St. Petersburg, recently welcomed its 1 millionth rider since launching in October, according to a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority news release.

When retired nurse Geneva Gibbs stepped off the SunRunner, she was expecting a quick stroll to a senior center to dance and play bingo, the agency said. Instead, she was surprised to learn she was the 1 millionth rider, and was greeted with a balloon-filled celebration and a Flamingo Fares card valid for one year of free rides from PSTA.

The landmark number was reached in less than a year from the service’s start on Oct. 21.

• Also Read: After Complaints Of Homeless Riders, SunRunner Adopts Full Fare Oct. 1

“I ride the [SunRunner] bus every day — every day — and I love it, I really, really do. And all of the drivers are one hundred percent,” said Gibbs, 84, who retired after a career as a nurse caring for veterans at Bay Pines VA Medical Center.

She was boarding the SunRunner at 1st Avenue N and 5th Street in St. Petersburg when she became the person who brought the service to the million-rider milestone.

Gibbs said she’ll use her year of free rides for trips across Pinellas County to run errands and grocery shop.

“The SunRunner is catching on faster than any transit option that’s ever been offered in Tampa Bay,” Brad Miller, PSTA CEO, said. “We’re seeing ridership increase each month, breaking the record from the month before. That’s unprecedented. It shows you that when we work together to invest in a service that delivers on being fast, easy and reliable, people will take advantage of it, and our whole community will benefit."

“It’s gratifying to see these riders trying and loving the SunRunner. The key here, though, is all the other successes that this ridership number represents,” Gina Driscoll, St. Petersburg city council member and PSTA board chair, said. “The SunRunner is connecting people to jobs, education, and healthcare. It’s lowering their cost of living. It’s supporting businesses all along the corridor. And it’s making our community more sustainable. Those are huge impacts on our community, and that’s what one million riders represents.”

The SunRunner is the Tampa Bay area’s first bus rapid transit service with an all-electric fleet of buses using dedicated lanes to create fast, reliable service from the beaches to downtown.

PSTA is adding an additional stop in the coming months near the St. Pete Pier.

The agency’s planners also predict some reduction in riders when fares begin on Oct. 1, “but residents and visitors have discovered the speed, ease and value of taking the SunRunner, so a robust ridership is expected to continue,” PSTA said.

A one-way ticket will cost $2.25, while an all-day pass will be available for $5.