COMMISSIONER BRUCE G. ROBERTS

December 4, 2015 - During a December 17, 2014 meeting of the Galt Mile Community Association (GMCA) Advisory Board, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts advised association officials of a possible threat to the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile route. While serving on the Board of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA) - the Sun Trolley�s parent agency - Roberts learned that the route's ridership statistics had inexplicably tanked. The Galt Mile Sun Trolley (AKA the �Galt Link�) is comprised of several legs. The stretch that heads south along A1A and east on Sunrise Boulevard to Galleria is reliably flush with Galt Mile shoppers. A second leg, which carries riders along Oakland Park Boulevard to Federal Highway destinations, including the Coral Ridge Mall, Holy Cross Hospital and Imperial Point Medical Center, was the focus of Roberts� concern.

NEWLY APPOINTED DFLTMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROBYN CHIARELLI

Following a frenetic search to replace former Sun Trolley Managing Director Patricia Zeiler, on December 2, 2014, DFLTMA Chairman Alan Hooper announced that the Board selected Robyn Chiarelli to fill Zeiler�s shoes. Recipient of a Prudential-Davis Productivity Award, Chiarelli was recognized in November 2014 as the WTS (Women�s Transportation Seminars) South Florida Chapter Woman of the Year (a prestigious honorarium for Women in Transportation). Having served in leadership roles with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), Tri-Rail, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT District 4), Chiarelli topped a short list of high-powered prospects.

At a January meeting with Galt Mile officials arranged by Roberts, Chiarelli promised to thoroughly investigate the perplexing stats before recommending any �reallocation of resources� (spin for a service cutback). Chiarelli advised that the troubled Galt Mile Route still exceeded the County survival standard of 7.1 riders per hour, and how underutilization seemed limited to one section of the problematic route leg. Although ridership to the Coral Ridge Mall was strong, far fewer passengers continued to Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals. Leery of an unjustified reduction in the few municipal benefits provided to Galt Mile residents, Galt Mile officials imposed several conditions on any planned route modifications.

Concerned about the burden it would place on fixed-income Galt Mile patients who rely on the service, including some of the neighborhood�s more vulnerable residents, Galt Mile officials proposed an outreach effort to better inform local residents and new association administrations about the service and a campaign to solicit residents to rate the importance of hospital access via the Sun Trolley. If Sun Trolley officials could convincingly demonstrate a fading community interest in bus service to the hospitals, Galt Mile officials would agree to the cutback with two caveats. Impacted residents must be provided with a minimally burdensome alternative - and that any reclaimed resources would be utilized to otherwise benefit the Galt link.

In July, Sun Trolley PR Gurus scripted a plan to edify Galt Mile residents about their community bus service benefits with a media blitz in local publications and marketing materials hand-delivered to Galt Mile associations. In September, Sun Trolley officials crafted a survey that generally screened for use frequency, schedule preferences, pricing limits and specifically inquired about access to the hospitals and a prospective route extension to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). The surveys were inserted into the Galt Mile News, distributed to each association and made available in several local establishments as well as popular online social media sites. Once completed, participants were instructed to drop them at the Galt Mile Library, where residents were invited to directly question Sun Trolley officials at an October 1^st meeting, when they could expand on their input or vet related concerns. While addressing association officials attending the October 5^th GMCA Presidents Council meeting at Ocean Club condominium, Chiarelli recruited member associations to encourage completion the survey by unit owners, admonishing that survey results would impact the route�s future configuration.

Chiarelli�s interest in extending the Galt Mile route north into Lauderdale-by-the-Sea was ostensibly to facilitate alternative access to the medical center if eliminated as a destination � a prerequisite for neighborhood association approval. To that end, Chiarelli launched negotiations with the Pelican Hopper, the Community Bus Service for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). On weekdays, the Pelican Hopper duplicates three Sun Trolley stops in the Galt Mile neighborhood, at the Beach Community center, the Galt Mile Library and the corner of Galt Ocean Drive and NE 41^st Street. Since the Pelican Hopper also connects to Holy Cross Hospital, by creating a service link with the Pelican Hopper, Chiarelli could provide Galt Mile patients with convenient access to the Medical Center from Monday through Friday.

Unfortunately, Chiarelli's plan hit the skids on weekends, when the Pelican Hopper only extends south to Palm Avenue and A1A in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and makes no stops along the Galt Mile. In March of 2015, the new Sun Trolley boss cultivated political capital with LBTS officials by adding their Pelican Hopper to the Sun Trolley�s popular Tracker App. Developed in 2012, the award-winning free mobile tracking software enables passengers with smartphones, tablets or computers to track the location of Sun Trolleys in real time across all seven routes � and includes the Riverwalk Water Trolley. By empowering riders to position themselves anywhere along the route to flag down a trolley precisely as it approaches, the Tracker App virtually eliminates the need to wait at a designated stop.

BCT BREEZE BUS ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY

Used effectively by Fort Lauderdale Sun Trolley patrons for the past two years, grateful LBTS officials were delighted when Chiarelli consented to add their Pelican Hopper to the Tracker App, similarly benefitting LBTS residents. To close the weekend gap between Palm Avenue and the Galt Mile, Chiarelli called in her marker to line up LBTS approval for a plan she authored to extend the Galt link into Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, thereby providing Galt residents with weekend access to Holy Cross. Imperial Point is also alternatively accessible by catching the BCT Federal Highway Breeze at the Coral Ridge Mall.

After the survey data was compiled and crunched by Sun Trolley techs, on November 12, Chiarelli outlined the results for Galt Mile officials - and how the input will impact the route. Citing the statistical basis for her decision, Chiarelli said, �Over the last two years, an average of 73 passengers per month boarded at Imperial Point Hospital out of 3,306 total average boardings; this represents only 2.2% of the ridership share.� Offering similar ridership statistics for Holy Cross, Chiarelli added, �78.7% of survey respondents indicated they would use the service more frequently if the route were extended north into Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.�

LBTS TOWN COMMISSION OKs GALT LINK RESOLUTION

Armed with hard feedback from Galt Mile residents, Chiarelli unveiled her plan, �Based on these results, our team is proposing that the US1 leg to the hospitals be eliminated and the route be extended northward to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. These proposed modifications have been approved by the Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Council and the TMA Executive Board of Directors. The next step will occur on Tuesday, November 17^th when the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission will hold a public hearing on the matter.� Since the proposed changes affect more than 25% of the current Galt link, the City-County Interlocal Agreement (ILA) that governs the Community Bus Service � along with Title 49 of the United State Code � required the City to convene a public hearing prior to implementation.

