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PSTA Joins with Uber, Taxi to Get People on the Bus
Residents of Pinellas County, FL, can use ride-hailing apps and taxis to connect to Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus stops through the agency’s new Direct Connect program—the nation’s first P3 to connect passengers to bus stops—and all for only about $1. “The solution to most transit-related issues lies in our ability to get the right people working together at the right time,” said Brad Miller, PSTA chief executive officer. “PSTA identified a solution to a problem and got all the players together, but our transportation partners are a big key to our success.”
Direct Connect uses Uber and a local taxi service to pick up bus-stop-bound riders within eight specific zones. Riders who remain within their embarking zone and either begin or end at a bus stop receive a $5 discount off their ride, meaning the final cost for most users will be about $1. PSTA has also partnered with a paratransit service to offer similar discounted rides for passengers with disabilities.
“We are about making life easier for our riders,” said Miller. “If we can take a time-consuming, exhausting and sometimes dangerous part of their day out, then consider it gone.”
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PSTA CEO Brad Miller, fourth from left, and Cesar Fernandez, public policy manager for Uber, fourth from right, join local officials including St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, third from right, at the launch of Direct Connect service. |
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