Bus and Turn Lanes Removed Without Warning on S. Pasadena Ave. by Representative Linda Chaney
POTENTIAL ACTION ITEM IN PROGRESS: Bus and Turn Lanes Removed Without Warning on S. Pasadena Avenue by Representative Linda Chaney (Oct 21, 2025)
The Facts Cited to Justify Removal: “Earlier this week, Linda Chaney announced that the portion of the SunRunner lanes on Pasadena Avenue are being removed, citing a study from FDOT that found the annual number of crashes had increased 50%, from 36 to 54, on Pasadena Avenue after the bus lanes were added.”…
The Facts Desputed: “PSTA spokesperson Stephanie Weaver pointed to numbers collected from a national database showing that there were fewer overall crashes, as well as fewer fatal and severe injury crashes, on Pasadena Avenue in 2023 and 2024 compared to 2017 and 2018, before the bus lanes were added.“ ….
The Potential Financial Impact to Constituents: “The SunRunner launched in 2022 under the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which billed it as an efficient way to bypass traffic through St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach. The buses come every 15 minutes. Traffic lights are timed to stay green for the teal-and-yellow buses if they’re running behind schedule.
But losing the dedicated lane on Pasadena Avenue could force Pinellas to return $22 million to the federal government.”
- Tampa Bay Times