On November 17, the City Commission held Chiarelli�s public hearing. Having provided commissioners with the existing and proposed route maps and schedules, an October 13 Resolution by the LBTS Town Commission approving the route modification, confirmation of an October 28 approval by the DFLTMA Executive Board and a stack of supportive letters from neighborhood residents, civic big dogs and local merchants (mostly LBTS vendors drooling over the prospect of new Galt Mile customers), Chiarelli explained how blending extensive outreach with community research yielded her evidentiary data. Not surprisingly, the measure was unanimously approved.

FORT LAUDERDALE CITY MANAGER LEE FELDMAN

While providing Galt Mile residents with weekend access to Holy Cross Medical Center, Chiarelli�s plan to add LBTS destinations to the Galt Link featured a second - less altruistic - objective. In a memo to the City Commission recommending the measure, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Lee Feldman explained that although the Galt Mile route �had been partially funded through a grant that was no longer available,� its cost to the City would remain unchanged. Since replacing the hospital route leg with the LBTS extension is a fiscally neutral event, Feldman opted to illuminate this budgetary enigma, explaining �This route modification will allow the Galt Link to continue due to the partnership with the Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and their contribution of $25,000 annually for the portion within their town.�

When a cash crunch blocked Sun Trolley officials from adding weekend service to the Galt Link in 2012, they used smoke and mirrors to transfer a $19,918.08 �non-transferable� Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant earmarked for another route. By interconnecting the two routes, Sun Trolley officials used the back door to legally access the grant and fund the Galt Link expansion. Since the protocol won�t support a second bite at the apple, without an alternative funding source, the Galt Link would subsequently blister the City budget or face a service cutback.

Absent the Federal relief, newcomer Chiarelli plugged the anticipated annual deficit by lining up the yearly $25,000 LBTS allocation. The GMCA demand for an alternative access to Holy Cross provided Chiarelli with an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. As intimated in Feldman�s memo, it also enabled Chiarelli to forgo requesting an incremental annual City subsidy to fund the Galt Link shortfall. At the end of the day, it was all about the Benjamins.

On December 1^st, the Galt Mile Sun Trolley will begin making stops at the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Visitors Center, the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Town Hall and Anglin�s Pier although it can also be waved down anywhere along El Mar Drive or A1A from Palm Avenue to the Publix Shopping Center by Sea Ranch Village. The route leg to Federal Highway will end at the Coral Ridge Mall.

Although Chiarelli's informal referendum inferred that Galt Mile residents prefer access to LBTS over the Hospitals, survey respondents also suggested expanding the Galt Link to a variety of other prospective Federal Highway destination sites. As a parting shot, Chiarelli mentioned that she is considering venues that scored multiple requests, such as the Whole Foods Market.

In keeping her word, Chiarelli banked the credibility intimated by her r�sum�. In her first year at the helm of a brutally unforgiving agency (check out the 2008 Galt Link bloodletting), Chiarelli won neighborhood approval to modify the Galt Link while nuking a ticking deficit left by her predecessor. Not a bad opening act.

June 26, 2015 - Late last year, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Roberts advised neighborhood association officials of a possible threat to the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile route. Along with Broward Commissioner Chip LaMarca, Roberts serves on the Board of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA), the Sun Trolley�s parent agency. Having learned about an inexplicable decline in ridership on the Galt Mile route segment along Oakland Park Boulevard to Federal Highway, which services the Coral Ridge Mall as well as Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals, Roberts arranged a January 15 meeting with newly appointed Sun Trolley Executive Director Robyn Chiarelli and Galt Mile officials. A drop in ridership could be used to cut back or end the neighborhood�s local bus service, a prospect that triggered a disconcerting flashback for Roberts - and many Galt Mile residents.

FORMER DIRECTOR LES HOLLINGSWORTH

In 2008, while promising neighborhood officials that he would protect the Galt Mile route from recessionary cutbacks, former Sun Trolley Executive Director Les Hollingsworth sought to mask his managerial missteps by furtively filing a route termination notice. When the Galt Mile Community Association (GMCA) uncovered his plan to unilaterally euthanize this unique neighborhood asset, every member condo and co-op was forwarded irrefutable evidence of his duplicity for posting on Mail Room bulletin boards, association newsletters, blogs and websites. After the surreptitious plan was disclosed in the Galt Mile News and website, it was picked up by the Sun-Sentinel. Almost overnight, the neighborhood association and City Hall were flooded with impassioned objections by angry Galt Mile residents.

TERMINATION LETTER - CLICK TO ENLARGE

A City investigation revealed that the problem had less to do with declining ridership than inept leadership - and an obsolete mission protocol. After ejecting the scheming bureaucrat, interim Director Chris Wren (a longtime Trolley honcho who runs the City�s Downtown Development Authority), Commissioner Bruce Roberts and Galt Mile officials explored a long-neglected incremental revenue source. Instead of carrying clueless vacationers from Port Everglades and beachfront hotels to the usual tourist clip joints, by restructuring the service to accommodate the shopping and medical needs of local residents, the anticipated boost in ridership would also pump new life into local businesses crippled by the recession.

FORMER SUN TROLLEY MANAGING DIRECTOR PATRICIA ZEILER

Over the next five years, new Managing Director Patricia Zeiler and Wren tailored the Sun Trolley to better connect shoppers, patients and other consumers with customer-hungry vendors and service providers. By linking the reconfigured routes, they provided Galt Mile residents with free transportation to venues along Fort Lauderdale Beach, Las Olas Boulevard, the Galleria and the Harbor Shoppes - without having to find or finance scarce and overpriced parking. They also gave patients unfettered access to Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals, and the panoply of healthcare support services that orbit each medical center. When Zeiler floated her now-stellar resume in the private sector, she was quickly snatched up by the prestigious Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, where she now serves as Executive Director.

