DUNEDIN, Fla. — Dunedin launched a new Freebee loop service pilot program for downtown earlier this month in an effort to relieve parking constraints in the popular area.

“We’re testing it out for six months,” said Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski. “To see if people catch on and if they’re actually using it.”

Mayor Bujalski said because the city has limited parking locations in downtown she hopes drivers will park in lots further out and ride the Freebee instead, which officially launched on Nov. 2.

What You Need To Know

  • The six-month pilot program, which includes three Freebee vehicles, costs $127,830

  • The Freebee picks up every 10 minutes at key stops around downtown

  • Dunedin mayor pushed for Freebee after riding it on a South Florida trip

  • Freebee is headquartered in Miami and provides electric vehicle shuttle service to 39 municipalities

“Park wherever they want and know that they’ve got a little ride to get somewhere,” she said. “They don’t have to circle looking for a parking spot.”

Bujalski said she first rode on a Freebee while at a Florida League of Cities conference in South Florida and pushed to bring the service to Dunedin.

“It came right up to our hotel door and I was like, ‘That’s exactly what we need,’” she said. “It’s all about connectivity and I think that’s what we’re trying to make it easy for our residents or our visitors to get around.”

The Freebee picks up every 10 minutes at key stops around downtown, Thursday to Sunday, which include hotels, parks, the marina, City Hall, Mease Dunedin Hospital and surface parking lots, according to the city.

During Spring Training, the looper route will be extended to TD Ballpark for major league baseball fans to watch the Toronto Blue Jays.

Riders can download an app to track and summon the Freebee anywhere along the fixed route or just flag it down.

Bujalski said many of the downtown businesses had been asking for a looper shuttle service. The popular Bon Appetit waterfront restaurant is located on a peninsula by the marina and Assistant Manager Daniel Senecal, 36, said he’s excited about the new service.

“This is exactly what we’ve needed,” he said. “It’s definitely going to take a load off of this tiny little parking lot as well. So, it’s definitely a win-win. So, I hope it works out.”

In 2019, St. Pete Beach was the first city in Pinellas County to begin using the Freebee in the Pass-A-Grille area and has expanded the taxi service three times since to cover the entire island. St. Pete Beach averages about 500 rides per day on Friday and Saturday, according to Seth Brown, Freebee Head of Marketing.  

Brown said Freebee is headquartered in Miami and provides electric vehicle shuttle service to 39 municipalities.

The six-month pilot program, which includes three Freebee vehicles, costs $127,830. Dunedin has funded the program with money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Bujalski said if the service become popular the city will look for other ways to fund and extend the Freebee contract.

“I think that’s a really efficient use of tax dollars,” she said. “Trying things to see that they work.”

The Freebee runs on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.