Proposed Tarpon Springs city shuttle passes first hurdle

A suggestion for the city to provide free shuttle service between the historic downtown and Sponge Docks won consensus approval from the City Commission, with a decision potentially to be made the first week of December.Vice Mayor Michael Eisner, who brought up the topic, told fellow commissioners, “We need to work with the businesses that need help, and right now the Sponge Docks needs help, Tarpon Avenue needs help, and even down further south (Pinellas Avenue) needs help.”To address the issue, “we need to connect all of the businesses through a shuttle system,” he said.“What I proposed to the city manager is for us to purchase two of these (shuttles), and possibly get retired gentlemen as a driver. … I would love to do this (drive the shuttle) myself,” Eisner said.“I think it would be a great attribute to have city commissioners, and I’m not pushing anyone else to do this, but I want to be there to drive that, and explain to people why I want them to spend money in our town,” he added. “Who better to explain that but people that are here donating their time. We don’t earn a lot of money, but we do this because we love the town.”The vice mayor noted he saw these vehicles cost under $100,000. “I don’t think it would be a lot of money,” he added.He said a similar shuttle bus in New Port Richey does eight stops, adding that he would seek comments from fellow commissioners as to the service they would like to see Tarpon’s shuttle provide. “Would we just want to make four stops or eight stops? If someone in town drank too much, would we want to bring them back to the house, so they won’t get stopped by the police?”“I’m not talking on a regular basis, I’m talking about having a system where somebody can choose to be driven home, rather than take that risk of getting behind the wheel of a car,” he said. “I would be charging them, otherwise I don’t think we should be charging, just working for tips.”“I really think it would be advantageous to get this going between Tarpon Avenue and the Sponge Docks and even traveling as far as Meres,” he suggested. “We’re trying to do another CRA area and this would really bring everything together.”The vice mayor showed a video of downtown New Port Richey, which touts that city’s main street “as thriving and the shuttle as the best way to get around.” The New Port Richey shuttle is an 11-passenger, ADA-accessible, electric ride that makes eight stops, allowing visitors to “hop on and hop off to explore downtown shops, breweries, attractions and events. No need to circle for a spot or melt in the heat.”Mayor John Koulianos said he is in favor of moving forward with this project. “I think it should be given back to the city manager. This is going to have to go before the CRA (which is composed of City Commission members). Come back to the CRA with the cost, and then we can get into what it actually does, where it goes, and all those other kinds of things. I’m definitely in favor of it.”Commissioner David Banther joked, “With exception of the vice mayor driving the vehicles, I’m in full support.”He said he thinks “it’s a great idea. I like it better than the original one that was proposed earlier in the year (to look into contracting with Freebee). It was the one Dunedin uses. … I like this because we can control it, set the routes. What do we have to lose? If it doesn’t work, we just stop doing it and sell the vehicles. I think this go around is going to be successful and I think it’s a good idea.”Commissioner Frank DiDonato said, “I, too, can go along with this concept; there’s a lot of things we don’t know, the exact cost and how we’re going to do it, but I agree with the mayor that we can discuss that later. I think this is a viable concept, more so than maybe even the last one; that was viable too, it was just money at the time. I’m in favor with going forward.”Commissioner Panagiotis Koulias said, “I’m in full support; I think this is a great opportunity. I want to make sure it should seat at least 11 people.”He noted, “I would ask for an aggressive date for it to come back for us to be reviewed, as soon as Dec. 1 for us to make a decision. We’ve got to time this out right, a little bit before the season, so we can really get a good picture of this — as soon as possible the better.”City Manager Charles Rudd said he definitely has a consensus to bring it back “because this is a CRA decision and expenditure. It is in the plan, so it’s an authorized expenditure. We’ll get the information as quickly as we can, and bring it to you for your approval.”

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