Project aims to ease I-95 traffic between the two counties
Palm Tran’s rush-hour express bus service between downtown West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie will begin September 23, promising a 50-mile trip in under an hour for a $3 fare with no direct cost to Palm Beach County taxpayers for now.
Palm Beach County’s public bus service will operate leased charter buses, equipped with WiFi and restrooms, between the downtown West Palm Beach bus station/Tri-Rail station and a park-and-ride bus station in Port St. Lucie.
The buses will run early mornings and early evenings on weekdays.
Palm Beach County commissioners approved the $396,000 route in June, agreeing to fund it for one year with a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation.
What is the Palm Tran express bus schedule?
The route, which will take between 55 and 60 minutes, will depart the park-and-ride lot at 6:05 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. and from the West Palm Beach train station at 5 a.m., 5:25 a.m., 5:50 p.m., and 6:50 p.m.
The buses will travel along Interstate 95 between the West Palm Beach Intermodal Transit Center on Tamarind Avenue and the Jobs Express Terminal Park & Ride bus station in Port St. Lucie on Southwest Gatlin Boulevard.
Palm Tran will lease charter buses with a capacity of 56 passengers from Nations Bus Corp. The buses feature reclining seats, individual overhead fans, rooftop luggage space, and wheelchair lifts and restraints.
The trip between the two stops is a 40- to 55-minute drive along I-95 during morning or evening hours, according to Google Maps searches.
Where did the idea for the Port St. Lucie express route come from?
Palm Tran conducted a survey to gauge demand for the Port St. Lucie express service, receiving 905 responses. Of those, 63% said they were likely to use the service, and another 27% said they might. Many of the expected passengers are county employees.
Passengers arriving in West Palm Beach will be within walking distance of the Tri-Rail/Amtrak/Greyhound station, the Brightline train station, West Palm Beach City Hall, the Palm Beach County government building, and the rest of downtown.
The Port St. Lucie park-and-ride lot has 162 parking spaces, six electric vehicle chargers, six bus passenger waiting areas, and parking for bicycles and motorcycles.
Image: Atlantikas