NEWLY APPOINTED DFLTMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROBYN CHIARELLI

Following a frenetic search for Zeiler�s replacement, on December 2, 2014 DFLTMA Chairman Alan Hooper announced the appointment of Robyn Chiarelli as Sun Trolley Executive Director. An acclaimed management virtuoso whose career in public transportation was built on leadership roles with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), Tri-Rail, and a term as Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 4 Project Manager, when Chiarelli supervised a laundry list of State-approved transportation projects in Broward and 4 other Southeast Florida counties. After scoring a Prudential-Davis Productivity Award, Chiarelli was recognized in November as the 2014 WTS (Women�s Transportation Seminars) South Florida Chapter Woman of the Year (a hallmark annual honorarium for Women in Transportation).

COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

At the meeting with Chiarelli, Roberts and Galt Mile officials stressed the need to maintain the neighborhood bus service - citing its importance to elderly hospital patients, Library and Community Center patrons - and residents for whom the Trolley is an indispensable element of a self-sufficient retirement. On February 2, 2015, Chiarelli joined Roberts at the Fountainhead Condominium to address the Presidents Council. She affirmed that ridership was strong on the Galt Mile route section along A1A south to Sunrise, as hundreds of Galt Mile residents mount regular excursions to Las Olas Boulevard and the Galleria. When recounting the disturbing ridership data for the Oakland Park Boulevard route segment, Chiarelli assured attendees that although the route was not in immediate danger, its future was uncertain.

While Chiarelli was on maternity leave (she had a little girl on June 12), interim Director Tara Crawford attended the June 18^th GMCA Advisory Board meeting. Afterwards, Crawford met with Galt Mile officials Pio Ieraci and Eric Berkowitz to discuss the underutilized Oakland Park Boulevard route segment. Although the route still exceeds the County�s contractual survival standard of 7.1 riders per hour, Crawford said that staffers are exploring a �reallocation of resources,� in case the decline in ridership is evidence of the neighborhood�s changing transportation proclivities.

As per Crawford, Sun Trolley route planners suggested severing Holy Cross Hospital and Imperial Point Medical Center as destination sites, thereby terminating the Oakland Park Boulevard route at the Coral Ridge Mall. Concerned about the burden it would place on fixed-income Galt Mile patients who rely on the service, and blowback from a neighborhood that reacts poorly to municipal policies harmful to its most vulnerable residents, Sun Trolley officials sought to offset the lost access to both medical centers by cutting a deal with the Pelican Hopper, the Community Bus Service for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS). Crawford said that discussions were underway to partially fill the void created by a venue change.

Although altruistic, the reaction appears less than spontaneous, as Chiarelli has been cultivating political capital in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea since March, when she partnered with the boutique town�s officials to reconfigure the Sun Trolley�s free tracking software. Developed with technical input from Leadership Broward in 2012, the downloadable Tracker App enables passengers with smartphones, tablets or computers to track the location of Sun Trolleys in real time across all seven routes � including the Riverwalk Water Trolley. By empowering riders to position themselves anywhere along the route to flag down a trolley precisely as it approaches, the Tracker App virtually eliminates the need to wait at a designated stop. Noting how the Galt Mile Sun Trolley and the Pelican Hopper intersect at multiple locations and �share a similar customer base,� when Chiarelli added Pelican Hoppers to the Tracker App, she banked a marker from LBTS officials. Whether the marker holds enough juice to sufficiently alter the Pelican Hopper route to mitigate the lost destination sites is questionable.

On weekdays, the Pelican Hopper duplicates three Sun Trolley stops in the Galt Mile neighborhood, at the Beach Community center, the Galt Mile Library and the corner of Galt Ocean Drive and NE 41^st Street. It also connects to Holy Cross Hospital, albeit via Commercial Boulevard instead of Oakland Park Boulevard. However, since the Pelican Hopper only extends south to Palm Avenue and A1A in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea on weekends, Galt Mile residents would lose their current Saturday service to Holy Cross. Also, the Pelican Hopper doesn�t service Imperial Point Hospital � regular destination sites for scores of Galt Mile medical patients who lack a vehicle - or driver�s license.

The Downtown Business District and the Galt Mile neighborhood are the City�s two most lucrative sources of Ad Valorem revenue � by far. In return, the community asks for - and receives - almost nothing. While an infusion of new families is slowly cultivating a younger demographic, the Galt Mile remains home to a major senior population - many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. The Sun Trolley is one of the few municipal benefits provided to Galt Mile residents.

Unless Sun Trolley officials are able to add Imperial Point Hospital to the existing Pelican Hopper route and extend the route south into the Galt Mile on weekends, Galt Mile residents will lose their free transportation to Imperial Point Medical Center - and their access to Holy Cross will be sharply curtailed. Spinning a service cutback as a �reallocation of resources� is unlikely to convince Galt Mile residents that they aren�t being stripped of an important resource.

FORT LAUDERDALE SUN TROLLEY

When Crawford admitted that she didn�t know what precipitated the slide in ridership, Galt Mile officials offered an explanation, and a methodology for vetting its viability. Given the usual board member turnover due to annual association elections, and the timely hiring of new association managers, many newly constituted association administrations know little or nothing about the service. Also, Sun Trolley Galt Mile outreach hit a brick wall when Zeiler departed last year. As a result, many associations are ill-equipped to inform their members about the Sun Trolley � especially new owners, tenants or visitors. As such, Galt officials asked Crawford to consider spending the next few months intensively reaching out to Galt Mile associations, providing informational flyers for association bulletin boards and handouts that owners might pick up in the Mail Room, building office or security desk.

