Miami-Dade County is rolling out new technology to improve transit.
On Tuesday, the county unveiled its first Connect 305 kiosk, located at Government Center. The kiosks help transit users engage with county services, offering real-time bus and train tracking and public Wi-Fi, among other applications.
George Burciaga, managing director at CIVIQ Smartscapes, the company that makes the kiosks, says the main goal is to create a network where transit users transition seamlessly from bus to train to MetroMover and back.
"Transportation is one of the agencies that normally touches the entire municipality," he said. "We like to refer to connecting everyone and in this case, enhancing the experience of transportation in the county.
"So now you have streets, buses, trains and... train stations that will be connected across this network."
Those connections -- officials hope -- will include uninterrupted Wi-Fi services, thanks to Wi-Fi upgrades being installed on county buses and trains. Burciaga says that with the new technology users shouldn't have to reconnect to Wi-Fi every time they transfer.
Miami-Dade County Transportation Director Alice Bravo says the county didn’t have to pay anything for the Connect 305 kiosks. Burciaga says his company’s revenue comes from other sources, including ads displayed on the kiosk screens.
Up to 300 of the Connect 305 kiosks will be installed throughout Miami-Dade County over the next 15 years.