The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is proposing to eliminate six bus routes and services next year, including the Snapper on-demand shuttle connecting Safety Harbor and Clearwater, as the agency tries to close a budget gap amid low ridership.

PSTA will hold two public hearings before any final vote: Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 9 a.m., both at PSTA headquarters, 3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg.

The proposed cuts target Route 58 (Seminole City Center to PSTA Complex), Route 16 (16th St. N), Route 90 (Pinellas Point/St. Pete Beach), the Snapper Safety Harbor-Clearwater on-demand service, the Grouper Airport Shuttle and TD Tampa Bay Service, according to Tampa Bay 28. The agency cites both budget constraints and low ridership as reasons.

Alongside the route cuts, PSTA is proposing an 11-cent fare increase on all onboard credit and debit card payments, a fuel-price fare escalator on ferry services and a higher TD Bus Pass copay, according to the agency's public hearing page.

Bryan Eubanks, a daily Route 58 commuter, told Tampa Bay 28 on Aug. 13 what losing the route would mean: "I wouldn't have a job, I wouldn't be able to get back and forth to work without the 18 and the 58."

Route 58 runs weekdays only between Seminole City Center and the PSTA Complex, serving Gateway Mall, Roosevelt Boulevard, Bryan Dairy Road, St. Petersburg College and Osceola High School along the way. The Snapper service, which provides flexible on-demand rides between Safety Harbor and Clearwater, is the proposed cut most directly relevant to riders in the Palm Harbor and Dunedin area who connect through those hubs.

Connect Pinellas, a local transit advocacy group, is urging riders to attend the hearings and contact county and state leaders to push for more PSTA investment. Spokesperson Kristen Ehrlich told Tampa Bay 28 that for some riders, losing a bus route could mean losing a job or their only way to get groceries or reach school.

Dunedin's primary PSTA service, Route 78, is not on the chopping block. That route runs between Park Street Terminal and Dunedin City Hall, also serving Mease Dunedin Hospital. The Jolley Trolley coastal service, which the Dunedin City Commission renewed its funding agreement for at its Aug. 6 meeting, is also unaffected.

Residents who cannot attend in person can email comments to [email protected] or mail written comments to 3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716, at least two days before each hearing. Board member contact information is available at PSTA.net.