DRAFT

SECTION 1INTRODUCTIONThe Ten-Year Transit Development Plan (TDP) is the strategic guide for public transportation in PinellasCounty over the next ten years. The TDP includes a review of transit planning and policy documents, adocumentation of study area conditions and demographic characteristics, an evaluation of existing PSTAservices, a summary of market research and public involvement efforts, the development of a situationappraisal and needs assessment, and the preparation of a ten-year transit development plan and a twentyfiveyear vision plan.This TDP update effort varies from previous TDP efforts performed by PSTA in that it reflects PSTA’scommitment to becoming the mobility manager for the county. Mobility management is a strategicapproach to service coordination and customer service which involves creating partnerships withtransportation providers in a community. As described by the American Public Transportation Association(APTA), “the expectation is that transit agencies should move beyond the traditional role as operators offixed-route service and assume a broader role in coordinating the full range of mobility services in theircommunity.” The vision plan developed for this TDP reflects the need to implement such a role for PSTAand such a role would enhance PSTA’s ability to oversee delivery of multiple modes of transportationservices, including rail, trolley, fixed-bus route, and many others, throughout the county.STATE OF FLORIDA PUBLIC TRANSIT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAMThe State of Florida Public Transit Block Grant Program was enacted by the Florida Legislature to providea stable source of funding for public transit. The Block Grant Program requires public transit serviceproviders to develop and adopt a Ten-Year TDP. The TDP must be submitted to the Florida Department ofTransportation (FDOT) District Office on or before September 1 st of each year. Major updates are dueevery five years with more substantial reporting requirements. In the interim years, the TDP takes the formTindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority1-1 September 2010 1-2 Transit Development Plan