Public transit in Polk County is provided by the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District, operating as Citrus Connection, which includes all public transportation within the county, as well as all paratransit service. For years, public transit was made up as three agencies operating independently of each other, creating some challenges for riders who want to utilize the transit system throughout the county. Today, those services, personnel and assets are together working to bring you a top quality transit system under one simplified banner, Citrus Connection. The latest Citrus Connection initiative is Re-Route 2020, a plan to provide more options for citizens and employees with a user-friendly bus system.
Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips is the Executive Director of the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District a/k/a The Citrus Connection and the Polk Transit Authority. Tom came to Citrus Connection from Michigan City, Indiana in August of 2011. He was employed at PACE Suburban Bus in Arlington Heights, Illinois as Senior Project Manager II, Paratransit Operations Support. He managed the largest US Paratransit site and nation’s largest Trapeze Paratransit site. He has a fixed route background from previous employment. Tom grew up in Minnetonka, Minneapolis before he earned his degree from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. He has been married to his wife Michelle since 2001. Email