Downtown Lakeland’s free shuttle service, The Squeeze, could soon be rolling into the historic Dixieland neighborhood.
Arrow and Bow, a children’s consignment shop, is one of the newest businesses to open in Dixieland.
“Part of starting this business was to really be in the community and love on young moms,” said Michelle Martin, Owner of Arrow and Bow.
Martin said she has grown more in love with the historic district in the seven months she’s been in business.
“People that are coming back and forth grabbing their coffee and then working out. There’s just a lot of activity around here, that even though I lived here my whole life, I didn’t even realize what was happening until I opened a store down here,” said Martin.
Dixieland has experienced significant growth recently, particularly in retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues. That is why business owners are pushing to have The Squeeze come to Dixieland.
The free shuttle was first launched in downtown Lakeland in 2021, as the first public transit golf-cart program in the country. Just last month, Citrus Connection extended weekend hours until 2 a.m. to support nightlife and promote safe transportation.
In a letter to Citrus Connection, Dixieland business owners said extending the shuttle could boost foot traffic for small businesses, strengthen the connection between Dixieland and downtown, and support Lakeland’s nightlife economy.
“People don’t know about the parking in the back of the different stores and restaurants down here. I think it will make people more aware of what’s down here and how to get to us,” Martin said.
Citrus Connection leaders are now looking at route and cost options.
“Our planning department has been working on designing a route. What would it look like in Dixieland? We’re going to be presenting that to the Citrus Connection board of directors,” said Tom Phillips, general manager of Citrus Connection.
If approved, a Dixieland route would likely run along side streets and alleys behind businesses.
The Citrus Connection board meeting is set for October 8.