Happy belated half-birthday, SunRunner. On Friday, the Pinellas County Transit Authority (PSTA) announced a new station located close to the St. Pete Pier.
The new Sundial parking garage stop (150 1st Ave. N.) is nearly four blocks east of the current closest station at the corner of 482 1st Avenue N. and 5th Street N. + will shorten the walk to the Pier from 12 minutes to five, according to the release.
PSTA will pay for the expansion with excess federal dollars — the project came in $5 million under budget. Last month, the bus service clocked more than 115,000 riders.
Officials say the new station will be open for service in 2024.
Pro tip: If you’re trying to avoid paying for parking or just looking to reduce your carbon footprint, the SunRunner is free through October 31. Hate waiting around at the bus stop? PSTA recently increased the frequency of buses going out.