If each association�s unit owners and management are brought up to speed about the free Community Bus service, yet decide against utilizing the Sun Trolley for patient visits at the Holy Cross or Imperial Point Medical Centers, Sun Trolley officials will have afforded the neighborhood a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate that the existing route should remain intact � subject to the caveat �Use it or lose it!�

So - the next time you have an appointment with a Holy Cross or Imperial Point medical provider; please consider taking the Sun Trolley. You can catch the air-conditioned Trolley in front of your building by simply waving your arm on approach � and once aboard, the driver will pull over and drop you wherever you indicate. You will spend nothing for gas or parking, and the trip home will terminate where it began - at the entrance of your building.

Once you use the Trolley, you�ll find yourself jumping on and off like a seasoned road warrior, and perhaps regret not having tried it sooner. More importantly, using it for visits to the Holy Cross or Imperial Point Medical Centers will help preserve them as destination sites � for all of us. Make no mistake, whether or not Sun Trolley officials embark on a high octane association outreach effort, ridership statistics in the upcoming months will dictate where the route terminates. Once a destination site is eliminated, prospects for reinstatement are comparable to those of a snowball in hell.

By the way � you don�t need a medical appointment to log in some Trolley time useful for this purpose. The Silver Sneakers program at Holy Cross offers the same equipment as a top commercial gym � for free (with Medicare or other insurance) � and unlike some gyms that charge $thousands annually, the fitness personnel actually know what they�re talking about. The Zachariah Wellness Center offers 50 classes each month, including Yoga, Pilates, Latin or Ballroom Dance, Zumba, Strength Training, Boot Camp and more. Imperial Point features comparable programs. With Medicare or any private insurance, the instructed sessions won�t cost a dime, including transportation to and from your front door � unless the Sun Trolley route is crimped while we snooze.

CRIST, PRUITT AND RUBIO PLEDGE TO DROP TAXES LIKE A ROCK

March 5, 2013 - Having survived an up-close view of the Abyss, the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile Route has come roaring back from the brink of oblivion. In May of 2007, then Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker (now Senator) Marco Rubio shared a podium in the Capitol�s fourth floor after the 60-day legislative session failed to provide Floridians with a promised tax cut. As choreographed for their staged sound bite, an ovoid grey rock inscribed with the word �Patience� was passed from one to the other, as each in turn swore to �drop taxes like a rock� in the upcoming June special session.

Notwithstanding this eerie gashouse intro, the resulting $31.6 billion tax reform package forced local governments to muzzle deeply inbred tax and spend habits fueled by annual property tax windfalls that were suddenly eviscerated by the recession. Mandated by law to roll back their impending FY 2008 property tax assessments to FY 2006 levels, local governments were also forced to cut taxes by another 3% to 9%, contingent on their taxing proclivities over the prior 5 years and measured against a statewide average. In short, those cities and counties that most burdened their taxpayers were charged with providing commensurately greater relief.

After decades of burning through tax revenues at light speed, Broward Commissioners were suddenly confronted with a statutory obligation to slice $100 million from the County�s $billion 2008 spending plan. In an unprecedented turf protection marathon, each Commissioner fought to cut appropriations for services and/or improvements in neighboring districts while fiercely defending their own pork projects. When the dust settled, along with libraries housed in structures not owned by the County, any local bus venues wherein utilization didn�t justify continued operation were marked for extinction. Fort Lauderdale�s community bus service � the Sun Trolley � is a project jointly sponsored by the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA) and Broward County Transit (BCT). Among the bus lines on the block was the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile route.

FORMER DIRECTOR LES HOLLINGSWORTH

In fact, Fort Lauderdale�s entire community bus service suffered near-terminal neglect when entrusted to former Sun Trolley Executive Director Les Hollingsworth, who spent a good deal more time solidifying his own future that that of the community bus service. When invited to address neighborhood associations and civic groups, Hollingsworth would outline a half-baked marketing strategy followed by assurances that working together would somehow salvage their besieged bus routes. Evidently, glad-handing at rubber chicken dinners tested the limits of his management skills.

TERMINATION LETTER - CLICK TO ENLARGE

Although the Galt Mile Route met the County�s contractual survival standard of 7.1 riders per hour, and despite promising neighborhood association officials that he would rescue the Galt Mile route, on October 10, 2008, Hollingsworth submitted a surreptitiously drafted termination notice condoning its demise! When the GMCA revealed Hollingsworth�s betrayal, a phalanx of angry residents who attended the October 21, 2008 City Commission meeting convinced Commissioners to abort the termination. By the time that the DFLTMA Board realized that their Sun Trolley Executive Director�s management vision was 99% vapor (and that he was sending out resumes), the entire enterprise was facing insolvency.

ABORT TERMINATION - CLICK TO ENLARGE

When Hollingsworth was finally issued walking papers, DFLTMA Executive Director Chris Wren stepped in as the Sun Trolley�s Interim Director. Wren futilely pleaded with local merchants to support underutilized routes throughout the City. Having watched Hollingsworth burn through meager agency resources to promote a series of botched screwball marketing �experiments�, the vendors were understandably unwilling to invest in a program with untested leadership and a horrific track record. Later, these vendors would regret not having accepted Wren�s invitation.

INTERIM SUN TROLLEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRIS WREN

Within months of Hollingsworth�s long-overdue dismissal, District 1 Commissioner Bruce Roberts and Wren met with GMCA officials Pio Ieraci and Eric Berkowitz to discuss last rites for the Galt Mile route. Ieraci, Berkowitz and Roberts convinced Wren to issue a temporary reprieve, and agreed to broker a series of meetings devoted to cultivating a long-neglected revenue source. The concept was simple. Instead of carrying vacationers from Port Everglades and beachfront hotels to the usual blood-letting tourist traps, by tailoring the service to accommodate the shopping needs of local residents, it would not only boost ridership, but jump-start business for vendors stung by the economic downturn.

SUN TROLLEY MANAGING DIRECTOR PATRICIA ZEILER

On September 15, 2009, the City signed a 3-year County contract with two one-year extensions to operate the Sun Trolley. Guided by constituent input aggressively solicited by new Sun Trolley Managing Director Patricia Zeiler, Wren restructured the Sun Trolley to better connect shoppers, patients and other consumers with customer-hungry vendors and service providers. Since adding Holy Cross Hospital to the Galt Mile route, elderly or disabled neighborhood residents who �walk the pool� every morning hop the Trolley to their regular afternoon Physical Therapy session at the Hospital. Extending the Galt Ocean Mile route south to the Galleria provided local residents with cheap and easy transportation to a world-class shopping venue and brought desperately needed new business to Macy�s, Neiman Marcus, Dillards and scores of smaller stores trying to rebuild a faltering customer base.

