Transit Is Collapsing in the Keys. Will Business Leaders Let It?
August 17, 2025. With Monroe County and the City of Key West walking back their commitments to public transportation, it’s time for the business community to step in. If our elected leaders won’t prioritize transit, then those who depend on a functioning economy and workers must step up. Business organizations have been too quiet on the subject and we need for them to take a more active role in addressing transit issues. Without their involvement, the workforce and economy of the Keys will continue to suffer.
In reaction to our August 3 story: Dumb and Dumber Transit Cuts: A Failure of Leadership in the Keys one commenter clapped back at our calling out the Commissioners, saying:
“This issue will never be resolved, and probably never helped without involvement (Leadership?) of the business community. This is very much a workforce issue. It certainly is a workforce problem. The business community is mute on the topic. You call the government folks to task regularly (good on you for that), but you don’t seem critical of the business community. I would imagine that the business community is sleeping easy knowing that you consistently put all the blame on government and deflect criticism from them. Look where it’s gotten you.”
He’s right. And thus, this story calling on the Keys business community to step up.
🚫 The Problem: A System That’s Failing Workers and Businesses
- Housing costs push workers farther away. Lodging, retail, and attractions in Key West rely on employees who increasingly live up the Keys while businesses up the Keys likewise rely on workers commuting from Homestead and Miami. Without reliable transit, these workers face long, costly commutes – leading to staffing shortages, burnout and turnover.
- Congestion and parking are choking commerce. The Overseas Highway is jammed. Downtown Key West and villages throughout the Keys suffer from gridlock and limited parking. Keys residents say this is their #2 issue behind the high cost of housing and this hurts workers, residents, and tourists alike. Public transit is the only scalable solution.
- We can’t build our way out. Limited land and environmental concerns inhibit our road capacity so, expanding the Overseas Highway or adding parking isn’t feasible—or desirable. The only way forward is smarter mobility.
- Transit is barely used—because it barely works. Less than half of one percent (0.2%) of Keys residents use transit to get to work. That’s not a failure of demand—it’s a failure of design. When service is infrequent, unreliable, or nonexistent, workers and visitors are forced into cars.
- Visitors drive everywhere. Nearly three-quarters of the millions of overnight tourists arrive by car, and thanks to the lack of alternatives, in most places they tend to use it for every trip once they get here. That means more traffic, more parking headaches, and a worse experience for everyone—including the businesses that depend on those customers. That’s why getting rid of the Duval Loop and not implementing similar services in villages up and down the Keys is nuts.
🛠 Transit Solutions: Already on the Books
Both the County and the City have adopted ambitious plans that address the mobility challenges hurting our workforce and economy:
- Monroe County’s vision: 30-minute bus service along the entire Overseas Highway, plus circulator vans and small vehicles serving communities throughout the Keys.
- Key West’s 10-Year Transit Plan: Expanded Duval Loop hours, 15-minute Workforce Express service, improved Lower Keys Shuttle frequency, and restored North/South Connector fixed routes—plus Key West Rides on-demand service to fill gaps.
These plans would transform mobility across the region. But now, both governments are proposing deep cuts—gutting existing services (Conch Connect gone. Duval Loop, Key West Rides, part of the Workforce Express and the entire County Transit Department and staff on the chopping block) and shelving future improvements. Their excuse? Federal and state funding shortfalls. But the truth is, they failed to plan ahead as we outlined in this story three years ago.
💰 Funding Solutions: We Can Use Some Business Savvy Here
Our elected officials didn’t treat transit as essential infrastructure, so they failed to plan for predictable funding shortfalls. Now, the system is collapsing—and unless we act, the economic consequences will deepen.
We know the business community understands how to build resilient systems. It’s time to apply that expertise to transit—because without it, the workforce can’t move, and commerce slows to a crawl.
Funding Ideas: A Strategic Overview. We’ve heard plenty of excuses about why transit funding is hard. But there are tools—real ones—already available. Here’s a scan of some funding mechanisms worth considering, grouped by how they work and why they make sense for the Keys economy:
| Funding Source | Type | Rationale |
| Tolling visitors on Overseas Highway | User fee | Targets those who benefit from access |
| Parking fees | Local revenue | Already collected, could be reallocated |
| Tourist Development / Bed Tax | Earmarked tax | Tourism drives demand—transit supports it |
| Tourist Impact Tax | Earmarked tax | Designed to offset visitor impacts |
| Sales Tax portion | Broad-based tax | Scalable and predictable |
| Cruise ship disembarkation fees | User fee | High-volume visitor source |
| Special Assessment Districts | Targeted levy | Focused on areas with high transit benefit |
| Voter-approved ballot measure | Democratic mandate | Builds legitimacy and long-term support |
These ideas aren’t easy—but they’re necessary. And elected officials won’t act unless business leaders give them cover. So we ask: which of these solutions will you champion?
📣 The Ask: Business Leaders Must Step Up
Transit isn’t just a public service—it’s economic infrastructure. Without it:
- Workers can’t get to jobs.
- Tourists face a frustrating experience.
- Local businesses lose revenue.
- The Keys become less livable, affordable and viable.
We’ve called out elected officials for failing to lead. With the exception of Sam Kaufman, they’ve let transit collapse. But the silence from the business community? That’s damaging.
Of the seven business organizations we contacted (Key West Chamber of Commerce, The Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, and Shop Mom and Pop Key West) only two responded. Kerry Baker of the Key West Chamber expressed concern and promised to raise the issue at an upcoming meeting.
Paul Menta of Shop Mom and Pop Key West has been a consistent, vocal advocate (witness here, here, here, here, and here) and at the August 11 Sustainability Advisory Board on which he sits called for better Duval Loop service, more frequent Workforce Express buses and said the City needed to find funding to provide real and useful transit options for workers and their families. He gets it. He’s shown up.
The rest? Quiet.
We contacted them three times over 10 days. That’s not just disappointing—it’s dangerous. Because without business pressure, elected officials won’t act. And without action, the system fails.
So, here’s the ask to the business community: Show up. Speak out. Demand better.
Attend the budget hearings. Make transit a priority. Push for funding. Back the plans already on the books. Because if you don’t, the workforce won’t move—and neither will the economy:
- Monroe County: First Public Hearing on September 3, Final Hearing on September 10
- City of Key West: Next Budget Hearing on September 11
Let’s stop the cuts. Let’s build the system our workers, visitors, and businesses deserve.
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Chris Hamilton is the founder of Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown, a local advocacy group championing sustainable mobility and vibrant public spaces. Subscribe to the blog and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Substack for updates. All stories are cross posted at KONK Life News. Originally from Washington, D.C., Chris spent over two decades leading nationally acclaimed initiatives in transit, biking, walking, and smart growth for Arlington County, VA’s DOT. Since moving to Key West in 2015, he has embraced a car-free lifestyle downtown, dedicating his time to non-profits and community projects. Explore all Streets for People column articles here.