If making it easy to get around was a test, Miami-Dade County would get an 'F.' That’s according to the nonprofit Transit Alliance Miami, a group that advocates for better public transportation and walkability.
The nonprofit has released its 2023 mobility scorecard for Miami-Dade County — and it does not make for great reading. In it, they note that Miami is seriously failing in the areas of walkability, cycling safety and transit for disabled riders.
"We really do fare very terribly in terms of overall safety around the county," said Nicholas Durán, advocacy manager for Transit Alliance.
The scorecard — the first one the nonprofit has put out since 2018 — takes a look at seven major modes of transportation and grades the county's existing infrastructure on an 'A' through 'F' scale. Those modes are: walking, cycling, bus, rail, Metromover, Special Transportation Service for disabled riders and local trolleys.
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Transit Alliance gave the county an 'F' in walking, cycling and trolley services, in large part owing to a lack of safety on large roadways and unreliable transit service.
"There are a lot of intersections with high rates of pedestrian and bike casualties. And it's not even just bicyclists and pedestrians, it's also drivers. It's just dangerous all around and these are ultimately design flaws," Durán noted.
The one area where the county scored fairly well was in Metromover service.
The Metromover, which runs a free service in downtown Miami and Brickell every few minutes, received a 'B' grade on the scorecard for having mostly regular service with low cost per rider. However, the nonprofit recommended the cars be updated and the system be expanded — something the county has been considering with the proposed Baylink project to Miami Beach.
"At the end of the day, what it's going to take to ensure accountability is people showing up, people who are interested in transit-oriented development."Nicholas Durán, advocacy manager for Transit Alliance.
Durán said Miami-Dade has a long way to go to become a more accessible and mobile county, especially with its rising population, but he has hope with current initiatives underway that it's on the right track.
Holding government accountable
That includes the Better Bus Project, meant to overhaul the county's bus routes to create more frequency along peak routes to get non-drivers where they need to go. A pilot launch for the Better Bus Project is expected later this year.
But beyond the projects currently underway, Durán says better mobility will require residents to hold state and local governments accountable and speak out against transportation projects that don't make sense and support projects that expand options for people without cars.
"At the end of the day, what it's going to take to ensure accountability is people showing up, people who are interested in transit-oriented development," he said.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava acquiesced that the county's transportation system could use some much needed investment.
"A safer, more connected transit system is a core priority for my administration. We know that a strong mobility network connects people to more than just their destination, but also to opportunity. Our current system has suffered decades of neglect and disinvestment," Cava said in an emailed statement to WLRN.
However, she says recent attention to projects like the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Program, in which the county intends to expand bus lines and public transit to major corridors like South Dade and Miami Gardens, are signs of improvement.
"In the last two years, we’ve made historic inroads to deliver a world-class mass transit system," Cava wrote. "Working closely with both our private and public partners, we’re moving forward to bring residents the safe and reliable transit network they deserve."
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