About Us
Introduction to PTA
On June 27, 2007, the Florida Legislature created the Polk Transit Authority which is an independent special district for purposes of providing mass transit services to the citizens of Polk County. The Authority has a Board of Directors made up of nine voting members and one non-voting member that represent the citizens of Polk County and its municipalities. The Authority is independent from the Board of County Commissioners and the municipalities within the county.
The Legislation creating the Authority can be seen below.
Progress is moving forward in Polk County and so is the Polk Transit Authority. The driving force behind providing county-wide transit, top quality service and a seamless transition toward the future, the Polk Transit Authority is working diligently to make public transportation your mobility choice.
Mission and Vision Statements and Strategies
Mission
Provide safe, efficient and accessible public transportation service to serve the travel needs of Polk County residents and visitors with access to jobs, education, medical care, and community services, places, and events – to support vibrant livable communities.
Vision
Be the community provider of countywide public transportation services.
Strategies
1. Community Needs – The PTA will solicit public and stakeholder comments to identify and understand the community need for public transportation services including the need for access to jobs, educational opportunities, medical care, and services. These outreach efforts will be all-inclusive to identify the needs of visitors and all segments of our population.
2. Community Education – The PTA will initiate and partner in programs to educate the community on the need for and the value of public transportation. These efforts will include community forums, e.g., transit summits or public meetings, and regular updates to local governments and other stakeholders.
3. Community Vision – The PTA will support Polk Vision, other local visioning efforts, and local government initiatives to include transit as an integral part of livable communities. It will coordinate with local governments to implement transit supportive land uses and transit oriented development.
4. Cost Efficiency – The PTA will make the best use of existing resources to provide cost-efficient services and be a good steward of public resources. Where cost-effective, the PTA will seek to consolidate services and reduce or eliminate the duplication of administrative services.
5. Consolidated Service Plan – The PTA will develop and implement a community based and supported plan to provide countywide public transportation services and access to the regional transportation system including high speed rail. This plan, based on the identified community needs and vision, shall include an appropriate mix of urban and rural-based services to ensure mobility for all residents and visitors in a cost-effective manner.
6. Community and Financial Support – The PTA will build consensus and community support for dedicated, stable funding sources for countywide public transportation services. These efforts will be aimed at building a broad base of support ranging from individual transit users to community organizations, local governments and the business community. The PTA will seek the active support of the County’s government and community leaders to secure a dedicated funding source for the PTA in order to achieve its vision and fulfill its mission.
7. Coordination with Regional Entities – The PTA will coordinate with other regional entities including Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX), Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) and SunRail to ensure access to the larger region as part of a seamless transportation system.
Past/Present/Future
PAST
The Polk Transportation Planning Organization conducted a Countywide Transit Study in 2003 which provided evidence that increased coordination and cooperation among Polk transit providers was needed. The Polk Regional Transportation Organization (RTO) was created in 2004 to increase coordination of the existing transit services and lead the transition to a new countywide transit system. The RTO Board members, along with the Transition Committee, worked on drafting the legislation presented to the Florida Legislators in 2007 to form the Polk Transit Authority. On July 27, 2007, Governor Crist signed Bill 777, officially forming the Polk Transit Authority. The Polk Transit Authority Board of Directors was seated and held its first meeting on February 27, 2008, in Haines City.
In 2009, the Center of Urban Transportation Research was contracted by the Polk Transportation Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation to conduct a Comprehensive Operational Analysis of the Winter Haven Area Transit system and the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District. The purpose of this Analysis was to evaluate the existing transit services identifying potential improvements.
Along with the Comprehensive Operational Analysis, the Polk Transit Authority contracted with Runways Transportation, Inc., to conduct a Master Strategic Plan, the Authority’s Business Plan. The Plan identifies the strategies and procedures to consolidate the existing county transit service efficiently and identified future transit corridors and services to expand transit services countywide including staffing, operational revenues and expenses, and facility and capital needs and expenses.
After these two studies were completed, the Authority’s Board asked the Board of County Commissioners to place the referendum asking for the voters of Polk County to vote for a ½ cent sales surtax to fund the Polk Transit Authority. The Board of County Commissioners approved this request on December 16, 2009. Polk County staff and Polk Transit Authority staff then worked together to develop a Public Education Program to educate the citizens of Polk County with the countywide transit plan.
The referendum went before the voters for approval in November of 2010. Unfortunately, the funding of countywide transit was not approved by the voters.
PRESENT
The In-kind Support Staff of the Authority, which is provided by the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District, Polk County Board of County Commissioners, and the Polk Transportation Planning Organization, along with the Polk Transit Authority Board of Directors are currently focusing on the next steps for the Authority. These steps include analyzing the results of the referendum, discussions with focus groups and countywide surveys, and establishing desire of County officials and citizens to gear up for another referendum attempt in 2012 or delay until 2014 or later.
FUTURE
Secure public support and local funding for the Polk Transit Authority to operate a countywide transit system. The timing of a referendum to fund the system will be made by the Polk Transit Authority Board.