| Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown

Why Key West Ruins Everything — And Why I’m Still Grateful to Call It Home

Posted on November 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | November 27, 2025

Every Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on how grateful I am for wonderful family and friends, but above all, how fortunate we are to call this place home.

This story originally took shape two Thanksgivings ago. I was musing that we’d left wonderful lives in the District to take a chance on Key West, and my love for this place has deepened since. So, this is an ode to how genuinely wonderful our little island paradise is, and how lucky and grateful I am to call it home.

Today, our car-free lives here are enriched by engaging in vibrant traditions and events that happen year-round or just enjoying the peace and tranquility of our always lush balcony. We’re blessed to work with the most wonderful, creative and wacky people at two venerable and always fun Duval Street mainstays: Mikey at La Te Da, where he’s been going strong for nearly 9 years, and me at the Red Barn Theatre, where I’m approaching 7 years.

Where else in the USA can one spend an afternoon or two a week, 12 months a year, at clothing optional pool bars? For us these jaunts remain a cherished ritual — a time to hang out with the local gang, unwind, connect, and soak in the island’s free-spirited vibe. For me, Sundays culminate in the glorious outdoors Tea Dance at La Te Da, a long-held 40+ year tradition hosted by DJ Rude Girl, where the music and dancing – I’m often the first and last person on the dance floor – carry on the island’s enduring culture and One Human Family community.

We’ve also just hosted our 4th Annual Fantasy Fest People’s Parade Balcony Party, a highlight of the year where friends bring and hand out thousands of beads and shots, as we party with neighbors, other locals and visitors together in celebration and joy. But this is just part of the tale of our love for Key West.

Join me below in reliving the story I shared on November 23, 2023, as we revisit the journey and celebrate what I believe is Key West’s greatest asset — its people.

Originally published on November 23, 2023:

Key West Ruins Everything Or Why I’m Grateful to Call Key West Home

December 1 marks Mikey and my 9^th anniversary of arriving to live in Key West. And for that decision we are very thankful this holiday. We left a good life in the District. Jobs we loved, family and friends developed over decades, season tickets to the Nationals and Redskins, a cute condo in a hip and thriving neighborhood near the trendy U Street Corridor, favorite café’s, an unparalleled ethnic food scene that we readily took advantage of, and a cool bikeshare and pervasive transit system that made it easy and inexpensive to hop about town without a car. Life was good. But here we are getting ready to celebrate our 9^th holiday season on the island. Key West has that kind of effect on people. It draws visitors in and makes them dream of, well, as the book says quitting your job and moving to Key West.

Which we did. And never for a moment have we regretted making the decision to uproot all we had going in D.C. and take a chance on life where we didn’t know a soul and had no work. Boy, do we love it here and consider ourselves fortunate to be residents and workers on this island.

Everyone who calls Key West home, and I’m including snowbirds, part-timers, and regular visitors because we love and need them all, have their own reasons to be thankful, but for us it starts with the fact that we’re urban rats and prefer a city-life where you can bike and walk to all of life’s needs. (Walkscore 94 and Bike Score 100) And living in Key West makes that easy. Being able to live car-free keeps life simple and more connected to our glorious surroundings. Oh, and it certainly helps us better afford the high cost of living in a sought after vacation destination.

*Those who get this reference are my kind of people. Wink.*

We are grateful to live smack dab in the middle of North America’s largest historic district of wooden structures. Old Town is simply beautiful and reminds us of our old neighborhoods in D.C. and Old Town Alexandria – although those were brick. And our balcony overlooking Fleming Street provides us with ideal 12-months-a-year outdoor living while allowing us “front porch” viewing of a vibrant city life below.

Wearing shorts and t-shirts and being able to swim 12 months a year is an amazing plus. And saves money on wardrobe. It keeps us healthy too as we’re more apt to get out and about for exercise. And for my friends and family up north, yes, we have changing seasons, they’re just a lot more subtle.

It’s an easy, breezy, simple, and relaxed life because well, we’re all on Key West time. And everywhere we turn there’s the ocean, the gulf, or the seaport. Oh, and unlike in D.C., where we were often the oldest people wherever we went, now we seem to be the median age. It’s nice to live in a place that accepts us as we are. Which leads me to the main reason we are so gratified to live here. THE PEOPLE!

Maybe it’s because we’re such a small town so you get to know everyone. Wherever you go there’s a hello or a hug. Or maybe it’s because Key West attracts the best of humanity. We’re an island of misfits, and people on their second and third lives. We’re known to attract artists and creative types. And dreamers. And dropouts. And people who love to party and cut loose. And people who like to quietly paint, write or curl up with a good book. There’s always something to do and there’s always the option just to waste away.

We live and let live and are willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. We’re generous to a fault – witness there’s a fundraiser every single week of the year, and resilient in the face of obstacles. We’re just too small a town not to include everyone and that spirit is embodied in our One Human Family slogan. It’s uplifting and hopeful and fun to live in a place with this kind of spirit and love. As a result, we’re blessed with amazing co-workers and lovely friends. I’ve never witnessed and felt this kind of close-knit and connected community.

So, you can have your mainland and your mainland ways of life. As Mikey said to me a few years ago, “Key West ruins everything!” And it does. Because living anywhere else just pales in comparison and so ruins it for us. I’m just so very thankful and grateful to live here.

# # #

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.

The Crosstown Greenway — The Locals’ Not-So-Secret Bikeway

Posted on November 7, 2025 1 Comment

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | November 7, 2025

Key West’s Crosstown Greenway is a quiet triumph — a safe, slower bike route that threads through the quiet heart of the island, offering locals a way to avoid the chaos of N. Roosevelt Boulevard, the heavy traffic on Flagler and the long loop around the promenade on S. Roosevelt. Starting at Duck Avenue and S. Roosevelt, the Greenway weaves through a couple of improvised cut-throughs before winding along Staples Avenue, Von Phister, Reynolds, and finally connecting to South and United Streets downtown. It’s not just a path — it’s a story of community persistence, smart planning, and ongoing investment.

Recent data from a permanent counting dashboard installed on the Staples Avenue Bridge shows that roughly 1,100 people cross the bridge daily, with about 900 cyclists and 200 pedestrians. Since the bridge sits at the midpoint of the Greenway, this number offers a strong proxy for the volume of people traversing the route each day.

In our story below we examine how the path was born, some of the recent improvements including a roundabout, a new bike/ped bridge and new bike lanes to connect to the heart of downtown and plans for future improvements. With the City in the middle of developing a Safety Action Plan, the Crosstown Greenway takes on greater importance as the safe route of choice to cross east to west across the island. Let’s take a look more closely…

*The Crosstown Greenway is indicated by the blue lines through the middle of the island.*

🚲 How the Greenway Was Born

The Crosstown Greenway didn’t start with a master plan — it started with locals who saw a better way. Tom “The Bike Man” Theisen and then–Bike Coordinator Jim Malcom were early champions, piecing together a safe route through the middle of the island in the very late 1990s to early 2000s.

One of their first victories was securing a right-of-way across Housing Authority property between 12th Street and Kennedy Street. At the time, the Housing Authority had fenced off access, forcing bikes to either use a dumpster ramp on the tall Housing Authority building or detour a couple of blocks to Flagler Avenue and “salmon” — that is, ride against the flow of traffic on a narrow sidewalk. This affected everyone — workers, tourists, and kids heading to school.

After Hurricane Georges, Tom launched a guerrilla campaign. He cut plywood into square signs, stenciled “Henry’s Blockade” (a jab at Housing Authority director Henry Haskins), and screwed them to the fence. The signs were removed as fast as he put them up. He also organized a letter-writing blitz to the Citizen, enlisting friends to sign each one to bypass the paper’s submission limits. Eventually, Jim Malcom stopped by Tom’s house with good news: the Housing Authority would grant the right-of-way.

*Top photos show the cut through from Kennedy at left and 12th at right across Housing Authority right-of-way. Solid green line on map show the same.*

Funding stalled the project until Jim found leftover concrete from another job. Just like that, the path went in — a mix of old sidewalk and fresh concrete. It’s still in use today.

Another key link was the path through the Wickers Sports Complex parking lots — a quiet connector that helped form the original “Locals’ Bikeway.” Combined with the Staples Avenue Bridge, these segments gave residents a car-free alternative to Flagler Avenue and N. Roosevelt Boulevard.

Jim Malcom, who passed away in 2008, was instrumental in these early efforts. Known for his tenacity and commitment to accessibility, he pushed for ADA-compliant ramps and curb cuts across the city, often ruffling feathers but making lasting change.

The City formally embraced the route in March 2019, when it was designated the “Crosstown Connector” in the Key West Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The idea was and is, to use low density neighborhood streets with low volumes of traffic (Seidenberg, Staples, Von Phister) and further enhance their safety with traffic calming measures as an alternative to heavier trafficked, but sometimes more direct streets (N. Roosevelt or Flagler). The slow, leafy residential nature of the route is why it is today referred to as a Greenway.

*In 2021 volunteers helped City staff show how small, targeted improvements could enhance the Crosstown Greenway.*

From Recommendations to Real Change

As improvements began — from green paint to new bike lanes — the name quietly shifted to the “Crosstown Greenway,” reflecting its growing role as a safe, people-first corridor. What started as a locals’ workaround is now a centerpiece of Key West’s mobility future.

This is where the City began to seriously pick up on the recommendations from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and start turning ideas into action. Volunteers and advocates showed how small, targeted improvements — like green paint and quick-build projects — could make streets safer and more welcoming for people on bikes and on foot.

This momentum led to tangible improvements: wayfinding signage on poles and painted directly on the street, the Staples Avenue Bridge replacement, the installation of the new mini roundabout, and the permanent bike counter on the bridge. These projects mark a turning point, demonstrating the City’s commitment to safer, more accessible streets and the ongoing evolution of the Crosstown Greenway.

🚧 A Bridge Worth Celebrating

The Staples Avenue Bike/Ped Bridge is more than just a crossing — it’s a cornerstone of the Crosstown Greenway. Originally installed about 25 years ago after contentious community meetings pitting neighbors afraid of gas-powered scooters against bicycle advocates wanting a simple, straightforward path. A trans quadriplegic in a motorized wheelchair regularly attended meetings and was a powerful advocate for inclusive, straightforward design.

As Tom Theisen recalls, “The biking community (also) wanted a straight approach but was tired of fighting the neighbors at that point.” So, eventually the bridge was shaped by compromise: bikers had to get off the street and use the sidewalks to access the bridge. Bollards were added down the middle of the bridge to calm traffic. The sidewalks and bollards, meant to scare away the scooters, also made it very difficult for bike riders, many of whom had to dismount to traverse the bridge as a result, especially for tricycles. But it was still way better than the alternative routes and so was heavily used.

We’re told the original bridge was championed by passionate commissioners, including Merili McCoy and Jeremy Anthony, who faced fierce opposition from neighbors. With the rise of e-bikes, some of those concerns have resurfaced, and Tom concedes the neighborhood is now “tormented” by them.

*The 25 year old bridge, dismantled in 2024, was difficult to navigate because of compromises to keep scooters out.*

Plans for a new and better bridge started about five years ago in 2020 when we reported on issues of rusting and corrosion reported by kayakers under the bridge. The City Engineering Department immediately responded and said although the bridge was safe, it was nearing the end of its useful life and made plans to replace it. After a couple years of funding delays the City announced in 2023 that a new bridge would be built. Work started in 2024 and was completed earlier this year.

Bikes now approach the new bridge straight on from the middle of the street. At 15 feet wide, the replacement structure is much wider, allowing for two-way bicycle traffic and a separated pedestrian walkway. No more navigating onto the sidewalk and curving around onto the bridge. No more pesky bollards in the middle to crash into. No more bike vs. pedestrian incidents. Easier to cross. Safer for everyone. A huge improvement.

