Transit
Transit Development Plan
The Transit Development Plan (TDP) is a document that must be developed and adopted the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), or Transit Provider, in order to receive State Public Transportation Block Grant funding. The TDP shall be the planning, development and operational guidance document to be used in developing the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Five-Year Work Program. The Lake~Sumter MPO adopted its current TDP on August 27, 2008.
The Transit Development Plan (TDP) is the strategic guide for public transportation in Lake County over the next five years. The TDP includes an evaluation of existing services, a review of demographic and travel behavior characteristics of the service area, a summary of local transit policies, the development of proposed transit enhancements, and the preparation of a five-year financial plan.
Florida Statutes mandate the preparation of a Transit Development Plan for all transit systems that receive Block Grants from the State of Florida. A TDP shall comply with the following elements, at a minimum:
- The TDP shall identify and list community goals and policies with respect to transportation and land use, in general, and specifically to transit service.
- The TDP shall identify and quantify the community’s need for transit service using demographic, socio-economic, land use, transportation, and transit data, as appropriate. There shall be an opportunity for the public to express the need for transit service improvements, such as, but not limited to, the Citizens Advisory Committee and workshops.
- The TDP shall include an analysis of the services currently provided in the community by public and private transit service providers, in terms of quality and quantity of service. The TDP shall present an analysis of any variation between the need identified and the service provided, and present alternative methods of addressing any deficiencies (and the costs and benefits of each). The process for selecting an alternative for implementation shall include an opportunity for public participation.
- The TDP shall present a five-year program for implementing the alternative selected. The five-year program shall include: maps indicating areas served and the type and level of service to be provided; a monitoring program to track performance measures; a five year financial plan listing operating and capital expenses and anticipated revenues by source; and a list of projects or services for which funding has not been identified. The last three years of the program may be presented with less detail than the first two years.
- The TDP shall not be in conflict with the approved local government comprehensive plan and the comprehensive Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
- The TDP is to be reviewed, revised as necessary, and adopted annually and submitted to the Department by July 1 of each year. The annual review and revision may be limited to refinements and extensions of the five-year program. Major updates, to be completed every third year, shall include all elements of a TDP as defined in this rule.
Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan (TDSP)
The Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan (TDSP) is a document that is developed by the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) and Designated Official Planning Agency (DOPA), under the guidance and approval of the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board (TDCB). The TDSP is a tactical plan with Development, Service, Quality Assurance, and Cost/Revenue Allocation and Rate Structure Justification components. The TDSP contains goals that the CTC plans to achieve and the means by which they intend to achieve them. The Lake~Sumter MPO and its Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board, acting as the DOPA, adopted its current TDSP in 2018.
Approved Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plans
- Lake County Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan - Annual Update
- Sumter County Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan Amendment #1 September 16, 2024
- Sumter County Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan - Annual Update
Application for Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board Membership
- Lake County Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board General Application
- Sumter County Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board General Application
Lake County Connection
A state-funded program, the paratransit service, Lake County Connection, provides low-cost transportation throughout Lake County to individuals who qualify as “transportation disadvantaged” as defined by state statutes. Visit the Lake County Connection website.
Sumter County Transit
Providing low-cost, safe, clean, and efficient transportation to the residents of Sumter County who qualify as “transportation disadvantaged” as defined by state statutes. Visit the Sumter County Transit website.
LakeXpress
LakeXpress is a fixed route system that provides public transit service throughout Lake County on a regular "fixed" schedule at designated bus stops. You may board a bus at any established stop along a designated LakeXpress route. Visit the LakeXpress website for schedules and routes.