Construction will begin soon on a new SunRunner station in downtown St. Pete that will increase ridership for the bus rapid transit line.

“Beach to Burg” is a tagline used by the SunRunner bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which is the first high frequency transit line of its kind in Tampa Bay.

The $44-million, 10.3-mile route debuted in October 2022 and links downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach via dedicated lanes running along 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

At present, the SunRunner has 30 stops, with buses arriving about every 15 minutes. The new station will be built near the Sundial Parking Garage at 150 1st Avenue North in downtown St. Pete.

"We've heard the requests from citizens, riders, staff, and elected officials to connect this service to the beautiful waterfront district of St. Petersburg. Today, we are starting the process of turning those requests into a reality," Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) CEO Brad Miller said at the groundbreaking event on Friday.

Miller, alongside other PSTA members, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, and Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson, held ceremonial shovels to celebrate the start of construction for the new station. 

The new station, directly across the street from the popular downtown restaurant Social Roost, is expected to better serve residents and visitors utilizing the waterfront amenities like the St. Pete Pier, Cross Bay Ferry, as well as employees working along Beach Drive.  

"The service makes life better for residents and businesses by giving workers early access to their jobs," said Stephen Nunez, General Manager of the nearby Hyatt Place hotel. 

Nunez said he and fellow business operators in the surrounding area have been anticipating the new service since last year when the news first surfaced about the planned station.

Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of this year, Miller said.  

The station will have the same design as existing stations throughout the city with artwork from St. Pete-based glass artist Catherine Woods. 

The development team includes Nelson Construction, which has a Palm Harbor office, Tampa-based Lochner Engineering, and HDR Inc. 

Miller said the new station is possible because the initial SunRunner stations implemented under budget by $5 million, allowing the expansion project to be funded. 

Miller said the new station could spark more development along the corridor with new land development regulations coming down the pipeline. 

The current SunRunner corridor has roughly $9 billion worth of development and serves more than 50,000 jobs and 40,000 residents within a half-mile radius, according to PSTA. 

In 2022, PSTA conducted a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) study, called SunRunner Rising, with consultants Kimley-Horn Associates. 

TOD is mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly developments clustered around public transit stations, providing residents with walkable transit connections. 

"One of the SunRunner's goals is driving economic prosperity along its route and we're seeing that happen right before our eyes. Because the SunRunner stations and route are fixed in place, the community can plan on it being there as an amenity for the long term," PSTA said in a statement to St. Pete Rising. 

Earlier this year, PSTA announced it will receive $27.8 million federal grants to grow its sustainable fleet with 16 all-electric and hybrid-electric buses as well as the charging infrastructure. 

Currently, PSTA has 12 electric and 92 hybrid electric buses. In the next five years, PSTA will be receiving in total 62 all-electric buses to replace its diesel buses.