The success of a free shuttle service for downtown West Palm Beach and the town of Palm Beach has prompted the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority to extend the program to September.
A three-month pilot program that launched Oct. 18 with Circuit electric vehicles was scheduled to end on Sunday,butafter seeing the results, the DDA board saw it fit to continuethe programtoSept. 30, at which time will be re-evaluated again, Executive Director Raphael Clemente told the Daily News on Thursday.
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"Theprogramis doing very well. In fact, it’ssignificantlyexceedingour expectations," he said.
"Our long-termgoal is to support this transit service and see what otherresources can be brought to bear to keep it going," he said. Noting that advertising on the Circuit vehicles is one source of revenue for the contractor, Clemente said he thinks there will be more opportunities for private sector funds to support the program.
"One of the things welearnedin the pilot phase" he said, is that there is quite a bit of connection between Palm Beach and thecore of downtown West Palm Beach, with people going to and from work and restaurants.
He stressed that the program is about "serving ourdowntownbutenhancingour edges—making them thatmuchmorewell-connectedto thedowntown core."
Of course, he said, theoverarching goal is getting people as manytransportation optionsaspossible. "Increasinglypeople arechoosing to get in and out of, as well asarounddowntown without the use of their private vehicle," Clemente said.
Alexander Esposito, co-founder and CEO of Circuit, told the Daily News that ridership had grown by more than 300% since the pilot program began. The service transportedabout 5,000 people during December "without charging a dollar or burning an ounce of gas," he said.
"Working with the DDA has been an amazingpartnership," Esposito said, adding "it's incredible how the community hasembraced the service."
He lauded the company's advertising partners, who also are helping to fund the free service."What'sexciting is to see how it’s really been acollaboration between theDDA,localbusinesses and thecommunity. The program wouldn’t work without this collaboration," Esposito said.
The service has been complementing other forms of transportation, he said, with riders going to bus stops or the train station. And then there was the use they didn't see coming: seniors who use it to go to the grocery and back home. "We weren't expecting that," he said.
Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive OfficerLaurel Baker welcomed the extension of the free shuttle.
"The DDAhas shown great vision and sensitivity to the residents with the shuttle initiative," she said, adding "the boundary lines between the two cities are blending to provide greater comforts and conveniences to better engage residents and encourage clean-air practicesby reducing traffic congestion."
Stores benefit with a more diverse customer base, Baker said, and parking issues are reduced, "making for a most pleasant day in paradise, wherever the shuttle may take one."
Circuit driver Jim Kovalsky told the Daily News that he had seen an tremendous increase in ridership during the pilot program. "Inadditionto an expandedcoveragearea, we are... serving more people," he said. More people are realizing how the service can benefit them, Kovalsky said, calling it a "game-changer."
In addition the increase in the number of trips to and from the island, he also seen more island residents use the service, "going to The Colony, Ta-boo, Buccan."
The downsideto the success of the program is that sometimes there is a backlog of people needed to be picked up, Kovalsky said.When that happens, "we ask for patience and tell them we're doing everything we can," he said.
Esposito co-founded Circuitwith JamesMirrasin 2011 in the Hamptons in New York— where it was known as The Hamptons Free Ride — and the two menpartnered with Jason Dagley when theyexpanded to Florida.
Circuit has been operating downtown since 2014, initially on a seasonal basis. It stepped up toyear-round service in 2016.The free service was underwritten by sponsorships until last spring, when the decision was made to start charging $3 per ride to ensure better continued service and more shuttles on the road, Esposito said in October.
"But by working with DDA, not only are we making itfree, (but)we are alsoincreasing our hours so we can open asearly as 7:30 inthe morning," he said.
Circuit has six cars in the program, three of which are emblazoned with the DDA's sponsorship logo.
The shuttles seat a maximum of six people and rides can be scheduled through the Circuit smartphone app available atridecircuit.com. The hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday; 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.Free rides are available between any two points in the service area.
