Miami-Dade Transit Earns a D

With as much ballyhoo as it could muster, TransitAlliance issued a “mobility scorecard” for Miami-Dade Transit, awarding it a D for its Metro rail and bus programs and an F for its free trolley services (“trolley” meaning buses built to look like vintage streetcars). The criteria for much of this scorecard is be pretty simple: is ridership increasing? (it’s not) and what is Miami-Dade County doing about it? (nothing).

Based on these criteria, the Antiplanner would have to agree with the D grades (though F is pretty harsh for a free bus service). The real question is what should be done about it. TransitAlliance suggests creating a dedicated transit agency (instead of one run by the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation) with its own dedicated source of funding. TransitAlliance also wants to expand the Metro rail system, build dedicated busways, buy lots of new vehicles, and run trains, buses, and trolleys more frequently.

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Altogether, Miami-Dade Transit spent more than $650 million in 2017 but collected revenues of well under $100 million. The fact that ridership has declined nearly 27 percent in the last four yearsdespite such huge subsidies should be an indication that maybe people don’t really want an expensive transit system. While Miami-Dade could “Redesign the bus system to create a more effective route network,” as TransitAlliance recommends, this wouldn’t have to cost a lot more money than they are spending now, as is the case for many of TransitAlliance’s other recommendations. Otherwise, instead of expanding service, Miami-Dade should think about contracting it even more than it already has.

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About The Antiplanner

The Antiplanner is a forester and economist with more than fifty years of experience critiquing government land-use and transportation plans.

One Response to Miami-Dade Transit Earns a D

  1. Scott says:

    Just spend more money. That will solve it. Just a typical big gov SNAFU.

    Roughly half of gov transportation spending goes towards public transit, yet <2% of passenger miles are on public transitn (maybe <1% or <0.5%). Good ROI, yaah

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