The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority backed away Wednesday from eliminating a bus route used largely by St. Pete Beach hotel workers, giving the service through the end of the year while staff works with beach employers and takes another look at ridership.
The PSTA board voted 13-0 to continue Route 90 while eliminating the Safety Harbor Snapper, an on-demand service that has struggled to attract riders. Staff had recommended cutting both.
Route 90 connects south St. Petersburg with St. Pete Beach and serves workers at hotels including the Don CeSar and TradeWinds. PSTA reports about 730 riders in an average month. For comparison, Route 16 averages 3,193 monthly riders and Route 58 averages 2,918…