Space Coast Area Transit Director Scott Nelson will retire from the Brevard County, Fla., agency on March 2.
The county is currently recruiting his replacement.
Nelson leaves with 35 years in public transportation, beginning as a transit operator at Kitsap Transit in Bremerton, Wash., and moving up through the ranks to operations manager. He then moved to Space Coast Area Transit in 2007 as the manager of operations and maintenance. When long-time Transit Director Jim Liesenfelt became an assistant county manager in 2017, Nelson was tabbed to replace him at Space Coast Area Transit.
During Nelson’s tenure the system expanded, adding two additional paratransit routes and a fixed route, and will be adding three new fixed routes in April 2021. Space Coast Area Transit re-established trolley service on the Cape Canaveral-Cocoa Beach route with two new trolleys now in service. Another is on order for the South Beach route in August. The system’s first two hybrid buses are on order, with planned delivery in July. The agency also began to replace the paratransit fleet, with seven new cutaway buses in service.
The system made a major ITS purchase and is in the process of installing AVL, APC’s, automatic stop announcements, real time passenger information, live stream video, mobile fare payment , Wi-Fi on the buses and new paratransit scheduling software.
Space Coast Area Transit completed an ADA Bus Stop Assessment and installed new bus shelters. The agency negotiated a new vehicle maintenance contract and vanpool management contract.
Nelson says he is grateful for the strong support of the board of county commissioners, the county manager’s office, Florida Department of Transportation and the community.
“I appreciate our dedicated and committed staff and drivers who have done an amazing job serving through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nelson.
