December 21, 2025. As 2025 draws to a close, it’s clear that this year has been a defining one for transportation and urban mobility in the Keys and Key West. Our 24 stories this year reveal a tale of two contrasting trends: meaningful progress in bicycle infrastructure and advocacy, alongside significant setbacks in public transit.
The year saw our community make strides toward safer, more accessible cycling options including new bike lanes, kickoff of a new Safety Action Plan and a brand new bike bridge, among other projects, that promise a more bike-friendly future. Meanwhile, transit services faced severe challenges, with the County ending its transit program entirely and the City suspending its flagship Duval Loop service. These changes have left many workers, residents, and visitors grappling with fewer reliable options to get around without the expense of owning a car.
In our story below we’ll briefly review the island’s advances on the bicycle front and examine what’s gone wrong with transit. We’ll also touch on how the resignation of the Planning Director fits into the larger theme of transit’s collapse. As well as look at how the erasing of our rainbow crosswalks sparked local engagement and hope amid these shifts.
Progress on Bicycle Infrastructure
The year began with a spark of controversy when Commissioner Donnie Lee raised concerns about e-bike safety, igniting a community-wide conversation that ultimately left more questions than answers (Commissioner Lee Is Right. It’s Time To Get Fast Moving E-Bikes Off of Our Promenades, January 10)). Today, the most promising path on a solution on e-bikes lies with the Safety Action Plan committee (Zero Fatalities by 2035 – Key West Aims for Safer Street for All, July 27), which is actively identifying projects and policies aimed at making the island safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. This plan represents a significant step, and we eagerly anticipate its completion in 2026.
Infrastructure improvements marked the year, with the completion of new bike lanes on South and United Streets downtown (Rebuild of South Street Is Complete and Includes New Bike Lane, January 27) standing out as a major milestone. The opening of the upgraded Staples Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Bridge (The Crosstown Green – The Locals Not So Secret Bikeway, November 7) further enhanced connectivity, alongside a bunch of ongoing efforts, including roundabouts, signage, data collection and upcoming initiatives at many of the intersections along the almost 4 mile long Crosstown Greenway route.
Looking ahead, the question posed in our story Could Key West Become the Paris of Small Cities? July 1 captures the optimism of the moment. With our compact size, favorable weather, and walkable urban grid, Key West has the potential to become a model city for biking with continued commitment and effort.
Transit in Crisis
Early Promise and Optimism
The year began with hope as the County’s Conch Connect micro-transit service showed promising signs of success, earning praise for its innovative approach to local transit (Just Six Months Old, Conch Connect Micro-Transit Is Already Beating Expectations, January 24). This service offered a glimpse of what a responsive, flexible and well-branded transit system could look like for the Keys. And just months before that at the end of 2024 the City adopted an ambitious 10-year Transit Development Plan that promised expanded service and new routes.
Beyond Conch Connect, the County had ambitious plans to expand transit service across the island chain. The vision included a 30-minute trunk line running the length of the Keys, providing frequent, reliable service along the main corridor. This would be complemented by neighborhood circulators and on-demand transit options designed to serve local areas and provide first-and last-mile connections. These plans represented a forward-thinking approach to transit, aiming to create a network that was both comprehensive and adaptable to community needs. Unfortunately, these promising plans were never fully realized, as the County’s transit program was abruptly dismantled early in the summer (Conch Disconnect: County Scraps Transit Service for Local Workers, July 20 and Conch Disconnect: Repeal Without Replace Is Just Regression, July 24) and the City’s plans came undone slowly over the the same time period.
The Summer Collapse
In what proved to be a foreboding of bad things to come, in June, the City announced that the Duval Loop would begin charging $1 per trip starting in July—a move we covered and criticized as penny wise and pound foolish (The $1 Mistake: How Key West Is Undermining the Duval Loop, Again, July 6 and Making the Duval Loop Free and Easy Helps Downtown Prosper, July 14).
