Reliable public transportation is important for people who depend on transit to reach work, school, medical appointments, shopping, community activities, and other essential destinations. Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) provides this service throughout the Pensacola area, but weekend transportation remains more limited than weekday service.

ECAT currently provides weekday and Saturday service, while weekend availability varies by route. Some routes provide Sunday service, but Sunday transportation is not available across the fixed-route network at the same level as weekday service.

These limitations can create difficulties for residents whose transportation needs do not follow a Monday-through-Friday schedule. Employees in restaurants, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and other industries may work evenings and weekends. Students, older adults, people with disabilities, residents without personal vehicles, and visitors may also need dependable transportation seven days a week.

ECAT has previously identified expanded weekend service as a transportation need. Its Transit Development Plan has considered increasing Sunday service to match Saturday service, improving Saturday service to more closely resemble weekday service, and extending operating hours on certain routes.

We are asking Escambia County and ECAT to continue working toward a more consistent seven-day transit system by:

• Expanding Sunday service to additional fixed routes.
• Increasing Saturday and Sunday frequency where ridership and funding support it.
• Prioritizing routes serving major employment, education, healthcare, shopping, and transportation centers.
• Evaluating later service hours for riders who work outside traditional daytime schedules.
• Publishing clear plans, costs, ridership data, and timelines associated with proposed weekend service improvements.

Expanded weekend transportation would provide residents with more options for reaching jobs and essential services while making the public transit network more useful throughout the entire week.

We ask Escambia County and ECAT to evaluate the resources necessary to expand weekend service and pursue sustainable funding and scheduling options that can provide more consistent transportation throughout Escambia County.