Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority(PSTA) has unveiled the first of 16 SunRunner Rapid Transit Stations in Tampa Bay, St. Pete. The bus station is located at the corner of first avenue North and fifth Street north; designed with the alluring brand colors of yellow and PSTA teal, which are bright colors that help improve its visibility for passengers, according to the CEO of PSTA, Brad Miller.
New SunRunner Rapid Transit Station to showcase public art murals
This new SunRunner Rapid Transit Station will be the first of several BRT projects and it covers a 10.3-mile route, connecting St. Pete Beach with downtown St. Petersburg. The 40-foot long SunRunner buses and the station itself will also showcase public art murals by the local artist, Catherine Woods, who took thousands of photos used in the design of the bus station. This art design is a reflection of the individual features of each neighborhood and business districts along the route. Pat Gerrard, the board chair of PSTA, also mentioned that utilizing this new SunRunner transit would help to eliminate the difficulty experienced while locating parking spaces at the beach or downtown.
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The SunRunner Rapid Transit Station will feature several amenities such as level boarding platforms, crosswalks, Wi-Fi, multi-door boarding, onboard bike spaces, as well as safety enhancements for the riders. Buses from the station will make use of brick red, semi-dedicated lanes, through which they would run every 15 minutes during the day, and every 30 minutes during the night; thereby, reducing the number of stops along the route. Most of the traffic would also be bypassed by the buses, as the semi-dedicated lanes are mostly exclusive to just the SunRunner buses.
The SunRunner Rapid Transit Station is also in close proximity to a future 28-story mixed-use development, which is being developed by Florida-based DeNunzio Group. According to Michael Flood, the senior project manager for DeNunzio group, the new sun station is quite beneficial to their development, as it offers transit access to guests of the 120-room hotel, who need a means of transport to the St. Pete Beach. He pointed out that being able to jump on the SunRunner downstairs, would be massive for his company especially since it is within walking distance.
Although the SunRunner Rapid Transit Station has been completed, its official opening time is scheduled for August 2022. According to Miller, this development will represent the very first rapid transit after a long while in the Tampa Bay region. He also pointed out that the inclusion of the beautiful public art will make the rapid transit facilities in Tampa Bay quite special.
