[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Once upon a time, the Villages wasn't enormous. It is, now. The size of a small city or large town. It has so many different sections, and rec centers, and town squares - and SO much congestion and traffic now, once you get out of your own neighborhood and onto the main roads, especially as you approach the town squares or non-Villages shops.

Is it time, then, for a Villages transit? A shuttle system for Villagers. Maybe it would make stops at the regional rec centers, the championship golf clubhouses, and the town squares. How I envision it:

There'd be Route 1, 2, and 3. 1 would be North. 2 would be central. 3 would be south.

Rte 1 would start at Lake Sumter Landing, and head north on Buena Vista. It'd continue north to the Southern Trace shopping plaza and professional center, then up to the Savannah regional rec center. Then it'd go up to Mulberry Grove, and stop at the shopping/professional office and the VA medical center there, with another stop at the Nancy Lopez country club clubhouse.

It'd turn at Mulberry Grove and head back, cutting over on El Camino Real and stop at the edge of Spanish Springs town square. It'd circle around that, and take Morse Blvd. back to Sumter.

Each route would leave from Sumter (since it's currently the center-most town square). There'd be a 3-4 shuttles on each route total. That way there will always be one "on the way back" and one "on the way out" and two halfway between in either direction.

This could really free up the roads, for people who don't feel any interest in driving, but need to, to get to appointments, or just to enjoy a change of pace from their own neighborhood, rec center, or square.

It'd probably also be awesome for those patients who need to get to their appointments and are still physically independent, but aren't comfortable driving due to medical reasons, and usually have to rely on taxis, or friends or spouses to drive them everywhere.

Either as an amenity-covered service, or an extra paid subscription that is attached to your Villages ID - it'd work the same as the gates work. You palm the ID over the sensor and it beeps and the driver lets you on board.

Reduce the number of drivers, but still have the same number of "people on the roads" - imagine up to 80 people at any given moment, who would otherwise be in their own cars - who are now all on one of 4 buses. And that's just one of the routes. Now imagine all three routes, that's 240 motor vehicles that are -not- on the road, while still allowing people the freedom to go to the main hubs of the Villages.