PSTA Ends Year with Act of Kindness

An act of kindness can go a long way, and at the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) — it can cross counties.

“It definitely put a smile on my face,” said Tonya Farmer, a St. Petersburg resident.

Farmer was one of ten bus riders to receive a free 3-Day bus pass Thursday morning as part of PSTA’s new bus pass launch.

“We didn’t want to just introduce a new bus pass,” said Director of Communications Cyndi Raskin-Schmitt. “We wanted to show our riders that these new passes will make their lives a little easier. We wanted to fill their day with kindness.”

PSTA staffers visited bus stops around Pinellas County looking for riders to share random acts of kindness with. The results were humbling.

“It kind of shocked me,” said Farmer. “I thought it was just going to be a normal day, but this is really going to help me out-- a lot.”

Farmer was traveling with three young children. “It definitely adds up,” she said.

The new passes introduce a variety of options that better fit each type of rider. The new 3-Day pass will better meet the needs of a short-term tourist or part-time worker.

Also introduced were a new series of regional passes which grant riders access to every bus and trolley in the PSTA system including the express routes into Hillsborough. 

“I take the bus everywhere,” said Farmer. “So, the 3-Day pass definitely makes more sense for me to use.”

The passes are just one step of many the agency has taken towards regionalizing transportation.

“We want to bring people together,” said Raskin-Schmitt. “That’s really all transportation is about.”

The cost of a 3-Day pass is $10. The regional passes start at $6.