"This is unique," Jessica Keller, the city's parking and mobility administrator, told the Palm Beach Post as West Palm Move opened its on-demand service in September. "You're not going to see it anywhere else in Florida and very likely the country."
What sets the system apart is how it's laid out. For the first time in years, downtown West Palm Beach has no free circulator. In its place the city runs one electric bus line, about 2.6 miles long, from the Norton Museum of Art up Dixie Highway to Northwood Village. App-booked vans fill in around it. The line's shape decides which trips work well. Rides to either end are the easy ones, and those ends have a lot going on this fall.
The Free Rides Ended Before This One Started
West Palm Move comes after several handoffs. The Downtown Development Authority ended its free trolley on May 31, 2023, and a free pilot took over. Under that pilot, RideWPB, the old yellow and green trolley routes were combined into one Yellow Line, WPBF reported. RideWPB ended on May 31, 2026. The DDA's own Circuit On-Demand service ran for the last time on Tuesday, September 30, according to the DDA's Getting Around guide.
Between the end of RideWPB and the new launch, the city went about three months without its own service, a gap Stet News described as a bumpy transition for some riders. The fixed route began on September 8, and on-demand rides followed on September 15. The city's launch announcement lists the funding as developer contributions, mobility fees, the Community Redevelopment Agency and parking fees.
Where the Bus Actually Goes
The route is a straight line with no downtown loop. At the south end it runs on S Olive Avenue near the Norton. It then cuts through downtown on Rosemary Avenue and Quadrille Boulevard and heads north on Dixie Highway to Northwood Road and Spruce. The Post counted about 18 stops in each direction.
The two directions don't use the same stops, and Saturdays use a different street.
| Segment | Northbound stops, Sun–Fri | Southbound stops, Sun–Fri | Saturday change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norton end | S Olive/Acacia, S Olive/Vallowe | S Olive/Pembroke Pl, S Olive/Acacia | None listed |
| CityPlace area | S Rosemary/Okeechobee, S Rosemary/Fern | Okeechobee/Dixie, S Rosemary/Okeechobee, S Rosemary/Fern | Sapodilla replaces Rosemary: Sapodilla/Okeechobee and Sapodilla/Fern northbound; Sapodilla/Fern and Sapodilla/Dreyfoos southbound |
| Downtown core | Quadrille/Datura, Quadrille/Courthouse, Quadrille/4th | Quadrille/Evernia, Quadrille/Clematis, Quadrille/4th, Dixie/Quadrille | None listed |
| Dixie corridor | Dixie at 8th, 10th, PBL Blvd, 13th, N Lakeside Ct, 19th, 21st | Dixie at 21st, 19th, Lilac Ct, 13th, 11th, 8th | None listed |
| Northwood end | Northwood/Dixie, Northwood/Spruce, 24th/Spruce | 24th/Dixie, currently closed | None listed |
The Clematis stop only serves southbound riders. Going north, the nearest downtown stops are on Quadrille at Datura, Courthouse and 4th. The southbound Quadrille/Evernia stop is near the Brightline station address, 260 Quadrille Plaza Drive, but the route map doesn't label it as a Brightline stop.
The city also lists one live change. Since September 28, the southbound stop at 24th and Dixie has been closed indefinitely for nearby construction. Riders are sent to Northwood/Spruce or to a temporary stop at 23rd and Dixie. Check the alerts on wpbmove.com before relying on that corner.
What a Ride Costs, and When the Bus Stops Running
West Palm Move makes the most sense once you see how the $1 bus and the $2 van work together.
| Fixed route | On-demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | $1, tap a card, phone or watch on board | $2, charged in the app |
| Cash | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Booking | None, just board | App, online portal or phone at 561-264-0458 |
| Hours | Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Vehicle | Karsan e-JEST electric bus | VW ID. Buzz, orange gradient branding |
The city's launch release says buses come every 8 to 10 minutes, and the FAQ says every 10. Plan on about every 10 minutes. Transfers are where the pricing pays off. A trip that uses both services costs a flat $2. If you take a van to the bus, show the driver your app receipt. If you take the bus to a van, show your booked ride. There are no discounts or passes at launch, and drivers don't accept tips.
On-demand rides are corner-to-corner. In busy downtown areas, pickups happen at designated "virtual stops," so you may need to walk a short way to meet the van. While the fixed route is running, on-demand trips are capped at 5 miles in a straight line. The service covers the city east of I-95 and doesn't go to the airport.
