Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Saint Petersburg, FL · NTD ID 40027 · 2024 report year
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority carries 10.4 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, bus rapid transit, vanpool and demand response — making it the 65th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Saint Petersburg, FL.
It spends $109 million a year running that service, or $10.55 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.74 per rider — 30% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 24% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 2% on 2023. Fares cover 8% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#59 of 1,162 nationally | 9,015,982 | $87.8 million | $9.74 | -30% | 6% | 174 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#13 of 20 nationally | 761,145 | $5.1 million | $6.66 | +5% | 7% | 7 |
| Vanpool#21 of 113 nationally | 347,339 | $3.6 million | $10.39 | +47% | 50% | 237 |
| Demand Response#99 of 1,920 nationally | 244,216 | $12.9 million | $52.68 | +38% | 7% | 86 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10,368,682 | $109 million | $10.55 |
| 2023 | 10,210,124 | $117 million | $11.48 |
| 2022 | 8,648,138 | $104 million | $12.06 |
| 2021 | 10,115,445 | $93.8 million | $9.27 |
| 2020 | 10,910,819 | $94.0 million | $8.61 |
| 2019 | 13,615,634 | $93.3 million | $6.85 |
| 2018 | 11,914,283 | $94.0 million | $7.89 |
| 2017 | 11,943,129 | $84.5 million | $7.08 |
| 2016 | 12,938,859 | $77.5 million | $5.99 |
| 2015 | 14,899,026 | $83.6 million | $5.61 |
Where Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority ranks
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #33 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #13 of 20
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Ask NTD about Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.