Could the Duval Loop and Fixed Routes Be Returning to Key West Streets?
And Could the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express Finally Get Better Service?
March 14, 2026. The City of Key West quietly updated its 10-year transit development plan this month—a state-required annual exercise that usually generates little attention. But this year’s update, following as it does on last year’s cutbacks, contains something transit riders should know about: the possible restoration of the Duval Loop and the start of two new fixed routes on the island of Key West that would serve workers and residents. Both could be slated to start in fiscal year 2027, which begins October 1.
None of this is a sure thing. It’s a plan. And the plan shows a budget gap: restoring all three routes would cost $1.6 million more than the City expects to have. Restoring just some of the routes could reduce that gap to as little as $150,000. What the City can actually do depends on new funding sources it hasn’t yet secured—and on a question nobody’s answering publicly: Will Monroe County invest more in the transit service (Lower Keys Shuttle and Work Force Express) that primarily serves County residents working Key West jobs?
Why does this matter? Transit isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s economic infrastructure. When workers can reliably get to jobs, businesses stay staffed. When fewer people drive downtown, there’s less congestion. When the labor pool expands because workers don’t need multiple cars, the whole economy benefits. Key West’s downtown—the golden goose that funds city services—depends on workers getting to their jobs. And workers increasingly live outside the city.
Below, we’ll look at what the new routes would do, what they would cost, how the City might pay for them, where Monroe County and workers beyond Key West fit in, why this matters even if you never ride the bus, and what happens next.
(Plan Update, March 2026 and original 10-Year 2025 – 2034 Transit Development Plan)
What the New Routes Would Look Like
For FY27 City transit staff have designed two new fixed routes that would work with a revived Duval Loop and the existing Work Force Express and Lower Keys Shuttle to create the first comprehensive fixed route bus system since the colored routes (Orange, Red, Blue, Green) were eliminated in 2020. While Key West Rides on-demand would remain to fill in the gaps, the planning and integration of the new fixed-routes into existing fixed-routes shows thoughtful attention to how people actually move around the island.
The DUVAL LOOP would return as a downtown circulator—the reliable service tourists and downtown workers loved before it ended on December 31. What we don’t know is if it would be running the previous 8am to 10pm daily with 20-30 minute headways or with the “improved” 7am to midnight daily times as called for in the Transit Development Plan.
A new NORTH CONNECTOR would run from the airport, with stops at Ocean Walk, Las Salinas and Seaside residential complexes at 3900 S. Roosevelt, through the Triangle and down North Roosevelt Boulevard to downtown via Palm Avenue, ending at the Grinnell Street Park & Ride or Seaport. It would serve airport workers, the North Roosevelt corridor, and residents needing access to downtown jobs and services.
A new SOUTH CONNECTOR would start at the Ocean Walk, Las Salinas, and Seaside residential complexes at 3900 South Roosevelt—where many service workers live—then run to the airport and into downtown via Bertha, Atlantic, White, South, and Whitehead streets.
The Plan update doesn’t mention how frequent these two new routes would be. Both new connector routes would link to the Duval Loop downtown, allowing passengers to reach any part of Old Town. Combined with the existing Workforce Express route serving Stock Island, these four routes would create a logical network of fixed schedules people could count on—a stark contrast to the current reliance on the oft-complained about Key West Rides on-demand service.
City transit staff deserve credit for this thoughtful route design. The routes are simple, direct, and serve real transportation needs. The challenge isn’t planning—it’s paying for it and then paying for frequency.
Three Scenarios, Three Price Tags
The updated plan includes all three routes—the Duval Loop and North and South Connectors—in its FY27 budget but there’s a budget gap, so unless it is closed, which of the routes the City will actually have the ability to implement is still up in the air. Here’s how that looks using the numbers from the plan update:
FY27 Operating Costs:
- Maintain existing services: $6.275M
- Duval Loop: $1.447M
- North Connector: $879K
- South Connector: $879K
- TOTAL if all three new routes: $9.481M
FY27 Operating Revenues (projected): $7.871M
FY27 Shortfall if all three routes: $1.610M
To make sense of this, we’re laying it out as three different potential scenarios as we await clarity on funding.
Scenario A: Existing service plus Duval Loop only
- Annual operating cost: $7.72 million
- Projected revenue: $7.87 million
- Result: Nearly covered with about $150,000 cushion
This scenario brings back the route tourists, downtown workers, and the business community want most, and it’s almost affordable with revenues the City reasonably expects—federal transit grants, state block grants, parking revenue, fares, and other existing sources.
Scenario B: Existing service plus North and South Connectors
- Annual operating cost: $8.03 million
- Projected revenue: $7.87 million
- Result: $162,000 shortfall
This scenario prioritizes routes serving workers and residents over tourists, with a manageable funding gap of about $162,000.
Scenario C: All three new routes
- Annual operating cost: $9.48 million
- Projected revenue: $7.87 million
- Result: $1.61 million shortfall
The ambitious option—restore everything—requires finding $1.6 million in new annual revenue, a significant lift but not impossible for a city with a $160 million general fund budget.
The plan doesn’t recommend one scenario over another. It presents the menu and waits for leaders to order.
A Fourth Possibility: The County Funds Regional Routes
The three scenarios above focus on what the City could implement in fiscal year 2027. But the transit plan also includes improvements to two existing routes—the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express—that primarily serve County residents. Those improvements aren’t slated to kick in until fiscal year 2029 and 2030, with no identified funding source even in those future years.
