Update on the Palmetto Bay Freebee service. I am passing my update on to my readers. We could have this service very shortly, possibly in February!

I am updating you, interested readers on the status of the Palmetto Bay Freebee service.

A source has updated me on the status of the Palmetto Bay Freebee.  I am providing the updates to my blog readers.  My source advises that Palmetto Bay's Freebee service could be up and running very quickly if the Council will approve the Contract at the February council meeting. (It was confirmed that we could have been up and running in December, 2018, but the village requested changes in the contract. These discussions commenced at about the New Year, post-election).

It is my understanding that there have been no changes in pricing from the May 2018 discussions, unless there is a change in service, and that is apparently being discussed.  The Town of Miami Lakes is rolling out a larger Freebee passenger vehicle, a 6 to 9 max passenger version. Palmetto Bay may be interested in upgrading to this larger capacity vehicle.  The upgrade would not be ready for a February launch. Commencing with the larger vehicle service would cause a 60 to 90 day delay in initiating service, however, Palmetto Bay could start with the standard vehicles and then upgrade to the larger vehicles when ready.

A December launch would have provided the Village experience to judge whether the ridership would justify the larger vehicle, rather than jumping right into higher capacity, higher cost.

There will be an increase in overall service cost for Palmetto Bay if the Village opts to run with the larger vehicles (which may be worth it, but this should be publicly disclosed and discussed as to the expectations, the wants and needs of our residents).

I was also told that at the present time, there is no ability for the Freebee service to operate on the buslanes/transitway (as the IBus currently operates), but there are ongoing discussions relating to obtaining permission. Such operations would be designed more to avoid the traffic congestion on US1. My source is also unaware of any discussions to use this vehicle outside the Village jurisdiction, e.g., from the Village all the way to the Metrorail, to the Datran South station.  Current plans and County permissions remain that the Freebee would operate within the Village, and venturing to close major destinations including the Falls Shopping Center and including the Jackson South Hospital/medical complex.

I formally request that this Manager, Mayor and Council cease any further delays and get the contract (or whatever documents that the council deem necessary to be approve in order to justify the past delays) approved at the February council meeting so this service can begin without further delay.

More recommended reading - a Miami Herald article by Douglas Hanks, Jan. 16, 2019: Looser rules on transit tax bringing ‘Freebee’ shuttles to cities. Is Uber next

Thank you for your interest,

Eugene Flinn