Community VoicesThe BusLink pilot will now offer $5 toward trips designed to connect riders to the bus service.
Palm Tran is making changes to its BusLink pilot program that pays for Uber rides for some bus passengers.
Catch up quick: In 2024, Palm Tran consolidated low-ridership bus routes in Boca Raton, Royal Palm Beach and in a six-city area that includes Riviera Beach.
- The money saved was used to help pay for Uber or Yellow Cab rides within three geographic zones that were served by the routes.
- The rides are intended to connect users to Palm Tran bus stops where they would continue their journey.
A little more than one year into the BusLink program, leaders found that it has been almost too successful.
Many riders used the free on-demand rides for round-trips to their destination instead of using PalmTran, data showed.
Why it matters: The results illustrate a challenge of efficiently managing the first and last mile for users of public transportation.
What they’re saying: “Our direction from the Board of County Commissioners was to continue the service but make it more efficient,” Ira Brewster, director of transit planning for Palm Tran, told Riviera Beach City Council members Wednesday. “The biggest challenge was (getting passengers to) utilize the program as it was intended.”
Case in point: More riders used the free BusLink ride vouchers along Route 21 — the consolidated route that served Riviera Beach — than ever took the bus, Brewster said.
By the numbers: The cost of BusLink’s first year was $1.3 million. Riviera Beach riders took nearly half of all rides in the East Central zone.
- Nearly 200,000 trips were taken by about 5,000 riders. The median fare was $7.56 for a six-minute ride that traveled about 2 miles.
“What if we can get those people, the over 6,000 people who took BusLink, what if we can get them on the bus?” Brewster said. “That is the true intention of the program.”
The changes starting Feb. 1 are:
- $8 vouchers will be reduced to $5 per ride, which will mean shorter free rides.
- The number of rides per passenger each day will drop from four to two.
- A BusLink zone that stretches from 45th Street in West Palm Beach to just north of PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens will be divided into three zones. In Riviera Beach, rides will be limited to an area between Blue Heron and Northlake boulevards.
The smaller zones are designed to push riders toward Palm Tran routes.
The big picture: Palm Tran operates 31 routes and serves about 29,000 riders a day. Its $300 million budget comes from property taxes, about $79 million, plus federal grants, reserves and bus fares.
What’s next: Palm Tran will track data for the next six months to see how people use BusLink and report the results.
Who wrote this story: This story was reported by Community Voices writer Micaja Etienne.
What is CV: Community Voices is a partnership between Stet News and Inlet Grove High School. Stet News is underwriting the pilot to train and pay students to cover Riviera Beach.
Stet’s Carolyn DiPaolo contributed to this story.