Despite its importance, the bridge never got a grand opening ceremony when it was rebuilt and finished earlier this year. But its impact is undeniable. It connects key segments of the Greenway and offers a safe, car-free route through the center of the island.

*Crossings from the newly installed counter on the new Staples Avenue Bike/Ped Bridge.*

The Importance of Data: Counting on the Bridge

A permanent counting dashboard was installed on the Staples Avenue Bridge a few months ago, providing valuable data on usage patterns. This data is crucial for informed planning and ensuring the Greenway continues to meet the needs of its users and neighbors.

The dashboard shows that roughly 1,100 people cross the bridge daily, with about 900 cyclists and 200 pedestrians — a testament to the bridge’s vital role as a key artery for safe, car-free travel across the island.

*The new traffic circle at the intersection of Staples Avenue and 4th Streets.*

The Roundabout That Got People Talking

The paint is still drying on the recent reconstruction of the intersection of 4th Street and Staples Avenue that included replacing the existing two-way stop controls with a neighborhood traffic circle, as recommended in the Key West Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. This change was designed to accommodate larger turning radius vehicles while improving traffic control in all directions to minimize collisions, reduce vehicle emissions, decrease traffic control disregard, and enhance pedestrian crosswalks as part of the Crosstown Connector.

The project had long been in the works, approved by the City Commission and supported by the Sustainability Advisory Board. While some residents were surprised by the new mini roundabout, it reflects the City’s commitment to safer, more efficient streets.

“Modern Mini Roundabouts can certainly be part of the plan… but we should ensure that we don’t create problems for people with low or no vision.” — Ryan Stachurski

Though the final design lacks a landscaped island, it includes pavement markings and raised markers to guide traffic. It’s a modest but meaningful step toward safer streets. And our friend Tom Thiesen says:

”The roundabout at 4th is a great improvement and should be implemented on the whole bike route.”

We agree with Tom that there are plenty of opportunities for more of these along the route. Especially as he points out there’s about three dozen stops along the entire route. Either that or perhaps implement the Idaho Stop, that allows for cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, for bikes along the Greenway.

*To navigate the jury-rigged path through Wickers Field, bicyclists must navigate two, often flood prone parking lots.*

The Proposed Wickers Path: Progress and Challenges

The Wickers Path is a key segment of the Crosstown Greenway, winding through the area once home to the Wickers Stadium, a minor league baseball park from 1969 to 1975 — we wrote about the history here: In Quest to Improve Crosstown Greenway, City Prepares to Construct New Bike Trail Segment. Today, the site is known as the Wickers Sports Complex, bounded by 14th Street, Kennedy Drive, Flagler Avenue, and Poinciana Elementary School.

This short but crucial trail segment connects the concrete cut-through path from Seidenberg Avenue between 12th and Kennedy through two parking lots serving the sports complex before reaching Duck Avenue at 14th Street. Currently, this area is an unsafe mess, with bikes and cars sharing tight spaces.

In May of 2021, we reported that Commissioner Sam Kaufman and then-Commissioner Greg Davila championed efforts to separate bike traffic from the parking lots to improve safety for all users. At the time, Multi-Modal Coordinator Ryan Stachurski told us that Calvin, Giordano and Associates completed their report on the project, and design alternatives were expected shortly, with construction initially slated for summer 2021.

However, the project has faced delays and challenges, including drainage issues that proved the allocated funding inadequate to overcome those problems. Initial funding remains allocated, but construction was pushed back from 2027 to 2029, with a likely need for value engineering due to budget constraints. Additionally, the presence of the new Flagler pump station and fire station on the Wickers property requires redesign efforts.

This project has seen fits and starts, but the commitment to improving this critical connection remains strong among advocates and city officials alike as Wickers Path remains a vital piece of the Crosstown Greenway.

*New, where none existed before, bike lanes downtown on South and United connect to the Greenway.*

Downtown Extension: South & United Streets

The City of Key West has recently completed major rebuild projects on United Street and South Street, bringing brand new, wider bike lanes and improved pedestrian safety to these critical downtown corridors.

The United Street rebuild, finished in 2024, included a $4.8 million investment in new curb and gutter, narrower and safer pedestrian crossings, fresh asphalt, abundant new trees, and a wider bike lane where none had existed before. This new bike lane heads out of downtown and connects seamlessly with the Crosstown Greenway and other bike facilities, helping create a safer, more connected network.

Following closely, the South Street rebuild wrapped up in early 2025 with a $3.5 million investment. It features new paving, ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps, improved drainage, landscaping, and a new inbound bike lane designed to be 4 feet wide with a 2-foot buffer, totaling 6 feet. While slightly narrower than state minimum standards for door-zone bike lanes, it is wider than many existing lanes in Key West and represents a significant safety upgrade.

Together, these two projects act like a bike lane pair similar to the Fleming and Southard Streets lanes, providing safer, easier routes for cyclists traveling into and out of downtown. They also connect to the Reynolds Street bike lanes, which lead to Higgs Beach and beyond, enhancing the overall bike network on the island.

Then Mayor Teri Johnston had been a vocal supporter of these improvements, as has Commissioner Sam Kaufman, emphasizing the importance of dedicated bike lanes to keep bikes and e-bikes off sidewalks and improve traffic flow while maintaining parking.

Ryan Stachurski, Multi-Modal Transportation Coordinator, highlighted the complete streets elements incorporated in these projects, including bicycle wayfinding signs, street trees for shade, and design features reinforcing the 20 MPH speed limit to promote safety and support the City’s Vision Zero goal.

These new bike lanes and pedestrian improvements mark a major step forward in Key West’s commitment to safer, more accessible streets for all users.

*More wayfinding signage is coming as well as a study on the crossing at Duck Ave. and S. Roosevelt.*

What’s Next for the Greenway

The Crosstown Greenway is a sprawling, evolving project with many moving parts. According to Ryan Stachurski’s April report, several key initiatives are on the horizon:

Completing wayfinding confirmation signage across the entire route to help users navigate more easily.
Installing complete street features, some embedded or funded within the Von Phister Street resurfacing project, though not all details have been finalized.
Continuing progress on the roundabout at 4th Street and Staples Avenue and the Wickers Path, both covered earlier in this page.

Where Duck Avenue Meets S. Roosevelt

Additionally, the City is actively pursuing grant funding to study improvements at the Duck Avenue and S. Roosevelt intersection, a critical entry point to the Greenway. Advocates have long called for enhanced safety measures here, including a traffic light or pushbutton flashing beacons, as detailed in our previous coverage here: “Do We Need a Traffic Light at Duck Avenue and S. Roosevelt?“. The Sustainability Advisory Board supports this grant effort, and the City is open to community input. While construction may be years away, securing early design funding could accelerate the timeline.

We’ll point out that Tom Thiesen suggests that Eagle Avenue is a safer alternative than busier and more congested Duck Avenue. We agree and often use Eagle ourselves when getting to S. Roosevelt from the Greenway. But the problem of safely crossing the four lanes of traffic on S. Roosevelt would still need to be overcome. So we applaud studying options.

Other Intersections That Need Safety Features

From a safety perspective, there are other busy crossings along the Greenway that need attention, including White Street, First Street, 5th Street and Kennedy Street. In addition to the crossing why oh why does Kennedy Street need four lanes of vehicle traffic?

Both the Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan and Ryan’s recent updates highlight White Street as a priority for improvements. For example, bulb-outs could shorten crossing distances and enhance pedestrian safety where sidewalk expansion is limited. And green paint could be applied across the street to alert cars to the presence of the Greenway.

Von Phister Targeted Next

The Von Phister Street resurfacing project is backed by $500,000 in grant funding. It primarily involves mill and pave work and shoulder restoration but aims to lock in some of the temporary improvements from the original pilot project, such as sharrows and wayfinding signage. Sidewalk improvements may be limited due to space constraints, but safety enhancements like bulb-outs at White Street are under consideration. The project design is expected to be done mostly in-house, with construction planned for this year. Official project documents are available here.

The Crosstown Greenway: A Path Worth Investing In

The Crosstown Greenway isn’t just a shortcut — it’s a statement. It shows what happens when a city listens to its residents, prioritizes safety, and builds for the future. With continued investment, clearer markings, and community support, this not-so-secret bikeway can become a signature feature of Key West’s mobility landscape.

Encouraging more people to get on bikes not only reduces congestion and emissions but also makes life on our island healthier, safer, and more enjoyable for everyone. The Greenway’s evolution is a testament to what’s possible when community advocacy meets smart planning and sustained commitment.

Ryan Stachurski sums it up well:

“The Crosstown Greenway is an important facility for residents and visitors as not only does it provide a comfortable bicycle route for students to get to school and families to get to the game – but it means fewer cars on the road and less parking congestion at the destination. Workers who take the route don’t displace car-parking spaces that might otherwise be used by customers. Slower-speed roads with safe crossings correlate with fewer injuries that can be catastrophic for vulnerable road users and their families.”

Stay tuned for ridership data and more updates as the story unfolds.

Together, we can keep moving Key West forward — one pedal stroke at a time.

# # #

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.

After the Cuts: Can Key West Transit Rise Again?

Posted on October 12, 2025 1 Comment

Perhaps, if the plan is followed—and funded—there’s still a way forward.

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | October 12, 2025

Note on October 14, 2025, two days after we posted the story below, the Key West Transit Director, provided this memo to the City Commissioners via the City Manager that Duval Loop service would be suspended on December 31. He also provided this summary of the Loop changes and some minor changes to the Lower Keys Shuttle as well as a communications and public meeting schedule. Neither the memo nor summary indicates when the Loop may return.

FY2026 Begins with Uncertainty and a Promise

FY2026 begins not just with budget cuts—but with a question: can public transit in the Keys survive this moment, and maybe even emerge stronger? Monroe County’s system has collapsed. Key West Transit is shrinking. And yet, the Duval Loop still runs. Promises are being made. Plans are on the books. The question isn’t just what’s happening—but what could happen next.

The City has cut $1.3 million from its transit budget and is slated to “suspend” the Duval Loop sometime soon. We think. Meanwhile, Monroe County’s Conch Connect was canceled, and its transit department and director eliminated. It’s a moment of reckoning for public transportation in the Keys.

So, we’re taking stock. What services remain? What do the numbers say? And what does the future look like under the City’s 10-Year Transit Plans—adopted last winter and previously in 2019? And we’ll discuss what needs to happen next. Let’s dive in…

Duval Loop: Still Running, Still Uncertain

Although FY2026 began on October 1, the Duval Loop is still running—despite lacking dedicated funding to sustain it all year. That’s a hopeful sign.

Transit Director Rogelio Hernandez told us his team “has a date in mind” for shutting down the service and will “share that information with everyone soon.” He emphasized that the Loop isn’t being eliminated but “suspended,” adding:

“It’s not a goodbye, just a ‘see ya later.’ The Duval Loop will be back, and it’ll be even better.”

He also noted:

“There are some other improvements in the pipeline, and we will be happy to share more information as we get closer to implementation.”

Mr. Hernandez, who’s been director since spring, seems more determined than past leadership to find sustainable local funding to enable him to build the program. Maybe they’ll figure something out and keep the Loop running. We’ll find out when the public does—and we’re hoping for the best.

Ridership Reality Check

Transit systems live or die by their numbers. In Key West, those numbers don’t just reflect how many people ride—they help determine how much funding the system receives from state and federal sources. Ridership is up overall, about 2% vs last year, but only because of one route. Without the Duval Loop, the picture looks worse than it is.

Here’s the updated annual ridership for FY2025 (October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025):

Duval Loop: Up 15%, from 125,655 to 144,385. But after the $1 fare was introduced, ridership dropped 45% in the final 3 months vs the first 9 months and dropped 8% vs the same three months the year before.
Lower Keys Shuttle: Ridership is 3% down—97,522 vs 100,533 last year.
Key West Rides: Down 15%, with 70,458 rides this year vs 82,699 last year.
Workforce Express: Up 11%—18,399 vs 16,581 last year but still not a lot of rides.

