February 8, 2024
Mount Dora City Council Advances Plans for Downtown Parking Shuttle Service
By Cindy Peterson
Mount Dora City Council Advances Plans for Downtown Parking Shuttle Service
In a significant step towards enhancing downtown accessibility and alleviating parking congestion, the Mount Dora City Council has greenlit the process to solicit bids for a shuttle service. The service, slated to commence in Fall 2024, will consist of two electric vehicles operating on Fridays through Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., running in a continuous loop from Highland Ave to Downtown Mount Dora.
The decision follows a comprehensive survey conducted among business owners and residents of Mount Dora, aimed at gauging interest and gathering feedback regarding the proposed shuttle service. Of the 81 business owners who participated, 80 percent expressed willingness to utilize the shuttle service. Respondents highlighted Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays as the most opportune days for shuttle operations.
Similarly, out of 717 responses received from residents, 76 percent indicated their intention to use the shuttle service.
Economic Development Director Misty Sommer presented the survey findings during the February 6 commission meeting, providing valuable insights into the potential impact and viability of the proposed shuttle service. She stated the shuttle would run with an app so people could find the stops, with a possibility of an on-demand option where people could request the shuttle to their location.
“It’s kind of a like an Uber, but free,” she said.
Commissioner Doug Bryant expressed optimism about the initiative, emphasizing its role as an immediate component of Mount Dora’s broader parking solution strategy. “We cannot slow down on multiple fronts when it comes to parking,” he said in the meeting.
Summers clarified that this shuttle system is not the answer, but it’s certainly a piece of the answer. On the survey, the number one write-in answer for other parking solutions that the public wanted to see was a parking garage.
The shuttle service would be a one-year pilot program that would be reassessed after the one-year mark to determine whether to move forward with a multi-year contract.
The commission unanimously agreed to move forward with bid proposals.
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
