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MPO hears Citrus County 10-year Transit Development Plan; consultant presents $40 million vision
Summary
Benesch consultant Kayla Hutton presented Citrus County's 10-year Transit Development Plan to the Hernando Citrus MPO, outlining route realignments, a cross-county shuttle and expanded hours. The plan was estimated at a little more than $40 million and will go to the Citrus County Board for adoption before FDOT review.
Kayla Hutton, a planner with Benesch, presented an overview of Citrus County’s Transit Development Plan to the Hernando Citrus MPO board, describing it as a 10-year strategic plan required under Florida Administrative Code for agencies receiving state block grants. Hutton said the plan looks at funded and unfunded needs and draws on census data, the county’s long-range transportation plan and public outreach.
"A TDP or annual TDP update shall be used in developing the 5 year work program of the Florida Department of Transportation," Hutton said during the presentation. She summarized outreach that included two open-house workshops, stakeholder interviews and surveys that reached more than 1,100 people. Hutton reported a 77% increase in ridership on the deviated fixed route between 2022 and 2024 and that door-to-door ridership rose about 20% in the same period.
Hutton described the plan’s priority projects as a Cross County Shuttle connecting Inverness and Crystal River (with a stop at Black Diamond Shopping Center), a jobs-express route to the Holder Industrial site, a realigned Beverly Hills route to serve Citrus Springs, 60-minute headways replacing 2-hour service on parts of the network, evening service until about 9 p.m., and limited Saturday service (9 a.m.–3 p.m.). "Top 3 responses were more frequent service, earlier or later service, and Saturday service," she said.
On projected costs and schedule, Hutton said, "So over the next 10 years, it'll be a little bit more than 40,000,000, with, an operating 11,000,000 in capital." She explained the plan will go to the Citrus County Board in September for adoption and then be submitted to FDOT for a 90-day review period, and that elements such as the Cross County Shuttle could be implemented as early as 2026, with the Ocala Express targeted for 2030 and further expansions in 2033–2034, contingent on funding and grant awards.
The presentation concluded with staff noting the MPO’s role in reviewing and forwarding comments to Citrus County; the MPO itself will not adopt the TDP but will send feedback to the county commission as the adopting body.
