Name

Escambia County Area Transit

Legal name

Escambia County Area Transit

Website

https://goecat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Paratransit & On-Demand Ride Services (EDAKAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs / Paratransit Student Transportation Services (EDAEADAH), Tourist/Attraction Circulator Shuttles (Downtown/Theme Parks) (TLAFAJAL)

Keywords

• Fixed-route bus service
• Public transit operations
• ADA paratransit service
• Microtransit on-demand
• Campus trolley service

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ECAT receives federal, state, and local government funding to operate the public transit system on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners of Escambia County
2. Passenger Fares: Revenue from fixed-route bus fares including base fare $1.75, student $1.25, senior/disabled $0.85, and commuter $2.35. ADA certified individuals ride free on fixed-route buses.
3. FlexTransit Fares: Microtransit service generating $2.50 per ride revenue with ADA and TD (Transportation Disadvantaged) fares at $2.50 each way
4. Santa Rosa Island Authority Funding: Pensacola Beach Island Trolley service is funded by SRIA and provided free to all riders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ECAT is the public transit agency of Escambia County, Florida, providing fixed-route bus service on 20 routes across 285 miles with 1,000+ stops, seasonal Pensacola Beach trolleys funded by the Santa Rosa Island Authority, University of West Florida campus trolleys, ADA paratransit, the Escambia County Community Transportation (ECCT) program for the transportation disadvantaged, and FlexTransit, an on-demand shared-ride microtransit service. The system carries over 1.5 million passenger trips annually and is operated on behalf of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.

Product overview

Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) is a public bus transportation system providing multiple service types: fixed-route bus service with 20 routes covering 285 miles with over 1,000 stops, seasonal Pensacola Beach Island Trolley and UWF campus trolleys, FlexTransit microtransit on-demand service, and ADA/paratransit services. The system serves Escambia County, Florida, primarily the Pensacola area, with over 1.5 million annual passenger trips. FlexTransit operates as a separate on-demand shared ride service while ADA Transportation provides paratransit for disabled passengers, and ECCT handles Transportation Disadvantaged program services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexTransit: On-demand microtransit pilot program offering shared ride service in Escambia County, operating Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a fare of $2.50 per ride.
• Pensacola Beach Island Trolley
• UWF Trolley
• Escambia County Community Transportation (ECCT)

