By Christiana Lilly | New Pelican Writer
LBTS – With oversized scissors at the ready, the cutting of a red ribbon in a cloud of bubbles officially welcomed Circuit-By-The-Sea here.
The electric vehicle has been making its way through town since May 1, providing a free shuttle service to residents and visitors. Those in attendance at the ribbon cutting at the Connie Hoffman Beach Plaza included the town commission, chamber of commerce, Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher, and State Rep. Chip LaMarca.
Recently, the town announced that the shuttle would also service Galt Ocean Mile.
“That’s exciting because so many Galt residents use our community center,” Town Manager Linda Connors said.
However, the new service will not go to Holy Cross Hospital like the Pelican Hopper did. Instead, riders will have to utilize the Broward TOPS program, a shuttle service run by the county that charges $3.50 for a one-way fare for qualified residents. Another option is Broward County Transit route #55. Since the shuttle does service Galt Ocean Mile, riders can take Circuit-By-The-Sea to the Holy Cross Medical Group outpatient offices at 4004 N. Ocean Blvd.
Riders can reserve a Circuit-By-The-Sea shuttle by downloading the Circuit app on their phones or waving one down like a cab. The shuttle runs Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Visit bit.ly/circuitbythesea for more information.
Vote for LBTS for Best Beach in the South
USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards is in search of the best beach in the South, and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea is currently in third place. Emerald Isle Beach in North Carolina and Clearwater Beach are in first and second place. But, the town is determined to take the top spot. Connors says that LBTS has old Florida charm and a sense of community not found anywhere. “It’s more like a family,” she says of how visitors feel when they come to town. Visit 10best.com/awards/travel/best-beach-in-the-south-2023 to vote (once a day, every day) until May 22.
BugFest Gets a Rebrand
One of the town’s most popular events is back July 28 and 29, but with a change: BugFest has been rebranded to Dive Into Summer. The event – now in its 11th year – has brought the community together for more than a decade, celebrating mini lobster season with diving competitions, parties at The Plunge, a concert, and beach cleanup. This year, the festival will be expanded to include a vendor village of local and neighboring dive and surf shops, other ocean-minded businesses, live music, food and drink, games and more. The town is also encouraging restaurants to offer lobster deals. The original events will stay in place and the beneficiary will still be Scuba4Good, an organization dedicated to making “adaptive diving more accessible for any adult, child or veteran with a disability.”