The Miami-Dade County (“County”) Better Bus Network is a revamp of regional bus service based on a comprehensive countywide study conducted by the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (“DTPW”) in collaboration with Transit Alliance Miami, a not-for-profit organization. The Better Bus Network study was initiated in June 2019 and approved, as amended, by Resolution No. R-920-21 of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners (“BCC”) on October 5, 2021. The BCC Resolution authorized the implementation, by DTPW, of the Better Bus Network. DTPW launched the approved route changes on November 13, 2023. The changes included several new bus routes in Miami Beach including routes 14, 15, 20, and 100 as well as improvements to service frequency. Details and maps of the bus route changes implemented as part of the Better Bus Network can be found here.

Based on DTPW’s assessment, frequency and reliability of Miami-Dade County bus service in the City of Miami Beach (“City”) is expected to improve as a result of the Better Bus Network. However, the City Administration (“Administration”) initially and consistently expressed a few concerns with the Better Bus Network via City Commission resolution, including the elimination of Route 115 without providing an alternative transit option for the affected community, such as an on-demand service, as a mitigation strategy.

As part of the Better Bus Network, DTPW discontinued Route 115 due to historically low ridership (an average of approximately 134 riders per weekday and 67 riders on weekends). Route 115 connected North Beach to South Beach, serving Mount Sinai Medical Center, primarily along the Alton Road corridor (Attachment A). The service consisted of two (2) cut-away buses operating approximately 13 hours a day, seven (7) days a week, at approximately 50-minute headways (i.e. frequency of service). DTPW introduced new routes, including Route 14 from Omni Terminal in Miami to Mount Sinai Medical Center via the MacArthur Causeway, Alton Road, South Pointe Drive, Washington Avenue, Collins Avenue, and 41 Street, which will somewhat serve the areas in South Beach and Mid-Beach affected by the discontinuation of Route 115.

To help mitigate the impact of DTPW’s discontinuation of Route 115 and provide a suitable public transit option to the affected customers in North Beach, the City’s Transportation and Mobility Department staff worked with DTPW staff on a plan to augment the City’s on-demand transit service operated by Freebee to primarily serve the North Beach portion of Route 115 (all existing stops from 63 Street to 88 Street) as well as Mount Sinai Medical Center as an on-demand service. While City staff requested that DTPW allocate funds for the operation of two (2) additional Tesla X SUV vehicles to meet the anticipated demand of the expanded service area, DTPW approved funding for only one (1) additional Tesla X SUV vehicle for the expanded service. Transportation and Mobility Department staff worked promptly with Freebee to amend the agreement for on-demand transit services to include the additional vehicle and expanded service area. Thus, the additional Tesla X SUV vehicle was put in service on November 13, 2023, the same day Route 115 service was eliminated by DTPW. The annual operating cost of the additional Tesla X SUV vehicle is approximately $168,000 and will be funded (retroactively and prospectively) by DTPW for a two (2) year period through an Intergovernmental Agency Agreement (“IAA”) between the City and Miami-Dade County. As sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the IAA was approved by the Mayor and City Commission (“City Commission“) via Resolution No. 2023-32821 adopted on October 18, 2023 and is currently in the process of being finalized and executed. Following the two (2)-year financial commitment by DTPW, the continuation of the expanded on-demand Freebee service would need to be partially or fully funded by the City and/or other sources or eliminated.

To inform Route 115 riders and the community about the expanded on-demand Freebee service available as of November 13, 2023, City staff placed flyers at all existing Route 115 bus stops in North Beach and issued e-blasts in conjunction with DTPW. In the notifications, customers were provided a phone number to request a Freebee ride in advance. Attachment B includes the on-demand Freebee service flyer.

Note that at the November 7, 2023 BCC meeting, prior to the launch of the Better Bus Network, District 4 Commissioner Mickey Steinberg motioned and read into the record the following:

“Commissioner Steinberg moves to direct the County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee to continue the negotiation of an interlocal agreement with the City of Miami Beach and/or a third-party vendor for the provision of an alternative long-term on-demand or fixed route transit service to replace Route 115 which was eliminated with the adoption of the Better Bus Network. The County Mayor or County Mayor’s designee is directed to bring back such negotiated interlocal agreement within 30 days of the effective date of this motion, or alternatively, place a written status report every 30 days thereafter on an agenda of the full Board without committee review pursuant to rule 5.06(j) of the Board’s Rules of Procedure, until such time as the final negotiated interlocal agreement is placed on an agenda of this Board.”

