57. County Council approves 'flex' Votran scedule for Southeast Volusia residents

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Courtesy photo / Volusia County. A Votran bus heads west on Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach in this photo. The county came up with a "flex" schedule to lessen the blow of some routes eliminated for greater New Smyrna Beach resulting from budget cuts.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Cuts in public bus transit for Southeast Volusia are not as bad as initially feared. The Volusia County Council, looking for ways to cut next year’s budget, decided in July that eliminating Votran public transit service on some routes in New Smyrna Beach was going too far. Instead, the County Council opted for a scaled down flex service.

The County Council by consensus directed County Manager Jim Dinneen to include funding for a flex service to serve Southeast Volusia routes 42, 43, and 44. The bus service reductions were proposed as part of county government’s overall goal to reduce the 2010-11 fiscal year budget by approximately $23 million.

Staff proposed Votran service eliminations included trolley and holiday service and Southeast Volusia routes 42, 43, and 44. “We wanted to offer a solution that would get people to their destination, but at the same time we still need to find savings,” Votran General Manager Ken Fischer said.

Fischer presented alternative service options for Southeast Volusia, which included reduced frequency and reduced service area. The options reflect savings between $109,000 to $116,000. Elimination of the Southeast Volusia routes would save $266,673.