St. Pete Catalyst Published By: Veronica Brezina
The struggling South St. Pete community, where the majority of residents living in poverty heavily rely on limited public transit options, will have more connections to other parts of the city and potential employers – if all goes according to plan.
During the St. Petersburg City Council’s Thursday meeting, the council unanimously approved committing funds for a participation agreement between the City of St. Petersburg and PSTA (Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority) to initiate a South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area Mobility Study. The study will evaluate options to enhance the multimodal transportation system.
“If an area has a frequent transit service only on a few roads and lacks efficient safe walking and biking routes, it’s a tough place to live with no access to a personally owned car,” said Evan Mory, the city’s director of transportation and parking management.
In 2021, the city and PSTA applied to the Federal Transit Administration’s AOPP (Areas of Persistent Poverty Program), which was created to improve public transportation in areas experiencing long-term economic hardships. The two groups received a $360,000 grant the following year to fund the $400,000 study. However, the federal grant requires a 10% local match at a value of $40,000. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is providing $20,000 – leaving the city and PSTA splitting the remainder, each contributing $10,000. Read more
