ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — St. Pete Beach will begin looking for more affordable transit vendors next month as officials could allow the city’s contract with Freebee to expire at the end of September.
What You Need To Know
St. Pete Beach may allow its contract with Freebee to expire in September and will begin looking for more affordable transit vendors next month
According to a city presentation, Freebee costs the city $536,700 per year to operate
Recent data shows only 15 percent of residents using the service
Ridership has been down 45 percent since the city directed Freebee to begin charging non-residents $3 per ride last October
At their meeting on Tuesday, city commissioners directed staff to explore alternative transit options after a presentation showing the Freebee costs $536,700 per year to operate with only 15 percent of residents using the service.
“I would like to see us explore other options. Let some of the more private operators come in and get involved,” said Mayor Scott Tate. “Open up for competition.”
Ridership has been down 45 percent since the city directed Freebee to begin charging non-residents $3 per ride last October. The fee along with advertising dollars offsets the city’s cost by up to $10,000 per month, according to Resident Services Director Mandy Edmunds.
Freebee has been operating in St. Pete Beach for nearly 7 years and replaced the PSTA buses and trolleys which drove into Pass-a-Grille.
Resident Christopher Hollands has not owned a car for 8 years and estimates he uses the Freebee up to 5 times each week. Hollands said he relies on the Freebee for transportation and does not want to see it go away.
“It would be a real setback for me. And I think I think quite a few. Especially the older riders and handicap,” he said. “It may seem expensive but look what it does for the community… I think that they can make some other modifications.”
Spectrum News reached out to Freebee for comment but did not hear back from the company by our deadline.