ANALYSIS:
Earlier this year, pursuant to City Commission directive, the City issued a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLOI) for On-Demand Transit Service intended to connect to/from existing County bus stops and/or City Trolley stops to enable passengers to complete the first leg and/or last leg of their trip. The proposed service was intended to serve short distances and to originate at employment centers, retail and entertainment destinations, and residential areas. Communication with passengers in terms of requesting a ride and providing feedback was anticipated to occur through both smart phone mobile applications and phone service. Pursuant to Commission direction, the service was to be provided at no cost to the City or the passenger.
One of the major areas of concern for service was the middle beach area west of Indian Creek given that the City provides no trolley service in this area.
Proposals from three (3) firms were received on March 2, 2018. Staff has reviewed the proposals and deemed all 3 firms to be unresponsive as all firms required financial assistance from the City in order to provide the on-demand service.
RECOMMENDATION:
Given that the County anticipates moving towards an on-demand service using Freebee for Route 115 which serves Middle Beach and North Beach, the Administration recommends exploring a potential partnership with the County to provide additional on-demand service in those areas.