Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) unveiled its new informational video series called "Bus Buzz!" The first episode, which can be found on the agency’s YouTube channel: Ride PSTA, features PSTA’s 2011 Driver of the Year Vance Wegner sharing tips with riders that will help them avoid being passed by the bus.

“Recent surveys show that most of our riders now have smart phones,” says Director of Marketing Janet Recca. “So we figured why not put together some web videos that they could easily access to get the information they need.”

To promote the idea within the agency, leaders asked employees to suggest names for the new videos and the winning entry was Bus Buzz.

Last year PSTA provided a record-setting 13.1 million rides. This year, with exploding tourism and soaring gas prices, that number is sure to climb, and along with it, the number of customers calling PSTA’s InfoLine  with questions about riding the bus.

“When gas approached $4 a gallon, some days it sounded like our Customer Service Representatives were talking to every rider at once,” says Bob Lasher, PSTA manager of community relations.

That’s why agency leaders hope that the power of the Internet and Bus Buzz will help answer questions commonly asked by the public. Although PSTA officials already have a list of topics for future episodes, they’re inviting the public to submit ideas as well.