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Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) recently announced new transit rates for transfers and Special Transportation Services (STS), and introduced a new monthly parking pass option.
Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 1, transfers from bus to rail (and vice versa) will be free, circulator routes will be free, and riders will be able to purchase a monthly parking pass without a prepaid transit pass. STS rides, which were reduced in June, will remain at $2 per trip.
“This pandemic has taken a significant financial toll on so many of our most vulnerable residents in Miami-Dade County,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
“We’re proud to take this important step to alleviate the burden of transportation costs for our residents and make transit more accessible countywide.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people commute. With the all-new Transit Monthly Parking Pass ($45), riders can purchase monthly parking without needing to purchase a monthly transit pass. This provides a valuable option for Miami-Dade Transit riders who may not be commuting daily and is more cost-effective than the daily $4.50 parking rate.
Beginning September, circulator routes, which previously cost 25 cents a trip, will be free to ride. These routes include: 82, 155, 200, 210, 211, 212, 217, 248, 254, and 286. By eliminating the cost on these routes, the department is able to have greater flexibility and more vehicles with fare collection equipment available to place on higher-demand routes.
Transfer fees for riders transferring between Metrorail and Metrobus (and vice versa), which was previously 60 cents, will be eliminated beginning in September. Passengers now can travel throughout the system and transfer between services at no additional cost. However, the transfer fee (95 cents) for Metrobus/Metrorail to an express Metrobus route will remain in place
STS trips cost $2 through Sept. 30. Beginning Oct. 1, the rate will once again be a cost of $3.50 per trip for paratransit riders.
“Transit doesn’t work without people,” said Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who sponsored the legislation reducing transit fees.
“We want to make it as simple and cost effective as possible to get everyone back on the bus, rail, and STS for their daily trips,” she said.
“As the new leader for the Department of Transportation and Public Works, I am excited to hit the ground running and continue Mayor Levine Cava’s mission of putting people first,” said Eulois Cleckley, director and CEO of DTPW. “Our department will continue to strive to enhance the transportation and mobility experience for all of Miami-Dade County.”
Per federal mandate, face masks remain a requirement for any transit rider, both inside of a Miami-Dade Transit vehicle and at a Miami-Dade Transit facility (including at bus stops and on the platforms).
DTPW will continue to follow the latest COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and Miami-Dade County.
For more on DTPW services, visit miamidade.gov/transit.
