Sarasota officials highlight growth and data-driven expansion of Breeze on‑demand service

Breeze Transit officials updated the joint City of Sarasota and Sarasota County boards on the agency’s on‑demand service, reporting that the program has exceeded 1,000,000 rides since its 2021 launch and served 34,000 unique riders.

The presentation by Jane Grodd emphasized that Breeze’s on‑demand service was designed to replace low‑productivity fixed routes and to use savings from discontinued routes to pay for contracted on‑demand trips. "We've exceeded 1,000,000 rides on this service alone, 386,000 last year," Grodd said, and noted the current standard fare is $2 with a $1.50 discounted fare for transportation‑disadvantaged (TD) riders.

Why it matters: commissioners pressed staff for cost and performance detail because the county and city are weighing how fixed routes, Breeze Plus (paratransit), on‑demand and the Bay Runner trolley fit together. Officials said ridership concentrated in the city of Sarasota — roughly half of boardings occur inside city limits — makes integrated planning important for transit frequency, coverage and funding eligibility.

Key facts and figures from the presentation: - On‑demand average gross cost per trip: about $14 overall, ranging from roughly $11 in some zones to $20 in the Lido/Longboat zone. - Pickup target: 30 minutes; actual average pickup across zones about 18.5 minutes. - 34,000 unique on‑demand riders; 63% of trips are shared rides; app usage about 92%. - TD riders may book in advance and receive a $1.50 fare; on‑demand is being promoted as an alternative to the higher‑cost Breeze Plus paratransit service.

Commissioners asked how the system balances coverage and frequency. Grodd said fixed routes remain the most cost‑effective choice in dense corridors while on‑demand enables affordable coverage in large, lower‑density areas such as Northport. "We are now experiencing $11 per trip per passenger [in Northport]," Grodd said, characterizing that as lower cost and higher reach than the eliminated fixed routes.

Staff described several coordination efforts: an interlocal draft to transfer Bay Runner operations from the City of Sarasota to the county for economies of scale; a new funding split negotiated with Manatee County that will affect federal formula allocations; and continuing work with city planning staff on streetscape designs to support multimodal connections. Grodd also said the agency is exploring how to commingle ADA/Breeze Plus trips with on‑demand services to increase vehicle utilization and reduce cost per trip.

Board members asked about marketing and equity. Grodd said early rollout was modest because of COVID and initial capacity concerns, but the agency is increasing outreach and benchmarking marketing annually. Commissioners asked staff to report back with more granular cost and ridership numbers and to ensure access for riders who do not use smartphone apps.

Staff next steps include finalizing the interlocal terms for the Bay Runner transfer, continuing coordination with Manatee County and FDOT on regional routes, and refining plans to extend on‑demand efficiencies into ADA service delivery.

Ending: Commissioners praised the data‑driven orientation and asked for follow‑up information on per‑trip costs by zone, marketing plans for TD populations and details of the Bay Runner interlocal agreement that will come to each board for approval.