November 2022 – Each year, the TPO evaluates the Sunshine Line on the quality of its service and presents findings to the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board (TDCB) and Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (FLCTD). This year’s report looks at what the data and the community have to say about the Sunshine line for fiscal year July 2021 through June 2022. And just like the previous evaluation, the Sunshine Line does not disappoint its users.
For the new report, we surveyed 425 riders and collected performance data on five major areas: reliability, service effectiveness, service efficiency, service availability, and safety. Most of the riders we surveyed said Sunshine Line vehicles were safe and clean, their trips were reliable, and they were satisfied with their drivers. Additional data also pointed to improvements in the Sunshine Line’s performance over the previous evaluation period.
Background
The evaluation of the Sunshine Line is a part of a larger statewide effort required by the FLCTD. The commission contracts directly with the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) in each county/service area for the coordination of transportation services for community members who have income or mobility barriers to safe and reliable transportation. The Sunshine Line serves as the CTC for Hillsborough County, providing door-to-door transportation and bus passes for people with disabilities as well as elderly and low-income community members who do not have or cannot afford their own transportation. Transportation is provided for medical and social service appointments, grocery trips, health and wellness, personal business, and more
What We Recommend
This year’s evaluation makes the following recommendations:
- Continue working toward restoring service to pre-COVID levels
- Fulfill customer requests to reinstate Saturday service
Next Steps
The TDCB approved the evaluation of the Sunshine Line at its bi-monthly meeting on Oct. 28. The evaluation will now go to the FLCTD for consideration. To read the presentation on the 2021/2022 evaluation or the read the full report, visit planhillsborough.org/community-transportation-coordinator-evaluation/. For questions and comments about the evaluation, please contact Joshua Barber, AICP at barberj@plancom.org or 813-576-2313.
