HISTORY:
The County currently operates Bus Route A along the Venetian Causeway connecting Omni Station in Downtown Miami with Publix on Sunset Harbour in Miami Beach. As a result of weight restrictions imposed by the County on the Venetian Causeway bridges in 2014, the route and service plan was modified and currently consists of limited service using smaller vehicles (cutaways) with limited passenger capacity, operating at approximately 30 minute headways on a limited schedule of 8 hours per day (7:00AM to 9:45AM and 2:00PM to 7:00PM). The service currently connects to the South Beach Trolley service at the Publix in Sunset Harbour.
On-demand transit service is a way to provide connections between transit stops and final destinations/trip origins, ease congestion, and address limited parking availability. Some cities have begun on-demand first/last mile service with operators such as Uber and Lyft. More locally, in Miami-Dade County, some cities have contracted on-demand electric-powered transit vehicle operators, such as Freebee, to fill this niche. These services are generally subsidized by cities and provided at no charge to the passenger. Other new, innovative technologies may also be available to provide this service. Freebee is one of a few providers of on-demand transportation services currently operating in our City, however, no formal partnership or agreement exists between Miami Beach and Freebee at this time.
Earlier this year, pursuant to City Commission directive, the City issued a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLOI) for On-Demand Transit Service intended to connect to/from existing County bus stops and/or City Trolley stops to enable passengers to complete the first leg and/or last leg of their trip. The proposed service was intended to serve short distances and to originate at employment centers, retail and entertainment destinations, and residential areas. Communication with passengers in terms of requesting a ride and providing feedback was anticipated to occur through both smart phone mobile applications and phone service. Pursuant to Commission direction, the service was to be provided at no cost to the City or the passenger. Proposals from three (3) firms were received on March 2, 2018. Staff reviewed the proposals and deemed all 3 firms to be unresponsive as all firms required financial assistance from the City in order to provide the on-demand service.
At its September 26, 2018 meeting, the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) discussed the following two (2) Freebee related items that were combined into one (1) item:
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A. Discussion to explore opportunities to expand the use of services like Freebee and the communications to potential riders
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B. Discussion regarding a partnership with freebee to transport residents and visitors to/from Miami Beach to the downtown Miami Omni bus terminal via the Venetian Causeway
Following some discussion, the Committee took no formal action and requested that the Administration continue to explore a partnership with Freebee and provide updates via Letter To Commission (LTC), as applicable.