FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Joe Kubicki, Director, Transportation and Parking, (727) 892-5274



FUTURISTIC BUS RAPID TRANSIT VEHICLE
SHOWCASED IN ST. PETERSBURG

St. Petersburg, Fla. (October 19, 2007) - An exciting new era of transit service may be coming to St. Petersburg and Pinellas County! North American Bus Industries, or NABI, brought its sleek new, 60-foot Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle to downtown St. Petersburg today for review by government and transit officials. Guests were treated to a ride to and from Central Plaza, with the vehicle on display afterward at BayWalk.

The Bus Rapid Transit vehicle, or BRT, features an aerodynamic design and multiple doors on both sides of the vehicle that allow for easy boarding and exiting, much like a rail transit vehicle. The vehicle’s extended length and accordion-style joint connects the driver’s unit to the trailer unit. Besides giving it a rail-like appearance, the extended length provides added passenger capacity and the opportunity to board on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. With a hybrid-electric propulsion system, NABI’s vehicle supports St. Petersburg’s “Green City” designation by helping to protect the environment while also providing a quiet ride. “As a Green City, St. Petersburg is excited to be able to host this demonstration of an efficient, eco-friendly BRT form of transportation,” said Mayor Rick Baker. “BRT is one way we can insure our transportation needs can be met in the years to come.”

St. Petersburg and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) are planning BRT service that will connect downtown and western St. Petersburg along First Avenues North and South, with service to Tyrone Square Mall and a possible extension to the Gulf beaches. The St. Petersburg route is being planned as Pinellas County’s first BRT service. Although still in the planning stages, the Central Avenue corridor project is being designed to have ten minute headways, longer operating hours and features that will increase the speed of the service, such as off-board fare collection. Stations are being planned to fit into the character of the areas they serve, and may have themes developed by local sponsors.

During the city’s initial feasibility study for the project, participants in a downtown survey indicated their preference for a modernistic, articulated BRT vehicle such as the NABI vehicle over a standard bus or an electric streetcar. This vehicle, as well as others, is being considered for this premium service. PSTA is currently completing the second phase of the project, and is seeking federal funding to initiate service which could start as early as 2010
.

- end -

No. 07-47