Products and services

• Fixed-Route Bus Service Core fixed-route bus service operating 20 routes with weekday and/or weekend service, covering 285 miles of routes with over 1,000 stops throughout Escambia County, Florida, serving the general public with fares of $1.75 base, $1.25 student, $0.85 senior/disabled, and $2.35 commuter.
• Pensacola Beach Island Trolley Seasonal free open-air trolley service operated along Pensacola Beach, running daily from 4 p.m. to midnight through Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day, funded by the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) and operated by ECAT to alleviate beach traffic congestion.
• UWF Trolley On-campus trolley service at the University of West Florida, including both regular campus trolley and UWF Express Trolley service for students, faculty, staff, and visitors needing campus and area transportation.
• Jury Trolley Trolley service for transporting jurors to the courthouse as part of ECAT's public transportation offerings.
• FlexTransit On-Demand Microtransit On-demand shared ride microtransit service operating Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., pairing multiple passengers traveling in the same direction into a single vehicle, with $2.50 fare per ride and ADA-accessible vehicles accommodating up to 8 passengers; bookings via the FlexTransit app or phone at least one day in advance.
• ADA Transportation (Paratransit) Curb-to-curb and door-to-door transportation service for individuals with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route service, offered at $2.50 per trip for certified ADA riders, with free rides on fixed-route buses for ADA ID card holders; provided in partnership with ADA transportation providers.
• Escambia County Community Transportation (ECCT) Transportation Disadvantaged program service providing trips for individuals who are physically or otherwise disabled, 60 years of age or older, or qualify as low income, coordinated through Escambia County Community Transportation under the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every dollar taxpayers invest in public transportation generates $6 or more in economic returns
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RideITL Cares, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Effective July 1, 2026, the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD) selected RideITL Cares as the provider for the Escambia County Community Transportation Program (ECCT). RideITL Cares will serve as the Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) for Escambia County under CTD provisions and oversight.
• ITL SolutionsminorOthers · 22 December 2025ITL Solutions was the vendor providing paratransit services for ECAT customers. They announced ending operations with ECAT effective Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 at 2 a.m. due to their decision to terminate their contract.
• Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRIA funds the Pensacola Beach Island Trolley service which is operated by ECAT. The free trolley service runs daily from 4 p.m. to midnight through Labor Day, helping alleviate traffic congestion on Pensacola Beach. SRIA adds extra buses and extends service hours during major events like the Blue Angels Air Show.
• Pensacola Bay TransportationcoreOthersPensacola Bay Transportation provides ADA transportation services under contract through Escambia County. Certified ADA individuals can schedule trips by calling 850-476-8130, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mass Transit Advisory Committee (MTAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTAC advises the Board of County Commissioners on mass transit issues, helps facilitate a community vision for mass transit, and assists in developing and maintaining effective transit systems. The committee meets once quarterly.
• University of West FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECAT provides UWF campus trolley service including regular campus trolleys and UWF Express Trolley for students, faculty, and staff transportation to and from campus.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA)minorOthersNational industry association for public transportation that ECAT participates in. APTA provides standards, research, and advocacy for the transit industry.
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)coreOthersFTA provides federal financial assistance to ECAT. As a condition of receiving this assistance, ECAT has signed assurances to comply with DOT regulations including Title VI and DBE program requirements.
• Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)coreOthersFDOT provides state funding and oversight for ECAT operations including the Transportation Disadvantaged program through the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.
• West Florida Commuter Assistance Program (RideOn)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProgram serves 10 counties including Escambia and Santa Rosa, providing transportation hotline assistance and rideshare program information including carpooling, vanpooling, and park-and-ride options.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• StarMetro: StarMetro is the city-operated transit system serving Tallahassee, FL, with fixed-route bus service and paratransit. Comparable to ECAT in operating scale, government ownership, and Florida funding/regulatory context.
• LeeTran (Lee County Transit): LeeTran is the county-operated public transit agency for Lee County, FL (Fort Myers/Cape Coral area), offering fixed-route bus service plus ADA paratransit — directly comparable to ECAT in governance (county-run), service scope, and Florida funding environment.
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART): HART is a Florida county-level public transit agency serving Hillsborough County (Tampa area) with fixed-route buses and paratransit. It is the closest Florida peer to ECAT in scale, funding structure (FTA/FDOT-supported), and service mix.
• Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA): PSTA provides public bus and paratransit services across Pinellas County, FL. Closely comparable to ECAT as a Florida county-level transit authority of similar scope, with overlapping ridership profiles and funding sources.

Others

• American Public Transportation Association (APTA): APTA is the national industry association for public transportation that ECAT participates in. Relevant as the industry-body ecosystem participant that sets standards, advocacy, and peer benchmarking for agencies like ECAT.

Emerging players

• Via Transportation: Via provides on-demand microtransit and paratransit software for transit agencies and municipalities globally. Directly comparable as a peer platform powering similar on-demand transit services that compete for the same agency technology contracts as ECAT's FlexTransit.
• Spare Labs: Spare provides microtransit and paratransit optimization software for transit agencies. Adjacent peer to ECAT's FlexTransit on-demand model and a competitor for the same category of agency software contracts.
• RideCo: RideCo is the on-demand microtransit software vendor whose platform powers ECAT's FlexTransit service. Highly relevant as the technology partner enabling ECAT's distinctive on-demand product offering.

Broad incumbents

• Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA): JTA operates a substantially larger multi-modal network (bus, Skyway, paratransit) in Duval County, FL. Comparable as a Florida public transit authority but at materially greater scale and modal breadth than ECAT.
• Broward County Transit (BCT): BCT is the county-operated bus and paratransit system for Broward County, FL. Comparable to ECAT as a county-level government transit agency with fixed-route and ADA paratransit, but at considerably larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rideecat
• Facebookfacebook.com/RideECAT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecat-escambia-area-transit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Escambia County Area Transit