St. Petersburg, FL Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Construction Project
The Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Construction Project highlights how the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), in partnership with the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, upgraded a 10.3‑mile transit corridor to support the new SunRunner BRT service. Because the new route connects downtown St. Petersburg with St. Pete Beach, the project improves mobility and provides more frequent transportation options along the Central Avenue corridor.
Project Background
Before the project, Central Avenue lacked a dedicated rapid transit link connecting the downtown core to the Gulf Beaches, slowing buses with car congestion and limited signal priority systems. Therefore, PSTA designed the SunRunner BRT to offer fast, reliable service with traffic signal improvements and priority technology built into the corridor’s signal system.
BRT Construction and ITS Integration
To support the corridor’s transit improvements, Econolite provided integrated traffic management solutions including:
- An upgraded Centracs® Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) with the Priority module
- Integration with PSTA’s CleverCAD system used for SunRunner buses
- 51 intersections with the Centracs Mobility Signal Performance Measures (SPM) analytics
- 21 new traffic signal cabinets
- 50 Econolite Cobalt traffic signal controllers with EOS firmware
Furthermore, Econolite performed system testing and acceptance, including operational and burn‑in tests, to ensure conformance with project requirements and reliability of the upgraded signal priority systems.
Key Features of the Central Avenue BRT Improvements
- Enhanced traffic signal priority with Centracs® ATMS
- Integration with transit systems for coordinated signal timing
- Advanced performance measurement across 51 intersections
- Modern signal controllers and upgraded cabinets
- Support for future emergency vehicle priority integration
Operational Benefits
As a result of this project, the Central Avenue corridor now offers:
- Improved travel times and transit reliability
- Efficient coordination between buses and traffic signals
- Better data visibility for signal performance
- Scalable systems for future smart mobility strategies
- Foundation for connected transit and priority applications
Overall, the BRT construction project strengthened transit access and enabled enhanced signal management to support rapid bus service. Additionally, it paved the way for future connected vehicle and mobility innovations in the region.
