DRAFT

HISTORY OF PSTASPECIAL LEGISLATIVE ACT/ ENABLING LEGISLATIONPrior to 1970: St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System (SPMTS) operates transit service in St.Petersburg Area.1970: State legislature creates Central Pinellas Transit Authority (CPTA).1971: Referendum passes creating CPTA as an independent transit authority with taxingcapabilities.1973: CPTA initiates service with 23 buses, nine routes serving eight cities.1980: Study initiated regarding the possible merger of CPTA and SPMTS. Both systems havealready developed intersystem transfers at common destination points, common fares, andinformation telephone numbers.1982: Florida Legislature approved merger to form the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority(PSTA) with operations funded by a tax levy in service areas. The merger requiresratification by popular vote; referendum passes in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and SouthPasadena, but fails in North County.1983: The merger proposal is put back on the ballot in the North County area and passes.1984: The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority becomes the county public transit provider,serving 19 of 24 municipal jurisdictions and most unincorporated areas. Residents in fivecities and two unincorporated areas do not belong to the authority and are exempt from thePSTA tax levy. These communities are Belleair Beach, Belleair Shores, Kenneth City,Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, Terra Verde (unincorporated) and South Pasadena(unincorporated).1994: Sullivan Bill: Provides for non-member and non-participating communities to haverepresentation on the PSTA Board. Board membership totals eleven, with nine electedand two non-elected members, representing 24 municipalities and unincorporated areas.1999: Legislation was passed clarifying that PSTA is an “Independent Special District”, not a“Dependent Special District”.Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.Pinellas Suncoast Transit AuthoritySeptember 2010 G-2 Transit Development Plan