PSTA Community Bus Plan

PSTA Community Bus Plan Survey

This survey is part of the PSTA Community Bus Plan to help us set priorities for our community's bus system over the next 10 years.

Your input will help inform short- and long-term improvements to transit and draft recommendations will be shared in early 2024. This survey should take less than 10 minutes.

Para llenar la encuesta en español, utilice el menú en la esquina derecha y escoja la opción en español.

Transit can focus on many different goals and priorities. Of the following seven goal statements, please identify your top priority for transit.

Allowing people to move around the region without increasing auto congestionProviding access to jobs and services for people without a car or those with low incomesImproving air quality and reducing the environmental impacts of travelProviding basic public transportation service for as many people as possibleReducing transportation costs for as many people as possibleProviding transportation for people with limited physical mobilityImproving access to jobs and services for large numbers of people

WALKING OR WAITING

This example below shows two different ways to provide transit service in the same neighborhood at the same cost.

On the left, there are two bus routes where the service runs every 30 minutes. This means that walks to the bus stop are shorter, but riders have to wait longer for the bus to arrive.

On the right, the bus service is running every 15 minutes on one major road. Once a rider arrives at the bus stop, the wait for the bus is shorter but some people may have to walk farther to reach the bus stop.
Thinking about this walking versus waiting trade-off, would you rather: (1) Walk a short distance, but wait longer for your bus? Or (2) Walk further, but have a short wait for your bus?

I strongly prefer shorter waits, even if it means a longer walk.I prefer shorter waits, even if it means a longer walk.I prefer shorter walks, even if it means a longer wait.I strongly prefer shorter walks, even if it means a longer wait.

RIDERSHIP OR COVERAGE

Within a fixed budget, a transit agency must make a choice in how to distribute its service. The example below shows how this works for a fictional town with 18 buses where all the dots represent people and jobs in the town.

On the left, the High Ridership Scenario, bus service is concentrated into a few frequent routes, only in the busiest areas. Waits are short and trips are faster in places with the most residents and businesses. However, less-populated areas may have no service at all.

On the right, the High Coverage Scenario, most streets have some minimal bus service, even in places with very few people. Everyone is a short walk from a bus stop, but waits are long and trips are slow.
Please think about which above Scenario comes closer to how you would prioritize PSTA bus service.

I strongly prefer the High Ridership Scenario.I like the High Ridership Scenario, but I would want to balance with a little more coverage.I like the High Coverage Scenario, but I would want to balance with a little more frequency.I strongly prefer the High Coverage Scenario.

DISTANCE BETWEEN BUS STOPS

A trade-off exists between stop spacing and bus travel times. With wider stop spacing, bus travel times are faster but walking distances are longer. Today, PSTA bus stops on local routes are on average 900 feet apart. Typical best practice in bus service is to have stops about 1,500 feet apart, which is about a five-minute walk.
Thinking about this trade-off, how far apart should bus stops on local routes be in the future?

Closer than 900 feet (3.5 minutes) apart, on average.Between 900 feet (3.5 minutes) and 1,500 (7 minutes) feet apart, on average.Between 1,500 (7 minutes) and 2,000 feet (9 minutes) apart, on average.Between 2,000 (9 minutes) and 2,500 feet (11 minutes) apart, on average.

If PSTA had additional money for bus service, what would you spend it on first?

More service on weekends.Adding more shelters, benches, and other amenities to bus stops.More service on weekday evenings.Covering places that currently don't have service.Higher frequency service (shorter waits between buses) on weekdays.More service during rush hours.Higher frequency (shorter waits between buses) on weekends.
Do you have any other thoughts to share about bus service or transit needs in Pinellas County? Please respond below.

Thank you for contributing input to the first phase of the PSTA Community Bus Plan. For more detailed information about transit service in Pinellas County and more detail about these transit trade-offs, see our Choices Report at the project website.
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