Administered by St. Lucie County’s Transit Department, ART is a fare-free, award-winning public transit system serving the cities of Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie Village, and the unincorporated areas of St. Lucie County. There are eight bus routes, one microtransit service area and door-to-door para-transportation   for eligible individuals.  

The St. Lucie Transit Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) was established in 2002 to provide a mechanism to leverage state and federal funding for public transportation. Since then, the County’s transit program has been recognized by state and federal agencies as innovative and award-winning. Having gone from only three vans in 2002 and serving one route, to now providing nearly 700,000 annual trips, leveraging technology and partnerships to keep pace with the growing population, the transit services continue to expand and improve. 

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is the designated recipient by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration s to receive federal and state grant funds to provide services. St. Lucie’s public transportation system is operated by contracted service providers who are subject to federal procurement requirements to allow for a fair and open process. Contracted providers are responsible for regulatory compliance, delivering the trips and operational tasks such as reservations, dispatch, and vehicle maintenance.

As of July 1, 2020, MV Transportation is the public transit provider for St. Lucie County through a master contract with the St. Lucie BOCC, and currently has three modes of transportation — traditional fixed-route service, door-to-door paratransit service, and micro transit. The county also contracts with other vendors for special programs designed to fill services gaps. 

In addition to operating fixed-route services, St. Lucie County is the designated Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) for the County service area. The CTC is responsible for coordinating and/or providing transportation to individuals who meet the requirements of Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) because of age, income, or disability, where the individual cannot drive or has no access to other transportation options. TD service connects the qualified individuals to medical, employment, educational, nutritional, or other life-sustaining trips. 

As the designated recipient and CTC, the County’s Transit Division is charged with overall administration of the program which includes new service planning, fiduciary responsibilities of the county’s Transit MSTU, federal and state grant oversight, infrastructure investments, public outreach within the community and contractor oversight.