WREN SEAMLESSLY CONNECTED GALT OCEAN MILE, LAS OLAS & CONVENTION CONNECTION ROUTES

Since the southernmost link in the Galt Mile route � a stretch of Sunrise Boulevard from A1A to the Galleria � is also the northernmost link in the Las Olas Beaches/Convention Connection route, seamlessly connecting these two existing routes enabled Galt Mile shoppers to also access the Harbor Shops, stores on Las Olas Boulevard and a host of other shopping destinations. As an ancillary benefit, this new connectivity boosted recreational utilization as well, as an increasing number of Galt Mile and North Beach (the Palms, etc.) condo dwellers realized that a Trolley ride to the Fort Lauderdale beach area, Bahia Mar, Port Everglades, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Convention Center, the Museum of Art or the Las Olas Riverfront was fast, cheap and free of parking headaches. Despite the strained economy, burgeoning ridership incentivized further expansion as the DFLTMA chalked up a home run.

On January 18, 2012, Broward County Transit (BCT) Capital Planning Manager Barney McCoy notified the County�s 18 local partner municipalities about the availability of additional funds for the Community Bus Service program. BCT funds its share of the program by tapping revenues from the County�s 2000 Local Option Gas Tax, for which each participating municipality serves as a �pass-through� agency to its local bus operator. In short, funds allocated to each municipality are in turn budgeted to its Community Bus Service. When several municipalities either reduced service hours or discontinued fully funded routes, the unused resources held by the County were made available to the other municipalities. Four of BCT�s 18 partner municipalities dug into the cookie jar, including Fort Lauderdale.

Nearing the end of its three-year pact, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners wanted to insure the Sun Trolley�s fiscal viability before their planned consideration of signing the first one-year contract extension (from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013) at the June 5^th City Commission meeting. To help DFLTMA snag resources for planned service expansions, in February 2012, Fort Lauderdale City staff responded to McCoy�s invitation by submitting funding applications for an additional $92,109 on behalf of the Sun Trolley.

Of the additional $92,109 subsequently approved by BCT for the remainder of FY 2011-12, $2,484 would offset a Las Olas Beach route deficit, $27,945 would fund an additional trolley run for the Convention Connection route and a whopping $61,680 was earmarked to provide the increasingly popular Galt Ocean Mile route with new Saturday and Sunday service. Unfortunately, the $61,680 was inadequate to fully fund the Galt route�s planned weekend service.

To remedy the shortfall, City staffers drafted an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) that extends the contract between the City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. The Amendment housed a request for an incremental allocation of $19,918.08. Since no additional Gas Tax monies were available for the balance of fiscal year 2012, and city bean counters were cloistering reserves as a cushion against 2013 budget blowback, the only source of revenues was a non-transferable Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant dedicated to the Convention Connection bus route. Although Federal regulations intractably bind FTA revenue disbursements to the route for which they were approved, when Wren interconnected the Galt Mile and Convention Connection routes, he serendipitously obliterated the funding obstacle. Since the Federal dollars could legally be used to plug the deficit anticipated by the Galt Mile route�s weekend expansion, it remained on Zeiler�s �to do� list.

SUN TROLLEY CONNECTS GALT TO DOWNTOWN SHOPS

With cadres of commuting regulars congregating on the bus to lunch on Las Olas after shopping in Galleria, utilization rates soon outpaced projections. Flourishing under the aggressive leadership of Wren and Zeiler, monthly ridership reached an unprecedented 32,000 in December, 2012. In addition to attracting waves of frugal shoppers, the service has thinned the number of vehicles clogging city streets (and comparably cut the City�s carbon footprint). In one program sponsored by the Sun Trolley, parking spaces are reserved in centralized venues like Broward Government Center and the County Courthouse for carpooling commuters who then hop the Trolley to work. In January, Sun Trolley Executive Director Patricia Zeiler observed �Currently, Sun Trolley serves as an alternative to driving a car for over 7,000 passengers per month.�

On January 2, Zeiler expanded the Beach Link Route to a 7-day service. Running between the Harbor Shops (on the 17^th Street Causeway) and the Galleria Mall (at Sunrise Boulevard and the Intracoastal Waterway) with an option to cruise Las Olas Boulevard and Himmarshee Street, patrons can catch rides every 30 minutes from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM for 50�/ride or $2 for unlimited daily jaunts. Two weeks later she launched �Fort Lauderdale Excursion�, a new airport transportation and baggage storage service that enables tourists to sock away their luggage in �Bags To Go� before using the Sun Trolley ($19.95/person) and/or Water Taxi ($29.95/person) for unlimited rides throughout the City until they return to the airport, grab the bags and fly off. It sure beats spending a 14-hour layover drifting in and out of semi-coma in the airport lounge.

Wren and Zeiler have also turned the page on the Sun Trolley�s stunted commercial appeal. Newly awakened to its positive impact on business, instead of having to sweet-talk merchants into supporting the bus service, local vendors are actively competing for destination status on a Sun Trolley route. Many are willing to help finance the required expansion.

IMPERIAL POINT CEO ALICE TAYLOR

Zeiler also never forgot how extending the Galt Mile route to Holy Cross Hospital mutually benefitted the Sun Trolley and the Medical Center. On January 20, a $20,000 contribution enabled Zeiler to further extend the Galt Mile route to Broward Health Imperial Point Medical Center. Commenting on the expansion, Zeiler said �We are so pleased to have Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital join our route destinations. The Galt Link Route continuously ranks as one of Sun Trolley�s most popular routes amongst Broward County residents and we are confident that adding Broward Health Imperial Point will only serve to increase ridership.�

Keenly aware of the stiff competition among healthcare service providers, Broward Health Imperial Point CEO Alice Taylor added �Diagnostic services such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray and digital mammography are now just a trolley ride away for residents of Galt Ocean Mile. The partnership also means increased access to dozens of physicians in various specialties whose offices are located on the hospital�s campus.� Galt Mile residents who walk the pool every morning are delighted.

