Palm Tran pilot to scale back vouchers and split large east‑central zone; board approves continuation with data return

Palm Tran staff outlined proposed adjustments to the BusLink first‑/last‑mile pilot and asked the Board of County Commissioners to continue the program with changes designed to improve connectivity with fixed routes and long‑term sustainability.

Ira Brewster, Palm Tran's director of transit planning, said the East Central zone had become a high‑use outlier in the pilot and was being used for short round trips rather than connections to fixed routes. Staff recommended breaking the large zone into three smaller zones, adding a $5 voucher instead of the current $8, and limiting rides to two per day to encourage linkage to fixed‑route service and reduce per‑trip subsidy costs.

Commissioners questioned whether trimming vouchers and ride limits would reduce overall ridership or simply shift riders back to fixed routes. Vice Mayor Woodward and other members emphasized linking BusLink trips to bus or train trips so the pilot supplements, rather than replaces, fixed‑route transit — preserving federal formula funding tied to fixed‑route ridership. Staff said they have not seen a decline in fixed‑route ridership in the pilot and will return with data in roughly six months to evaluate the reconfiguration.

The board approved the Palm Tran item (6f1 a and b) with a 5–0 vote and directed staff to present further analysis and community engagement results at a mid‑pilot update.