St. Pete Beach commission weighs cutting $500,000 microtransit program amid budget squeeze

The St. Pete Beach City Commission spent much of its Aug. 25 meeting debating whether to keep the city's microtransit service or end it to free up budget dollars. Staff told the commission that five proposals were received in the procurement process, with bids ranging from roughly $225,000 to more than $1,000,000, and that the city has not finished vetting proposals to make a vendor recommendation.

Resident Services Director Mandy Edmonds said the request before the commission was policy direction, not vendor selection: "5 vendors submitted proposals by the deadline" and staff wanted guidance on whether to retain the program or discontinue it pending a final procurement review. She added that staff had invoicing data showing the current microtransit vendor reports about 4,000 trips per month and a net city cost of roughly $17 per trip.

Several commissioners said the per-ride subsidy is too high for the city's current fiscal situation. "My recommendation would be to discontinue the microtransit program. Let's take that $500,000 and do something else with it," one commissioner said, urging the commission to reallocate the funds. Supporters of cutting the program pointed to private alternatives (local shuttles and ride‑hailing) and argued the city should not subsidize a single private vendor at high cost.

Other commissioners and speakers urged preserving PSTA Access, the federally mandated paratransit service for riders with disabilities, saying it serves the city's most vulnerable residents. Staff and commissioners discussed alternatives that could partially replace microtransit service if it were cut, including a 200‑pass U Pass pilot offered by PSTA and potential trolley extensions, but noted those come with separate costs and operational trade-offs.

The commission did not take a final, binding vote to end microtransit at the meeting; staff asked for direction that will be incorporated into the budget process and the pending procurement review. Commissioners requested additional cost-per-ride breakdowns, further PSTA data, and clearer ridership reporting before making a final decision.