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All aboard the PSL Express Coach

A new service with nonstop travel from Port Saint Lucie to West Palm Beach

Commuters who carpool or vanpool, ride mass transit, bike or walk to work three or more days a week are entitled to six free Uber/Lyft or taxicab rides per year should the need arise.
Commuters who carpool or vanpool, ride mass transit, bike or walk to work three or more days a week are entitled to six free Uber/Lyft or taxicab rides per year should the need arise.

The thousands of commuters who travel daily between Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach, or even to Miami, for work now have an additional option to getting behind the steering wheel for a long drive, thanks to the Port St. Lucie Express Coach. A new resource from the Florida Department of Transportation and Palm Tran, the Port St. Lucie Express Coach, launched this September, may well transform commuting from the Treasure Coast to South Florida to be more relaxing, allowing commuters to arrive to work refreshed and renewed, and not harried by the demands of maneuvering through traffic and finding a parking space. 

The PSL Express vehicles are also not your average buses, but rather amenity-filled coaches akin to upscale tour transportation. 

“They’re comfy, with forward-facing seats and equipped with free wi-fi, phone and laptop charging ports and reading lights,” said Jeremy Mullings, Director of South Florida Commuter Services, a program of the Florida Department of Transportation. 

“You can read a book, catch up on your email or you can even take a nap.”

For riders with disabilities, the coach operator will gladly assist riders with wheelchairs or mobility aids to enter and alight from the vehicle. The coach operator will also store bicycles in the coach’s baggage compartment. 

The coach connects commuters Mondays through Fridays between the Park & Ride at SW Gatlin Blvd. in Port St. Lucie and the West Palm Beach Intermodal Transit Center in downtown West Palm Beach. Current departure times for the one-hour southbound trip are 6:25 and 6:50 a.m. and 7 and 8 p.m. Northbound buses leave the Intermodal Transit Center at 5:20 and 5:45 a.m. and 5:50 and 6:50 p.m. 

PSL Express customers can get dropped off or park their cars for free at the Gatlin Blvd. Park and Ride. They also have the option of taking Area Regional Transit’s [ART’s] fixed route or on-demand neighborhood-friendly service.

The West Palm Beach Intermodal Transit Center destination adds more convenience, as it is located within walking distance of many employment centers and attractions, and it also serves as a hub for other connecting transportation options. 

“Customers can transfer onto Palm Tran fixed-route bus service, continue south on the Tri-Rail train or ride the West Palm Circuit Shuttle circulator,” Mullings explained.

PSL Express riders can also connect with rideWPB, the City of West Palm Beach’s free transit pilot program with various vehicle types that operate on a very frequent schedule. 

PSL Express Coach fares are $3 each way, with $2 transfer available for fixed-route buses. Discounted fares are available for seniors, individuals with disabilities and veterans with valid identification. Monthly passes also offer a discount. Paying the fare is easy. Download the Paradise Pass App and deposit money into the account, use the Paradise Pass reloadable card or Apple, Google and Samsung pay or any debit or credit card with the “wireless” symbol. No cash is accepted. 

To raise awareness of the new service, South Florida Commuter Services is providing complimentary one-week passes to the PSL Express by just visiting pslexpress.org and clicking on the “Try it for Free” button.

“Fill out the form and get information on how to download the app and your account will be credited with $30 in rides,” Mullings said.

FDOT’s South Florida Commuter Services promotes commuting options that are beneficial to commuters, such as the Express Coach. The program also operates the Guaranteed Ride Home initiative, which provides free Uber rides home to commuters who carpool, vanpool or ride public transportation in case of an emergency. Riders of the PSL Express are eligible to access the Guaranteed Ride Home program. commuter service logo

1-800-234-RIDE (7433)

GuaranteedRideHome.org

“When you buy your ticket to ride the PSL Express, you are also getting Guaranteed Rides Home,” Mullings said. 

For example, your child had an emergency at school and you need to get home immediately, but you took the PSL Express and can’t wait for the first coach of the afternoon, or you are working on a big project and you were asked to work late without advance notice, and by the time you would have been finished for the evening, the last Express Coach would have already left the station. Not to worry. If you took the PSL Express, you’re always covered. The Guaranteed Ride Home will send an Uber to pick you up and get you safely home, or to the Park-N-Ride or the Intermodal Transit Center, for free. Riders can access this emergency service up to six times a year. 

During a recent morning commute, Mullings met with many of the riders of the new PSL Express Coach. 

“Some were going to work, others were students at Florida Atlantic University,” he said.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People really like it.”

Considering the cost of gasoline, parking challenges and the wear and tear the grind of daily driving can have on both driver and car, the PSL Express Coach offers a convenient, affordable — and relaxing — alternative. 

“It’s all about providing options,” Mullings said.

Try it for FREE!

For more information, visit pslexpress.org

express coach logo

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