Santa Rosa Bus Systems Ending

December 22, 2012

The last day of service for Santa Rosa Transit will be next Friday, December 28.

Santa Rosa Transit was a pilot public transportation program mainly along U.S. Hwy. 90, from the Santa Rosa Industrial Park to a connection to the Escambia County Area Transit system at Nine Mile Road and University Parkway.  In October, a majority of the commission voted to no longer fund the county’s portion of the program due to insufficient ridership.

The public transportation service began on December 7, 2010, with approximately 14,000 one-way tickets purchased over two years. Ridership increased from 167 in December 2010 to a peak of 841 passengers in October 2012. Operating costs for the program for December 2010 to November 2012 were $269,309. The county was responsible for funding 18 percent with federal grants funding 77 percent and ticket sales accounting for only five percent of operating costs.

Santa Rosa Transit service was provided through the cooperation of the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners, Pensacola Bay Transportation LLC, the Florida – Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, and the Federal Transit Administration.  Santa Rosa County was the project manager, the Florida – Alabama Transportation Planning Organization procured the buses and was the federal grant recipient, and Pensacola Bay Transportation LLC was the operator.


Comments

2 Responses to “Santa Rosa Bus Systems Ending”

  1. Frances Taylor on December 25th, 2012 12:22 pm

    I totally agree. If the system is not self sustaining it should be stopped. The Tax payers should not be asked or “required” to pay for this system. I have no one to help me pay to maintain my vehicle, make repairs or pay Insurance and I am on a fixed income. It is difficult enough for working people to afford gas to go to work now they want to add another tax to the price of a gallon of Gas? Is there no end to this? Evidently not.. It seems that if the powers that be say we pay we pay.

  2. Soggybob on December 22nd, 2012 11:30 am

    Escambia county should take notice and learn a lesson from SR county.
    If it can’t sustain it self it should be done away with.
    Taxpayers should not fund private businesses. That’s socialism.
    Remember to vote every time the polls open and remember who you voted for the last time and what they did while in office.