Public transportation is important for cities looking to provide efficient and sustainable transit options. Residents in Tallahassee, specifically a significant number of students from Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College, are questioning the accessibility and reliability of StarMetro, the city’s main transit system.
What does Tallahassee’s StarMetro have to do in order to establish itself as a dependable transit option for all of its individuals? The city is making investments in electric buses and new infrastructure. However passengers and residents are still waiting for answers to the ongoing failures and delays in the service.
Dominique Maddox, StarMetro’s transit services manager, discussed significant future improvements for the city’s public transportation system.
“It’s an exciting time for StarMetro,” Maddox said. “The South Side Transit Center is under construction, and more electric buses are on the way to support an even cleaner, greener and more connected Tallahassee for years to come.”
According to StarMetro, it currently provides more than 2 million trips annually, making it an important part of Tallahassee’s transportation system. Maddox said that the new South Side Transit Center will enhance commuting by offering new features and improved route connections. The facility is already under construction and is anticipated to create 226 jobs and $35 million in economic impact, according to Maddox.
Even with these improvements, there are still problems with StarMetro’s usage and effectiveness. The most recent budget reports from the city of Tallahassee show that StarMetro runs on an annual budget of about $20.6 million and is constantly working to update its offerings. Additionally, the Federal Transportation Administration’s 2022 Annual Agency Profile highlights StarMetro’s importance in the local transportation system by stating that it delivered 2,400,833 passenger journeys in 2023.
Students like Brandon “Ken” Brown, a senior broadcast journalism student at FAMU, often rely on StarMetro to get to campus.
“Some days the buses are reliable, but other times, I’ve waited over an hour for a bus that’s supposed to come every 30 minutes,” Brown said. “It’s a problem I face numerous times where I had to let my professors know I’m not intentionally being late or trying to miss your class.”
He also reflected on times where the bus schedule didn’t make sense but he said he looks forward to some changes.
“The last route that goes to FAMU is at 6 p.m. but for Tallahassee to be considered a college student town the buses tend to stop running at 6:30, making it unfair for students taking night classes.”
For the greater good of college students, he added: “One improvement for StarMetro would be to extend the route times for periods for the sake of college students.”
The switch to electric buses is one of StarMetro’s most significant initiatives, supporting the city’s environmental goals. More than one-third of StarMetro’s service is electric, and more additions are in the works, according to Maddox. This move has been well received by the community, she added, as it reduces emissions and noise pollution.
StarMetro uses feedback from the community through outreach activities, rider surveys and public meetings to address service accessibility.Initiatives like fare-free trips for K–12 students and additions to bus stops are the results of this participation.
Although Tallahassee is making progress in enhancing its transit system, both drivers and residents anticipate more reliable service as a result of these improvements. The city seems dedicated to handling the transportation needs of its growing population with infrastructure improvements like the South Side Transit Center and the switch to electric buses.To ensure that public transportation is a reliable option for all residents, however, ongoing involvement from the community and performance improvements are essential in order to look forward to a brighter future in the Tallahassee area.