Worth noting: despite initial reports that Key West Rides was overwhelmed after Conch Connect shut down on August 15 (which had 65,000 rides last year), August and September ridership for Key West Rides (5,425 + 5,674) was actually 11 percent lower than the same two months the previous year (6,345 + 6,056). So, the impact has yet to show up in the data. And where did Conch Connect’s rides go?

*Data provided by Key West Transit. Click on image to enlarge.*

Share of total ridership this fiscal year:

Duval Loop: 44%
Lower Keys Shuttle: 29%
Key West Rides: 21%
Workforce Express: 6%

Looking at the bigger picture: Annual total ridership in Key West has fluctuated significantly over the past decade:

Since the pandemic, ridership has increased each year—a positive trend. But 44% of that total now comes from the Duval Loop. In FY2016 and FY2017, before the Loop existed, the system still carried 250,000 to 300,000. And in FY2018 and FY2019 the City Routes were carrying double the current City Routes (KWR + WFE). It begs the question, what was working then?

The Backbone, The Gamble, and The Question Mark

We’ve discussed the Duval Loop a lot this summer (here, here and here). Three services remain. Each plays a different role—and each faces different challenges.

Lower Keys Shuttle (The Backbone)

With 10 trips a day in each direction, every 90–120 minutes from Marathon to downtown Key West, the Lower Keys Shuttle is the backbone of the remaining system. It’s hasn’t changed in a decade, and last year the City completed a $1.4 million mostly grant funded “final mile” upgrade to all 62 stops: new bike racks, fix-it stations, trash and recycling bins, solar flagging, and posted maps and schedules—a rarity on other routes.

Strong ridership and regional importance make it the strongest candidate for future investment. Riders we talked to on Facebook agree: “If the schedules were more frequent… more people would travel.” Another added, “With 90–120 minute waits… it’s hard to rely on it as regular transportation.”

*Key West Rides data, which covers the period since its inception, provided by Key West Transit. Click on graphic to expand.*

Key West Rides (The Gamble)

Launched in November 2022, Key West Rides replaced the fixed North and South routes with an Uber-like on-demand model. The City hoped to stretch limited drivers and funding by expanding coverage and restoring weekend service—without increasing costs.

But the service hasn’t lived up to its promise. Ridership dropped 15% this year, and pre-COVID fixed routes carried twice as many riders. The model offers flexibility—but lacks scale and reliability.

Riders have voiced frustration: “I’ve had to take Uber home because I couldn’t cancel in time,” said one museum worker. Another writes, “Just bring back regularly scheduled bus routes and run them till midnight.” Another customer chimes in, “I try to use KW rides. 2/3 of the time it is slick, and I’m impressed, but the other 1/3 it is unavailable. It seems the algorithm is set for high efficiency for a few users. Having a full sized bus as a personal ride seems wasteful. It is very frustrating to see almost empty buses going past my building while the app says there are no rides available.” And still another, “It’s a joke. KW Rides never has availability.”

At left is the original Workforce Express route that debuted in June 2023. At right on July 1, 2024 they reconfigured it into a meandering mess that could take almost twice as long to get to downtown. Click to enlarge.

Workforce Express (The Question Mark)

Born from Key West Rides data showing a pattern, the Workforce Express launched in June 2023 to serve commuters from Stock Island to downtown. It started strong: 8 trips a day, a direct 30-minute route from Wreckers Cay to Bahama Village.

Then the City mucked it up—cutting trips to 6 and stretching the ride to 45 minutes to serve more locations. Ridership rose 11%, perhaps that’s where some Conch Connect riders went, but the total still remains low.

One rider says: “I was very disappointed by this change. It’s wrong to claim this is an expansion of service when it’s actually 2 fewer buses a day and they are much less frequent. Changes like this should not be allowed without public meetings.” While another says, “Express…Does not mean all the stops all the time.” And, “What about people who work evenings? There is nothing available.”

Local business leader Paul Menta offered a clear critique: “We should be buying smaller buses and running them more frequently.” He added, “Routes need to drop off at more primary points,” and called for real-time tracking and shelter from the elements.

Taken together, Key West Rides and Workforce Express – the City Routes – now serve half the riders the City Routes (the fixed Orange, Red, Blue and Green) routes did in 2019 or 2018. It begs the question: why?

The Vision That Was: The Transit Development Plans

Plans Were Made. Promises Too.

Since 2020, we’ve chronicled Key West Transit’s evolution—from ambitious planning and public hearings to moments of silence and retrenchment. In 2019, the City adopted a bold 10-Year Plan, held hearings, and promised transformation. In 2024, after much community input and analysis, the City adopted another 10-Year Plan—less visionary, but still expansive.

But time and time again, the ball is placed for a kick—and just like with Charlie Brown and Lucy, it’s pulled away. Aaugh!!! Instead of moving forward, we’ve gone backwards. FY2026 cuts feel familiar—not just in their impact, but in their timing. The question now is whether this time, things really will be different. Lucy is holding the ball and Charlie Brown is lined up for the kick. Stay tuned…

From Vision to Revision

2019 TDP: A Map of Ambition

The original 2020-2029 TDP, adopted in 2019, envisioned a full island-wide network of circulators and connectors that built on the success of the new Duval Loop and existing fixed-routes:

Duval Loop, Midtown Loop, New Town Loop, Old Town Loop, Stock Island Circulator
Airport Connector (South), North Connector and KWIK (Stock Island Garage) Connector
Lower Keys Shuttle

The goal was comprehensive coverage, frequent service, and neighborhood-level accessibility. Transit was imagined as a public good—ubiquitous, reliable, and free.

*Current 2025-2034 Plan map on the left and 2020-2029 Plan map*
*on the right. Click to enlarge each map.*

2024 TDP: A More Measured Approach

The new 2025-2034 TDP, adopted in late 2024, still talks expansion, but it’s more cautious:

North and South Connector fixed-routes make a return
Lower Keys Shuttle gets a frequency boost (from 90-120 minutes now to 60 and eventually 30 minutes)
Duval Loop sees extended hours (7am–12am)
Workforce Express gets a major frequency upgrade (to every 15 minutes)

The 2024 plan proposes phased improvements, aiming to balance ridership gains with cost and efficiency. It’s less about blanketing the city and more about optimizing what’s already there.

*Key West Transit service as it existed in 2019. Click to enlarge.*

What Was Working Then?

The 2019 map of existing services shows a more robust fixed-route system—Red, Orange, Blue, and Green routes, plus the Lower Keys Shuttle—serving key corridors and neighborhoods. These routes predated the Loop and formed the backbone of a more traditional transit network. Riders had predictable schedules, broader coverage, and fewer transfers. The system wasn’t perfect by any measure, but it was functional—and it carried over 300,000 riders without the benefit of a free circulator.

What’s on the Ground Now

Duval Loop is still running—it’s no longer free—and is slated for suspension.
Lower Keys Shuttle remains the backbone, with consistent ridership and regional importance.
Key West Rides has replaced fixed routes with on-demand service, a sharp departure from the 2019 vision.
Workforce Express has expanded to serve more places but remains underutilized due to limited trips.

*Service as it exists today – that is unless the Duval Loop is suspended. Click to enlarge.*

The contrast is clear: before COVID, the City Routes—those intended to serve locals getting around the island—carried twice the number of riders they do today. The Duval Loop then doubled those already strong numbers, proving that demand exists when service is reliable and accessible. The 2019 Plan built on that momentum and envisioned even greater expansion. But after years of retrenchment, the 2024 plan, while scaled to reflect fiscal and political constraints, still added frequency and span to existing routes and even added two new fixed-routes. And now, FY2026 begins not with the renewed investment embodied in that plan—but with cuts.

Timeline: Evolution of City Services

Date	Milestone	Notes
Aug 2017	Duval Loop launches	Free circulator begins service; becomes most popular route.
Dec 2019	10-Year TDP adopted	Envisions island-wide network of loops and connectors.
May 2020	North & South lines introduced	Replace pre-COVID Orange, Red, Blue, Green routes.
Nov 2022	Key West Rides launches	On-demand replaces North/South; weekend service restored.
May 2023	Workforce Express begins	Stock Island to Bahama Village commuter route.
Dec 2024	New 10-Year TDP adopted	Adds frequency, span, and two new fixed routes.
Oct 2025	FY2026 cuts begin	Duval Loop suspended; no new investment.

Transit at a Crossroads: Without Funding a Plan Is Just a Placeholder

The FY2025–2034 TDP is technically still in effect. But are we following it—or drifting in yet another new direction? Previously the City quietly abandoned the 2019 plan saying “conditions have changed within the city” and that the 2019 TDP’s “expansion strategy is now outmoded fiscally and by workforce availability.” Translation: they didn’t have the funding. And now the new plan begins with cuts. It’s like déjà vu all over again.

Without new and increasing sources of real, sustained funding, we are just nibbling around the edges and treading water. So, the first order of business should be to commit to finding money. We’ve discussed the legal case for using Tourist Development Tax (TDT) or TDC funding. Commissioners Haskell and Kaufman have led the charge. The new Transit Director is looking at innovative sources. And at the September budgeting meeting, the City Manager and his finance team signaled a willingness to look at big ticket revenue: TDT funds, cruise ship disembarkation fees, expanded parking revenue and more.

So, what’s next for the City?

The Plan picks up on some things that were working pre-covid and that people asked for: more frequency on existing routes and new, simple direct, fixed-routes.

But we haven’t seen a roadmap from the City for the year ahead and implementing the Plan. And Monroe County? No plan at all.

What Needs to Happen Next

To move from retrenchment to renewal, Key West Transit needs more than promises—it needs action. Here’s what must happen:

Keep the Duval Loop running while funding is secured
Implement the 2024 TDP with clear timelines, public updates, and measurable goals
Increase frequency on the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express
Restore fixed-route service, as called for in the Plan, and when this happens simplify the meandering WFE
Use Key West Rides to fill gaps—not replace the backbone of fixed routes
Secure More Monroe County funding to add frequency on the Lower Keys Shuttle and Workforce Express to reflect the LKS’ regional role and WFE importance to Stock Island as a first step
Monroe County needs to get back in the game as a second step and implement the wonderful plan they laid out for the future
Both the City and County need to pursue new revenue sources—TDT funds, cruise ship fees, parking revenue, tolls, and grants

(County plan here)
These aren’t just technical fixes. They’re steps toward a system that serves workers, residents, and tourists—and builds a better life for everyone who calls the Keys home.

Closing: A Call to Action

We’ve laid out the facts. The ridership. The plans. The cuts. The history. And yes, the failures. But we’ve also seen glimmers—of leadership, of public pushback, of possibility. The Duval Loop isn’t gone. The Plan isn’t dead. And the people working on this—the under appreciated and under-staffed Transportation team, Commissioners, the City Manager—deserve support.

We’re not naïve. We’ve seen Lucy pull the football before. But we’re still here. Still watching. Still hoping. Because if Key West can build a transit system that works—for workers, for residents, for tourists—it won’t just move people. It’ll move us as a community forward.

# # #

Recent transit stories leading up to today’s:

No Director, No Department, No Direction: Monroe County’s Transit Collapse September 21, 2025
Duval Loop Eliminated: A Tragedy — and a Turning Point September 14, 2025
Could Tourist Dollars Be The Answer to Our Transit Funding Problem? August 31, 2025
Even If You’ll Never Ride the Bus, You’ll Feel It When It’s Gone August 24, 2025
Transit Is Collapsing in the Keys. Will Business Leaders Let It? August 17, 2025
Dumb and Dumber Transit Cuts: A Failure of Leadership in the Keys August 3, 2025

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.

