Islandwide OnDemand extension in Longboat Key records solid first year

Longboat Key’s new island-wide transit system served well in its first year of implementation. 

In January 2024, Manatee County and Sarasota County implemented an agreement to extend the Longboat Key zone for Sarasota County’s OnDemand service to include the Manatee County portion of the island. 

This created a unified public transit system for the island, which is divided into two counties. 

OnDemand is provided by Sarasota County’s Breeze public transit system. Through the OnDemand service, riders can pay $2 for a “curb-to-curb” rideshare program similar to Uber. 

According to the latest ridership numbers from Sarasota County Director of Transit Jane Grogg, the riders in the Lido Key/Longboat Key zone remained steady from 2023 to 2024. 

Total riders in the Lido Key/Longboat Key zone decreased slightly from 26,958 in 2023 to about 26,300 in 2024. Overall ridership for the OnDemand service increased 18% from 329,000 in 2023 to 388,000 in 2024. 

Grogg said, while these numbers are steady year over year, the numbers include an asterisk since the OnDemand service lost at least a month of ridership during hurricanes Helene and Milton when access to the barrier islands was limited. 

Of the 26,300 riders in 2024, about 3,300 riders had trips that either started or ended in Manatee County. 

That amount of riders is close to the amount Manatee County projected it was transporting with the former Longboat Key shuttle provided by Manatee County Area Transit.

Grogg said this also presented a cost savings for Manatee County. 

Manatee County estimated it was spending between $200,000 and $250,000 a year to operate the Longboat Key shuttle. Now, Manatee County pays Sarasota County about $30 per trip for the services to Manatee County. 

At about 3,300 trips, that’s $99,000 in expenses for Manatee County. 

After riders complete a ride with OnDemand, they can fill out a survey, which Grogg said the department uses to collect feedback. Overall, it’s been positive. 

“Those who work on Longboat Key have appreciated not having an additional transfer,” Grogg said. “This has at least simplified that trip making and improved that process for those riders.” 

Previously, riders had to take a bus through MCAT to Coquina Beach, then take the Longboat Key shuttle to around Publix before booking an OnDemand ride in Sarasota County. 

Grogg said her marketing team has conducted outreach programs with resorts and larger employers in Longboat Key, including the St. Regis Longboat Key, to ensure that employees know this rideshare service exists. 

“I think, overall, this has been a great opportunity to think creatively about how to solve the needs of both Manatee County and Sarasota County residents with our existing transportation resources," Grogg said. “We’re looking forward to future collaborations with Longboat Key and Manatee County.”