PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — What started as a new way for people to quickly and easily go from St. Pete to the beach and many places in between has quickly turned into a service that tens of thousands of people use every month.
Because of this popularity, transit leaders announced it's now expanding the SunRunner. A new stop will be added near the Sundial Parking Garage at 1st Avenue North beginning in 2024.
Meanwhile, along busy 1st Ave North, Tony's Bike Shop is working on standing out.
"The SunRunner comes right by us. They see our signs. They see people on bikes coming and going," Tony Tulloh, Owner of Tony's Bike Shop, said.
It's been a successful six months for businesses like Tony's. He said he's feeling an uptick in traffic, all thanks to St. Pete's newest transit line.
"The first few months it was here, we started seeing people coming in, buying bikes that wouldn't have to begin with and now they're telling their friends, 'Hey, you need to get a bike.' So, our market shares really increased," Tulloh explained.
City leaders and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority said the SunRunner project came in at five million dollars under budget. It's why it's adding a new stop closer to the Pier.
That's where St. Pete resident Jessica Kelley works.
"I think if they added that stop, I would definitely be on it every single day," Jessica Kelley said.
Kelley said transportation is tricky, but it's become more accessible for people like her and the more than 40,000 others who live within a half mile of the SunRunner route.
"I don't have a vehicle, so usually, on my days off, I like to go to the beach... Even other places like 34th, there's a ton of stores, and a ton of grocery stores, pharmacies and things that I need to get to and having it on 1st ave north is just so so helpful," Kelley explained.
Mayor Ken Welch said more than 10,000 people ride the SunRunner on weekends during special events and because of this new transit line, he said the city is creating transit orient development.
"You'll see land that was underutilized or vacant now being redeveloped because residents and businesses want to be closer to that high frequency and speed of the SunRunner service. This is creating new housing opportunities and new options for local businesses," Mayor Welch said.
Meanwhile, Councilwomen Gina Driscoll, Chairperson for PSTA, said generous amounts of funding are coming from the federal and state level.
"I would love to keep the SunRunner fare free for as long as we can. We've already extended that fare-free period from 6 months to a year and that will give us the data that we need to determine what we're looking at for the future in terms of charging fares. But, I want to make sure, no matter what, it stays affordable for everyone," Driscoll added.
Driscoll said it's a mix of tourists and locals riding the SunRunner and around 115,000 people rode it in March alone.
"I think it just makes everything in St. Petersburg as a city as a whole just more accessible," Kelley said.