🌈 This Is Just the Beginning: Rainbows Return to Duval

Posted on October 7, 2025 Leave a Comment

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | October 7, 2025

When the State of Florida removed Key West’s rainbow crosswalks in the dead of night on September 9, many feared it marked a retreat from visibility, history, and pride. But the response from our community has been anything but quiet.

In the weeks since, two powerful developments have emerged—proof that resilience, creativity, and collaboration are alive and well in Key West.

“After thoughtful discussion with representatives from every invested department (and keeping HARC guidelines in mind), the design submitted by local artist Lucy Hawk and Kristyn Lamoia has been selected as the working draft.“

🏳️‍🌈 A Welcoming Arch, Approved

The City of Key West and the Key West Business Guild have announced that FDOT has officially approved the construction of an “All Are Welcome Here” arch honoring the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. This vibrant symbol will stand at the entrance to the newly designated LGBTQ+ Historic District, celebrating our past, present, and future.

“We want to thank Key West Mayor Danise ‘Dee Dee’ Henriquez, City Manager Brian Barroso, and so many others in city government, for working so closely with this group to help make sure this happens,” said the Key West Business Guild.

The arch will span Petronia Street at Duval, mirroring the Bahama Village arch on the opposite side of Petronia. The current design features translucent tubes to allow light to pass through, and the committee is exploring a plaque on one of the posts to explain the arch’s origin. The project is now in the hands of City Director of Engineering Doug Bradshaw, who is working with artists and architects to refine the design. It still needs to go before HARC, Planning, and the City Commission before final approval.

Rob Dougherty, Executive Director of the Business Guild, emphasized that this is just the beginning. The committee is also exploring signage and other ways to mark the LGBTQ+ Historic District (Simonton Street to Duval Street, Olivia Street to Angela Street), ensuring visitors know when they’ve entered this vibrant neighborhood. Dougherty expressed hope that the City will establish a standing LGBTQ+ advisory committee, modeled after similar efforts in other cities.

He praised the City’s genuine collaboration: “At no point was it lip service. People were very honest and easy to work with.” And he echoed the Mayor’s sentiment that “things have to be Tallahassee-proof” — a nod to the importance of creating lasting, resilient symbols of inclusion.

🚲 Rainbow Bike Racks Hit the Street

Meanwhile, the first phase of the City’s new Rainbow Racks initiative is underway. Brightly painted bike racks now line the 700 and 800 blocks of Duval Street, offering a joyful burst of color and a visible reminder of our LGBTQ+ legacy.

The idea came from Ryan Stachurski, the City’s Multi-Modal Coordinator, who wanted a quick, visible way to show support while the arch project moved through approvals. Ryan brought the idea to Dorian Patton, the City’s Mayor and Commission Liaison, who then enthusiastically took it to Mayor Danise “Dee Dee” Henriquez. The Mayor loved it and brought it to City Manager Brian Barroso, who responded, “This is wonderful.” Dorian tells us the City Manager also took the initiative to contact FDOT and secure approval.

The City asked the Key West Business Guild to select the correct rainbow colors, and then City crews painted and installed the racks. So far, three groups of six rainbow racks (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet), have been installed. In two locations, existing black racks were relocated elsewhere on Duval Street and replaced with six rainbow racks—adding four new racks in each spot. In the third location, six rainbow racks were installed where none existed before. That’s a net gain of 14 new racks across those blocks, and a total of 18 rainbow racks now brightening Duval Street.

Commissioner Sam Kaufman shared this reflection:

“While it’s disappointing that FDOT chose to remove the crosswalks, I’m proud to see our City staff and the Key West Business Guild working together to keep that message alive through the new rainbow-colored bicycle racks. These beautiful displays continue to reflect our City’s official philosophy of ‘One Human Family.’ I’ll always support seeing more rainbows across our community as a reminder that everyone belongs here.”

✊ A Community That Refuses to Be Erased

These projects are more than decoration. They’re declarations. They show what happens when a community refuses to be erased—and instead responds with creativity, unity, and pride.

As Rob Dougherty put it: “This is just the beginning.”

We couldn’t agree more.

# # #

Read our September 10, 2025 story: From Rainbow Crosswalks to Rainbow Museums.
Feature Photo: Key West Business Guild Executive Director Rob Dougherty, Community Services’ Ralph Major, 801 business owner Jim Gilleran, and Community Services’ Richard Sarver.

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.

No Director, No Department, No Direction: Monroe County’s Transit Collapse

Posted on September 21, 2025 2 Comments

Transit Decapitated in the New Budget

September 21, 2025. Monroe County’s new budget year begins October 1, and with it comes a stunning decision: the complete elimination of the county’s transit department and the departure of its director, Richard Clark. This isn’t just a bureaucratic reshuffle—it’s a declaration that transit is no longer a priority in the Keys. Clark’s exit, along with the decision to end Conch Connect—the County’s short-lived micro-transit pilot—in August, marks the end of a brief but ambitious era of trying to build real mobility options for residents, workers, and visitors alike.

Clark was hired in September 2022 to help Monroe County “solve one of our largest challenges with transportation,” according to then–County Administrator Roman Gastesi. At the time Commissioner Cates called the new transit director position an “investment” in public transportation and Commissioner Lincoln said the county needs a person whose “sole job is transportation.” With a background in economic development and public transit leadership, Clark was brought in to develop cost-effective, high-quality, innovative public transportation options. The County recognized the problem and invested in leadership. Now, they’ve abandoned the effort—even though the underlying problems haven’t improved.

County Administrator Christine Hurley confirmed the cuts in a recent email: “We did not fund the Transit Director position, nor Conch Connect.”

This decision doesn’t just eliminate a department—it erases a vision. It signals a retreat from solving the very problems Monroe County once committed to tackling: congestion, worker mobility, tourism, affordability, and environmental sustainability.

The City of Key West recently eliminated its Duval Loop service—a painful cut, but one that sparked public outcry and perhaps a willingness to finally address funding, leaving room for future reconsideration. Monroe County’s decision is different. It doesn’t just reduce service—it erases the department, the director, and the vision. There’s no flicker of hope here. Not yet. Only a void where leadership should be.

The sections that follow will show how transit in Monroe County was beginning to show signs of promise on an ambitious plan, why transit and that plan remains essential, and what’s at stake when leadership fails to act. From the collapse of Conch Connect to the worsening conditions on U.S. 1, the story is one of regression, not reform.

*The vision: 30-minute coach bus service along US1 with 14-passenger vans circulating neighborhoods throughout the Keys.*

Conch Connect and the Vision It Served

Conch Connect, the county’s micro-transit service, was launched last summer to help workers—especially those on Stock Island—access jobs and services more reliably. It was just a start, an early piece of a broader plan: a quick-launch pilot using outside contractors, designed to address unmet demand where Key West Transit was struggling (and still is). While the County later claimed it wasn’t meeting expectations, the service had gained a small but loyal ridership (65,000 annual rides—far more than the City’s Workforce Express at 12,000) and was showing signs of promise. Feedback was positive, and demand was beginning to outpace supply.

Our May 2024 article laid out Richard Clark’s vision in detail—a layered, scalable system tailored to the Keys. It called for frequent 30-minute coach bus service from Key Largo to Key West along the Overseas Highway, supported by fixed-route circulators in 14-passenger vans and on-demand micro-transit to fill gaps in the many villages up and down the island chain. With up to 30 coaches serving long haul travel on U.S. 1 and the vans and micro-transit serving as first/last mile connectors to that service AND helping people in the Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Colony and Key Largo to get around those villages without a car. The goal: connect workers to jobs, reduce congestion, and give visitors seamless access to destinations. As Clark put it, the plan was for “a system that’s frequent, easy-to-use, and connects the entire island chain—from Homestead to Key West.”

The vision was articulated in part because there is currently no viable regional transit service, and less than half of one percent of Monroe County workers use the bus to get to work. Even the City’s Lower Keys Shuttle between Marathon and downtown Key West offers just 10 trips in and 10 trips out per day—not much help. Growing that number through a layered, responsive system would directly address congestion and worker mobility.

This vision was repeated in County communications and featured in a promotional video produced by the County:

The “Looking Ahead to the Future” section of our January article on the success of Conch Connect painted a hopeful picture—one now rendered moot. Monroe County is dismantling a system before it could even get off the ground.

Why Transit Is Still Essential

The need for transit in the Keys hasn’t gone away—if anything, it’s grown more urgent. As outlined in the County’s own vision, transit is the only scalable solution to a host of interlocking challenges:

No Room to Widen: Monroe County recently rejected FDOT’s request to reserve the ability to widen the Overseas Highway in the future. That decision effectively locks in the current footprint, making transit the only scalable alternative – because you can’t add more cars.
Congestion on U.S. 1: The Overseas Highway is over capacity. Level of Service studies show the road is failing. Daily backups, long travel times, and resident frustration are now routine. In surveys over the years, congestion ranks just behind housing as the top concern for Keys residents.
Worker Mobility: Thousands of workers commute from the Lower Keys to Key West daily. Others travel from Marathon, Islamorada, and even Homestead. Without transit, they face long, costly, and unreliable commutes.
Visitor Experience: Tourism is the lifeblood of the Keys, but gridlock and parking scarcity degrade the experience—especially in the evening when workers are heading home and visitors are trying to get from resorts to dinner.
Affordability and Fairness: Many families are forced to own a car for every adult just to survive here. Transit reduces the high cost of car ownership and expands access to jobs, services, and opportunity.
Environmental Impact: More cars mean more emissions, more noise, and more wear on fragile infrastructure. Transit is a cleaner, smarter alternative.

With the Highway Failing, Transit Is the Only Fix

U.S. Route 1, operates at or exceeds its capacity. The most recent Level of Service study (LOS), the 2023 U.S. 1 Arterial Travel Time and Delay study downgraded the overall LOS for the highway from C to D – a failing grade by Monroe County standards. The study concluded there is “no reserve capacity for additional trips.”

FDOT’s proposal to widen the highway was recently rejected by the county, leaving transit as the only scalable solution. Without it, families are forced into car dependency, workers face impossible commutes, and the visitor experience continues to degrade.

Richard Clark’s vision, as laid out in the County’s own communications, was to build a system that addressed these issues head-on. The May 2024 article described a future with “frequent, easy-to-use transit up and down US1 and within each of the villages”—a future that’s now been shelved, even though the problems remain.

If the highway is failing and transit is the only fix, how did it come to this? If the County was serious about solving the problem—even if they didn’t yet have the money to launch service—why did they let go of the only person working on the plan?

*County Commissioners Michelle Lincoln, David Rice, and Craig Cates, County Administrator Christine Hurley, and Commissioners Holly Merrill Raschein and Jim Scholl.*

Leadership Without a Plan

There is no replacement plan. No continuity. No vision. This isn’t just a budget cut—it’s a retreat from responsibility. County Administrator Christine Hurley stated that the County is “monitoring ridership with the City of Key West to determine whether need exceeds available seats”—a reactive posture that waits for failure rather than planning for success.

Hurley’s full email response to our request for information reveals a deeper problem: the County seems to have given up. She wrote, “I know you were focused on possible funding solutions; but most of the funding ideas were not something we can easily utilize.” She cited the failed charter county referendum and the State’s resistance to transit authorities, concluding, “Without the tax in place we could not venture into a new transit system.”

She added, “The thing about these funding ideas, is many of them have state or federal laws that don’t allow us to use them for transit.” Parking fees, TDC funds, and tolls were all dismissed as legally or politically unworkable. But as we explored in our August 31 article Could Tourist Dollars Be the Answer to Our Transit Funding Problem?, there are alternative legal interpretations and untapped possibilities. The County’s posture feels prematurely defeatist.

