Miami-Dade Transit System Expansion Plans and Budget Concerns
Close to 80% of voters stated that they wanted Miami-Dade County to have a rapid mass transit system during the primary elections; however, making that happen in the county will come at a cost that officials are concerned about, raising worries for bus riders.
Currently in Miami-Dade County, there are 23 Metrorail Stations that stretch across almost 25 miles, but the need for expansions to the county’s Metrorail and meteor movers is still high.
The recent budget proposal for the 2024-2025 fiscal year submitted by Mayor Danielle Levine Cava includes moving $11.2 million.
Last Thursday, Levine Cava’s office sent a statement saying that 36 jobs would remain within the department and nearly $11 million would be shifted to a different line item in the budget for administrative reasons but would remain in the transit department’s budget.
“Transit has been one of the priorities in my proposed budget every year since the beginning of my administration, and this year is no different,” Mayor Levine Cava said in Thursday’s statement. “Despite confronting a challenging year as the county faces one of the largest transformations in its history, our proposed budget for the next fiscal year makes important investments that allow the continuation of our SMART Program and the building of our five transit corridors. The budget also maintains $11 million for operations and maintenance to ensure the continuation of our services to a growing number of transit riders in our community. We look forward to a continued collaboration with advocates like Transit Alliance Miami to keep building the public system our residents deserve.”
Challenges Facing Bus Riders and Proposed Solutions
However, Mark Merwitzer, associate director for Transit Alliance Miami, said, “What we’re concerned about with the budget is that we need more resources to address those concerns that the community has addressed to us directly.”
Transit Alliance Miami is a non-profit that advocates for better public transit and walkable streets, working toward securing faster and more reliable transit in the county. Over the last six months, as Miami-Dade County launched its “Better Bus Network,” which hopes to deliver more routes to move people, the non-profit surveyed 1,000 passengers—who stated on-time delivery is a problem for them, according to Merwitzer.
“It’s not just with this administration, but it’s been suffering for very, very long for our bus passengers,” Merwitzer said. “Buses getting delayed, equipment challenges; a lot of operators are calling out sick and also just in general when there’s a shortage of both buses, parts, and operators (demonstrates that) the county needs more.”
One county resident, Ashley Betancourt, lost her car two months ago in a crash. While Betancourt works downtown to earn and save money for car repairs, the Miami-Dade College biology student depends on Metrobuses to transport her to class on time. Betancourt said that she is often 30 minutes late to class.
“It’s awful,” she said. “Sometimes my mom comes and picks me up. The other times I have to wait.”
The county did announce some plans, with Jimmy Morales, Chief Operating Officer for Miami-Dade County, stating the goal is to provide mass transit options on the Metrorail to seven corridors, giving transportation options for as far south as Florida City, to as far north as Hard Rock Stadium. The corridors will also run east to west on Kendall Drive and Flagler Street.
However, these plans require meticulous planning, an engineering phase, environmental studies, and securing the equipment to get things up and running.
“It’s not so easy to get buses frankly, particularly electric buses or trains, there are huge wait times,” stated Morales.
Currently, Miami-Dade County’s transit system is the largest in Florida and the 15th largest in the nation.
The county recognized the importance of transportation for its voters, and Morales believes they are on the right track forward, hoping to pick up steam, stating “We are not New York or Boston, but that’s what we are working towards. We are playing catchup and we are trying to do it as quickly and effectively as possible.”
