Monday, April 3rd, was a “red letter day” for residents of South Brooksville, with the initiation of a new county bus stop in their neighborhood. This represents an important step forward to making affordable transportation available to those who either don’t drive or don’t have a car. The bus stop is part of the purple route and is located at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Muhammed Ali Way.
Martha Maner, who was born and raised in South Brooksville, commented, “There used to be a bus stop in this neighborhood, but then it was moved to another location. We had some challenges to go through to get the bus stop put in. There had to be certain safety measures. For example, the bus had to have a place to be able to turn around, and it couldn’t be turning around on private property.”
The decision to pursue this matter came about from a survey that the South Brooksville Tax Redevelopment Advisory Committee (TRAC) made among the residents of the area last year.
Connie Green, president of TRAC, remarked, “We held face-to-face interviews with people to find out what their needs were, and one of the things was the bus stop. People had problems getting around.”
The project would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which provided the funds for the bus stop, the city of Brooksville, and the county commission. Because the land north of MLK Blvd. belongs to the city and the area south of this road belongs to the county, both jurisdictions were involved.
Blake Bell, Brooksville mayor, stated, “The county came to us and asked for approval to put an additional bus stop here. The plan received unanimous support from the city council. I’m very proud that this conversation came from the community, the county, and the city, all talking about what is good for South Brooksville. It’s a great day for South Brooksville.”
TRAC is a subcommittee of Community Conversation, which began several years ago because people wanted to have some input regarding their concerns and what needs to be changed in their community. It grew out of individuals and government officials sitting down and actually having a conversation about how to make the community better.
The Hernando County Transportation System consists of buses that cover four different routes, some of which connect to the Pasco County bus system. The buses run from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday and arrive every hour. Reduced fares are available for seniors, students, and other individuals who provide documentation. These riders are then issued a Reduced Fare Photo ID which they present to the driver when they board the bus.
For more information, call (352) 754-4444 or visit www.HernandoBus.com
You can request a printed schedule by calling the same number, or you can download an app that gives you details about the schedules and with which you can track the buses.
The completion of this project is a great example of what can happen when government entities and private citizens come together to make the community a better place in which to live. What benefits one segment of the community benefits the entire community.
As Ms. Green Connie Green remarked, “I want to thank the county and the city for all they’ve done to make this happen.”