Hurley also wrote, “We believe having two separate government agencies providing transit doesn’t make sense—as you end up paying for two directors and support staff.” What, NOW this is a concern? If that’s the case, why did the County pursue a new transit system before resolving this question? And now that Clark is gone, who from the County will work with the City to figure it out?

If the County truly believed in the need for transit—regardless of which agency runs it—they would have kept someone in place to pursue alternatives, build partnerships, and fight for funding. Instead, they let go of the one person with the knowledge to do it.

Commissioner Michelle Lincoln has expressed openness to further discussion and acknowledged the need for more reliable transit routes. Her willingness to meet and explore ideas offers a glimmer of hope—but no clear commitments have been made. And where are her colleagues? Missing in action.

Two years ago, the County saw the need and invested in leadership. Now, they’ve retreated, offering reasons why things can’t be done instead of a vision for what should be.

The Road Ahead Seems Empty

Monroe County has walked away from transit—not just from a department, but from a responsibility. The Overseas Highway is our only road, and it’s failing. The County knew this. They hired a director, built a plan, and acknowledged the urgency. Then they retreated.

There is no interim strategy, no transition, no leadership. The County’s own statements show a pattern of excuse-making and legal deflection, not problem-solving. They shelved a solution that was already underway, leaving workers, visitors, and residents to fend for themselves.

This isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a dereliction of duty. The need for transit remains. The problems are worsening. And the only entity with the power to act has chosen not to.

Unlike the City’s recent transit cuts, there is no flicker of hope here. Not yet. Only a void where leadership should be.

# # #

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.

Duval Loop Eliminated: A Tragedy — and a Turning Point

Posted on September 14, 2025 1 Comment

The Loop is gone. But the conversation has shifted — and that may be the first step toward a smarter future.

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | September 14, 2025

Key West is about to make a decision that defies logic, economic sense, and basic urban planning. The elimination of the Duval Loop — the city’s best-performing transit route — is a textbook example of short-term thinking with long-term consequences.

But something changed at Thursday’s budget hearing, even as they decreased this year’s transit budget by $1.3M versus last year’s. For the first time, city staff and commissioners seemed to begin talking seriously about long-term funding solutions — cruise ship disembarkation fees, Tourist Development Tax allocations, expanded Park-n-Ride revenue. These ideas should have been explored months ago, even years ago. Their absence is what led us here.

Still, the shift matters. It’s like turning a cruise ship — slow, deliberate, and overdue. But it’s movement. And that movement deserves recognition.

We mourn the loss of the Duval Loop. It didn’t have to be this way. But if the city follows through on the ideas now being discussed, this moment could mark the beginning of a smarter, more resilient transit future.

In the sections that follow, we’ll break down why this decision is so damaging, how the Loop became Key West’s most vital transit service, and what — if anything — can still be done to reverse course.

The Duval Loop: A Route That Works

Transit Service	% of Total Rides (FY2024–2025)
Duval Loop	43%
Lower Keys Shuttle	29%
Key West Rides	23%
Workforce Express	6%

Since its launch in August 2017, the Duval Loop has quietly become the backbone of Key West’s transit system. Designed to serve visitors and locals alike, it offered a simple promise: a reliable, free way to explore downtown without the stress of parking or traffic. And it delivered.

Ridership has rebounded dramatically since the pandemic, climbing from 63,055 in FY2020–2021 to over 152,000 projected in FY2024–2025. That’s a 141% increase — and yet, this is the route they’re cutting. The Loop now accounts for 43% of all Key West Transit rides, outperforming every other service. It’s not just popular — it’s essential.

Fiscal Year	Duval Loop Ridership
FY2018–2019	331,603
FY2019–2020	201,077
FY2020–2021	63,055
FY2021–2022	71,981
FY2022–2023	109,044
FY2023–2024	125,655
FY2024–2025*	152,000+

Cutting the Loop doesn’t just hurt riders — it risks future funding. Federal and state transit formulas rely heavily on ridership data to determine allocations. Every ride counts. By eliminating 43% of the system’s total rides, Key West could jeopardize its eligibility for future funding, compounding the damage for years to come.

Research Tells Us Downtown Depends on the Loop

City management and transit leaders presented short-term fixes to preserve Key West Rides and Workforce Express. That’s encouraging. Someone is finally thinking about new sources of funding. But no money for the Loop, that since its launch has quietly become the backbone of the island’s transit system — serving visitors, workers, and locals alike with a reliable, free way to explore downtown.

In our March Madness and the Duval Loop, March 29, 2024 article, we showed how the Loop absorbs seasonal surges, keeping downtown accessible even during peak tourism. It’s not just a convenience — it’s a pressure valve. Without it, traffic clogs, parking overflows, and the visitor experience deteriorates.

During a recent conversation with USRadio 1’s Nick Wright, we talked about how the Loop fuels downtown vitality. “It’s the one thing that makes downtown feel like it works,”we said. “You take it away, and suddenly everything feels harder — for visitors, for workers, for businesses.”

Research tells us that 77% of overnight visitors drive to Key West. And if they have a car and don’t have an easy-to-use alternative, they’ll default to the car — because it’s there. Even those who do walk, often come from car-dependent places where walking isn’t second nature. Add in the heat, and many visitors won’t explore beyond a few blocks. The Loop opens up areas of downtown that might not otherwise get visited — and that’s good for our retailers, restaurants, and destinations.

Business owners have echoed this sentiment for years. From Duval Street retailers to waterfront restaurants, the Loop brings foot traffic that translates directly into revenue. It’s not just transit — it’s infrastructure for prosperity.

Cutting the Loop sends a troubling message: that downtown mobility is expendable. And if that’s the message, then Key West risks undermining the very infrastructure that makes its economy thrive.

The City encourages workers (and tourists) to use the Grinnell Street Park N Ride garage and then hop on the Loop. And the new 126 unit workforce housing project – The Lofts – was praised for making it easy for residents to get around downtown via their stop on the Duval Loop. Oops…

The Loop: Not Just for Tourists

The Duval Loop isn’t just for visitors — it’s a lifeline for locals too. That fact is about to become even more obvious as 126 units of workforce housing begin opening at The Lofts, located right on the Loop’s route. The city was rightly praised for placing affordable housing downtown, with direct access to transit. Now, it’s preparing to cut that very connection.

Officials claim the Loop is “only for tourists,” estimating that 95% of its riders were visitors last year. But that figure is disputed — and it overlooks the lived experience of downtown workers who rely on the Loop to move between jobs, errands, and lunch breaks.

The Park and Ride Garage on Grinnell Street will also lose its downtown shuttle connection. Workers are encouraged to park there — so are tourists — but without the Loop, there’s no easy way to get from the garage to the heart of downtown. This isn’t just inconvenient. It’s a step backward for mobility, equity, and common sense.

Residents use the Loop. Workers use the Loop. And the city’s own planning decisions — like placing affordable housing downtown — were built around its presence. Eliminating it undermines years of smart, mobility-focused development. If the city is serious about restoring the Loop, it must start by recognizing its full value.

The Missed Opportunity That Brought Us Here

This isn’t the first time Key West has been caught flat-footed by transit funding shortfalls — and it won’t be the last if leadership continues to rely on unstable grants. As we laid out in our August 3 Dumb and Dumber Transit Cuts article, the city’s dependence on federal and state dollars has created a cycle of surprise and retreat. Each year, officials act shocked when the money doesn’t materialize, despite years of warning signs.

There’s been no sustained effort to build a reliable local funding source. No contingency planning. And now, the city is cutting its most successful route — not because it failed, but because the system wasn’t protected.

Transit has too often been treated as a secondary concern — something for those without cars, rather than a core part of the city’s infrastructure. That mindset has shaped decisions for years, and the consequences are now playing out in real time.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. As we explored in our August 31 article Could Tourist Dollars Be the Answer? the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) is a viable, logical source of funding for the Duval Loop. Commissioners Monica Haskell and Sam Kaufman have pushed for this — Haskell even met with the TDC Executive Director, who expressed support for using those funds. The door is open. City leadership now has a chance to walk through it.

Is the Cruise Ship Starting to Turn?

In the days leading up to Thursday’s budget hearing, Commissioner Sam Kaufman exchanged emails with the City Manager, pressing for answers about the Duval Loop and the city’s long-term transit strategy. These quotes come directly from that exchange — and they reflect a growing awareness that something needs to change. Some of these themes were echoed on the dais during the hearing itself, suggesting that the cruise ship may, at last, be starting to turn. Here’s Commissioner Kaufman’s question to the Manager:

“The City’s 10-year Transit Development Plan lays out a bold vision, but this budget drastically cuts transit. How do you reconcile those cuts with the commitments in the TDP? And specifically—why are we eliminating the Duval Loop, our fastest-growing route, up 21% this year while others are flat or down? Cutting the Loop not only hurts downtown and visitors but also weakens our state funding formula. What’s the plan to restore this service? I understand grants play a role, but the City has known for years that transit funding is unstable. Why hasn’t a sustainable local funding source been prioritized to protect essential services like the Duval Loop? Without a plan for dedicated funding, aren’t we setting ourselves up for the same crisis year after year?”

Kudo’s to Commissioner Kaufman. He gets it. Here’s how the City Manager responded:

“Yes, the Transit Development Plan was developed with a bold vision, but the pages also identified that there was a lack of funding overall. Identifying new, local revenue sources is something that we have actively been working on, however, many of the ideas do not have a short-term implementation. We have identified $3.4M in local funding for the operations of the Transit System, however, grant funding for the system has been decreased to $2.6M in FY2026. The City has identified increased advertising initiatives, dedicated parking fees, and a dedicated portion of citation fees as immediate local funding increases, however, longer term ideas such as TDC Funding, a possible increase to disembarkation fees, participation from the business community, and other options are not immediately available for implementation. The disruption of services is not desirable; however, the suspension of the Duval Loop will have a lesser impact on our local workforce. The suspension of the Duval Loop does not equate to the City surrendering its long-term vision which is in the pages of the TDP. The City is committed to continuing its efforts to enhance revenue opportunities, and in turn, its transit system.”

It’s a familiar pattern: acknowledge the vision, point to funding constraints, and promise future action. But once the Loop is gone, the urgency to restore it may fade — especially if the city adjusts to operating without its most successful route. That’s the danger of short-term cuts: they risk becoming permanent.

The city says it hasn’t surrendered its long-term vision. That’s encouraging. But vision without urgency is just paperwork. If leaders truly believe in restoring the Loop, they’ll need to act — not just plan.

*Two visions of downtown Key West. One without transit and one with transit.*

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

At Thursday’s budget hearing, city staff laid out a few short-term fixes to preserve Key West Rides and Workforce Express — including a $10 cut of parking citation fees projected to raise $200K and new revenue from special event parking. These are welcome steps. City Hall is finally thinking creatively.

But for the Duval Loop, the timing may be off. The ideas now being explored — while promising — won’t arrive in time to prevent its suspension.

The city is now exploring longer-term ideas like cruise ship disembarkation fees, Tourist Development Tax allocations, and expanded Park-n-Ride revenue. When asked about when we’d see funding plans for these ideas by Commissioner Kaufman, the City Manager said recommendations could come “a couple of months into the new fiscal year.” That’s progress — but it won’t save the Loop.

Commissioner Sam Kaufman rightly asked for a legal memo on disembarkation fees, noting that Key West charges far less than other Florida ports. He also pushed back on raising worker parking permit fees, emphasizing the need for fairness to workers.

There’s movement. There’s momentum. But the Loop is still being cut. And unless the city commits to restoring it once new revenue is secured, this moment will be remembered not just as a tough pill to swallow, but as a turning point that came too late to save what mattered most.

A Window of Hope

Something seemed to shift at Thursday’s budget hearing. For the first time, city leaders began talking seriously about long-term transit funding — not just in vague terms, but with real ideas: cruise ship disembarkation fees, Tourist Development Tax allocations, expanded Park-n-Ride revenue. These conversations should have started years ago. Their absence is what led us here.

