New Howard Frankland Bridge opens next week after four years of construction

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New Howard Frankland Bridge opens next week after four years of construction

After four years of construction, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will open the new Howard Frankland Bridge on Tuesday, March 25th.

Weather permitting, traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge late Monday night into early Tuesday morning.

FDOT officials will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, March 24th, at 10 a.m. for the new $865 million span, which serves motorists traveling on Interstate 275 between Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The new bridge features eight lanes: four general-use lanes in each direction, two tolled express lanes southbound (toward St. Petersburg), and two tolled express lanes northbound (toward Tampa).

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New SunRunner station opens by St. Pete Pier, PSTA launches "After Dark" service

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New SunRunner station opens by St. Pete Pier, PSTA launches "After Dark" service

A new SunRunner station has opened in downtown St. Pete, aiming to better connect residents and visitors to the St. Pete Pier District and businesses along Beach Drive.

Friday morning, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Congresswoman Kathy Castor, State Representative Lindsay Cross, St. Petersburg City Councilmembers, and others celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the new station at 150 1st Avenue North.

The 1st Avenue North station, which was completed in six months, is located near popular downtown restaurants and bars such as Who’s on First, Tequila Daisy, and Social Roost.

It's one of over 30 stops along the 10.3-mile bus rapid transit route that debuted in October 2022, linking downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach via dedicated lanes running along 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

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Cross Bay Ferry returns with year-round service between St. Pete and Tampa

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Cross Bay Ferry returns with year-round service between St. Pete and Tampa

The Cross Bay Ferry that links St. Pete and Tampa commuters will return this week - this time with year-round service.

Starting October 4th, the Cross Bay Ferry will resume operations, shuttling passengers from the local terminus at Port St. Pete (250 8th Avenue SE) and the Tampa Convention Center via a 50-minute ride.

The 149-passenger ferry, which is typically in service from October to May, will be available year-round, according to operator HMS Ferries.

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Construction to begin on new SunRunner bus rapid transit station near Beach Drive

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Construction to begin on new SunRunner bus rapid transit station near Beach Drive

Construction will soon begin 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.

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YES for Greenlight!

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Pinellas County is Florida's densest county with over 920,000 people crammed into 280 square miles. It averages out to around 3,274 people per square mile. Why is this important? Because Pinellas County has simply run out of room. There is very little  land left to be developed, so the main source of future growth has to come from redevelopment.  

St. Petersburg, with nearly 4,000 people per square mile, anchors Pinellas County with close to a quarter of a million residents. Like Pinellas County, St. Petersburg is also built-out. There is little to no room left to build new roads or expand our highways. Therefore increasing density and mass transit are the only way to responsibly continue to grow.

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