Delray Beach commissioners voted 4-1 to make no changes to the downtown ride service. Photo
provided
By Jane Smith
A free ride service will continue operating in downtown Delray Beach, but its service area won’t be expanded to include trips to and from the city’s Tri-Rail station or to additional areas on the beach.
The City Commission on Nov. 1 went against a staff recommendation to expand the service and voted to maintain the current service, which will cost $508,205 annually and roughly $2.5 million over the five-year contract. Staff had recommended a $4.2 million, five-year contract that would have used Tesla sedans and expanded coverage of the barrier island and Southwest neighborhoods.
The city’s free ride service will continue with five open-air electric vehicles.
In reaching their decision by a 4-1 vote, commissioners were conscious of other budget expenditures that may be on the horizon, such as possibly having to raise $1.3 million for a new nonprofit to run the city’s Old School Square campus.
While the city won’t expand the free ride service to Tri-Rail, the commuter rail’s operators already offer to pay for the last mile of travel for customers at select stations using Uber, a ride-sharing vehicle, said Sara Maxfield, the city’s economic development director. Delray Beach will be one of the stations, she said.
That solved the Tri-Rail issue for Mayor Shelly Petrolia.
“It’s easier to add service, than to take it away,” Petrolia said. “We have the Tri-Rail station covered.”
Commissioner Shirley Johnson, who cast the dissenting vote, wanted to serve an expanded area on the barrier island, along with Southwest neighborhoods in the city. She wanted more vehicles to serve the residents and not make them wait.
The beach service area now goes to State Road A1A, four blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has been paying for the service in the past, but the agency now wants to concentrate on other projects. The bid process attracted only the CRA’s current vendor, Beefree LLC of Miami.
Delray Beach is trying to reduce downtown traffic and vehicle emissions by offering the free car service.
Also Nov. 1, the City Commission decided to continue with Johnson as chair of the CRA. Angie Gray, a CRA board member, will continue as the vice chairwoman. The commission also approved adding five years to the life of the CRA, setting a new sunset day of Sept. 16, 2044.
Elections news: Qualifying for two commission seats is open until noon Nov. 21 for the March 14 municipal elections.
Deputy Vice Mayor Juli Casale plans to run again for her Commission 2 seat. Johnson is term-limited from running again to fill her Commission 4 seat.
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