GoPasco presents operations reset: schedule changes, microtransit pilot and real-time tracking planned

At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board heard a final Comprehensive Operations Analysis from GoPasco staff and consultant Ryan Suarez outlining near-term service realignments intended to improve on-time performance and productivity.

The presentation and discussion focused on changes GoPasco can make within its existing budget and workforce rather than adding new operators or capital. "What can we do in the immediate future?" consultant Ryan Suarez said, describing the project as "a route study, an in-depth study, of every single fixed route of the GoPasco system." Janina Elkin, GoPasco public transportation director, introduced the report and explained the analysis was intended to comply with recent state reporting requirements for agencies receiving FDOT block grants.

The analysis used ridership and scheduling data collected March–June 2024 and produced several recommendations the staff said could be implemented within the current operating budget. Key items presented included: - Systemwide schedule adjustments on all fixed routes to improve reliability and approach a 60-minute target frequency; Suarez said schedules "haven't been adjusted to align with traffic conditions" and that many routes were missing on-time performance benchmarks. - Reallocation of vehicle hours from underperforming route segments to create new coverage in identified areas, including a proposed service assignment to Crystal Springs out of Zephyrhills after converting one fixed route to on-demand service. - Splitting long routes such as Route 54 into three segments (east, center and west) to reduce delay exposure and improve schedule adherence. - A microtransit pilot proposed for the U.S. 41 corridor between the jail/utilities area and the Land O' Lakes Walmart, described as a zone-based, app-enabled, shared on-demand service. Suarez said the pilot would test demand and return on investment; an RFP and tentative fall rollout were discussed. - Deployment of a real-time vehicle tracking app, currently in testing, with GoPasco staff expecting implementation by June 2025.

Suarez gave performance context: the fixed-route system averaged about 7.5 trips per vehicle-hour, while on-demand services equated to fewer than two trips per hour. The presentation also noted GoPasco’s budget leverages local Transportation Impact Funds so that each $1 in local funding equates to roughly $3 in total operating funds when combined with state and federal sources.

Board members asked how microtransit would operate. Suarez described it as a shared-ride, zone-based on-demand service similar to app-based ride-hail but confined to a defined zone and capable of pairing multiple passengers on a single vehicle. He said vendors could either provide a turnkey solution with vehicles and operators or provide only the software platform while GoPasco supplies vehicles and staff; the pilot will determine the preferred deployment model.

Elkin and Suarez repeatedly stressed the COA’s short-term focus: adjustments that can be achieved without additional county funding or new operator positions. Suarez said the COA should be revisited periodically; he described best practice as every three to five years and noted the Transit Development Plan required by FDOT occurs every five years.

The board did not take formal action on COA service changes at the Jan. 9 meeting; staff said subsequent public outreach and internal planning will inform any future agenda items for adoption or pilot procurement.

The MPO meeting packet and slides containing route-level performance tables and the proposed microtransit pilot zone were made part of the public record.