PANAMA CITY BEACH – Many of Beach’s employees live in other parts of the county, and Lamar Hobbs said he believes public transportation plays a big role in the city’s economy.
At Thursday’s City Council meeting, Hobbs, Bay County’s transportation program manager, updated officials on the Bayway, a public transit system used throughout the region, and its impact on Panama City Beach.
“I think it’s essential to a lot of economies because we’re creating pathways for these people to go to the beach, to their places of work, and to allow them to live in their respective cities. We also provide the services that business owners need to stay in business,” Hobbs said.
He pointed out that Bayway was established in 1983 and offers two types of transportation systems. One is a fixed route system with designated routes throughout the region, and the other is a demand response system where eligible applicants can request specific pick-up and drop-off times.
It also boasts seven routes covering Callaway, Lynn Haven, Parker, Springfield, unincorporated areas of Bay County, Panama City, and Panama City Beach.
According to information from the meeting, Bayway completed approximately 302,000 route rides during fiscal year 2022. More than 127,000 of those cases occurred specifically in Panama City Beach. Approximately 34,000 others followed the route from Callaway to his PCB and back.
Hobbs said PCB donates more than $46,000 to Bayway each year. The Beach’s contribution includes $45,000 for fixed routes and approximately $1,234 for demand response.
“There are actually two routes that run through Panama City Beach, except when you cross the (Hathaway) Bridge to pick up and drop off from Gulf Coast State University and Florida State University. I’m running on the beach,’” Hobbs said. “We do more trips on this particular route than anywhere else in the county because the most people are trying to get to Panama City Beach.
“Usually it’s because that’s where they need to go to work. A lot of them go out there because it’s a social place.”
Local authorities earlier this month finalized details of a program to help “vulnerable road users” pay for rides on either Bayway or Uber. Through this initiative, eligible applicants pay his $1.50 co-pay per ride, with the county covering the rest. The program is funded by a grant of more than $700,000 from the Florida Commission for Vulnerable Persons.
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To qualify for transportation benefits, applicants must have no other means of transportation and meet at least one additional requirement: be over 60 years old, have an income below current poverty guidelines, or have a disability. must be met.
To apply for vulnerable road status, please visit: www.baywaytransit.org.