All aboard! Destination: Live Oak

Starting this summer, folks will have a new option for getting around town with the introduction of a bus route from the Suwannee Valley Transit Authority (SVTA). The route will weave in and around the city of Live Oak, stopping at all of the apartment complexes and public schools, the library, and many residential neighborhoods; large grocery stores, parks and other businesses.

Newly hired SVTA Administrator Larry Sessions and driver supervisor Ken Kaemmer took a group of elected officials and other community members, including a reporter from the Suwannee Democrat, on a ride-along bus tour of the planned route last week. The route starts at the intersection of Walker Avenue and US 90 West and works its way in each direction of the city, looping back to begin again roughly every two hours.

There are no designated stops yet, although Sessions said the Florida Department of Transportation could help fund and install them after the route is tested and proven successful. In the beginning, passengers can notify the driver either verbally or by a pull signal about an upcoming stop they would like to get off at, and the driver will pull over when it is safe.

The proposed route will take passengers west as far as Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center and the Suwannee County Agricultural Coliseum, south to First Federal Sportsplex and the Suwannee River Regional Library, east to Heritage Park and Gardens and two nursing homes, and north to Walmart and the Department of Health, with dozens of potential stops in between.

“We catch at least 85 percent of businesses in the city and we touch all of the apartment complexes,” Sessions explained during the tour.

While an official start date has not been announced, the bus route is anticipated to begin in mid-June or early July. The route is set for operation Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will cost $1 per ride or around $27.50 for a month pass. The iconic green and gold trolley-style bus, which many may recognize from its use at large local events, only accepts cash or coin for now. Sessions said he hopes to install a card swipe system in the future. The bus is also equipped with a bike rack and wheelchair ramp for greater accessibility. It can comfortably seat about 32 people, although there is standing room if necessary.

“People can walk the high school track and get back home without having to get in their car,” Sessions offered as an example of the many uses for the bus route. “Kids can get dropped off at the parks to go to the playground or play sports and then get picked back up two hours later.”

The bus program is primarily a community service provided by SVTA, although it has the potential to become a revenue source for the agency. SVTA anticipates breaking even in the bus route’s fledgling stage; Sessions estimated the daily cost of operation to be around $250 including maintenance, upkeep and drivers’ wages.

“Until we know how many riders we’ll get, we won’t know for sure how successful this will be,”  Sessions said. “If it’s not, we’ll shut it down. I don’t want to throw money at a bad deal.”

The bus route is a prime example of SVTA’s services outside of non-emergency medical transport, which it has come to be known for due to the high volume of Medicaid riders in the past.

“We’re a government agency, but I’ve always thought of SVTA as a service,” Sessions said. “We’re doing something for the community.”

If the bus program does become popular, Sessions said he would like to add another route and split the two into north/south and east/west routes.

Elsewhere in SVTA’s tri-county service area, a bus route for seniors in Hamilton County will begin at the start of June and a bus route in Lake City is under consideration depending on the success of the one in Live Oak.

Sessions and SVTA welcome any suggestions or questions about the upcoming Live Oak bus route; just visit www.rideSVTA.com or call 386-362-5332.