Jasmine Rizo

Public transportation takes over Miami, Fla., allowing its residents to coast through communities and neighborhoods.

The constant sound of the Metrorail colliding against the train tracks is conspicuous. With many residents relying on transportation services such as the Metrorail and Metro Bus, upcoming changes towards policies regarding these services will certainly be a sweet sound to the ears of Miami residents. Originally at the price of $2.25 per trip, all Miami Dade transportation will now be free of charge from Nov. 13 to Dec. 31.

This project has been in the works since 2019. The idea of the Better Bus Network arose from community discussions on this topic at a public meeting on Sep. 13, 2021. This community centered effort gave Miamians the chance to speak their voice all throughout the development of the project through online surveys, community meetings, stakeholder meetings, a text message line, a phone scheduler and an email desk.

“I think it’s good that it is free now because I go to the metro everyday and it racks up a lot of money even with the student discount that lowers the price to $1.25. Even so, a lot of the time the discount cards don’t even work so it doesn’t let you reload your card and you end up having to pay the full $2.25. Finally I can stop having to desperately dig through my bag for cash just to get home,” sophomore Lilly Trapp said.

The Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear plan is the second phase of a community adjustment of the bus system. The BBN strives to expand MDC transportation by drawing further attention towards public transportation and increasing its usage. The plan will simultaneously improve the overall experience of metro bus and metro rail riders in Miami-Dade County, especially for senior citizens.

The BBN will not only make the metro rail and metro bus free of charge until the end of the year, but the new route changes will also progress and allow residents to get to their destinations faster at 45 minutes or less. It too will provide abundant benefits to transit riders. Certainly taking all residents into consideration, the BBN will move transit routes to suit their best interests. With an increase in routes and availability for all, the BBN is only working in favor of Miamians, adjusting to their needs accordingly.

Thanks to accelerated MDC transportation, riders must now walk only a few blocks to reach stops. However, routes known amongst transit riders are going to be discontinued once the BBN is in effect. Because there are only 6 unaffected routes, people have to find new routes to take, and many are left wondering how they will get around Miami. In spite of riders having to walk a longer distance than usual to reach stops and reconfigure what routes they should take, transportation will be able to travel more swiftly and smoothly overall. These large changes open a door of endless opportunity for transit riders.

“It was such a struggle; I remember having to count my extra change and split money with friends to get into the metro after basketball practice. Now that the metro is going to be free I can go anywhere I want to and whenever without having to worry about having extra change on me,” sophomore Aaron Orellana said.

Despite the profound conveniences the BBN will present, other residents are concerned about the price of transit and how it will only be made free for a limited amount of time. The idea of free public transportation should be carried out beyond 2023 to lay further emphasis on the BBN and its main purpose of serving its neighborhood as effectively as possible.

“Honestly this is amazing because it will allow me to get around more without having to spend money every time I go on a bus or metro. When my parents aren’t able to drive me places I take the bus and metro to school or to my friend’s house but it’s often expensive so I try to avoid it. Making it free will allow me and other students at Gables to use it,” sophomore Jasmin Abu said.

This change in policies serves as a step in the right direction for Cavaliers that depend on these services to get to and from Coral Gables Senior High as a main means of travel. The price of $2.25 may not seem like much but it accumulates over time, especially when using these services daily. This poses an inconvenience to a great deal of Gables students.

After four years of commitment and tireless efforts to improve MDC transportation, the result represents the epitome of a strong community. It was proven that everyone came together for a great cause: looking for ways to improve Miami one step at a time.