Volusia County moved forward with Votran service changes meant to increase efficiency and expand microtransit, but public commenters and several council members urged the county to address shortfalls in paratransit access before implementing cuts.

Council approved Item 4 (Votran service changes) and Item 5 (a contract amendment to add microtransit service) after a lengthy public hearing. The amendment with the county’s transit contractor was adopted unanimously; the service‑change motion passed by the vote recorded on the floor (see actions below).

What staff said

Votran staff described two paratransit programs: ADA paratransit (for riders within three‑quarters of a mile of fixed routes) and the state‑funded Transit Disadvantaged (TD) program for riders outside that boundary who have no vehicle access. Staff said a new scheduling software and operations model will improve on‑time performance and allow broader microtransit deployment. Votran staff reported roughly "about 850 trips a day" in paratransit service countywide and said the software rollout already shows near‑100% on‑time performance for recent trips.

What residents said

Dozens of speakers — people who rely on Votran Gold, caregivers and disability advocates — said the service has deteriorated. Common complaints included:

- Significant reductions in standing reservations and a reported cap on TD daily slots (public commenters said numbers like 65–100 were being used);
- Long hold times for reservations (one speaker reported an hour and four minutes; others reported up to three hours);
- Examples of riders being left without scheduled transport to work or medical appointments.

Reverend Caitlin Swan and others said preexisting standing orders and daily medical trips had been disrupted, and called the changes a moral problem when disabled residents cannot reliably access work and healthcare.

Council response and next steps

Council members acknowledged the service problems and instructed staff to pursue multiple remedies: prioritize medical and school trips for paratransit (federal ADA trips cannot be limited), explore additional grant funding, coordinate with state legislators for restored FDOT support, and examine whether program rules and phone/technology outages can be fixed rapidly. Staff said AT&T phone outages affected reservation call capacity in recent weeks and that the vendor had repaired lines; staff also said online scheduling and app features would be rolled out soon to reduce call volume.

Data and program details cited in the hearing

- Paratransit trips: staff said the system handles about 850 trips daily (countywide).
- Bowride microtransit fare: $2 for trips up to 5 miles, then $1 per additional mile to a 10‑mile maximum.
- Staffing/contract: item 5 amends the county contract to add microtransit; the transcript lists the contractor name once as "RITP Dev" but staff and county documents identify the operator as RATP Dev (correction noted).

Ending

Council approved the service changes and contract amendment while directing staff to return with more data and options to protect people who depend on door‑to‑door paratransit. Members said Votran will prioritize medical and school trips and attempt to grow funding for Transit Disadvantaged trips before further limiting access.