FL: Bus Ridership Sets Record in Pinellas County

Bus ridership in Pinellas County set a new record for the month of August.

PSTA gave more than 1.2 million rides in August, which is a 1 percent increase over the previous record set in 2012 and a 4 percent gain over July 2013.

"What's most impressive about this record is that we did it with one fewer weekday than in August 2012," said PSTA spokesperson Bob Lasher.

Agency leaders say that PSTA now averages more than 44,000 trips every weekday, but fewer than half that on Saturdays and Sundays, so breaking a monthly record with one fewer weekday takes a strong increase in overall ridership.

North County connector services lead the way

One of the primary contributing factors to the new record is the extraordinary increase in ridership on PSTA's new North County Connector services. PSTA officials report that the three routes, which began in December 2012, are already carrying full loads. In fact, last month, overall ridership on the Connector routes jumped a whopping 21 percent over July 2013.

"One of our customers is so pleased with the service that she took the time to write and mail a 'Thank You' card to show her appreciation," said PSTA Connector Service Coordinator Raj Singh.

Singh says the Connector routes have experienced impressive growth in ridership since their introduction.