The weekday service makes four round-trips between West Palm Beach and PSL.
The northbound Port St. Lucie Express after it arrives at the Gatlin Boulevard park-and-ride lot. (Photo: Carolyn DiPaolo/Stet)
👋 Carolyn here. I’m always eager to try a new mode of transportation.
That’s what led me to hop aboard the Port St. Lucie Express recently for a nonstop 50-mile bus ride. That and the chance to visit my daughter without the headache of highway traffic.
The service connects Port St. Lucie riders to downtown West Palm Beach with four round trips on weekdays. And it’s three bucks each way.
Why it matters: A state study in 2024 found that more than 75,000 St. Lucie County residents work outside the county. Many of them drive down Interstate 95 or Florida’s Turnpike to jobs in West Palm Beach.
My ride: The northbound bus picks up riders at the Palm Tran bus transfer center at 150 Clearwater Drive near Tamarind Avenue and Banyan Boulevard. I pulled into the free public lot next door and realized that park-and-ride lots can be nice. This one is pleasantly landscaped and lighted.
⏰ I boarded the second northbound bus of the morning, which arrived right on schedule for its 5:40 am departure.
📲 Riders can pay through Palm Tran’s Paradise app or just tap a credit card as I did.
🛣️ In moments, we were on I-95 motoring north as the predawn sky brightened. It felt like we were sailing above the light traffic. The bus was quiet and comfortable with electrical outlets at each seat, solid WiFi and a restroom.
⏱️ Fifty-five minutes later, we arrived at the park-and-ride lot on Gatlin Boulevard east of I-95 near a Home Depot.
St. Lucie County’s on-demand micro transit pulls into the Gatlin Boulevard park-and-ride lot. (Photo: Carolyn DiPaolo/Stet)
🆓 One of the coolest things about the trip was St. Lucie County’s free micro transit service called ART on Demand. Passengers summon a driver through an app, similar to the one that calls Circuit shuttles in Palm Beach County. I waited about five minutes for my last-mile ride.
Catch up quick: The Port St. Lucie Express, championed by the late Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton Forbes, began in September 2024 backed by a state Department of Transportation grant.
The three 50-seat express coaches cost $2.7 million. Palm Tran operates them.
In addition to connecting the cities, the express bus draws passengers to Port St. Lucie’s park-and-ride lot, which opened in 2021.
By the numbers: As of mid-December, the express bus passenger count was nearly 67,000 riders, FDOT spokesperson Guillermo Canedo told Stet News. That translates to about 65 riders a day.
What’s next: The state has committed to the pilot until mid-2027. After that, it will look to Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties to take over, Canedo said.
The bottom line: The trips are designed for St. Lucie County residents working day jobs in Palm Beach County. But it’s also an easy way to get to PSL, especially if you have a daughter there.
The Port St. Lucie Express back in West Palm Beach at the Palm Tran transfer center on Clearlake Drive next to the Tri-Rail station. (Photo: Carolyn DiPaolo/Stet)
I am a co-founder, writer and editor for Stet News. I am also a former senior editor at The Palm Beach Post. For 20 years, I oversaw some of the most consequential stories published by the paper, including the “Corruption County” reporting project that led to multiple arrests of elected officials. I am a member of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2013. I live in West Palm Beach with my husband, Bill DiPaolo.