A $40,000 Nights of Lights shuttle pitch was heard; year-round service was left open

St. Augustine Assistant City Manager Reuben Franklin told Beach commissioners on May 4 that the Nights of Lights STAR Circulator had carried about 16,000 evening riders between St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach and asked to run it again at an estimated $40,000.

He said the shuttle ran from 5 p.m. to midnight, that additional buses were needed to meet demand, and that a state grant had covered the cost.

Franklin also floated year-round service that could cross the Bridge of Lions and stop at the Plaza de la Constitución, aiming for 15- to 20-minute intervals, possibly on weekends, and coordinated with Sunshine Bus. Unlike the Nights of Lights run, which had to stop at the base of the bridge, he said a year-round route would be free and open to the public. He did not have numbers for that proposal yet.

That is Beach agenda time for a downtown light-show shuttle. Commissioners shared positive personal rides and said they wanted to see a later year-round proposal. No contract was locked that night.