Palm Tran Fills Service Gaps with “The Link”

by Commissioner Jeff Koons

February 12, 2008

Palm Tran, the County’s transit system, has come up with a way to provide service to dozens of residential and gated communities where regular fixed-route service is not available. “The Link,” Palm Tran’s new route deviation service, was launched on February 11.

It’s a cross between fixed-route and paratransit service, and I think it will be a hit. There are seven new one-day-per-week deviation links, each with a specific color designation: lime, blue, purple, gold, orange, red and magenta. Three of the links run along roadways within District 2.

The smaller, 19-seat buses that participate in the Link system will go up to three-fourths of a mile off their normal route for scheduled pick-ups at shopping plazas, medical centers and Tri-Rail stations. Link service runs Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with one to two routes in operation each day. There are also “flag down” locations along the way to reduce the amount of walking to the next pick-up point.

Trips can be scheduled 72 hours in advance, and all vehicles are ADA accessible. The cost is just 50 cents each way. One more thing, no local tax dollars are involved. The service is being funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation.

See if one of the following Links will make it easier for you to use Palm Tran:

• Lime Link – operates on Wednesdays from Nassau Square on Lake Worth Road and runs south on Lyons Road to the Caridad Center. The Caridad Center provides free medical and dental care to a large population of agricultural workers, laborers and the working poor of Palm Beach County through the dedicated work of more than 500 licensed professional and community volunteers.
  
  
• Blue Link - operates on Mondays from near Okeechobee Blvd. and Haverhill Road, to Northlake Blvd. and Military Trail.
  
  
• Orange Link - operates on Wednesdays and runs along Congress Ave. and Belvedere Road to Northpoint Center on 45th Street via Village Blvd. and Westgate Avenue.
  

Palm Tran’s mission is to provide efficient, safe and reasonably priced public transportation for the people of Palm Beach County, and I am very excited about the extra accessibility the new Links offer. For route maps or to schedule a pick-up, please go to www.palmtran.org or call 649-9838.

As always I welcome your comments and questions. Please feel free to contact me or my staff at 355-2202.