PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Residents in Putnam County will soon be getting back on buses as public transportation service finally returns after being unavailable for over a year.
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On November 17, 2023, the public transportation service for Putnam County, Ride Solutions, sent out this letter announcing that its service would be suspended starting December 1, 2023.
“It was basically a result of Medicaid reform,” said Boyd Thompson, Executive Director of Ride Solutions.
The executive director of Ride Solutions, Boyd Thompson, explained that the service was halted due to a $750,000 loss in Medicaid and Medwaiver transportation funding from Florida’s 2019-2022 Medicaid managed care program.
It forced people who relied on Ride Solutions for 30 years to find other ways to get around.
County leaders recognized the need for public transportation and voted to reinstate the service, but it will be limited.
it will only run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM each week.
“It was such a critical need in the community that I think two days a week—Tuesdays and Thursdays—will be a relief for people who have been struggling since December 2023,” Thompson said.
Thompson mentioned that they are working toward restoring the service to its full schedule of Monday through Friday with service up to 15 shuttle stations.
“It’s possible, if the legislature approves our appropriation request, which will bring all of the routes back,” said Thompson.
According to Ride Solutions’ letter, over 2,000 Putnam County residents used the public transportation service, averaging more than 30 rides per year each.
The new service is expected to restart in the county in April.
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