For additional information, contact Patricia Zeiler at Sun Trolley - 954-761-3543 - or email at [email protected].

Galt Mile Sun Trolley

Adapts to Survive

LES HOLLINGSWORTH DFLTMA DIRECTOR

May 22, 2009 - On April 16, 2009, Sun Trolley Executive Director Les Hollingsworth updated the Galt Mile Community Association Advisory Board about an ongoing struggle to salvage the Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley route. Most of the Sun Trolley�s routes have already fallen victim to budget-based funding shortages. Passenger utilization targets formulated to justify continued DFLTMA (Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association) funding for these neighborhood bus routes consistently fell short despite the implementation of an aggressive marketing campaign to boost ridership. Hollingsworth and Marketing Coordinator Rabia Qureshi cultivated alternative revenue streams from advertizing, soliciting corporate sponsors and renting the Sun Trolley�s 14 flashy vehicles for birthdays, weddings and other private events. They also molded service functionality to better address user needs. Not unlike hailing a taxi, prospective riders could flag down the Sun Trolley while strolling along the route.

Although the Galt Mile route suffered the same disappointing ridership statistics that closed the Tri-Rail Weekend Connector, the Weekend North - South Downtown Circulator, the Broward East-West Express, the Lauderdale Manors route and other Sun Trolley legacy connections, Commissioner Bruce Roberts worked with Hollingsworth to find a formula supportive of a reprieve. Shortly after inheriting the District 1 reins from former Commissioner Christine Teel, Roberts revived Teel�s contention that folding the Sun Trolley�s Galt Mile route would create an unacceptable hardship for local residents. The Barrier Island�s isolated geography severely impairs access to the Broward transportation alternatives available to county residents impacted by the other route closures.

HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL

Other Broward County Transit routes could admittedly fill the resulting public transportation void to destinations like the Coral Ridge Mall and certain North Beach locations. However, the Sun Trolley uniquely connects the otherwise isolated Coral Ridge Towers complex to important local venues such as the Galt Mile Reading Room. It also provides the entire population of Galt Ocean Drive with access to the Beach Community Center. More importantly, when the Galt Mile route was extended to Holy Cross Hospital in 2007, the Sun Trolley ridership was swelled by patients largely dependent on the easily accessible (and affordable) transportation for their continued health care. Loss of the Sun Trolley could create an insurmountable obstacle to the medical therapies that sustain many of these mostly elderly residents.

The Sun Trolley Galt Mile route has been dodging termination for months. On October 10, 2008, Hollingsworth sent a �Service Termination� notice to �Galt Mile Patrons�. The notice said, �Due to budget constraints and ridership requirements the Galt Ocean route will discontinue Friday, October 17, 2008. Alternative service is provided by Broward County Transit, Bus # 72, Bus # 10 and Bus # 62. These services are offered seven (7) days a week. Bus # 72 operates every 15 � 20 minutes, Bus #10 operates every 20 � 30 minutes, and Bus # 62 operates every 40 minutes. To find other Broward County Bus schedules please visit www.broward.org/bct by using Google Trip-Planner or call 954-357-8400 for more information.�

The resulting flood of irate opposition prompted the city to request reconsideration by the Transportation Management Association. On October 28, 2008, Hollingsworth sent an announcement to an angry District 1 constituency, �The City Commission of the City of Fort Lauderdale, at its meeting of Tuesday, October 21, 2008, requested that the Transportation Management Association (TMA) continue operating the Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley service on weekdays to the Coral Ridge Shopping Center and to the Holy Cross Hospital.� Clarifying that the stay of execution was temporary, Hollingsworth explained, �The Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley route is under review. The TMA will provide 30 days notice of any termination or change to the current service.�

CITY COMMISSIONER BRUCE ROBERTS

At their April 7^th Conference Agenda meeting, the City Commission considered a survival strategy for the Galt Mile route. Instead of operating Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (except on city holidays), the scaled back plan would support route operations for 3 days a week � Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (except city holidays), from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The frequency of service is every 60 minutes and the last hospital pickup is at 3:54 pm. The service change was scheduled to start on Monday, May 11^th. Hollingsworth applauded the rescue package, sending out an April 15^th letter to Galt Ocean Mile patrons announcing the new schedule. As such, along with the Downtown Courthouse Loop, the Las Olas Beaches/Convention Center Connection and the Northwest Circulator, Galt Mile residents will continue to benefit from a local neighborhood bus service. We owe a debt of gratitude to Hollingsworth and Roberts.

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Sun Trolley extends Galt Ocean Mile route to
Holy Cross Hospital

LES HOLLINGSWORTH DFLTMA DIRECTOR

April 17, 2007 - At the February 15, 2007 GMCA Advisory Board meeting, Executive Director Les Hollingsworth of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association schooled members about the policies and plans of our local bus service - the Sun Trolley. Hollingsworth explained that a planned expansion would extend our local service to include access to Holy Cross Hospital. He promised to alert us when the extension was approved. On March 31^st, Sun Trolley Marketing Coordinator Rabia Qureshi fulfilled his promise, sending this notice.

RABIA QURESHI

The Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA) operates the Sun Trolley community bus system, announces the extension of the Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley route to Holy Cross Hospital, effective Monday, April 9, 2007.

COMM CHRISTINE TEEL

City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, Christine Teel, and Broward County Commissioner, Ken Keechl, Executive Board members of DFLTMA, released the following joint statement on the route extension.

COMMISSIONER KEN KEECHL

�Many of our residents had expressed a desire to extend the regular route of the Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley to Holy Cross Hospital. The route was extended a short distance from the Coral Ridge Mall along Federal Highway at Oakland Park Boulevard, to the Holy Cross Hospital without adding additional cost to the system.�

The Trolley completes this route every sixty minutes. Hours of operation are the same, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. This will benefit individuals arriving at the peak hours of the morning when traffic is heavily congested.

