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Miami-Dade County’s on-demand, shared ride service now has a new name — MetroConnect. On Oct. 2, the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) rolled out MetroConnect —formerly known as GoConnect — to provide improved free service and even more connections to Miami-Dade Transit.
The MetroConnect expansion is integral to the county’s commitment to the Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear plan, which is set to improve Metrobus service for more people with more frequency, as well as greater access to jobs and education throughout the county starting on Nov. 13.
“MetroConnect underscores our commitment to ensuring that every Miami-Dade resident experiences enhanced connectivity and convenience in their daily commutes,” said Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This is an important piece of the puzzle to improve mobility and create the public transportation system our community needs and deserves.”
With MetroConnect, transit riders will still have access to the same convenient service they have come to know and love from GO Connect — but even better. The new MetroConnect zones will include North Dade, South Dade, Westchester, and the TransitWay. Additionally, MetroConnect will introduce other service enhancements designed to shorten trip times while serving more riders than ever before.
“Launching GO Connect during the pandemic was a testament to our adaptability and resilience, and its success has been a shining example of what we can achieve even in challenging times,” said Eulois Cleckley, DTPW director and CEO. “With MetroConnect, we’re building on that success. We aim to expand our reach, ensuring that even more areas of our community experience the many benefits this innovative transportation solution has to offer.”
MetroConnect makes it easy to access Miami-Dade Transit stations or nearby destinations within the service area. With a few taps on the MetroConnect app, riders can book a ride to be paired with others headed in the same direction. MetroConnect meets passengers wherever they are as long as it is within the service zone. The service includes vehicles with ADA accessibility.
With MetroConnect, riders will experience faster trip bookings, benefit from enhanced security features, and enjoy the ability to view transit connections to the entire Miami-Dade Transit system. MetroConnect will retain its partnership with Transit Tech provider Via that has powered GO Connect since it first launched in October 2020.
Additionally, Via and DTPW are working together to include Autonomous Vehicles (AV) as a pilot component in the Dadeland area later this fall. May Mobility and Via have a proven track record of safely and efficiently operating AV public transit deployments across the U.S.
Since its inception, the service has increased the community’s access to 57 percent more jobs within a 45-minute commute by connecting people to Miami-Dade Transit hubs. The average MetroConnect rider books 10 trips per month, and 65 percent report they do not have access to a car.
“Miami-Dade County is an innovator and a leader in using technology to address today’s toughest transportation challenges,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “As a long-standing partner, we are proud to see MetroConnect expand to serve even more members of the community and look forward to the continued success of the service as it unlocks new social and economic opportunities through better connectivity to the region’s public transit network.”
The MetroConnect expansion also will create efficiency-focused zone changes designed to reduce trip times while serving more riders per hour. This includes the existing Dadeland zone being split into two distinct North Dadeland and South Dadeland zones and the existing West Kendall zone being split into North Kendall and South Kendall zones.
Customer service information is available Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. by calling 786-321-5842.
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