Transit ridership on the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) reached an all‐time high of 1,126,563 rides for the first month of 2012. A jump of 8% over January, 2011.

“We’ve seen strong ridership across the board,” said Brad Miller, CEO, PSTA. “This is the second month in a row where we’ve set record ridership with an average increase of 8.5%...it’s very encouraging and proof that people in Pinellas County are willing to ride.”

Transit officials suspect that higher fuel prices may play a role in the ridership increase, but other factors, such as the economy and increased tourism, can also affect ridership.

In the near future, PSTA is hoping to expand bus service, increasing access to public transit service throughout Pinellas County. Those improvements are part of a new, comprehensive plan featuring light rail service between St. Petersburg, Gateway and Clearwater. Improved bus services and park and ride facilities will make it easy for citizens in outlying communities to take advantage of this newly designated light rail corridor.

The plan is the result of the recently completed alternatives analysis study done by PSTA, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Florida Department of Transportation and the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority. To learn more about the plan, visit www.PinellasOnTrack.com.