Transportation and Mobility staff inquired with DTPW staff about updating the IAA to account for Commissioner Steinberg’s approved motion, however, DTPW has not made any changes to the IAA to explicitly reflect the motion. Rather, DTPW has added language to clarify that during the term of the agreement, DTPW will assess ridership and other reporting metrics to determine whether, in the long term, the service needs to be extended, modified, or cancelled. DTPW suggests that the term of the agreement also affords the City time to secure an alternative funding source to sustain the Freebee service, if warranted.

Since the launch of the expanded on-demand Freebee service on November 13, 2023, Transportation and Mobility Department staff has been collecting data to evaluate the effectiveness of the new service.

Compared to the former Route 115 bus service, which had an average daily ridership of 134 riders on weekdays and 67 riders on weekends, the expanded on-demand Freebee service currently experiences a lower daily ridership, with an average daily ridership of 72 riders on weekdays and 42 riders on weekends. Based on City staff’s assessment, the Tesla X SUV vehicle is currently serving the North Beach area with an average passenger wait time of approximately 15 minutes during off peak hours. However, a key metric to note is the variation in passenger wait times during peak hours. The data shows that average passenger wait times increase significantly during weekday morning and afternoon peak hours, reaching up to 80 minutes. 

It is worth noting, however, that these long wait times during peak hours are higher than those of former Route 115, suggesting that while the City’s expanded on-demand Freebee service offers substantial improvements during off-peak hours as compared to Route 115, it is challenging to maintain the high service frequency and low passenger wait times during peak periods of high passenger demand with only one (1) additional Freebee vehicle (Tesla X SUV) in service.

This data analysis is vital to properly assess the performance of the expanded on-demand service and to identify areas where improvements or additional resources may be required. The disparity in passenger wait times underscores the need for a more-balanced approach to the service that adequately addresses both off-peak and peak-hour demands and ensures a consistent and reliable on-demand transit experience for all users throughout the day.

At the February 14, 2024 Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC” or “Committee”) meeting, the Committee recommended that the Administration share the data collected by the City with the County and explore other alternatives to the existing on-demand Freebee service in North Beach.

Based on the data analysis, City staff met with DTPW and proposed enhancements to the existing on-demand Freebee service. The City requested to replace the existing Tesla Model X vehicle, which accommodates five (5) passengers, with a Starcraft van, a high-capacity vehicle which can accommodate 14 passengers. This upgrade aims to accommodate more passengers per trip, effectively meeting the increased demand for public transportation from North Beach to Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Additionally, the City proposed the implementation of a fixed route/fixed schedule service to provide a more reliable and consistent connection between North Beach and Mount Sinai Medical Center. The new service model would operate with one (1) Starcraft van 13 hours a day, 7 days a week, from 7 am to 8 pm, mirroring the operational hours of the former Route 115 and ensuring continuity in service availability for the community. The estimated service frequency and average passenger wait times for the proposed fixed route/fixed schedule service is between 60 to 70 minutes --- which is somewhat comparable to the wait time for the previous Route 115.

To support this new service model, the City requested additional funding from DTPW. The estimated annual operating cost for one (1) Starcraft van is approximately $245,000. This represents an increase of approximately $77,000 over the current annual operating cost and commitment from the County of $168,000 for one (1) Freebee Model X vehicle. DTPW has already agreed to fund the additional $77,000, which will allow for the higher capacity Starcraft van instead of the Freebee Model X Tesla vehicle. The IAA is being updated to reflect DTPW’s additional financial contribution.

The City's Transportation, Parking & Bicycle-Pedestrian Facilities Committee (“TPBPFC”) discussed this issue extensively and recommended that the County provide two (2) high-capacity vehicles that accommodate a minimum of 12-15 passengers during peak hours to better serve North Beach’s transportation needs, particularly for the route to and from Mount Sinai Medical Center. The proposed enhancements to the on-demand Freebee service is closely aligned with the recommendation of the TPBPFC as shared via Letter to Commission (“LTC”) 102-2024 (Attachment C).