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Dunedin Giving $15,000 to Senior Transit Program

Mark Schantz/SUNCOAST NEWS

St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Rene Robinson-Flowers, left, during her successful pitch Thursday night to the Dunedin City Commission for $15,000 in seed money for the EZ Ride senior transit program.

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: October 19, 2007

DUNEDIN, Fla. - DUNEDIN, Fla. - By the start of 2008 local homebound seniors could catch a ride with a discounted transportation service partially funding by city taxpayers.

The City Commission Thursday night voted to give the St. Petersburg-based Neighborly Care Network's proposed EZ Ride program $15,000 in seed money.

While she favors the senior transit program, giving it $15,000 right after Dunedin has been forced to cut its own spending and donations to local nonprofit groups sends a mixed message, Commissioner Julie Ward Bujalski said.

Bujalski cast the lone vote against giving the $15,000 to EZ Ride.

For the city's fiscal 2008 budget, which took effect Oct. 1, the commission had to cut proposed spending because of the property tax rate cut the Legislature ordered during its June special session.

Thursday night, Bujalski failed in an attempt to get the commission to reduce the city's contribution to EZ Ride to $10,000 and give the other $5,000 to local nonprofit groups that had their funding requests axed during the budget cutting.

In response to Bujalski's comment about sending mixed messages, Mayor Bob Hackworth said the commission is not be doing that because it is helping pay for a much-needed transit service for seniors.

When it begins operating this January, EZ Ride will provide transportation to Dunedin and Clearwater residents age 65 and older and disabled seniors 55 and older on a fee-for-service basis.

Customers must be able to walk and travel outside their respective cities.

EZ Ride members will pay a $50 annual membership fee, City Manager Robert DiSpirito said. In addition, riders will have to pay $3 per trip, plus $1.50 a mile.

Seniors who are no longer able to drive can donate their cars to EZ Ride and receive trip credits, said Rene Robinson-Flowers, a St. Petersburg City Councilwoman and the EZ Ride program manager.

Clearwater has given EZ Ride $25,000 in start-up funds, Flower said.

EZ Ride managers expect the program will eventually become self-sustaining, Flowers added.

DiSpirito said the Pinellas Metropolitan Planning Organization, the county's main transportation planning agency, has recommended the EZ Ride program receive a $585,000 Federal Transportation Authority grant over a two-year period. The money would pay capital and operating expenses.

Dunedin's $15,000 will be applied toward the federal grant's local-match requirement. The city will also provide office space to EZ Ride at its Hale Activity Center, the city manager said.

EZ Ride plans to solicit support from the local business community, DiSpirito noted.

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