HOLY CROSS CEO JOHN C JOHNSON

John C. Johnson, Holy Cross Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, �We appreciate the extension of the Sun Trolley from the Galt Ocean Mile and Coral Ridge Mall areas to our complex. This will enable our clients, visitors, associates and physicians, front door access to our myriad of services.�

Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale is a full-service non-profit Catholic Hospital, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross is a US News & World Report �Best Hospital� and HealthGrades �Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence�. They can be reached at www.holy-cross.com.

The Sun Trolley system provides community transit service to the City of Fort Lauderdale. The Sun Trolley community transit system has fourteen (14) vehicles serving eleven (11) routes. We can be reached at www.suntrolley.com or at 954-761-3543.

Click Here to see new Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley map and timetable for route to Holy Cross Hospital.

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New Sun Trolley Galt Ocean Mile route to Holy Cross Hospital

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New Sun Trolley Galt Ocean Mile - Holy Cross Timetable

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�Take the Bus� Information Links

• Sun Trolley
  • Sun Trolley Web Site
  • Systemwide Sun Trolley Route Map
  • Sun Trolley Downtown Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Sun Trolley Galt Ocean Mile Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Sun Trolley NW Community Link Route Map and Schedule (Tri-Rail Connection)
  • Sun Trolley Las Olas & Beach Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Sun Trolley Neighborhood Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Sun Trolley Airport Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Sun Trolley Uptown Link Route Map and Schedule
  • Riverwalk Water Trolley
  • Sun Trolley - Key Destinations
  • How To Contact Sun Trolley (DFLTMA)
    • Sun Trolley Office Address
      290 NE Third Avenue
      Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
    • Call Sun Trolley (DFLTMA): (954) 761-3543
    • Fax Sun Trolley (DFLTMA): (954) 761-1113
    • Email Sun Trolley (Robyn Chiarelli - Executive Director): [email protected]

• Pelican Hopper
  • Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Pelican Hopper Web Page
  • Pelican Hopper Route Map and Timetable (Requires Free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  • How To Contact Pelican Hopper
    • Call Pelican Hopper: (954) 776-0576
    • Pelican Hopper Hearing-speech impaired/TTY Info line at (954) 776-0567 (teletype machine required)

• Broward County Transit (BCT)
  • Broward County Transit Web Page
  • Broward County Transit Route Maps and Schedules
    • Routes connecting to the Galt Mile Area
      • Broward County Transit Route 11 - Weekday Map - Weekend Map
      • Broward County Transit Route 36 - Full Week Map
      • Broward County Transit Route 55 - Full Week Map
      • Broward County Transit Route 72 - Full Week Map
  • Broward County Transit System Wide Map (Requires Free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  • Broward County Transit Fares and Passes
  • Broward County Transit Detours, Delays and Service Changes
  • Broward County Transit Community Bus Service
  • Broward County Transit Community Bus Service Fact Sheet
  • Broward County Transit Rider Information
  • Broward County Transit Bus Pass Purchase
  • Broward County Transit Bus Pass Outlets
  • Broward County Transit Photo ID Cards
  • Broward County Transit Reports & Data
  • How To Contact Broward County Transit
    • Broward County Transit Rider Info line at (954) 357-8400
    • Broward County Transit Hearing-speech impaired/TTY Rider Info line at (954) 357-8302 (teletype machine required)

• Fort Lauderdale Parking
  • City of Fort Lauderdale Transportation & Mobility Department Web Page
  • City of Fort Lauderdale Transportation Division Web Page
  • City of Fort Lauderdale Parking Division Web Page
  • Parking Tickets
    • Pay Your Ticket Online!
    • Payment Information
    • Appeals Information
  • Pay by Phone
  • Parking Cards and Permits
    • Monthly Parking Permits
    • Residential Parking Permit Program - Birch Park Finger Streets
    • Resident Beach Parking Permit
    • Apply Online for Resident Beach Parking Permit
    • Fort Lauderdale Permit Areas
  • Parking Facilities
    • Public Parking Facilities
    • Public Parking Garages
    • Parking Lots and On-Street Parking
    • Public Beach Parking
    • Destinations & Parking Guide Brochure with Map
    • Parking Facilities in the Beach Region (North) - map
    • Parking Facilities in the Beach Region (South) - map
    • Parking Facilities in the Downtown Area - map
    • Boat Ramp and Marina Parking
    • Contact City of Fort Lauderdale Parking Services
      290 N.E. 3^rd Avenue
      Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
      • Call Parking Services: (954) 828-3700
        Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
        Thursdays: 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

*Above Links Last updated on June 22, 2015

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Take the Bus!

December 20, 2006 - Car being fixed? Stuck in the house? You don�t have to hang about, waiting for someone to take you to Targets, the Beach Community Center or the Fort Lauderdale Beach area. For a quarter, you can comfortably travel to these locations all day during the week. The City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County Transit provide inexpensive bus service to a host of local destinations. A product of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association (DFLTMA), the service formerly operated by City Cruiser is now called Sun Trolley. Their mission is �to allow the continued growth and economic development of downtown Fort Lauderdale while avoiding traffic congestion.� It was incorporated in 1992 to combine business resources and expertise with government efforts to solve local transportation problems. TMA funding comes from the public and private sectors, including grants from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Broward County, the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Downtown Development Authority, as well as dues and in-kind contributions from the private sector.

The DFLTMA targeted certain neighborhoods for inexpensive or free local shuttle service. Each of its 9 routes is designed to relieve traffic congestion in a specific area. The Sun Trolley provides transportation to and from Las Olas and the beaches, connecting the Performing Arts Center to the west and Vista Mar to the North. The Tri-Rail Weekend Connector runs from the Galt Ocean Mile to the Broward County Transit Central Terminal, Beach Place, Las Olas Boulevard, Broward Boulevard and the Tri-Rail. Our local Galt Ocean Mile / North Beach route connects Galt Ocean Drive with the Coral Ridge Towers complex, the Beach Community Center, the Coral Ridge Mall and the North Beach neighborhood. The NW Circulator connects the Broward County Transit Central Terminal with the Mizell Center and Regal Trace along Sistrunk Boulevard. The Lauderdale Manors route connects Lauderdale Villas and Hillmont Heights. The Weekday North - South Downtown Circulator and the Weekend North - South Downtown Circulator loops hits most major downtown attractions. The Lunchtime Route runs every ten minutes from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM during the week along Las Olas Boulevard and the Las Olas Riverfront. The Broward East-West Express connects Government Center West on University Drive with the Broward Sheriff�s Office and Government Center East along Broward Boulevard. The new Convention Connection hits Beach Place, the Swimming Hall of Fame, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center and Harbor Shops.