That may be where Monroe County comes in.
When asked what the County is doing to support transit serving County workers, Commissioner David Rice forwarded correspondence from County Administrator Christine Hurley showing the County has asked Key West to explain how the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express currently operate, what improvements the transit plan calls for, and what those improvements would cost.
“As we go into our budget season, ASSUMING NO PROPERTY TAX CUTS ARE PROPOSED BY THE STATE, we plan to present these two potential improvements to the BOCC for consideration,” Hurley wrote. “As you can see, the County is engaged to work with the City of Key West to improve transit services for Monroe County residents.”
Commissioner Rice’s office later clarified that Hurley will bring a proposal to the Board of County Commissioners this summer addressing improvements to the Lower Keys Shuttle and “a separate workforce bus service for Stock Island residents to Key West” that would “go through the residential areas of Stock Island to pick up riders.”
This would be significant. The Lower Keys Shuttle carried 97,522 riders last fiscal year, connecting workers from Marathon and Big Pine Key to Key West jobs despite running only every 90 to 120 minutes with little evening service. That ridership—in the face of such terrible frequency—demonstrates enormous latent demand. Workers want to use transit; the service just isn’t good enough yet.
The Workforce Express, serving Stock Island to downtown Bahama Village, carried 18,399 riders last fiscal year. The County currently contributes nothing to the Workforce Express operating costs.
The County’s Interlocal Agreement provides roughly $521,000 annually for the Lower Keys Shuttle, an amount that grows only with inflation through the entirety of the 10-year plan. County investment beyond that could potentially accelerate the service improvements the City’s plan shows for 2029-2030—or even bring them forward to match the 2027 timeline for the urban routes.
Workers are the foundation of Key West’s economy, and the housing crisis has pushed service workers to wherever affordable housing exists—Stock Island, the Lower Keys, anywhere with lower rents. Whether living in City or County territory, these workers need reliable transit to reach Key West jobs.
The Lower Keys Shuttle’s ridership proves workers will use transit if it runs frequently enough. Improving that route from 90-120 minute headways to 60 minutes, then to 30 minutes, would be transformational—turning transit from an emergency backup into a real alternative to car ownership. Every family that doesn’t need a second or third car saves thousands of dollars a year. Every business that doesn’t lose workers because they can’t get to their shift operates more smoothly.
Whether County investment would reduce the City’s financial burden or simply fund additional service improvements, sooner than later, would have to be negotiated between the two governments. But either way, additional County resources beginning in FY27 would represent a significant commitment to the regional transit infrastructure that serves County workers—and a recognition that transit isn’t just a Key West issue.
The Funding Reality
In his memo forwarding the update to the transit plan to Commissioners, Assistant City Manager Rod Delostrinos was candid about the challenge. The Florida Department of Transportation has “no current or projected 100% FDOT grant opportunities for transit operational funding,” he wrote. Service development grants require a 50% local match, and even if awarded, grants aren’t guaranteed to continue—exactly the problem that killed the Duval Loop last year.
Delostrinos said staff is exploring cruise ship disembarkation fees, additional parking fees, and potential partnership with the Tourist Development Council. He noted “the business community could also provide a path to revenue.”
The City has learned the hard way that grant dependency is risky. Stable transit service requires stable local funding—but the plan doesn’t specify what that funding source should be. Options being discussed include a multimodal Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU), Tourist Development bed taxes, potential revenue from the proposed Key West Intermodal Center, or simply budget reallocation.
Here’s the strategic reality: different revenue sources suggest different priorities. If the City secures tourist-focused funding like cruise fees or TDC dollars, the Duval Loop makes sense—it serves visitors. If broader revenue sources emerge from parking fees or general funds, the North and South Connectors might be the smarter choice—they serve residents and workers. The funding source may determine which routes get built. And if the County pitches in more, the Lower Keys Shuttle and perhaps Work Force Express are likely candidates to be improved.
Why This Matters (Even If You Never Ride the Bus)
Transit isn’t welfare. It’s economic infrastructure—like roads, like the port, like the airport. You benefit from it even if you never use it.
When workers can reliably get to their jobs, businesses stay fully staffed. When fewer people drive downtown, there’s less congestion and easier parking for those who do drive. When the labor pool expands because workers don’t need cars, employers have more hiring options and less wage pressure. When downtown streets work for people walking, biking, and taking transit, the district stays vibrant and prosperous—the golden goose that funds city services.
Key West’s economy depends on a functioning downtown. Downtown depends on workers. Workers increasingly live outside the city. Connect those dots, and transit stops being a “nice to have” and becomes essential infrastructure.
The question facing City and County leaders isn’t whether transit is important—it’s whether they’re willing to invest in it accordingly.
What Happens Next
The real decisions come this summer, when the City and County Commissions begin work on their fiscal year 2027 budgets.
Commissioners will need to answer: Which scenario do we fund? Which revenue sources will we pursue? Will we apply for state Transit Corridor and Service Development grants—and commit to the required local match? Will the County follow through on exploring increased investment in the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express?
And perhaps most fundamentally: Is transit a priority, or not?
City transit staff have done their job. They’ve designed logical routes, calculated realistic costs, and laid out clear options. Now they need City leaders, County leaders, and the community to help them find the funding.
The plan offers three, maybe four paths forward. Leaders need to pick one and pay for it. Workers, businesses, and the downtown economy are waiting.
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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.