DUNEDIN, Fla. — A Dunedin pilot program that gives residents and tourists free rides in downtown is coming to an end.
The Freebee loop service pilot program launched in 2023.
Originally funded by American Rescue Plan Act money, the city said, “With no additional grant money or advertising revenue generated, it’s time for the program to end.”
Freebee driver Patrick Stout said the service is well-known in the city, stopping at hotels, parks, city hall, and more Dunedin locations.
“Freebee is very important, not only to me, because I love this job, but for the residents,” he said.
Stout said he sees how the service helps the community — not only for tourists, but for those who live in the area and want to visit downtown.
“It alleviates some of the traffic down here,” he said. “Especially on Friday and Saturday nights, it can tend to get congested, and this way we do the driving and the residents don’t.”
Former Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski told Specrum News in 2023 that this program was introduced to address the city’s limited parking.
However, in a statement from the city this week, they said:
“After reviewing ridership data, the City determined that the cost of continuing the program cannot be justified with City funds. As a result, the City will allow the pilot program to conclude when the current contract expires on December 17.”
Despite this, Stout is trying to keep the program alive.
“All four of us drivers have been going door to door through all the restaurants, reaching out to our contacts through social media, saying, ‘Hey, this is what the city is trying to do to us,’” he said. “We need your voice and your help to save Freebee.”
Despite this, Dec. 14 is the last planned day for rides.
Matt Lackritz
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