Our Free Buses Just Won the Country's Top Transit Award

Whether you are catching a ride to work, getting to a doctor's appointment, or trying to reach the beach without the parking headache, GoLine has probably been part of the conversation. Now the rest of the country is paying attention too.

The Senior Resource Association, which operates Indian River Transit GoLine, accepted the 2026 Outstanding Public Transportation System Award from the American Public Transportation Association at its TRANSform and EXPO conference in Chicago. It is the first national honor GoLine has received from the association, placing our county's fare-free bus network at the top of the country among systems serving fewer than 3 million passenger trips a year.

What makes GoLine worth bragging about?

The numbers tell a pretty good story. Ridership has grown in 15 of the past 16 years, reaching a record 1.6 million passenger trips in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The system runs 14 fixed routes connecting riders to jobs, schools, medical care, shopping, and beaches, all without charging a fare. For 10 straight years, GoLine has held the lowest operating cost per passenger trip in Florida.

The safety record stands out just as much. GoLine reported no fatalities, a preventable accident rate below 0.1 per 100,000 miles, and 99.6 percent of vehicles receiving preventive maintenance within 6,000 miles of their scheduled service. Riders filed one complaint for every 30,483 trips taken.

SRA president and CEO Karen Deigl has described the philosophy as designing transit around the community rather than expecting riders to adapt to the schedule. She says the national recognition affirms something the county has long understood: what GoLine does here is genuinely different.

What does this mean for where we are headed?

SRA director of transportation Chris Stephenson has noted that trip counts only capture part of the picture. Behind each ride is something real: a paycheck, a medical visit, a connection to daily life. He has also said GoLine needs to be in the room early when new housing, medical facilities, and shopping areas are being planned across the county.

Commissioner Deryl Loar, chairman of the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners, described GoLine as a model of disciplined stewardship, one that has kept fares at zero while holding down costs and maintaining safety year after year. Brian Freeman, director of the Indian River County Metropolitan Planning Organization, said the award underscores how central transit will be to making the county more accessible and connected as growth continues.

GoLine previously took home Florida's top transit honor in 2017, 2022, and 2025. The national title is a new one.

Have you used GoLine to get somewhere you could not have reached easily on your own? We would love to hear your story in the comments on our Facebook post.

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Ava Cook

Community Manager at Vero Vine

Hello!
My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].