At the April 27 meeting of the Wilton Manors City Commission, Lanier Parking Services announced that a compromise with the Green Hopper has been reached in which Hopper will provide daytime shuttle services between off-Drive parking areas and Wilton Drive businesses. The additional Hopper services are being designed to serve employees of the local businesses since parking meters have been installed on the The Drive.
The Green Hopper will operate 105 hours a week from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Currently the Green Hopper doesn’t start service until 5 p.m. An additional study will be done to see if the Green Hopper should start service earlier in the day than 10:30 a.m. in which Lanier has agreed to extend Hopper’s earlier hours.
The Green Hopper offers a free shuttle service through most of Wilton Manors using 6-seat electric vehicles. Green Hopper’s income is derived from advertising placed on the vehicles. Drivers are paid by the tips from the passengers. Much like the local public bus transportation, Green Hopper has regular stops along the Drive; however, for their advertisers like Sidelines Sports Bar, they provide additional door-todoor service.
According to Wilton Manors City Manager Joseph Gallegos, part of Lanier’s parking meter and additional services contract with the city was to acquire off-Drive parking sites and find a subcontractor for the shuttle. “Part of the reason Lanier was selected was because they proposed to subcontract with a local company already in business. After the actual [city] contract was approved and [Lanier] got into contract negotiations with Green Hopper, it was a very difficult negotiation.”
Kerry Lumas of Lanier Parking spoke to the Wilton Manors City Commission on April 13 stating that 50 parking spaces had been acquired from the GLCC/Pride Center and that Lanier would provide the shuttle services themselves offering 4 hours of service a day or 35 hours a week. Lanier’s argument was that when the City Commission decided that parking lots at both Hagen and Richardson Parks would remain free Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., this reduced Lanier’s income and Lanier had to readjust their budget accordingly.
The Commission responded to Lumas’ shuttle plan by stating Lanier is assuming that all employees on The Drive start and end their work shifts within the same twohour periods.
“The commission said there were all kinds of start times like when the [Alibi’s] employees come in for an early shift or late shift,” said Gallegos. “One might come in at 3 p.m. when others come in at 9 p.m. The original proposal was to have it run for longer hours.”
Negotiations between Lanier and Green Hopper broke down over which company would pay for the additional liability insurance required for the extra service hours. “Whenever we stop on Wilton Drive or go into one of those parking lots, our risk of accident increases enormously,” said Alan Carter, owner of The Green Hopper. –BK
