The $1 Mistake: How Key West Is Undermining the Duval Loop, Again

In May 2020, the Key West City Commission voted 5–2 to impose a $1 fare on the Duval Loop, despite strong opposition from workers, downtown businesses, hoteliers and residents. Just six months later, the decision was reversed because the City’s Covid Recovery Plan prioritized free Loop access to support downtown recovery and mobility.

Fast forward to today and the $1 fare is being reintroduced on July 7. But this time it was done quietly. No public discussion, little justification in the Commission Resolution, and no acknowledgment of past backlash. It was approved on the Consent Agenda, bypassing meaningful deliberation and transparency. The move echoes a history of tone-deaf decision-making about our public transportation system that undermines the Loop’s original success. It’s like Deja vu all over again.

The Duval Loop Was Great – A Bright Start: The Loop That Worked

The Duval Loop was a game-changer for downtown mobility when it launched. It was free, frequent, and fun, making it an easy choice for visitors, workers and residents alike. The branding and marketing were top-notch, with eye-catching designs that made the service memorable. The simple, easy-to-navigate route ensured convenience, while the high frequency of buses meant minimal wait times. Riders flocked to the Loop, appreciating its reliability and the seamless experience it offered.

TripAdvisor ratings consistently praised the Loop for its convenience and value, with many users highlighting it as a must-try experience in Key West. Early ridership numbers also back this up: FY2018–2019 saw over 331,000 riders, a testament to the Loop’s initial popularity and effectiveness.

Duval Loop Flounders – Missteps and Missed Potential

Post Covid, the City never got it together with the Loop. They reduced the hours of service, elongated the route – making the ride longer, halved the numbers of buses and thus further reduced the frequency, took off the wonderfully branded buses, neglected the bus stops and didn’t do any marketing. Ridership plunged. We comprehensively documented the Loop’s hardships here and here.

Duval Loop Sorta Makes Comeback – Signs of Life and What Sparked Them

Over the last few years, the Duval Loop ridership has inched upwards from its moribund numbers, although it is still nothing like the pre-Covid levels, despite the fact that tourism has been hopping. Part of the small comeback may have to do with some improvements such as putting two buses out on the route again (more frequency – but still not at initial levels because of the longer route) and better bus stop information. In the current fiscal year (FY25) numbers for the first seven months indicate the Loop was on track for over 150,000 riders.

Duval Loop Ridership Data by Fiscal Year

But Charging A $1 Fare Threatens to Halt this Progress

Charging a fare for the Duval Loop undermines its core strengths and creates barriers to ridership. Here’s why:

  • Marketing Costs:The “FREE and FREQUENT” branding was simple and effective, requiring minimal marketing. Introducing a fare complicates the message and demands additional marketing investment.
  • Loss of Amenity Value:The Loop shifts from being a valued amenity and economic development tool to just another bus service.
  • Hop-On Hop-Off Convenience:The fare disrupts the seamless hop-on-hop-off experience, turning it into a traditional bus route requiring exact change and payment queues.
  • Parking Incentives:Visitors encouraged to park at facilities like the Grinnell Street Garage and use the free shuttle may now reconsider, leading to reduced usage.
  • Elasticity Impact:Even a small fare introduces cost sensitivity. Families face higher costs, and the hassle of exact change deters casual riders.
  • Operational Delays:Payment queues slow down boarding, causing delays and friction that further discourage ridership.
  • Stakeholder Trust:The fare change breaks commitments to local businesses and visitors who highly rated the service, eroding trust and goodwill.
  • Increased Congestion:As the service becomes less accessible, more people may choose to drive, exacerbating downtown traffic.
  • Economic Impact:Reduced ridership harms small businesses reliant on visitor foot traffic, weakening the downtown economy.

Addressing Financing Concerns

Critics may argue, “It’s just a dollar,” or question why tax dollars should fund the Loop. However, nearly all of the funding for transit comes from parking fees—85% of which are paid by tourists—and state and federal monies, which are often guided by the number of riders.

Is that dollar even worth collecting? In cities like Key West, where farebox revenue rarely covers even 20% of operating costs, a dollar fare can quickly become a net loss—especially when it risks reduced ridership and funding tied to usage.

Investing in a free and frequent Duval Loop is not just about mobility; it’s about leveraging these funding sources effectively to support downtown businesses, reduce congestion, and enhance the visitor experience.

City Commission Should, Again, Rescind This Penny Wise and Pound-Foolish Move

To foster the Loop’s success the City Commission needs to rescind the $1 fare and recommit to a service that’s free, frequent, and intuitive—what made the Loop a standout in the first place. And it also must brand the buses and work with the business community to better market the service.

This isn’t just about a dollar. It’s about public trust, economic vitality, and sustainable mobility in a dense downtown core. Businesses rely on it. Workers and residents depend on it. Visitors praise it. Quietly rolling back what worked doesn’t just threaten ridership—it undermines Key West’s non-mainland values.

The Loop was built on vision for a better, more walk, bike and people-friendly historic old town. Reversing this fare decision would reaffirm this and put the city back on the path toward a transportation system that supports its downtown economy, environment, and community.

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Chris Hamilton is founder of the local advocacy group Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown. Subscribe to the blog. Follow on Facebook and Twitter. A native of the District of Columbia, where for a couple decades+ he led nationally renowned efforts promoting transit, bike, walk and smart growth for Arlington County, VA’s DOT. Chris has lived in Key West since 2015. He lives car-free downtown and works and volunteers for a couple non-profits. You can find all of KONK Life Streets for People column articles here and here.

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