St. Augustine lets contract with Greyhound expire (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — The City of St. Augustine has chosen not to renew its contract with Greyhound, so the bus service ended Tuesday.
Greyhound had been using a small area at 3 Cordova St. to drop off and receive passengers. The location is next to the city’s parking garage near the Visitor Information Center.
At a Chamber of Commerce event earlier in the month, City Manager John Regan said there were too many negatives to keep the service in the city.
Part of the concern is that having a bus stop downtown only exacerbates the city’s homeless population problem.
There are many transient people who occupy various areas of St. George Street, for instance, which is a high-rent location for local businesses and a heavily trod street.
“It pains me for people that need bus service,” Regan said. “And it is a mobility hub. But we find that the Greyhound is too much of a pipeline in of homeless individuals.”
Regan lamented the city and county’s lack of options for those who lack shelter.
“And our community is not where they need to be,” he said. “We don’t have a strong base — right now — in permanent and transient supportive housing, which is needed. This is not a good community to solve your problem. There are communities that have more capacities.”
There was no immediate word from Greyhound on whether it would seek a new location in the area for a bus terminal. The company does provide service through Jacksonville and Palatka.