© 2024 | WUWF Public Media
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514
850 474-2787
NPR for Florida's Great Northwest
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

ECAT unveils new buses, free passes for K-12 students

One of the new buses for ECAT.
Sandra Averhart
/
WUWF Public Media
One of the new buses for ECAT.

Escambia County Area Transit, ECAT, showcased a few service and infrastructure enhancements at its headquarters Tuesday, which includes the addition of three new Wi-fi ready buses and free rides for youth.

“By doing this, we ensure that every child gets a chance to get to a safe destination,” proclaimed Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May, as he announced the launching of the county’s new Step Into Transit program.

Support Local Stories. Donate Here.

“Now, we have the Student Transit Empowerment Pass (STEP) that will allow all of our children, kindergarten through 12th to get a free pass to ride the bus.”

May, who represents District 3, credited District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry for coming up with the idea, which expanded on his proposal for free library cards, and free bus rides for youth with library cards. He called the new free passes an important investment, beginning with kids’ ability to access afterschool programs and summer employment.

“When we look at the violence and the pockets of poverty and the things that adversely affect our community, one of the number one barriers is transportation. If you can’t get to work or you can’t get to school or you can’t get to your health care appointment, then you just won’t be successful.”

RELATED: ECAT driver Willie Carter honored for 47 years of service

“Having those children allowed on our vehicles for free, that actually allows us to not just change our service, but actually increase the future ridership,” added Rodriguez Kimbrough, director of mass transit for Escambia County, during remarks from a podium set up in front of one of ECAT’s three new buses.

“The importance of that vehicle is because Escambia County Area Transit, and the mass transit department, had not purchased big buses of this kind in over a decade.”

The new 2022 Gillig buses are brightly colored in waves of blue and green and equipped with seated capacity for 23 riders, additional hand straps for riders to safely stand, and room to accommodate two wheelchairs and two bicycles.

Sandra Averhart
/
WUWF Public Media

“We’re looking for a more efficient system that allows for a citizen to get from point A to point B in a faster manner,” said Kimbrough.

“But, while doing that, we want them to be able to have something that they’re comfortable on. They’ll be vehicles with Wi-Fi. We’re changing the color schematics of the way that the vehicles actually look. We want to get those (older) green and black, ugly vehicles off the road. We want you to actually ride our service and be proud.”

Kimbrough was especially excited about technological advances on the ECAT buses, which should all be Wi-fi capable within the next three months.

“The citizens will actually be able to track their trips,” he began. “For our young professionals and future professionals they can do work with their laptop, utilizing our Wi-Fi on our vehicles.”

Additionally, plans to make ECAT more efficient and easy for citizens, include the installation of new fare boxes on all buses within the next year.

There’s also a new sense of pride in the Rosa Parks Transit Authority Building, which boasts a number of improvements.

“You can’t see it, but we got a brand new roof. For the first time in probably 20 years, the building doesn’t leak,” said Assistant County Administrator Wesley Hall.

“In addition to that, the parking, the first time it’s been paved in over a decade. So, we’re really, really moving in the right direction. And, finally, the building itself, it looks great. For the first time, it looks like a professional facility.”

Even though these new buses still operate on diesel, Kimbrough expects them to be more efficient and require less maintenance. Down the road, the county is working on a plans for adding electric vehicles to the fleet. He says this is all part of ECAT’s drive toward excellence.

“We actually truly believe in three to five years, what was once known as the pre-historic transit agency in the state of Florida, can be an award-winning transit agency,” he said. “That’s our goal.”

Sandra Averhart has been News Director at WUWF since 1996. Her first job in broadcasting was with (then) Pensacola radio station WOWW107-FM, where she worked 11 years. Sandra, who is a native of Pensacola, earned her B.S. in Communication from Florida State University.