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Citrus Connection reports rising ridership, highlights Lake Wales circulator's role in food access
Summary
Tom Phillips, CEO of the Citrus Connection, told the City Commission that fixed-route boardings reached 15,035 and the Lake Wales Circulator logged 3,229 rides in the year ending September 2025, and credited the city’s leadership for a program that links residents to groceries, jobs and medical care.
Tom Phillips, CEO of the Citrus Connection, presented the agency’s annual Lake Wales transit briefing to the City Commission, reporting 15,035 fixed-route boardings and 3,229 rides on the Lake Wales Circulator for October 2024–September 2025. He said the circulator was designed to address local food‑access gaps and keep residents moving within the city while offering regional connections.
“Under the mayor’s direction and city staff’s direction, you all set out to tackle both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum in Lake Wales,” Phillips said, calling the local program “a textbook example” of coordinated leadership and rapid implementation. He noted the circulator is the only route that stays inside Lake Wales and is the second‑highest performing fixed route in the Citrus Connection network.
Phillips described the downtown ‘‘squeeze’’ service—free, hop‑on/hop‑off eight‑person carts that transport mostly midday riders to lunch and downtown businesses—as a flexible, rubber‑wheeled alternative to fixed rail. He emphasized ADA and Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) services: door‑to‑door rides for people with disabilities cost a $2 flat fee, while TD service (for those at or below the poverty line) can operate out of county for medical appointments.
On municipal financing, Phillips said Lake Wales’ municipal contribution is $173,467.37, which he described as about 33% of the local cost for the services that operate within the city’s boundaries; the remainder is covered by Polk County, state gas‑tax allocations and federal grants administered through state channels. He urged staff to increase outreach to grow TD registration, which he said is currently low.
Commissioners thanked Phillips for the briefing and asked about promotion and route adjustments; Phillips said circulating, nimble services allow quick changes when downtown streets open or close during construction. The commission took no formal action at the work session.
