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Freebee reports 21,000 rides in first year in Bradenton CRA; plans pilot linking Palmetto service zones
Summary
Freebee presented a one-year report to the Bradenton CRA showing over 21,000 passengers, 94% of requests through its app, average wait time of 20 minutes, and 97.4% user satisfaction. Freebee plans a near-term pilot to combine Bradenton and Palmetto service zones and recommended potential service expansions and operational changes.
Freebee, the micro-transit operator in the City of Bradenton’s redevelopment districts, told the CRA board it carried more than 21,000 passengers in about one year of service and is preparing a pilot to connect service zones with neighboring Palmetto.
John, identified in the meeting as Freebee’s vice president of economic development, said the service operates five days a week across Bradenton’s three CRA districts—Old Manatee, Village of the Arts and Downtown Bradenton—using a limited fleet. He said ridership has grown more than 500 percent from the first month of full service to the most recent month and that the program’s goals include economic development, first- and last-mile connections to mass transit, and reduced vehicle emissions.
Freebee presented the following service data: roughly 21,000 passengers in the year-long report; about 94 percent of ride requests placed through the Freebee app and the remainder mainly from flag-downs and phone calls; 82 percent of riders originate from local ZIP codes; 56 percent of riders are female and 44 percent male; average waiting time about 20 minutes; and a user satisfaction rate of 97.4 percent. Freebee said ride demand is consistent across the three CRA districts.
Operational details disclosed in the presentation: regular service hours begin at 10 a.m. (no service on some weekdays), service runs later on weekends and Thursday evenings, and the operator typically deploys three Tesla vehicles in rotation with one ADA-capable minivan kept as a backup to provide wheelchair-accessible rides on short notice (Freebee said customers are asked to provide roughly 30 minutes’ notice for an accessible vehicle). Freebee said the backup vehicle is a hybrid rather than fully electric.
Freebee plans to launch service in Palmetto within about two months and run a combined pilot where Bradenton’s and Palmetto’s zones will be linked to encourage cross-river trips for shopping, work and hospital access. Freebee staff asked the board to consider adding vehicles and expanding days and hours as demand grows.
Board members asked several operational questions and offered feedback. Board member Josh asked about vehicle counts for Palmetto; Freebee said the Palmetto operation will use three vehicles and that the combined pilot would operate as a three-and-three rotation. Councilwoman Moore described using the service from just outside the CRA boundary—walking to the edge of the service area—and asked Freebee to consider features that allow customers to queue a ride a short time before they arrive at a pickup point. Moore also suggested staff explore park-and-ride options (for example, using space at the old Fire Station No. 2) so residents outside the CRA could park and reach downtown without driving further into congested areas.
Freebee highlighted local partnerships, a complimentary business directory profile for storefronts in the three CRA districts, and an environmental estimate that the service has prevented about 26 metric tons of CO2 emissions compared with equivalent internal-combustion personal-vehicle travel. Freebee recommended marketing and fleet growth to meet demand.
