Transit connections are also available for those not catching a plane, but traveling elsewhere in Hillsborough County.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) on Thursday will hold a grand opening for its new 727 Airport Express route, which connects transit riders from downtown St. Pete to Tampa International Airport along the new express lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The service, which began this week, provides service seven days a week from about 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. The route contains limited stops in the downtown area, including near the St. Pete Pier; on Central Avenue and 1st Street; on 1st Avenue North near 1st Street; on 3rd Street North between 1st and 2nd avenues; on 2nd Avenue North near 1st and 2nd streets; on 3rd Avenue North and 3rd Street; on 4th Avenue North near 5th Street; and on 5th Avenue North between 4th and 5th streets.

PSTA is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at 10 a.m. at Tampa International Airport, located at 5411 Skycenter Drive, near the airport’s rental car and cellphone waiting lot areas. On hand to celebrate the new route will be PSTA CEO Brad Miller, airport CEO Michael Stephens, Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen, PSTA board member Tom Reid and St. Pete Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Steinocher.

The route is a major addition to transit offerings between St. Pete and Tampa. It replaces Route 100, which connected the St. Pete Pier to the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa. That route ran only on weekdays and made multiple stops, so it wasn’t considered an express route to the airport. Riders farther north can still use Route 300X, which runs on weekdays from the Park & Ride lot on Ulmerton Road to the Marion Transit Center, with a connection to the airport.

The new 727 Airport Express won’t just benefit those traveling to or from the airport; it will also serve individuals hoping to use public transportation to travel between St. Pete and Tampa, with connections at the airport to a number of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) routes throughout Tampa and Hillsborough County.

The new route takes about 35 minutes to travel between downtown St. Pete and the airport, with buses leaving from St. Pete about every hour and 15 minutes. The first bus leaves St. Pete at 4:20 a.m. and arrives at Tampa International Airport at 4:55 a.m. In all, buses leave from downtown St. Pete 15 times per day, and from the airport back to St. Pete the same number of times. The final bus from St. Pete leaves at 9:50 p.m., while the final bus from the airport back to St. Pete leaves at 10:30 p.m.

The buses used on the new route are hybrid and include spacious luggage racks. The service also connects with PSTA’s SunRunner service, which runs between downtown St. Pete and St. Pete Beach along 1st Avenues North and South, offering a connection to travelers who live outside the downtown corridor. Riders can also connect from routes throughout Pinellas County to catch the new 727 Airport Express.

PSTA’s regular fare amounts apply to the 727 Airport Express route, at $2.25 per ride, with a maximum of $5 per day and $85 per month. There’s a slight fare increase for customers using a credit or debit card to pay for their fares. Reduced fares are also available on all PSTA routes, including free fares for veterans and half-price fares for seniors and those who are transportation disadvantaged.

Free or reduced fares are also available for employees, students or residents of businesses, schools and neighborhoods participating in PSTA’s UPASS program. The program has 24 participants, including the University of South Florida, Pinellas County Schools, St. Petersburg College, Stetson University College of Law, the city of St. Petersburg, Orlando Health, HCA Florida, Evara Health, the EDGE Business District, the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association and several hotels and resorts throughout the county, among others.

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