DRAFT

SECTION 3STUDY AREA CONDITIONS AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICSThis section summarizes the existing conditions and demographic characteristics within PSTA’s servicearea in Pinellas County. A service area description, demographic characteristics, land use information,commuting patterns data, and roadway conditions are included. The highlights of the review aresummarized at the end of the chapter. This review provides the background information needed tounderstand PSTA’s operating environment and the characteristics of the service area population.SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTIONLocated on the West Coast of Florida approximately 10 miles west of the City of Tampa, Pinellas County isan urban county with the highest population density in the state of Florida. Pinellas County is composed of24 municipalities, the largest of which are the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Roughly 280,000people reside in the unincorporated area of Pinellas County, which represents the 36 percent of thecounty’s total population. According to the 2000 Census, the county has a total area of 608 square miles,with 280 square miles of land and 328 square miles of water. Map 3-1 illustrates the municipalities andunincorporated areas of Pinellas County.To better understand the study area conditions and demographic characteristics of Pinellas County, areview of pertinent information was conducted as part of the TDP update process. The sources for thisinformation include the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey (ACS), the Bureau ofEconomic and Business Research at the University of Florida (BEBR), FDOT, the Pinellas County MPO,and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC), and PSTA.DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATIONBelow is a summary of demographic information that includes population characteristics varying from ageto employment status and types.PopulationThe estimated population of Pinellas County was 938,461 in 2008. From 2000 to 2006, the annualpopulation growth was less than one percent. Interestingly, the county population has been graduallydecreasing since 2006 from 948,102 to 938,461 in 2008. Table 3-1 presents the estimated population foryear 2000 and 2008 by municipality. From 2000 to 2008, South Pasadena experienced the highestpopulation loss at 7.55 percent while Seminole had a population gain of 73.2 percent.Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.Pinellas Suncoast Transit AuthoritySeptember 2010 3-1 Transit Development Plan