Rogelio Hernandez, Director of Transportation for Key West Transit, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about traffic.
New Year’s Eve was a busy time for Key West Transit.
Hernandez said rides went until “2:30 in the morning, to be exact. Our last ride heading northbound to Marathon, like every year was at 1:30am, so it was a busy evening, but it was well worth it. We help, hopefully reduce traffic out there on US 1 and in the local roads down here. Overall, it was a good event.”
There are a number of transportation options available to riders.
Hernandez said, “One of the amazing services we offer here in Key West is on demand, Key West ride service, along with our fixed route service, the workforce, which is very popular if you live in Stock Island and Bahama village, it’ll get you to and from shopping centers, businesses, and it operates seven days a week as early as 6am till 7pm including the Lower Keys shuttle as well. We don’t want to forget about that for those listeners that live up the Keys, the Lower Keys shuttle is a great way to commute and save a few bucks, especially for anyone that has a New Year’s resolution to save some money this year. Just a quick fact, riders can save up to $13,000 or more by using public transportation, and of course, that includes Key West Transit.”
The bus fares are incredibly affordable.
Hernandez said, “A seven day pass down here in Key West, and to get you around Key West and Stock Island is $8 a week, unlimited rides. Where else can you get that type of transportation service for that price? And if you’re going to plan on using it the whole entire month, for $25 you can get yourself a monthly pass with unlimited rides that will get you to and from Stock Island to down to the heart of Key West downtown. The Lower Keys shuttle tends to be a little bit higher prices because of the travel distance, of course, but you can get from Marathon to downtown Key West for $4 or cheaper. If you’re a student under the age of 21, a senior over the age of 60, or if you’re a retired or disabled vet, it can be a lot less. The monthly pass is $45 which is relatively pretty cheap. Again, unlimited rides. And it’s something I think that all locals should take advantage of. The website is the best way to stay connected with us. And then we’re also looking at creating a social media account, Facebook account, come this summer, where, again, riders and listeners can stay connected up to date with what’s going on with Key West Transit. We encourage everyone to try our transit system, our services that we offer and share their experience. This will, of course, help us improve the service as we move forward.”
There are also upcoming projects for Key West Transit.
Hernandez said, “Talking about the Lower Keys shuttle, we are looking at replacing the current two position bike rack on the exterior of the bus with a three position bike rack. It’s designed to help carry all types of bikes. Previously, bikes were kind of standard. Nowadays you have different sizes. You got E bikes, bikes with fat tires, and these new bike racks will be able to transport all types of bikes separately and securely, so that’s something to be excited about. We are 90 days until deployment. Additionally, once we do deploy these three position bike racks, they’ll also come with installed sensors that will help deliver real time information to those riders, so they know ahead of time how to plan for their trip. They’ll know if the bike racks are filled. That way, they can either secure their bikes prior to getting on the bus or they can store their bikes in one of the lock bike lockers that we have throughout the Lower Keys and in Key West. So this will help create a seamless multimodal experience for those riders.”
What about the electric bus?
Hernandez said, “It is coming our way. There’s been a few hiccups with transportation since it departs California, but it is on its way, and it’s something that I look forward to talking about.”
For more information, click here: https://www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/595/Schedules-and-Route-Maps