Criticism of Miami-Dade's public bus system can now be quantified -- in 27,000 complaints.
According to a Miami Herald investigation that analyzed the high volume of complaints spanning the last 18 months, the most common question bus riders ask themselves is "Where's my bus?"
Other common infractions: Rude drivers, overcrowded routes and dirty busses. Really dirty -- roach-level dirty.
Complaints of roaches on buses was another common complaint in the Herald’s investigation #FloridaRoundup pic.twitter.com/0ajEMT38fg
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) November 6, 2015
About 224,000 people ride a bus in Miami-Dade County on an average day and, in the first half of this year alone, people took 38 million trips on a county bus.
"More people are on buses in Miami-Dade County than are in jets at Miami International," says Miami Herald reporter Doug Hanks, who reported the Herald's investigation.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr. says the current state of buses in the county is a "perfect storm," begging for change and a revamp.
"Our residents have lost total faith in the government's ability to handle this situation," Bovo says.
.@CommBovo says we need to start looking at what people want, start fulfilling promise to voters #FloridaRoundup pic.twitter.com/jzNrOtUrcG
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) November 6, 2015
Bovo says the time for studies and talks has ended and real changes need to start being implemented in the county's bus system to make it a more reliable tool for residents.
He says that as transportation in Miami continues to evolve, ride-sharing services can be linked with public transit as a "last mile" option for riders.
Still, for some riders, Miami-Dade's bus system has a long way to go before it's, as Bovo says, "what people want."
Black said if need to take more than 1 bus expect "trip to take 2-3x what it would take to drive” #FloridaRoundup pic.twitter.com/IB5uAG3J8f
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) November 6, 2015