But they’ve started now. And that matters.

Commissioners Sam Kaufman and Monica Haskell have been consistent, vocal, and strategic — not just in this budget cycle, but across years of transit advocacy. Kaufman’s letter to the City Manager laid out the stakes with clarity and urgency. Haskell’s push for TDT funding and her reaching out to the TDC Executive Director, who expressed support for using those funds, is a good sign. They’re not just talking. They’re leading.

We see the flicker of effort at City Hall. We recognize the shift. And we encourage it.

But we also remember what’s being lost. The Duval Loop didn’t fail — it was failed. And unless the city reverses course with a Hail Mary pass by final budget adoption on September 25, this decision will be remembered as a missed opportunity to protect what worked.

So, we remain hopeful. But we also remain watchful.

Trust, but verify.

Because when we invest in good, frequent, easy-to-use transit, we build a better Key West – for workers, for residents, for visitors, for businesses and for our future.

# # #

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.

From Rainbow Crosswalks to Rainbow Museums

Posted on September 10, 2025 Leave a Comment

Preserving Key West’s Identity Through Civic Commemorations, Anchor Institutions, and Gay History

September 10, 2025. The State of Florida’s push to erase our rainbow crosswalks—culminating in their removal on September 9 at the intersection of Duval and Petronia—has energized our community. We’ve shown up loudly and proudly at City Hall and special meetings. We’ve gathered at the intersection for protests and viral photos. And we’ve vented online, at watering holes, churches, and gathering places. After all, these aren’t just painted lines—they’re declarations of identity, history, and resistance. How dare they do this! The common question seems to be: What do we do?

Everyone’s been wracking their brains and generating tons of great ideas on how to respond. I don’t pretend to have the answers—and there are many in our community far more involved and wiser than me. But our identity and place here in Key West isn’t exactly a new dilemma.

Back in January 2024, following the announcement of the closing of the male-only Equator Resort, we wrote an article titled “There Goes the Key West Gayborhood?” asking:

Is our gayborhood disappearing?
Is Key West becoming less gay?
What does the loss of gay spaces mean for the remaining gay businesses and our island LGBTQ+ community?
And what are some of the things we can do to Keep Key West Gay?

We received heartfelt, thoughtful, and enlightening answers from some of the best minds in our community—including Neil Chamberlain, Cori Convertito, Larry Ketron, Rob Dougherty, Laura Zequeira-Smith, Jeffrey Smead, and Richard McGarry—and shared insights from Guy Ross and Peter Arnow as well.

Eighteen months later, the removal of our rainbow crosswalks brings us to a new crossroads. With more people now engaged and enraged, we wanted to revisit that article and share some of the fantastic ideas from this Who’s Who about how we can Keep Key West Gay. And ask: Are these ideas still relevant? What can we do to move them forward? And what else needs to happen?

That’s what we’ll explore in the story below.

The Business Guild’s Gay Key West Welcome Center at 808 Duavl. Storied history with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams enjoying Key West life in the 1970’s and the gay men who created Fantasy Fest.

What We Mean When We Say This Isn’t Exactly A New Dilemma

We aren’t equating the closing of a long-time gay establishment or the disappearance of gay spaces with the purposeful hate that the administrations in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee are imposing on our community. But disappearing and erasing are in the same ballpark—and some of the solutions we explored in our original story may have common ground with what we need to do now, in the wake of our rainbow crosswalks being removed.

In our earlier article, we discussed the rich history of Gay Key West, which began after WWII and by the 1970s had already become an East Coast gay mecca. Fast forward a few decades to 2005, and the New York Times was asking, “Is Key West Going Straight?” By 2024, Key West’s visible gay establishments were down to a handful. And while we wove in context from similar national trends about gayborhoods, we asked local leaders: What’s going on here? And how can we Keep Key West Gay?

*Some of the books we used in our original research.*

Visibility and History Matter in Shoring Up Gayborhoods

A common theme among the research and the community members who participated in our story 18 months ago was that the loss of gay places and spaces was, in part, due to the mainstream’s growing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community over the last couple of decades. That acceptance, while welcome, also negated the perceived need for specifically gay places that had once served as refuge. We could now go—or hang out—anywhere.

Respondents echoed each other, saying that despite the closing of gay spaces, Key West remained such a friendly, gay-accepting place that the LGBTQ+ community would still be drawn here.

We’ll need a follow-up story—perhaps a Part 2 companion to this one—and ask everyone if they still feel the same, given the current political climate.

At the time, nearly every person we talked to emphasized the importance of educating people about the gay history of Key West. That we had a long and storied tradition of acceptance here—and that this history was one way to keep Gay Key West alive.

The research also pointed to two other critical and related ways to shore up a city’s gayborhood and visibility: civic commemorations and anchor institutions. Together these three elements—commemorations, institutions, and history—form the foundation of what we discussed needing to do going forward.

Let’s revisit them out again here.

*Civic commerations on N. Halsted Street in Chicago, Key West’s Aids Memorial and the Spirt of Stonewall mural with artist Lisa Marie Thalhammer in 2019 at the Aqua Bar.*

🏛️ 1. Civic Commemorations

In a conversation between There Goes the Gayborhood? author Amin Ghaziani and then-VOX writer Matthew Yglesias (now on Substack), they discussed how cities can shore up their gayborhoods. One solution they emphasized was civic commemorations—public markers that embody gay history, culture, and collective memory. Said Ghaziani:

“Chicago became the first city in the world to use tax-funded dollars to municipally mark its gayborhood—Boystown. They installed art deco–styled rainbow color pylons along North Halsted Street, which is the main artery of the commercial and nightlife district in the city. We’ve seen versions of this in many cities across North America.”

“Philadelphia installed rainbow flags underneath the street signs that demarcate a portion of the Washington Square West neighborhood. Toronto did the same thing… Vancouver installed permanent rainbow-colored crosswalks in the heart of the Davie Village gayborhood. West Hollywood has done the same thing.”

We’d add that Chicago also installed 14 permanent rainbow crosswalks and created the Legacy Walk—a series of bronze plaques commemorating the lives and achievements of significant LGBTQ+ people along North Halsted.

Further research revealed other cities renaming streets and plazas, dedicating monuments and memorials, and blending pride symbols into architecture. In Philadelphia’s gayborhood, for example, street signs feature a rainbow flag emblem beneath the name. Commemorative plaques, sidewalk markers, statues, murals, and even permanent rainbow lighting on bridges and buildings have all been used to honor LGBTQ+ history.

Closer to home, Key West has its own AIDS Memorial, the City’s adoption of the One Human Family motto, and the official flying of the rainbow flag at city functions. And of course, we had our own rainbow crosswalks installed in 2015 at Duval and Petronia—until the State of Florida removed them in the dead of night on September 9, 2025.

Why do we need civic commemorations? Visibility. They remind us—and everyone else—that we’re here, we’ve always been here, and we’re not going anywhere.

So, the question becomes: What more can we do? And perhaps we’ll revisit that in a future article or Part 2.

*Graffitti Menswear, La Te Da, The 801 Bourbon Bar, and the iconic New Year’s Eve Shoe Drop at the New Orleans House.*

🧭 2. Support Anchor Institutions

The second “visibility” measure discussed by Ghaziani and Yglesias was the promotion of anchor institutions—organizations, businesses, and community centers that give a gayborhood its distinct identity and cultural staying power. Says Ghaziani:

“These are particular organizations or nonprofit community centers and businesses that have particular importance or significance for the LGBTQ community. This could be something like the community center on Halsted in Chicago. It could be a particular bar that may have existed for a while that has special significance in the community. These anchor institutions will continually inspire people to visit and spend time in the neighborhood even if they no longer live there.”

In his book, Ghaziani also talks about gay newspapers and periodicals, and the idea of providing subsidies to anchor institutions to help them thrive.

In our 2024 article, we highlighted the then-recent bright spot of the Aqua Plex property, which beloved gay Key West icon Michael Ingram sold to Jonathan and Michael Barrett—a gay couple from Michigan who wanted to carry on the legacy. We contrasted Michael Ingram’s desire to preserve Aqua’s drag bar tradition with Richard Hoy’s sellout of the Equator Resort. Think of the other places that serve as our anchor institutions:

The Tennessee Williams Museum
22&Co
The La Te Da complex—including its cabaret, piano bar, and Tea Dance
801 Bourbon Bar and Saloon One
The Bourbon Street Pub and New Orleans House complex, with their famous New Year’s Eve shoe drop
Bobby’s Monkey Bar
Island House Key West Resort
Alexander’s Guest House
Graffiti Menswear
In Touch
Leather Master of Key West
Q Magazine
The Key West Business Guild and their welcome center at 808 Duval
Queer Keys Community Center at 1100 Truman Avenue

Apologies to those I’m missing. While there may be fewer gay places than there were twenty, thirty, or even forty years ago, the question is: How do we support the ones we still have?

And why do we need to support them? Visibility. If these places thrive, they remain visible symbols of our community—welcoming, resilient, and unmistakably present.

*Richard McGarry and Greg Madsen’s “Gay Key West A History” book and Tim Dahm’s “No Closet Space – A History of Gay Key West” at the Tropic Cinema*

📚 3. Preserve, Honor, and Educate About Our History – Maybe A Rainbow Museum

Many of those who responded to our first article emphasized the importance of preserving and honoring our history, educating people about our community’s past, and sharing personal stories. Civic commemorations and anchor institutions can help advance this—but we also need dedicated efforts to make our history visible and accessible.

One idea we floated back then was the creation of a Rainbow Museum right here in Key West. And we’ll admit—it’s not a new idea. Former Key West Business Guild Executive Director Matt Hon championed it for years, even suggesting the perfect location: 1114 Duval Street, where Gilbert Baker and his team assembled the 1.25-mile-long rainbow flag in 2003. When we talked to Matt about this article he told us:

“My heart broke yesterday morning when I saw Gwen’s post about the crosswalks. I been following the story from a far & was hoping KW would win & those crosswalks would stay. But, they didn’t. Those crosswalks disappear just emphasized to me on the direction of our country that I fear. The disappearance made me cry. The museum tho, I always was surprised one was never in Key West. And always thought Key West should have one. Maybe it will happen some day. And I hope folks in Key West can keep the island gay. Trust me, for a person who lives in an area like I do, there is still a very important need for “gay only spaces”. The young folks who reside in deep deep red areas need it! I myself have thought maybe its not as important any more, but when u have conversations with the younger gay generations & tell stories of our gay bars, gay resorts, gay bookstores & such they say how lucky my generation was to have such places. Some young kids still live in places that they really cant be themselves, unfortunately. So the safe spaces are still needed & important.”

The first gay museum opened in 2011 in San Francisco’s Castro District, and many more have followed. Here’s a 2021 list of the nation’s Top 10 LGBTQ+ Museums. Another compelling model is Chicago’s Legacy Walk—an outdoor installation honoring world-changing LGBTQ+ figures with permanent plaques and storytelling.

Given Key West’s long, vibrant and fun gay history, either of these ideas would have plenty of material to work with. How can we make this happen? Other ideas to keep history alive include:

Support Tim Dahm’s wonderful No Closet Space – the History of Gay Key West film so it gets wider distribution
Walking tours
Oral history projects
Public art installations
Collaborations with schools, libraries, and museums to integrate queer history into local education

What else could we do?

Why the Entire Island Should Want to Keep Key West Gay

One can’t really imagine the history of Key West over the last 80 years—since World War II if not earlier—without acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community. After all, as Guy Ross put it: “The gays saved Key West.” And they invented Fantasy Fest.

Key West is a wonderful and magical place because of the gay community. It’s part of the island’s very fiber. That magic—the One Human Family ethos, the live-and-let-live spirit, the welcome for misfits and dreamers—starts with the visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s what draws people here. It’s what keeps us here.

