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(Photo by Robert Treadwell/Palmetto Bay)
With a formal ribbon cutting ceremony at the Coral Reef Drive station on Oct. 27, the Miami-Dade County launched its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This opened the South Dade corridor paralleling S. Dixie Highway (US1) with 20 miles of quiet all-electric buses.
“No stopping at red lights,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Buses will run from Florida City to Dadeland Mall in dedicated lanes, minus the traffic, and during peak hours.
“They’re way different from the county’s first fleet of EV buses, dozens of them, at the cost of some $70 million from a company that failed, that went bankrupt, and we are still working on bringing those buses back but in the meantime we have what we need for this service,” the mayor added.
Transportation officials say the buses will shave some 40 minutes off the drive time for traveling by car.
“Newer and better buses incentivize people to use public transit,” said District 7 County Commissioner Raquel Regalado. “We’re targeting people who work, not just people who are using transportation because they have no choice, so it was really important for there to be air conditioning, for there to be amenities, and there will be security.”
Officials in Palmetto Bay, located along the BRT route, estimate that hundreds of riders from the village use buses.
“Now maybe we can build that up, especially with seven-minute waits for every bus during peak hours,” said Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham. “I think it’s going to meet people’s needs a lot more efficiently than we’ve been able to do before.
“Miami-Dade County’s new Metro Express Bus Rapid Transit service officially hit the road, bringing faster rides, cooler waits, and more of a VIP experience to its passengers. We’re talking air-conditioned waiting areas, free Wi-Fi, charging stations, and traffic signal priority during peak times. The new Metro Express runs all the way from Florida City to Dadeland South, making it a total win whether you ride every day or just every once in a while.”
The mayors and others took an inaugural ride on two of the all-electric, smooth and quiet riding buses.
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