The bus also stops before the vans do, an hour earlier Monday through Saturday and two hours earlier on Sunday. That gap matters most at the south end.
The Norton End: Friday Nights Outlast the Bus
On Fridays the Norton is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Art After Dark admission is $10 for adults and seniors. On weekdays the fixed route stops at 9 p.m. So you can take the $1 bus down S Olive in the evening, and if you stay past 9, book a $2 van home. The vans run until 10.
Upcoming dates at the museum:
- Cursed Images: Pictures Out of Context closes November 1, so October 31 and November 1 are its final weekend.
- Blazing Light: Photographs by Mimi Plumb and Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery both open Saturday, October 31. Members can preview them on October 30.
- Art & Independence: America at 250 runs through December 6.
- Ralph Coburn: Land, Sea, Sky runs through January 3, 2027.
- Chang Dai-chien: A Master of Modern Chinese Painting runs through January 30, 2027.
- Visible Fictions: Photography and Artifice runs through February 21, 2027.
General admission is $20, and children 12 and under get in free. The Norton is closed on Tuesdays. The admissions page also lists a "West Palm Beach Residents" entry under "Every Saturday," so check with the Norton about what that includes before you go.
Saturday Puts the Middle of the Line to Work
This weekend lines up well with the route. The city's 32nd GreenMarket season opened October 3 at Waterfront Commons, 100 N. Clematis St., and runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through May 22, 2027. New vendors this season include Ba Café, Arya Tea Bar, Macaroner, Sayblee Products and Truffle Smiles. The market's Master Chef Showcase starts November 14.
On Saturday, October 31, one bus line can cover both:
- The fixed route starts at 8 a.m. on Saturdays. From Northwood, ride south on Dixie to the Quadrille/Clematis stop for the market.
- Bring only what you can carry. The bus allows grocery carts, but the on-demand vans don't.
- Keep riding south. On Saturdays the route uses Sapodilla instead of Rosemary through the CityPlace blocks, so look for the Sapodilla/Fern and Sapodilla/Dreyfoos stops.
- Get off on S Olive for the Norton. The museum is open until 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and the Plumb and Abercrombie shows open that day.
The Kravis Center is presenting Dirty Dancing: The Musical in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., from October 28 to November 1. WLRN's launch coverage described getting to the Kravis as an on-demand trip.
The Northwood End: Two Short Blocks of Independent Shops
The route ends on Northwood Road at Spruce and 24th Street. Within a few blocks, the Northwood Village directory lists independent shops, galleries and restaurants:
- Circa Who, 531 Northwood Road: vintage furniture
- The Painted Ox, 415 Northwood Road: restored and reworked vintage pieces
- Day By Day Shoppe, 513 Northwood Road: gifts and handmade goods
- Wendell Gallery, 411 24th Street, plus ArtWorks of Northwood and Northwood Glass Art
- Cornucopia Café, 521 Northwood Road, and Café Centro, 2409 N. Dixie Highway
- On 25th Street: Café Sweets Bakery at 519, Malakor Thai Café at 425, and Simmer Down Bar & Grill at 517
The next Nights in Northwood Village is Friday, November 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Northwood Road, with Jam-X The Band. The event is free and held quarterly. It ends exactly when the fixed route stops for the night, so anyone heading south afterward will need a van.
The First Weeks Were a Soft Launch
The early numbers are modest. City records reported by the Palm Beach Post show about 50 riders a day over the first three days. Keller noted that RideWPB averaged 75 a day. In mid-October, Stet News reported that Commissioner Fox had seen mostly empty buses on Dixie Highway and was told a "hard launch" would come at an undetermined date in November. Commissioner Joe Peduzzi called the rollout "growing pains" that he expects to lead to better service.
Parking near the stops is also still an open question. WPTV's launch-day report covered concerns that riders might park on neighborhood streets to catch the bus. The city said it had no data showing that yet and would look at ridership alongside a parking study.
The route, the fares and the stop list may still change once the November launch arrives. The site notes that the network design is subject to change, and its service alerts page is the place to check before you ride.
How easy it is to get around matters when you're choosing where to live, and it's one of the first things we ask clients about. If you're weighing a condo near a Quadrille stop or a house a short walk from Northwood Road, Jose Garza and the Levitate team can show you how the new route fits your daily routine. Schedule a Free Consultation.