And it’s not just about residents. That magic draws visitors too. It’s vital to our economy. People want to travel to places that are unique and authentic. For 80 years, Key West has been exactly that.

But if the LGBTQ+ community is silenced or erased—even a little—doesn’t that chip away at the very essence of what makes Key West “close to perfect, far from normal”?

Can Key West survive if it becomes just the southernmost version of mainland Boca Del Vista?

No. No, we can’t. So, here’s what we need to do:

Everyone should by flying the rainbow flag in front of their business and home
Get involved with the Key West Business Guild and Queer Keys
Come up with ideas and funding for new civic commemorations
Support, embrace, and love our anchor institutions
Find ways to educate America that Key West was one of the original gay safe spaces—and still is

That’s how we respond to the erasure of our rainbow crosswalks.

We’ll leave you with this wonderful video produced by the fantastic team at Island House that encapsulates this message.

# # #

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.

Katie Halloran’s Quiet Revolution

Posted on September 7, 2025 3 Comments

What We Lose When We Lose Good People

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | September 7, 2025

Katie Halloran’s resignation as Key West’s Planning Director isn’t just a personnel change — it’s a turning point. Over five years, she helped reshape the city’s planning culture, delivering civic spaces, affordable housing, and climate-resilient infrastructure that now define our downtown. This story isn’t about the politics behind her exit — others are covering that. It’s about the work she did, the projects she helped deliver, and the planning philosophy she championed — one rooted in the public good and in treating every resident with equal respect, whether they held power or not. From Duval Street to Bahama Village, her legacy is visible in the places we walk, gather, and live.

Halloran’s quiet revolution wasn’t just about policy — it was about presence. I observed at public meetings like those for the Duval Street Resiliency project, she stood in the background, letting her staff, consultants, and elected officials take the spotlight. She led by empowering others, shaping outcomes without seeking credit.

Her departure leaves a void — a big one — and a challenge. In this story, we’ll explore the work she did, the planning philosophy she championed, and the projects she helped deliver — and we’ll ask what comes next.

From the City’s March 4, 2020 Facebook page: “City Manager Greg Veliz, during Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, introduced the City’s new Planning Director, Katie Halloran. Although she has been working in Texas for the past five years, Halloran hails from Key West, where she was born and raised. After graduating Key West High School, she received her Bachelor of Art degree at Florida University, then earned her Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit Alyson Crean, City of Key West.”

The Quiet Architect Behind Big Wins

Halloran’s department was instrumental in moving forward a slate of downtown projects that have reshaped Key West’s urban landscape. These seven projects — spotlighted in an article last summer: “Progress On Seven Projects Equals Big Wins for Downtown”— are tangible examples of that progress:

Mallory Square Master Plan — Planning completed; implementation status pending. The plan includes a 7,000-square-foot shade structure, water play area and redesigned gathering spaces to make the square usable throughout the day — not just at sunset. Halloran emphasized the need to make it welcoming for locals on lunch breaks, not just tourists.

“Mallory Square is an iconic destination… but outside of an hour and a half before sunset, nobody wants to sit there for more than five or ten minutes even though we have this invaluable view of the ocean.”

The Lofts at Bahama Village — Affordable housing with bike infrastructure; opening this month. The Lofts project broke ground in September 2024 and delivers 126 units of affordable housing on land donated by the Navy — a decades-long dream finally realized under Halloran’s leadership.

“More residents living downtown is a win. It helps locals save money by biking, walking, and using transit.”

Frederick Douglas Community Center — Opened March 6, a new civic space for Bahama Village. Includes a music program, Black Educators History Museum, and community gathering space. Halloran’s department helped secure funding and navigate permitting to get it built.

“This space is about honoring Bahama Village’s legacy while giving the next generation a place to grow.”

Duval Street Resiliency and Revitalization (Duval4All) — Planning phase complete; next steps TBD. Planning phase completed with robust public input, including surveys and open houses. The project integrates stormwater management, elevated street infrastructure upgrades, shade structures, and pedestrian safety — all framed around climate resilience.

“We want this process to be transparent and community-driven. Duval Street belongs to everyone.”

Clinton Square Park — Opened last June; pedestrian-friendly upgrades. Features seating, shade trees, lighting, and historic markers. Planning helped navigate approvals from HARC, Parks & Rec, and Engineering.

“This is about reclaiming public space for people, not just cars.”

Historic Diesel Plant — Adaptive reuse and preservation. Currently in pre-RFP phase. Planning led the groundwork for adaptive reuse, including groundwater management and historic preservation coordination.

“We’re looking for partners who understand the site’s history and its potential to serve both locals and visitors.”

Southernmost Point Plaza — Construction beginning this week. Includes seawall repairs, plaza redesign, and stormwater upgrades. Planning helped coordinate with Community Services and Engineering.

“This isn’t just a photo op — it’s a chance to make the space safer, more accessible, and more resilient.”

*Duval Street Resiliency and Revitalization or Duval4All Meetings.*

These seven visible wins reflect a broader philosophy: walkable, climate-conscious urbanism. But they didn’t happen in a vacuum. Behind them are quieter, foundational changes that made these projects possible. As longtime HARC Planner, Enid Torregrosa put it:

“For years, City Hall (derisivly) called Planning the ‘arts and crafts department.’ Katie ended that culture.

She requested public involvement and transparency throughout the vetting process. Now planning was the leading department for design and development for city capital projects affecting the community. Many directors resented this shift, but she was committed to implement what was logically the correct practice in any healthy government. ”

Enid highlights how the Planning Department prior to Ms. Halloran’s arrival wasn’t a player in the big projects and was even ridiculed by the others. But the quieter, foundational work with her team described below made the success of those seven projects possible:

Comprehensive Plan Updates — Halloran’s department advanced targeted updates to the Comprehensive Plan — especially around climate resilience and infrastructure — though a full rewrite remains overdue.
Land Development Regulation (LDR) Reforms — Halloran’s team defended and refined Key West’s inclusionary housing code, resisting efforts to dilute affordability mandates and updating key definitions and standards.
Public Engagement Infrastructure — Projects like Duval4All and Mallory Square Master Plan, among others showcased a commitment to public input, with surveys and open houses shaping the planning phase.
Climate Adaptation Integration — Planning projects increasingly incorporated climate adaptation — from stormwater upgrades to elevation strategies — in coordination with the City’s broader Adaptation Plan.
Cross-Departmental Coordination — Planning collaborated with departments like Engineering and Sustainability to deliver shared goals. The departments that tried to silence her work is well documented.

“We’re trying to make it easier for people to live and work downtown,” Halloran said in 2022, when asked about the city’s push to streamline permits and support infill development.

*City of Key West Planning Director Katie Halloran and Stantec Project Manager Jared Beck at the the Duval Street Revitalization & Resiliency project Open House on January 31, 2024.*

Strategic Planning with Teeth

Halloran’s tenure coincided with the adoption of two major citywide frameworks: the Strategic Plan and the City’s climate resilience goals – sometimes referred to as a Climate Action or Adaptation or Climate Change Plan. But unlike many cities where such plans gather dust, Key West’s Planning Department used them to guide real decisions. Zoning changes prioritized infill development and walkability. Permitting processes were streamlined to support affordable housing and adaptive reuse. Public space investments — from Clinton Square to Southernmost Point Plaza — were shaped by climate resilience goals.

The result was a planning culture that didn’t just talk about sustainability — it embedded it in the city’s physical form. Halloran didn’t just check boxes — she made the rules match the vision. Here’s what Elisa Levy, the person who started and helped implement the first few years of the City’s Strategic Plan, told me when I asked her about Katie:

“Katie has been the heartbeat behind so much of the city’s progress. She was instrumental in creating the first strategic plan in over a decade, and she poured herself into projects that mattered most to our community. The affordable housing project known as the ‘3.2 acres’ (now the Lofts at Bahama Village) is just one example. Katie not only helped get it off the ground, she fought to make sure it stayed true to its purpose—affordable and accessible for the people who call this place home. She also threw her energy into the city’s climate change plan, the revitalization of Mallory Square and Duval Street, and nearly every other major initiative in the plan. Katie doesn’t just dream big—she has the grit, the brilliance, and the determination to bring those dreams to life.”

Transparency and Integrity Under Fire

Even amid controversy, Halloran demonstrated a commitment to transparency. In a 2022 incident involving a permit application for her family’s home, she proactively recused herself and documented the process to avoid any perception of impropriety. That kind of ethical foresight is rare — and worth defending.

But the 2022 example wasn’t an isolated case. Halloran’s resignation letter — described by local media as thoughtful and measured — reveals a pattern of proactive ethics and transparency. She raised concerns about questionable development review practices, helped launch the Corradino Report, and submitted a formal complaint to Human Resources about the City Manager. She also supported the Grand Jury investigation and expressed hope that its recommendations would be implemented.

Transparency wasn’t just about ethics — it was embedded in her planning philosophy. Halloran’s department created public-facing web pages for major projects like Duval4All, hosted surveys and open houses, and coordinated with outside consultants to ensure fair permitting processes. Here’s how longtime HARC Planner Enid Torregrosa put it:

“Katie is an outstanding professional with a strong ethics core. Her love for our community and passion for what is correct, and fair is what drives her in all decisions. She is an exemplary leader that elevated the Planning Department to the level where it should have been in the city.”

Her commitment to transparency, integrity and ethics wasn’t abstract — it’s visible in every staff member she interacted with. Here’s what Dan Guzilio — who worked with Halloran — and has nearly 40 years of community planning experience said to our friends at Above the Fold by Ted Lund:

“I can say without reservation that Katie Halloran is as fine a public servant as anyone that I have met throughout my career. She is incredibly hard-working, exceptionally competent, and immovably honest. Unfortunately, under current City management, those are not the character traits that are valued.”

*Photo credit: Pru Sowers, Key West Citizen during Katie’s first week on the job in March 2020.*

What We Owe Her — and What Comes Next

Katie Halloran made Key West a better place to live, work, and play. Her planning legacy is especially visible downtown, where her department helped deliver civic spaces, affordable housing, and climate-resilient infrastructure. We’re grateful for her service — and for the vision she brought to our city’s most vital neighborhoods. She put the public good first — treating all residents with equal respect and care — even when it made her unpopular with those who expected special treatment.

But with her resignation, the work isn’t done. We need leaders to step up and 1. fix what ails city hall so good people like Katie stop leaving and 2. we owe it to her to finish what she started — especially the Mallory Square Master Plan, the Historic Diesel Plant reuse, and the Duval Street Resiliency and Revitalization project. Duval Street is our main street, our economic engine, and our cultural heart. It deserves the kind of thoughtful, community-driven planning Halloran championed — and it deserves to be finished.

# # #

Author’s, Note: PLEASE CHECK THE COMMENTS FOR MORE TESTIMONIALS
Author’s, Note: I didn’t know Katie Halloran personally. We’re not friends, not even on Facebook. But over the past five years, I’ve covered many of the projects she helped lead. When I asked for updates or quotes, she responded — not with spin, but with substance. Even as a department head, she made time to help inform the public. That’s where this story comes from: not insider access, but a front-row seat to the work.

# # #

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.

Could Tourist Dollars Be The Answer to Our Transit Funding Problem?

Posted on August 31, 2025 Leave a Comment

While the approach hasn’t been tested, with political will, and an inclination to challenge old assumptions, nothing should be off the table. And we can make the visitor experience better too.

Streets for People | Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown | Chris Hamilton | August 31, 2025

🎯 Sunset Gridlock, Islands-Wide

It’s sunset in Islamorada. Or Marathon. Perhaps Key West. You’re trying to get to dinner, but traffic is backed up, parking is scarce, and the scenic drive feels more like a crawl. Sound familiar?

