Big Bend Transit officially withdrew its application for Wakulla County’s Community Transportation Coordinator designation. The withdrawal leaves Wakulla Transportation as the only applicant for the 2026-2031 designation.
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While Wakulla Transportation is the only applicant, it will still have to go through the Apalachee Regional Planning Council for a recommendation. Then, it can go to the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged for final approval.
This comes after ABC 27'S Serena Davanzo reported on the public backlash over the Apalachee Regional Planning Council recommending Big Bend Transit for the designation over Wakulla Transportation.
Earlier this month, many neighbors came together and protested in support of Wakulla Transportation, which has served the Wakulla County community for the past 35 years.
The recommendation from the Apalachee Regional Planning Council was brought before the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged on April 8.
The commission denied approving the current recommendation of Big Bend Transit for the designation. They cited concerns about how the procurement process was done and what led to the local Wakulla County board’s decision to also deny the recommendation from the Apalachee Regional Planning Council.
Shawn Mitchel with Big Bend Transit shared a statement with ABC 27 on why the company decided to withdraw.
"We value the public input shared during the recent CTD meeting and, most importantly, we respect the voices of Wakulla County residents who expressed a preference to maintain their current transportation provider," Mitchel said.
"While we firmly believe that Big Bend Transit could bring meaningful enhancements and expanded mobility options to the community, we also recognize that successful public transportation services must align with the comfort and confidence of the people they serve," Mitchel said.
The Apalachee Regional Planning Council had already begun the process of recommending Wakulla Transportation for the designation. However, the recommendation will still have to go to the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged for a final decision.
A date and time for the special meeting have not been announced.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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