Hernando‑Citrus MPO hears Citrus County transit plan; board members question cost and alternatives

A consultant for Benesch on Aug. 7 presented Citrus County's draft 10‑year Transit Development Plan to the Hernando‑Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization board, outlining service realignments, a proposed cross‑county shuttle and a cumulative cost estimate of "a little bit more than $40,000,000," with about $11,000,000 noted as capital costs.

Kayla Hutton, the Benesch consultant who led the presentation, said the TDP is "not a budget. It's not a capital improvement program. It's not a binding agreement" but a strategic plan intended to meet Florida Department of Transportation requirements and guide Citrus County and FDOT programming. She said the plan responds to outreach and data showing strong ridership gains on the county's deviated fixed route system: a 77% increase from 2022 to 2024, compared with under a 10% population increase in the same period, and roughly a 20% increase in door‑to‑door ridership.

Hutton summarized public engagement and the plan's priorities: more frequent service (moving several routes from roughly every two hours to 60‑minute headways), extended weekday service until about 9 p.m., a limited Saturday schedule (proposed 9 a.m.–3 p.m.), realigning the Beverly Hills route to serve Citrus Springs, and a proposed cross‑county shuttle connecting Inverness and Crystal River (stopping at Black Diamond Shopping Center). She said additional on‑demand zones would serve Sugar Mill Woods, Citrus Springs and Inverness Highland South, and that riders expressed demand for a mobile app and more transit awareness and infrastructure.

Hutton listed the plan's three highest priority projects as the cross‑county shuttle, 60‑minute service on core routes and the Beverly Hills route realignment. She said the MPO expects to forward comments to the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners, which the presentation is scheduled to go before in September; after local action the plan would be submitted to FDOT for a standard 90‑day review.

Board members and local officials responded with questions about cost effectiveness and alternatives. Commissioner Jeff Kennard (Citrus County) offered a back‑of‑the‑envelope calculation he attributed to the plan's $40 million over 10 years: "If we average 30,000 riders a year ... it's $133 per rider." Commissioner Steve Champion (Hernando County) said his quick calculation showed a higher per‑person cost and called the figure "craziness," adding that much of the funding ultimately arrives through taxes and that counties should weigh alternatives. Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek said privately operated ride services can be less expensive in low‑density areas: "it would be cheaper to just to place an Uber to get folks to wherever they need to go," he said.

Board members pressed on funding sources and assumptions. Hutton said the plan's revenue projections are a mix of federal, state and local funds, including discretionary grants for some projects; she noted the Ocala (Marion County) express project included a grant split proposal with FDOT and the county. Hutton told the board that farebox revenue historically contributes only a small share of operating revenue and said the most recent farebox recovery she had seen was around 1%–2%.

Commissioners and staff also raised alternatives the TDP did not include: a comprehensive operations analysis (COA) to shrink or redesign service to meet a targeted budget, fare‑forgiveness or fare‑free programs (Hutton said Manatee County had moved to fare‑free service and added on‑demand zones), or targeted voucher programs and public–private partnerships to subsidize point‑to‑point trips for people with work‑related needs. MPO staff took notes and said they would research voucher or alternative models and return findings to the board.

Hutton said the plan is a policy and programming document required by the Florida Administrative Code and FDOT for state block grant funding; she emphasized its role as a 10‑year vision that includes both funded and unfunded needs and can be reprioritized if revenues do not materialize.

The MPO did not vote to adopt the TDP at the meeting. Staff said the board's comments will be forwarded to the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners, which must formally consider adoption before submission to FDOT. Hutton noted schedule milestones: local adoption expected in September and subsequent FDOT review. No board motion or vote on the TDP itself occurred during the MPO meeting.

Ending

Board members asked staff to return with additional evaluation of cost alternatives and voucher models, and staff advised that adoption and any funding commitments would remain with Citrus County and FDOT review. The MPO recorded the presentation and its comments for inclusion with the county's adoption process.