Ask any server up the Keys—they’ll tell you the hardest part of their shift isn’t the work. It’s the drive.

Visitors love The Florida Keys & Key West—but they don’t love the gridlock. Locals want better transit but worry about the cost. And now, the long-promised fixes—regional coordination, expanded and more frequent service—are slipping away.

From the Overseas Highway to Old Town, from resort corridors to beach access points—gridlock is a Keys-wide experience for tourists, workers, and residents alike. But the fix needn’t be elusive. It may be sitting in plain sight—if leaders are willing to invest in long-standing plans and fund them with a source they’ve overlooked for years. AND it will make the visitor experience better. That’s what we’ll unpack below.

🧨 Cuts and Broken Promises

In the past few months, both Monroe County and the City of Key West have begun walking back ambitious transit plans—largely in response to budget cuts from Washington and Tallahassee. The region’s over-reliance on these sources means that when those shrink, the vision does too.

The County has eliminated Conch Connect. Its Transit Department—and its director—are on the chopping block. And with them, the vision for expanded service may disappear too.
The City has proposed eliminating the Duval Loop and cutting back Key West Rides and part of the Workforce Express. Their 10-year plan for transit modernization? Now at risk.

Instead of building on momentum, the region is bracing for contraction. The promise of a connected, efficient transit system—one that serves both visitors and workers across the Keys—is slipping away.

So, we ask: What’s the plan now? What’s the local strategy to keep transit alive?

💰 The Hidden Funding Source

If the grants are drying up, what’s left? Turns out, quite a bit.

What if there were a more stable, local source of funding—already being collected from tourists themselves?

Every time a visitor books a hotel or vacation rental in Monroe County, they pay a Tourist Development Tax (TDT)—a bed tax that generated over $60 million in FY 2024. See Monroe County’s FY 2024 Annual Report (PDF)

Most of it goes to advertising the Keys. Some goes to beach maintenance and historic preservation and events. But none of it currently funds buses.

Category	Amount	Source
Monroe County TDT Revenue (FY 2024)	$61.5 million	FY 2024 Annual Report (PDF)
Transit Funding from TDT	$0	FY 2024 Annual Report (PDF)
Marketing Spend	Estimated $30–40 million	FY 2024 Annual Report (PDF)

*All figures sourced from Monroe County FY 2024 Annual Report.

That’s not a knock on marketing. The Florida Keys & Key West team at the TDC does a great job promoting the region—and smart marketing is essential to a healthy tourism economy.

But if even a small portion of that budget were redirected to transit, the return on investment could be enormous: better mobility, happier visitors, and stronger support for the workers who keep the economy running.

If only it were that easy. The Tourist Development Tax has a narrow legal purpose—and until now, its boundaries haven’t been fully explored.

⚖️ What the Law May Allow

There’s a lot of confusion—especially online—about what the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) can and can’t fund. Some say, “it’s only for marketing.” Others say, “you can’t touch it.” So, what does the law actually say? Can this funding source be used for transit—or is that just wishful thinking?

Here’s what we think: Florida law allows TDT funds to be used for tourist serving transit—IF the County and the Tourist Development Council (TDC) approve.

Specifically, Section 125.0104 of the Florida Statutes outlines the permitted uses of TDT revenue. Among them is a provision that allows funding for activities and services whose main purpose is to attract tourists—as long as that purpose is clearly demonstrated.

That could mean buses, shuttles, and other transit services can be funded with TDT dollars—if they’re designed and promoted as tourism-serving services.

We get that this is not automatic. The County and TDC would need to vote to allocate funds. And the County Attorney’s Office would need to find a way to yes too.

But the idea that it’s illegal or impossible? False. Not if there’s a will to find a way to that yes.

Our reasoning is supported by Florida Attorney General Opinion AGO 2017-06, which confirms that transportation services clearly intended to attract tourism can be funded with TDT dollars.

That opinion also notes that a County must make a case-by-case factual determination—based on factors like promotion, purpose, and usage—to show that the service is designed to attract tourists. Importantly, the law doesn’t require transit to bring in new tourists—it requires that it be designed and promoted as part of the tourism experience. Here’s a quote from the opinion:

“Nothing in section 125.0104(5), Florida Statutes, suggests that the tourist development tax is a broad funding source. Rather, the tax revenues are a targeted funding source to directly and primarily promote tourism.”[5] Thus, such revenues cannot be used to fund a public transit system for the citizens of Walton County that would incidentally benefit tourists. Instead, to warrant use of tourist development tax revenues for transportation services under subsection (5)(a)3., there must be a clear and direct relationship between the promotion of tourism and the particular transportation service being offered.[6] Such transportation services should involve routes and schedules addressing the specific needs of tourists, and might include, for example, a shuttle connecting hotels and motels with county tourist attractions.”

That’s already happening with services like the Duval Loop downtown and Freebee in Islamorada. We think the Lower Keys Shuttle qualifies too as it connects resorts with restaurants, shops and destinations. As would an envisioned Overseas Highway from Key Largo to Old Town Key West route. With the right framing, Monroe County wouldn’t be bending the rules—it would be using them as intended.

This approach hasn’t been tested in Monroe County. Or anywhere else, just yet that we can find. So, if our Commissioners and business leaders don’t want to use TDT money to support tourist serving transit, it would be really easy to say, no it can’t be done and move on.

But if they do indeed, as they profess, support transit that would make life better for visitors, workers and residents it would take them marshaling a legal review, harnessing the political will, and a demonstrating a willingness to challenge old assumptions.

It’s not guaranteed—but it’s not prohibited. And it’s time to stop shutting down the conversation and start exploring the possibilities.

For those who want to read the statute directly, here’s the 2019 version of Section 125.0104. And here’s the Florida Attorney General Opinion AGO 2017-06.

🚍 The Transit Twofer: Enhancing the Keys Experience, Amplifying the Brand or Why TDT Funds Should Be Used for Transit

Transit isn’t just a fix for gridlock—it’s a strategic investment in the visitor experience that amplifies the island chain’s appeal and markets the free-and-easy spirit that makes the Keys different from the mainland.

🛠️ Enhancing the Visitor Experience and the “Only In the Keys” Brand

The Overseas Highway is over capacity, and the TDC promotes “driving the Keys” as part of the experience. But in reality, traffic congestion often turns that experience into a frustrating slog.
During afternoon rush and dinner hours, traffic bottlenecks in villages throughout the Keys—especially in Key West, Islamorada, and Marathon—make it hard for visitors to reach restaurants and attractions. Parking is scarce, and the experience suffers.
Workers who can’t afford to live near their jobs must drive long distances, worsening congestion and making them less reliable to employers.

📣 Reinforcing the TDC’s Marketing by Driving Promotion

🚌 Branded buses = rolling billboards seen by thousands of visitors daily – imagine buses going up and down the Overseas Highway with The Florida Keys & Key West logo. Same with the Duval Loop and other buses.
📲 QR codes and signage onboard the bus and at all the bus stops can drive traffic to TDC websites, events, and promotions.
🏖️ Improved visitor mobility means more spending at restaurants, shops, and attractions. Visitor research says that many tourists won’t walk the full length of Duval or will skip the Seaport or other parts of town if they don’t have an easy option like the Duval Loop. Same thing in Villages up the Keys. If traffic is a nightmare, visitors are more likely to stay in the resort and not venture out to those local Mom and Pop places.

That’s the twofer: real solutions for real problems, and smart marketing that amplifies the islands’ appeal.

It’s time to stop treating transit as a cost center—and start seeing it as a strategic investment in making the visitor experience even better.

🧠 Smart Policy, Real Action

Depending upon federal and state grants has proven foolhardy over the years. TDT should be considered as just one of a number of potential new local non-property tax or general fund sources. And perhaps we’ll dive into some of those in the future. But for today, using TDT for transit is a win-win:

Doesn’t touch property taxes or the general fund.
Keeps tourists moving and spending.
Supports workers who keep the tourism economy running.
Legally allowed under Florida law—IF the County and TDC approve.

And now is the time. The County and City budget processes heat up in September, and decisions are being made that will shape the future of transit in the Keys.

If you care about mobility, tourism, or the workers who make this place run—write your Commissioners now.

📬 Here’s how to speak up and talk to your Commissioners.

Reimagine the Keys as a place where tourists ride, not drive—where mobility isn’t a luxury, but a shared investment in the region’s future. Where visitors experience the island chain in a way that’s different from their car-centric mainland routines—and where residents and workers have the freedom to do the same.

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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.

Key West Rides Overwhelmed After Conch Connect Shutdown—City Pushes Alternative Buses Amid 36% Spike in Trip Requests

Posted on August 26, 2025 Leave a Comment

Transit officials say they can’t meet demand and are urging riders to shift to Workforce Express and Lower Keys Shuttle. Ironically, this is happening as leaders are considering massive cuts to the system.

Conch Connect Vanishes – And Riders Scramble

August 26, 2025. When Monroe County abruptly shut down the Conch Connect on-demand service for Stock Island and Key West on August 15, they left 65,000 annual riders without a replacement—and no backup plan.

With 85% of those trips taken by locals and 50% of trips for work, the impact was immediate. Riders were left stranded, scrambling to find alternatives

Key West Rides Buckles Under Demand

With Conch Connect gone, riders turned to the City’s own on-demand service—Key West Rides (KWR). But the system wasn’t ready.

In the first week after the shutdown, KWR saw a 19% jump in completed rides and a 36% surge in trip requests. The problem? The service could only fulfill about half of those requests.

Now, the system is overwhelmed, and riders are once again left scrambling.

Key West Transit Pushes Alternative Buses as a Result

To ease pressure on Key West Rides, Key West Transit is promoting the Key West Workforce Express (WFE) and the Lower Keys Shuttle (LKW) buses—two fixed-route buses that continue to run between Stock Island and downtown Key West. Riders can also transfer to the Duval Loop to reach downtown destinations, at least while that service remains active.

The Lower Keys Shuttle offers 10 trips per day in each direction, spaced 90–120 minutes apart. The Workforce Express runs six trips per day in each direction. While not perfect, these buses may be more reliable than the hit-or-miss Key West Rides system.

More riders might consider the Workforce Express if the route were simpler and service more frequent. Key West Transit’s own 10-Year Plan calls for more trips on it and increased frequency on the Lower Keys Shuttle—down to 60 minutes or better. But with budget cuts on the table, those improvements may be years away, if they happen at all.

Cuts Loom as Demand Soars

The surge in demand for Key West Rides is a clear signal: people want transit. But instead of expanding service, City and County leaders are proposing cuts.

As budget hearings approach, those proposals are drawing increasing scrutiny. We’ve been covering this story for weeks—from the County’s decision to scrap Conch Connect (“Conch Disconnect: County Scraps Transit Service for Local Workers”) to the broader implications of transit cuts (“Even If You’ll Never Ride the Bus, You’ll Feel It When It’s Gone”, “Transit Is Collapsing in the Keys. Will Business Leaders Let It?”, and “Dumb and Dumber Transit Cuts: A Failure of Leadership in the Keys”).

The problem isn’t just demand—it’s leadership. Officials failed to anticipate the predicable fallout of transit cuts from Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee and haven’t prioritized transit infrastructure in their budgets. Now, riders are paying the price.

What You Can Do to Prevent Cuts

The County and City are proposing cuts to transit—but nothing is final yet. These are still just proposals, and public pressure can make a difference.

Attend the County budget hearing on September 3 and the City hearing on September 11.
Contact your commissioners before the meetings and urge them to fund transit as basic infrastructure.
Share this article with friends, neighbors, and local businesses to raise awareness.
Post on social media using #FundTransitKW to amplify the message.
Ask your employer to support transit funding publicly—especially if they rely on workers who use these services.

If we stay silent, the cuts go through, and more people are left behind.

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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.