Hours, areas for free Tesla rides in Fort Pierce to expand beginning June 1.

FORT PIERCE — The Freebee transportation service that gives people in some areas o the Sunrise City access to free rides in Tesla vehicles will be around until at least 2027 and will be expanded June 1 to include more parts of the city and have longer hours.

The new contract, including the expansion, was formally approved by the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency, comprised of city commissioners, earlier this month.

Expanded area

Freebee initially covered primarily areas near downtown and the Fort Pierce Inlet. Its will expand to include all FPRA areas and some of the other business corridors in the city. That will include a stretch of U.S. 1 from Taylor Creek in the north to the Heathcote Botanical Gardens in the south; Okeechobee Road to Jenkins Road; and South Ocean Drive to Pie Hole Wood Pizza, just south of Blue Heron Boulevard.

Expanded hours

Hours will nearly double, from 40 hours per week to 70 hours per week. It will now operate 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.

Currently, the cars operate only Thursday through Sunday.

Same number of cars may mean increased wait times

The fleet size — 4 regular Model X vehicles plus 1 ADA-accessible vehicle — will remain the same.

Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson voiced concerns that increasing service without changing the fleet size will lead to increased wait times. He added that as the service expands to more residential areas, people may use it to go from house to house, rather than its intended purpose of connecting people to businesses.

"My concern, fellow board members, is that expanding the boundary with the same number of cars and vehicles is going to increase the wait times where people are going to possibly be frustrated," Jeremiah Johnson said.

City staff said Freebee ran computer simulations resulting in an estimated increase of three to four minutes in wait times.

Commissioners want to track whether cars are going to businesses

Jeremiah Johnson, and fellow Commissioner Curtis Johnson, said they'd like to see more data, including whether trips are going to businesses, and if so, which businesses. City staff said that data can be provided as the expansion is rolled out.

The expansion areas were agreed on by the city and by Freebee, City Manager Nick Mimms said.

"We believe, as well as the vendor itself believes, that this can continue to be a successful venture with the extended boundaries," Mimms said.

More: Free Tesla rides in Fort Pierce might be expanding to new areas, new operating hours

More: An electric way to get around Fort Pierce: Call for a Tesla, ride to your destination

Expansion comes at lower cost to city due to grant money

Freebee and Fort Pierce have been mulling expansion since last year, when St. Lucie County received a three-year grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, which will bring in about $260,000 annually.

Under the new agreement, Fort Pierce will pay Freebee $480,000 annually for three years, starting June 1. That is a reduction of about $40,000 annually compared to an expansion that was floated in October, shortly after the FDOT grant was awarded. That leaves about $220,000 for the city to fund, about half of the $400,000 it spent on the first-year trial period that is now ending.

The new contract passed unanimously. Commissioner Michael Broderick had left the meeting early.

How to call a ride

To get a ride with Freebee, either in the current service area or the new area on June 1 and after, download the Ride Freebee mobile app.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com and 504-331-0516.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Freebee Teslas in Fort Pierce are here to stay; coverage will expand