CLICK TO SUN TROLLEY WEB SITE

All Sun Trolleys are air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible, have double doors for easy access, and bike racks. The trolleys use bio-diesel fuel. The service pauses when a hurricane warning has been issued. As stated, our route services Galt Ocean Drive, the Coral Ridge Towers complex and North Beach to the Palms. For the 25� fare (exact change), it will zip you over to the Fort Lauderdale Beach Community Center or the Coral Ridge Mall - and back! The Galt Ocean Mile Sun Trolley leaves every 40 to 45 minutes from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM on weekdays. While there is no regular service on Saturday, Sunday or the 6 holidays observed by the City, the Sun Trolley Tri-Rail Weekend Connector service runs from the Galt Mile to the beaches, Las Olas Boulevard and the Tri-Rail.

CLICK TO GALT MILE READING CENTER

You can catch the shuttle at the Galt Mile Reading Center at 3403 Galt Ocean Drive, Fort Lauderdale. The Trolley heads north along Galt Ocean Drive to 41^st Street, where it cuts left to A1A and turns south to NE 36^th Street. It heads west on 36^th Street to Coral Ridge Towers North, returns to A1A, heads south to 34^th Street and turns west to the Beach Community Center. After the Center, it travels south on NE 32^nd Avenue to NE 32^nd Street, where it turns east to A1A. It hops over the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge to the Coral Ridge Mall at Middle River Drive (a block before Federal Highway). After the Mall, the Trolley returns east on NE 32^nd Street to Bayview Drive, where it jogs south to Oakland Park Boulevard and east over the Bridge to NE 33^rd Avenue. It heads south to 23^rd Street and east to A1A by the Palms and Ireland�s Inn. It returns North up A1A, passing the Bridge to NE 32^nd Street and turns west. It turns north at NE 32^nd Avenue and turns east at the Beach Community Center on NE 34^th Street, arriving at A1A. It proceeds one block north on A1A before turning east on NE 35^th Street to Galt Ocean Drive and the Galt Mile Reading Center. The trips are quick. It takes 18 minutes to get to the Mall from the Galt Mile Reading Center and about 29 minutes to reach North Beach locations like the Palms and Ireland�s Inn. Click Here to get the Sun Trolley routes and timetables for Galt Ocean Drive.

Sun Trolley Galt Route Map Sun Trolley Galt Schedule

On the weekend, the Tri-Rail Weekend Connector runs north along Galt Ocean Drive, turns west on NE 41^st Street and south on A1A. Passing Oakland Park Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard, it heads east on Las Olas Boulevard at Birch Road. It travels along Las Olas to Andrews Avenue, turning north to the Broward County Transit Central Terminal at NW 2^nd Street. It turn east on Broward Boulevard to the Tri-Rail and turns back west on Broward. It passes the Terminal and heads south to Las Olas Riverfront via SW 2^nd Street. Heading west on Las Olas Boulevard, it hops the Bridge and turns north on A1A at Beach Place. The Sun Trolley continues up A1A and turns east on NE 35^th Street to Galt Ocean Drive heading north. This free service runs every two hours from 7:30 AM through 9:00 PM. On Saturday Night, it runs to 11:00 PM. The trip from the Galt Mile to Las Olas Boulevard takes only 16 minutes.

Click to Tri-Rail Weekend Connector Information

So... big deal. It can get me to a few local destinations. NOT SO! Our local Galt Ocean Mile / North Beach route connects to other Sun Trolleys and more important, to 4 major Broward County Transit Bus Routes. Of Broward�s more than 1,200 square miles, Broward County Transit buses provide service to 410 square miles. The service area becomes even greater with Route 18, BCT�s first bus route to service the tri-county area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. To get a view of BCT�s fixed route bus service area, Click Here. Broward County Transit�s total active fleet of 284 fixed route buses and 75 community buses travel 13.4 million annual service miles. Four extensive County bus routes connect with the Galt Sun Trolley (Route 11, Route 36, Route 62 and Route 72), giving Galt Mile residents access to the entire County, with connections to Miami and Palm Beach. These BCT buses connect to downtown Fort Lauderdale, Las Olas Boulevard, Coral Ridge Mall, Sawgrass Mills, Lauderhill Mall, Pompano City Center, Galleria Mall, Coral Square Mall and hundreds of other popular locations. Click Here to go to the Broward County Transit web page to get routes and timetables.

Click Here to Pelican Hopper Web Page for Route, Stops and Timetables

Neighboring Lauderdale-by-the-Sea also offers their �Pelican Hopper�, now conducting rides for passengers to the Senior Center (in the LBTS Town Hall complex on Bougainvillea Dr.). It also makes hops to the Fort Lauderdale Beach Community Center, the Broward County Galt Mile Reading Center, the Ocean Market place, downtown LBTS and the Sea Ranch Center. The �Pelican Hopper� travels every 45 minutes with assigned stops beginning at 9 AM and ending at 5:25 PM. It operates Monday - Friday (except holidays), all day Saturday and Sunday morning. Click Here to go to the Pelican Hopper web page to get routes and timetables.

Every Trolley user represents one less internal combustion engine burning off the local air supply. Armed with a map and a schedule, you can reach almost any location in the County for the change you find in your couch� or for free. Avoid the frustrating hunt for a space, exorbitant fuel costs, bucking the traffic and the expense of parking. If it�s in Broward, chances are you can get there by bus. See below links to the various community transportation and parking services available to residents.

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