Year-round visitor shuttle gets a $1.6 million yes

St. Augustine Beach commissioners on Tuesday, September 8, gave the go-ahead for a year-round STAR circulator shuttle between downtown St. Augustine and the beach, a $1.6 million annual operation funded with a $1.5 million state transportation grant and $100,000 in county tourist-development money.

Franklin, the assistant city manager for St. Augustine, said buses would start October 1, seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with four shuttles and a pickup about every 30 minutes. For Nights of Lights, the route would shrink to the island so riders are not stuck on a two-hour loop.

The state money runs through 2029. After that, Franklin said, the cities would have to "come together and figure out the funding," and St. Augustine is prepared to tap parking fees from its mobility program. A commissioner said Flagler College students would have an easier trip to hang out at beach businesses.

Weekend service until 11:00 p.m., all year, is now a beach-approved visitor route. The grant lasts a few seasons; the parking-fee backup is already in the remarks.