The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority unveiled its newest bus line, Spark, Monday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Eckerd College. The new route connects the campus to Grand Central Station and downtown St. Petersburg along the 34th Street corridor – a stretch of road that has become central to the city’s evolving transportation map.
The launch drew local, state and federal leaders who framed Spark as a milestone for both access and affordability. Congresswoman Kathy Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and State Representative Lindsay Cross joined PSTA leaders and Eckerd College representatives under a clear sky for the unveiling.
“Today we are taking another big step in public transit,” said Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA, standing in front of one of the new electric-blue buses. “It’s an electric day.”
Spark will operate every 15 minutes, with digital signs at each stop displaying real-time arrival times — a system modeled after the SunRunner, which launched three years ago and became a catalyst for premium, higher-frequency service across Pinellas County.
Miller said Spark represents a continuation of that vision. “We are about trying to provide all our residents with transportation options,” he said. “The SunRunner has been a model for cost-efficient, high-ridership service in this region, and our focus continues to be expanding access through new projects like Spark.”
Eckerd College has partnered with PSTA so students can ride for free. Jim Annarelli, the college’s dean, said the partnership reflects both the school’s long-standing sustainability goals and its investment in community connection. “Students can now reach downtown for internships and part-time jobs,” Annarelli said. “Spark reflects our values as an institution committed to sustainability – innovation and environmental stewardship going hand in hand.”
He added that the route does more than serve students. “The people of St. Pete can now connect with the institution,” Annarelli said.
From the stage, Welch called the project a commitment to inclusion and forward progress. “When we invest in transit, we invest in our people,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd gathered at the stop outside Eckerd’s campus.
Castor echoed that theme, linking Spark to broader regional goals. “When transportation is clean, reliable and fair, everyone moves forward together,” she said. “It takes a partnership.” Cross added that she plans to continue working through the Florida House Transportation Budget Committee to improve how the state leverages transit funding.
PSTA has received more than $40 million in federal and local funding in recent years to expand service. Spark’s debut comes less than a week after the closure of the Pasadena Avenue bus lane, advanced by Florida Representative Linda Chaney, who criticized the agency for “building a kingdom” instead of a transit network, and pointed to low commuter ridership and high costs.
Miller dismissed Chaney’s interpretation of ridership data. “That information from Chaney is misleading,” he said. “We have tons of tourists that use public transportation – not just those going to work.”
For St. Petersburg City Council member Corey Givens Jr., who represents District 7 and serves on the PSTA board, Spark’s timing felt deliberate – a contrast to the state’s decision to remove a dedicated bus lane just as a new route opens. “With a lot of people they’ve placed on board, you can tell they are attacking the PSTA,” Givens said. “With state government attacking transit, taking away dedicated service lanes, we show that we are committed to investing in public transit. So many in my district rely on public transit.”
Givens said he sees firsthand how service improvements affect residents in South St. Pete. “I know the PSTA has a direct impact on the people in my district. I see it every day,” he said. “That said, PSTA was underutilized because it was less dependable {before now].” He said he hopes to see Spark eventually expand beyond Grand Central Station.