It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has kept up with its field’s technological trends.
The PSTA boasts of a more robust hybrid bus fleet than any other public transit system in the state; all of its buses offer free Wi-Fi; and GPS trackers in each bus make it possible for riders to track their bus’ current and exact location.
However, PSTA’s board of directors think they can do even better. To get there, they’ve decided to designate a portion of their annual planning retreat to technology updates in the field of public transit.
The suggestion was birthed out of the PSTA board’s four-plus-hour long meeting last week, when board member and Pinellas County Commissioner Dave Eggers called for a task force whose members would help the PSTA board keep up with current trends in technology better.
Many on the 15-member PSTA board wanted better information on diesel, electric, and hybrid diesel-electric buses than they were provided that day, as the board was slated to make a decision on which type of bus to buy.
The board ultimately decided on purchasing seven new hybrid diesel-electric buses to replace its fleet’s seven oldest pure diesel buses, but it was clear that not all board members were happy about it, as the measure only passed by a vote of 8-7.
Many, if not all, agreed with there being a need for a better, more in-depth technological understanding of everything going on in the public transit field — both those who voted for and against the hybrid bus purchase.
So, at the Nov. 2 PSTA executive meeting, members Janet Long and Ken Welch, along with PSTA staff and fellow executive committee members, worked out a plan to add a yearly technology update to the PSTA board’s annual planning retreat.
During that yearly update, board members can expect in-depth run-downs of all the latest public bus options, as well as estimates on prices and feasibility.
The next PSTA meeting will be for its planning committee. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 18, at PSTA Headquarters: 3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg.