It wasn’t until the end of July, during budget season, that the potential permanent cuts became clear. Both the County and City seemed to unravel as preliminary budgets were released, and Federal and State grants—funding sources they arguably should not have been relying on—began to dry up. The County abruptly ended Conch Connect and disbanded its entire transit department, while the City suspended the Duval Loop service amid financial pressures, while congratulating itself for not cutting other services. Neither entity appeared to have planned ahead or taken public transit seriously enough to ensure continuity. The result has been a severe reduction in transit options, leaving many workers, residents, and visitors with fewer reliable ways to get around without a car (Dumb and Dumber Transit Cuts: A Failure of Leadership In the Keys, August 3 and Transit Is Collapsing In the Keys. Will Business Leaders Let It? August 17).
Community Impact and Response
Our coverage throughout the summer and fall documented the fallout from these decisions that wouldn’t officially be codified until budgets were adopted in September. With no more Conch Connect, trip requests initially surged on the similar Key West Rides overwhelming the service, and community frustration grew palpable. Many stories highlighted how these cuts disproportionately affected workers and residents who depend on affordable, reliable transit daily. Business leaders (especially Paul Menta) and city officials (most notably Commissioners Sam Kaufman and Monica Haskell) have stepped into the conversation, exploring alternative solutions and advocating for restored and improved transit options (Even If You Never Ride the Bus, You’ll Feel It When It’s Gone, August 24 and Key West Rides Overwhelmed After Conch Connect Shutdown – City Pushes Alternative Buses Amid 36% Spike In Trip Requests, August 26).
Leadership and Funding Challenges
The transit crisis has exposed significant leadership voids and funding shortfalls. The County’s decision to end its transit department and the City’s budget-driven suspension of the Duval Loop reflect a lack of coordinated planning and investment. These challenges raise urgent questions about the future of transit in Monroe County and the City, underscoring the need for renewed commitment and innovative funding strategies (Duval Loop Eliminated: A Tragedy and a Turning Point, September 14 and No Director. No Department. No Direction: Monroe County’s Transit Collapse, September 21).
A vivid example of these leadership challenges came in September with the resignation of Katie Halloran, the City’s Director of Human Resources (Katie Halloran’s Quiet Revolution, September 7). In a public letter, Halloran detailed a hostile work environment, understaffing, and a lack of responsiveness to internal complaints. Her departure highlighted deeper organizational dysfunction within City government, which has compounded the difficulties in managing transit and other essential services. This story adds a human and institutional dimension to the transit crisis, illustrating how internal struggles at City Hall have further undermined efforts to maintain and improve public transportation in 2025.
Looking to the future, our article Could Tourist Dollars Be The Answer to Our Transit Funding Problem? August 31 offers a critical lens on potential solutions. As 2026 approaches, the community’s focus must turn to securing sustainable funding and leadership to rebuild and reimagine transit services that truly meet the needs of all who live, work, and visit the Keys.
Rainbow Crosswalks: A Symbol of Community and Hope
Among the challenges of 2025 we’d include the erasing of our rainbow crosswalks at Duval and Petronia by the State of Florida. But something remarkable happened as the community banded together first in protest and then for solutions that included installation of rainbow bike racks and a future rainbow welcome arch. These vibrant symbols celebrate diversity and foster local engagement and hope during a year marked by transit setbacks and infrastructure debates. Our stories (From Rainbow Crosswalks to Rainbow Museums, September 10 and This Is Just the Beginning Rainbows Return to Duval, October 7) highlight how such initiatives contribute to the city’s cultural fabric and community spirit, inspiring ongoing conversations about inclusion and public space.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, the challenges facing transit demand renewed focus and innovative solutions, that we hope are captured in our recent article After the Loop’s Gone, What’s Next for Key West Transit, November 29. Meanwhile, the momentum behind cycling and safer streets offers hope for a more balanced, sustainable transportation future in the Keys.
Thank you for following along this year. We look forward to continuing this vital conversation and advocacy in the year ahead because an island that is bike, walk and transit friendly and remembers that our downtown streets are for people first, is a more prosperous, healthy, green, equitable and happy little island paradise.
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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.