A ride service, which for years has transported working locals to their jobs, seniors to doctor appointments and visitors from hotels to local businesses at no expense, will continue in the Village of Islamorada. But riders will now have to pay a modest price before hopping into the car.
Islamorada council members mulled two rideshare service proposals for the coming fiscal year during a June 11 meeting at the Founders Park Community Center. Following a discussion over the proposals and a new $2 ride fare, council members voted 4-1 to stay with Freebee.
The item was tabled at a May meeting to allow representatives from Freebee, which currently provides the service, and Circuit to present their plans while answering questions from village residents. The village’s current agreement with Freebee expires this month, which led to a request for proposals in March for qualified, on-demand rideshare companies to continue the service.
Freebee and Circuit responded. A village evaluation committee ranked them and recommended the village continue with Freebee at a cost of $530,000. A Florida Department of Transportation grant funds half the annual cost, with the village supplying the other 50%.
The lone “no” vote was from Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney, who was critical of Freebee’s wait times. She was also curious how the $2 per ride came about. She said the FDOT grant, which the village has received for the past few years, was supposed to help the village figure out a way to support the service themselves.
“And we haven’t done that,” she said.
Mahoney wanted to give Circuit a try, but the other council members elected to go the other way.
Per a staff analysis, a $2 fare based on current rider numbers could reduce annual costs by $70,000. Councilman Steve Friedman said he was concerned going from a free fare to a $2 ride could lead to fewer riders. He also acknowledged that the vehicles transporting people aren’t “nearly enough in terms of what is going on trafficwise” in the village. Overall, Friedman said the service is needed in Islamorada.
Mahoney also expressed concerns about the future of the program, especially with the potential of less property tax revenue to the village, if voters approve this November.
Rideshare service in Islamorada dates back to 2018, when the village council at the time approved a pilot program for the downtown area on Upper Matecumbe using golf cart vehicles. The service, which grew in popularity, was limited since the carts couldn’t traverse over bridges.
By early 2020, the carts were replaced with vans capable of transporting passengers on the highway and over the bridges between Tavernier to Lower Matecumbe. The service uses two Tesla Y vehicles and an electric van that can accommodate a wheelchair passenger. The vehicles run from 7 a.m. to midnight daily for a total of 357 hours a week.
Mayor Don Horton said he hopes the village can eventually come up with a loop transit system, where trolleys or vehicles traverse the Old Highway to pick up and drop off people at set locations. Horton voted in favor of Freebee for another year, citing the company’s seven years operating in the village and high satisfaction rate among riders.
