Palm Tran evacuating homeless individuals to local shelters prior to Hurricane Dorian. Palm Tran
Furthermore, Palm Tran announced a “Free Transit Day” on August 31, 2019, which assisted riders with reaching family members, evacuating to shelters and running last-minute errands. As the hurricane neared the Florida coast, the exact path of the storm remained unclear. Nevertheless, Palm Tran staff worked around-the-clock to keep residents informed and prepared.
To transport the homeless, Palm Tran’s fixed-route buses traveled to [several local parks] the Sunday before the storm. Many of those picked up did not have plans of evacuating before Palm Tran’s arrival. In the event of a category five hurricane, this transportation could have been the difference between life and death.
At the Port of Palm Beach, Palm Tran buses helped provide transportation for Bahamas evacuees to Tri-Rail, Palm Beach International Airport and local rental car agencies. Palm Tran
Palm Tran’s paratransit service, Palm Tran Connection, transported disabled and special needs residents to shelters that met their specific needs. In total, Palm Tran Connection made more than 318 evacuation trips leading up to Hurricane Dorian.
Palm Tran’s administrative staff worked tirelessly to keep customers up to date. More than a thousand calls poured into Palm Tran’s call center. In addition, all social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) were updated every few hours with information such as listing bus routes near shelters, providing scheduling updates and answering common questions and concerns. Palm Tran’s Facebook posts reached more than 56,000 people and received more than 450 shares in the days before, during and after Hurricane Dorian.
Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes working alongside staff at Palm Beach County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Palm Tran
Throughout the storm, Palm Tran staff was hard at work at Palm Beach County’s Emergency Operations Center and Emergency Information Center. The teams in these locations received first-hand communication and updates on evacuation needs and information to be disseminated to the public related to the storm.
In the end, Palm Beach County was spared the brunt of the storm, however, the Bahamas was not as fortunate. Hurricane Dorian made landfall in Great Abaco and the Grand Bahamas as a category five storm, which moved at a glacial pace. The storm resulted in devastating destruction and fatalities. When Bahamas evacuees arrived in Palm Beach County via the Port of Palm Beach, Palm Tran buses helped provide transportation to Tri-Rail, Palm Beach International Airport, local rental car agencies, and shelters.
A Palm Tran Connection service vehicle evacuating disabled individuals to the special needs shelter at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. Palm Tran
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