Boca Raton OKs Circuit Transit pilot for downtown on-demand circulator, sets 10-minute performance target

The Boca Raton City Council on April 9 authorized a one-year pilot contract with Circuit Transit Inc. to operate a downtown on-demand mobility service, approving Resolution 29-20-24 by a 5–0 vote.

Municipal Services Director Zach Bier described the procurement and contract terms, including proposed hours (weekday evenings and weekend late hours), a 10-minute maximum wait-time standard measured through the vendor's app, a defined downtown base service area (the CRA boundaries plus key downtown destinations) and optional expansion points that the city may add by amendment. Bier said the pilot is intended to provide data for future adjustments: "This is a pilot program where staff is going to be collecting a significant amount of data," he told the council.

Bier and staff showed vehicle types proposed in the contract (GEM electric shuttles for downtown, electric sedans for the base area and an ADA-compliant van for accessibility calls) and said the vendor's app will manage trip requests and real-time service status. The contract includes a nominal $2 fee for some trips that staff said is intended to reduce unnecessary free trips and support headways and wait-time targets.

Council members asked several operational and financial questions. One member asked how revenue from the $2 fee would flow to the city; Bier said the fee primarily covers payment processing and administrative costs and that a marginal credit back to the city would be negotiated: "There would be a credit return to the city" from fare-share or ridership revenue, he said. Another member asked whether staff would have access to real-time data; Bier said staff would have access to vendor-collected data and dashboards.

Several council members and the public supported the pilot. Deputy Mayor Drucker praised the selection and urged a marketing push at launch: "One of the first questions I have is really about the marketing... when we release the first circuit ride ... they do a ribbon cutting," she said. Staff estimated service could begin within about six weeks after contract finalization.

The council approved the resolution authorizing the city manager to execute the contract; the pilot will be funded from CRA funds because trips originate or end within the downtown core. Staff said they will return with amendments if they recommend adding optional service areas or adjusting hours based on operational data.