Winter Haven Area Transit Ridership Rebounds Significantly after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Winter Haven Area Transit Ridership Rebounds Significantly after the COVID-19 Pandemic

By James Coulter

Even with the local bus service experiencing a significant rebound in ridership following the COVID-19 pandemic, Winter Haven Area Transit (WHAT) will not be seeking any additional funding from the City of Winter Haven for this fiscal year.

The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District, which operates as Citrus Connection, the entity responsible for public transportation in Polk County, is only requesting $293,824 from the City of Winter Haven for this fiscal year, which is the same amount of money they requested last year.

“We have always asked for more money, but this year we are pleased to announce we are not asking for any more dollars,” said Tom Phillips, Citrus Connection General Manager. “We are asking for no contract increase in this fiscal year, so the total contribution amount is $293,824.46, the same allocation as of last year, and it funds all the services [in Winter Haven].”

Within the past year, WHAT has provided approximately 328,000 boardings in the area. The transit service has experienced a significant rebound in ridership following the COVID-19 pandemic. The county had lost 40 percent of its Winter Haven ridership during the pandemic, which was common, as overall transit ridership was down 70 percent during that time.

Currently, the Citrus Connection provides nine routes in the Winter Haven area through WHAT. The service has experienced 328,833 boardings at bus stops in Winter Haven. Their most popular route is Route 30 servicing LEGOLAND at approximately 83,000 boardings.

Approximately 87 percent of the people in the Winter Haven area who use transit do not have access to a personal use vehicle. This rate is the highest in the country, Phillips stated. Work is the number one reason for this ridership, as nearly 56 percent of WHAT rides are for employment.

WHAT’s overall success is partly due to Winter Haven being the only city in Polk County offering transit service seven days a week. This daily service is due in part to the private-public partnership among Citrus Connection, the City of Winter Haven, and Merlin Entertainment, which owns and operates LEGOLAND Florida Resort.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort had requested a seven-day-a-week transit service to help facilitate their employees, as many were unable to work on Sunday due to buses previously not running on that day, Phillips explained.

“We had received a phone call from the general manager, who said we have a problem,” Phillips explained. “[They] cannot meet the three o’clock check-in time for our hotel guests because the staff who make up the rooms cannot come in because the bus service does not run on Sunday.”

“So, you are the only community with seven-day-a-week service,” he continued. “Not only does it move Legoland Model Citizen Employees to and from their work, but anyone who lives and works or plays in the corridor including the elderly and disabled benefit from that seven-day-a-week transit service.”

WHAT also provides Transportation Disadvantaged, a service that allows residents living at or below the federal poverty line and who reside along the fixed bus routes to ride their transit services for free.

Currently, Citrus Connection is considering providing microtransit options through the Winter Haven CRA. They will present their proposal, along with findings about potential development patterns in the area, later this summer.