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Okaloosa County works to improve Public Transportation, seeks public input

Okaloosa County is working to improve the Emerald Coast Rider Transit System and has initiated a Comprehensive Operations Analysis. This analysis is taking place with support from the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization and will be an in-depth evaluation that includes public input. The county is encouraging the public to utilize EC Rider and participate in an online […]

Okaloosa County Public Information Office

Okaloosa County is working to improve the Emerald Coast Rider Transit System and has initiated a Comprehensive Operations Analysis. This analysis is taking place with support from the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization and will be an in-depth evaluation that includes public input.

The county is encouraging the public to utilize EC Rider and participate in an online or in-person survey of their experience. EC Rider has routes throughout the County and at various locations. 

  • Routes and bus information can be found at ECRider.org
  • You can take the short online survey, here.

The contractor for this project, HDR Inc., will be conducting interviews with various stakeholders from municipalities, chambers of commerce and the County to gather a wide range of input to improve efficiencies within the system. 

  • Additionally, HDR associates will be riding as passengers on EC Rider’s routes during a site visit in June to explore opportunities for further systemwide improvements.

“EC Rider can be a vital part of providing affordable and accessible transportation to residents and visitors,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “This comprehensive analysis will give us the opportunity to improve the existing system and explore new opportunities through thoughtful collaboration with local officials and other stakeholders.”

The results of the survey, interviews, and ride-along will be analyzed to develop a plan to improve the EC Rider experience and a strategy for the implementation of a new plan is expected in early 2024, according to the county. 

  • By examining the performance of bus services, the county anticipates that the analysis will identify opportunities to repurpose transit resources from low-performing areas. 

For Okaloosa County, the ultimate objective is to improve transit operations, increase ridership of tourists and residents, and offer a robust, multimodal experience for the EC Rider service area.

One Response

  1. Hello, I’m a transplant from Portland OR. I moved away in 1980 and have yet to see any city or state with the intricate, multi- line bus transit system like I grew up with. It would prove beneficial to our area if there were some research into the TRIMET bus systems ( especially its early days of operations). As teens in the early 70’s we were able to travel from Portland to all points north, south, east & west on the city buses. There were intricate transfer systems, enclosed bus stops with video info pertaining to the different routes we could access. There was even a 2 mi. sq. area downtown where riders rode for free called “ Fare-less Square”. My family being unable to afford cars for myself and siblings, were fortunate yo have access to such a fabulous system . We rode the bus to concerts downtown, to the movies & malls in Beaverton and Gresham for a small fee. Bus passes were available for $20, that included the ability to transfer from one route to another at no additional cost. TRIMET has evolved and improved by leaps and bounds in the last 3 decades but remains a vital, necessary & wildly popular method of transport to Oregonians today! I’d love to sit and break it down in detail with you sometime….

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