Palm Tran presented results from its on‑demand first/last‑mile pilot and the commission approved adjustments to curb overuse and better link riders to fixed routes.

Staff reported roughly 5,000 unique riders and close to 200,000 trips overall since the pilot began, with the East Central zone accounting for about 175,000 completed trips and 4,430 unique riders. Commissioners and Palm Tran staff said the East Central area had become a de‑facto concierge service, with some riders making multiple short round trips instead of connecting to bus services.

To address that, staff proposed splitting the East Central zone into three smaller zones to improve alignment with fixed‑route service, expand the Royal Palm Beach zone toward Westlake and introduce a $5 voucher and a two‑trip daily cap for riders. Staff said the changes aim to push riders toward fixed‑route options and to preserve federal formula funding that depends on bus ridership. Commissioners asked for a six‑month data update to assess whether the rezoning increases fixed‑route linkages.

The board voted to continue the pilot with the proposed changes (item 6f1 a & b); the motion carried 5‑0. Commissioners emphasized the importance of measuring whether the program adds new riders to the system or simply substitutes ride‑hail trips for bus trips, and asked staff to return with data on conversions to fixed routes.

What’s next: Palm Tran will implement the zone changes and trip/voucher limits, continue outreach and grant‑seeking to build frequency, and return to the board with six‑month performance data to demonstrate whether the pilot is increasing transit ridership rather than replacing it.