IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Everyday Reina Dominguez rides Collier Area Transit bus route 23.
"It takes me everywhere, and then, I can go to places without getting tired and getting burnt out," Dominguez said.
She takes the bus to and from school and also work. Dominguez added the rest of her family frequently uses the bus system as well because it's low cost, efficient and accessible.
Dominguez said, "People with low income can move around town, and it's easier than walking under the sun."
Collier Area Transit said every month nearly 17,000 people from Immokalee use the service.
Every five years, CAT updates their development plan to improve their system for people like Dominguez and her family.
It helps CAT determine what riders need and what they can do to improve their services.
Watch Immokalee Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
Transit Manager Omar De Leon reviews the feedback with his team which relies heavily on the community's input for improvements.
De Leon said, "It really gives the opportunity for the public to have a say on the future of the transit system."
From 2022 to 2023, ridership increased 23 percent in Immokalee, and this past year, it went up another nine percent according to CAT.
De Leon suggested creating more routes like Immokalee to Lehigh Acres and increasing bus frequency to better serve Immokalee riders.
"Not just thinking inside Collier County, but looking at other opportunities as well, where people need to go and creating access for for the residents of Immokalee," he explained.
De Leon mentioned that Immokalee riders will see a bus transfer station in the community this upcoming year.
All that could make a difference for Dominguez.
When asked what improvements she would like to see, she said, "Be more on time. Sometimes it goes late or early or like shortcuts, and I miss the bus because of that, and sometimes I miss school or work."
Like many people in Immokalee, she depends on CAT as her ride.
"Pretty much a necessity," she said.
The survey closes January 2 and any Collier Area Transit ride can complete it.
