The Pinellas County Transit Authority says it has set two new additional bus ridership records - for the month of September and the 2013-14 fiscal year.

According to the agency, the 1,207,293 boardings by riders in September represents a 5.1 percent increase over September 2013 ridership. In fiscal year 2013-14, riders boarded PSTA vehicles 14,503,349 times, an 0.25 percent increase over 2012-13's 14,467,510 boardings.

"If folks in Pinellas County haven't tried transit yet, there's never been a better time than now," said PSTA Chair Ken Welch. "And it's only going to get better, with new options and improved service through Greenlight Pinellas."

Greenlight Pinellas would provide a major expansion of bus service and a rail line from downtown Clearwater to downtown if voters approve a 1-cent sales tax Nov. 4.

Barb Haselden, spokesperson for the opposing group No Tax for Tracks, says PSTA's ridership numbers are misleading because they include free rides and that ridership on PSTA's non-core routes is nil.