PANAMA CITY — John Finch with Sunshine Shuttle and Limousine broached the idea of a public-private partnership for shuttle and car services on Panama City Beach during the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization meeting Wednesday.
Sunshine already is based at the airport and provided a deal during Spring Break last year giving partiers free rides. Finch said he already has transportation agreements with Seaside and Sandestin, increasing the latter community’s passengers from 70,000 per year to 370,000.
“We want to make transportation part of the culture,” Finch said. “Kids in Sandestin now say that they want to ride the trolley. It’s green, there’s no drinking and driving — it solves many of your problems.”
Finch was unclear what the TPO’s contribution to the program would be, only stating it would supplement the Bay Town Trolley.
TPO Chairman Rodney Friend said there is a possibility that Sunshine could be used during peak periods in Panama City Beach, Spring Break in particular. However, he added this was just an introductory meeting.
Bay Town Trolley could maybe use the help. According to numbers compiled by First Transit, the new trolley system operator, ridership and revenue were both down from 2013 to 2014, a difference of about 8,000 riders in each of August, September and October, with revenue in each month only down about $1,000.
Bay Town Trolley General Manager Nancy Lohr gave a presentation about advertising on the outside and inside of trolleys. While some TPO members expressed concern about advertising on the rear of the 15 vehicles, with most trolley related accidents being of the rear-end variety, there was an informal consensus of commissioners wanting to approve advertising.
“We’ve kicked this ball around in every direction,” member Walter Kelley said. “It’s time to get this ball rolling.”
In other business, the TPO:
- Approved the five year plan from Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT is planning a commitment of $450,000 per year in 2016 through 2019. FDOT also will provide $336,000 for specific updates at 23rd Street and U.S. 98. Other TPO priorities included the addition of turn lanes at State 79 and Back Beach Road and expansion of State 390 from State 77 to U.S. 231.
- Approved its own long term plan, projecting 20 years into the future. Broad goals include managing congestion near ports, airports, rail facilities, military facilities and economic activity centers, allowing policies for transportation to coincide with development and balancing the need for roadway widening with the priorities of local residents.
- Approved the application for a federal grant of $2,172,000, which includes the replacement of buses.
- Approved Walter Kelley to represent the TPO with the Metropolitan Planning Organization, comprised of members from all TPOs in the state.
- Approved a change order for the construction of a new Bay Town Trolley Operations and Maintenance Complex. With the decision to change from 2.5 inches to 2 inches of asphalt in many areas the TPO will save $1,600. The project includes the renovation of offices and the construction of three new maintenance bays. Construction is scheduled for completion on Oct. 2.