Connecting Southern Pinellas County to Downtown St. Pete and the Beach!
SPARK is here. New, high-frequency bus service along 34th Street South (US 19), links Grand Central Station and connects to routes serving northern Pinellas County and the SunRunner for access to Downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach.
Service Highlights
Frequent Service, Day and Night: Operates 5am to midnight, every 15 minutes from 6am–8pm and 30-minute frequency from 5am–6am and 8pm–midnight
Upgraded Stations: Includes 18 upgraded stations with real-time bus information, shelters, and lighted totems
Auto-Stops: Buses stop at all stations automatically, ensuring a predictable, easy, and efficient experience
All-Electric: Powered by a dedicated sub-fleet of all-electric buses
All Fare Types Accepted: Features both cash and cashless fare options for convenient front- or rear-door boarding (cash accepted at front door ONLY)
Benefits for Students & Faculty
Safer and more affordable transit options for students and faculty
Comfortable, smooth rides on our clean quiet all-electric fleet
Enhanced access to the SunRunner and free Central Avenue Trolley, which provides rapid transit between St. Pete Beach and downtown St. Petersburg
Abundant route connections at Grand Central Station, including routes 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18, 34, 52/52LX, and 79
Stop Changes
With the launch of Spark, certain stops will be removed to make way for faster service. These stop removals include:
STOP # 7785 | 34th St S & 42nd Ave S
STOP # 7786 | 34th St S + 42nd Ave S
STOP # 7789 | 34th St S + 38th Ave S
STOP # 7790 | 34th St S + 38th Ave S
STOP # 7793 | 34th St S + 32nd Ave S
STOP # 7794 | 34th St S + 30th Ave S
STOP # 7797 | 34th St S + 26th Ave S
STOP # 7798 | 34th St S + 26th Ave S
STOP # 7809 | 34th St S + Oakley Ave S
STOP # 7810 | 34th St S + 16th Ave S
STOP # 7816 | 34th St S + 8th Ave S
STOP # 7817 | 34th St S + Fairfield Ave S
Spark FAQ
Spark is a premium express transit experience that connects folks from Eckerd College and Marina District to Grand Central Station along the 34th Street South corridor.
The service will improve connections to the SunRunner for students, teachers, and faculty members at Eckerd College, which can take folks into the heart of Downtown St. Pete or to the sunny beaches of St. Pete Beach.
With this service stopping in Grand Central Station, riders can connect from the southernmost part of Pinellas to anywhere else in the county by transferring to other routes that layover in Grand Central Station.
Spark is needed to enhance Route 34 and speed up connections along 34th Street from Pinellas’ southernmost point, linking riders and business owners to the Skyway Marina District, downtown St. Petersburg, and key high-ridership routes at Grand Central Station, including the SunRunner.
The service will also provide more transit options to schools and colleges along the corridor, including Eckerd College, Pinellas Technical College, Gibbs High School, and St. Petersburg College.
Spark offers buses arriving every 15 minutes at each of its 18 stops along 34th Street.
The route will feature shelters at each stop, uniquely branded totems and screens displaying real-time arrival information, and be operated with PSTA’s clean and efficient all-electric buses with dual-door boarding.
Spark makes it possible to move more people more efficiently along busy 34th Street—an important factor for a quickly growing area of Pinellas County.
Each Spark bus can take as many as 50 cars off the road.
All-electric vehicles with limited stops and scheduling help increase energy efficiency.
The Spark and SunRunner operate in a similar fashion, however, the Spark will not have bus-and-turn lanes (BAT lanes) and will not have specially branded buses.
Both services operate every 15 minutes and serve each stop along their routes.
Whereas SunRunner cannot accept cash, Spark accepts both card and cash. Cash fares will only be accepted at the front door entrance on board Spark buses.
Unlike the SunRunner, the Spark will not have level boarding.
