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How Can We Make Your Ride Better?
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and Transit Interim Director Harpal Kapoor Talk to Customers Firsthand
Earlier this month, Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle, who is also the Chairman of the County Commission's Transit Committee, joined Miami-Dade Transit Interim Director Harpal Kapoor and some of his senior staff on a Route 77 bus ride headed from NW 135th Street and 7th Avenue to downtown Miami.
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| Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and transit rider Walter Thomas. |
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| Get On The Bus, Get Out Of Traffic |
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Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) has begun running buses on the shoulders of two expressways to bypass traffic jams and get commuters to work faster.
Miami-Dade Transit buses serving the popular Kendall Area Transit (KAT) routes are utilizing the shoulder lanes of the Snapper Creek and Don Shula expressways to increase on-time performance and reliability.
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| Harpal Kapoor Appointed Interim Director at Miami-Dade Transit |
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Mr. Harpal S. Kapoor was appointed Interim Director at Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) in March 2007.
Mr. Kapoor first joined MDT in 1985 as a Rail Vehicle Electronic Technician and rose through the ranks to Assistant General Superintendent of Bus Maintenance.
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| Results of Previous Transit Poll |
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| Tell
Us Why You Use Transit! |
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How would you like to be profiled in the next issue of Go Miami-Dade? If you're a regular transit rider, we'd like to share your story about why you take the bus or train. Passenger profiles will feature a photo and brief interview. To find out how to be the subject of a passenger profile, please contact us at Gomiamidade@miamidade.gov or 305-375-1278.
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| Safety
and Security Corner |
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Help
Keep Our System Safe
If you see a suspicious package or strange activity in, on, or near a bus, a Metrorail or Metromover train, a bus stop, a rail station, or any transit property, please notify the bus operator, station security officer, or any transit official as quickly as possible. You can also call Transit Watch hotline at 305-375-2700. All reports are kept confidential. For more information about Transit Watch, visit: www.miamidade.gov/transit/transit_watch.asp.
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If you aren't already receiving "Go Miami-Dade" in your e-mail inbox, but would like to receive no-cost monthly updates on the People's Transportation Plan on your home computer, click here. |
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MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY
Carlos Alvarez
Mayor
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Bruno A. Barreiro
Chairman
Barbara J. Jordan
Vice-Chairwoman
Barbara J. Jordan
District 1
Dorrin D. Rolle
District 2
Audrey M. Edmonson
District 3 |
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Sally
A. Heyman
District 4
Bruno A. Barreiro
District 5
Rebeca Sosa
District 6
Carlos A. Giménez
District 7
Katy Sorenson
District 8
Dennis C. Moss
District 9
Senator Javier D. Souto
District 10 |
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Joe
A. Martínez
District 11
José "Pepe" Díaz
District 12
Natacha Seijas
District 13
Harvey Ruvin
Clerk of Courts
George M. Burgess
County Manager
Murray A. Greenberg
County Attorney |
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Changing
your email? To update your contact information, just reply with
your changes.
Miami-Dade County does not collect information for commercial marketing. Privacy
Policy
(c) 2007 Miami-Dade County. All rights reserved.
Enewsletter Development by Loop
Consulting Group
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How Can We Make Your Ride Better?
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and Transit Interim Director Harpal Kapoor Talk to Customers Firsthand
Earlier this month, Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle, who is also the Chairman of the County Commission's Transit Committee, joined Miami-Dade Transit Interim Director Harpal Kapoor and some of his senior staff on a Route 77 bus ride headed from NW 135th Street and 7th Avenue to downtown Miami.
For the past few months, MDT senior staff has been riding buses and trains to learn directly from customers of the improvements needed in the transit system. |
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| Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and transit rider Walter Thomas discuss transit services while riding on Route 77 bus. |
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During the 45-minute ride, Mr. Kapoor had the opportunity to hear from transit rider Fred Downs, who expressed that although transit improvements have been obvious in the last few months, there are still some things that can be done to better serve passengers like him. "I have noticed great improvements in your system, especially on some of your beach routes, such as the S and the T, which to me are excellent, as well as your express routes. But I suggest adding more buses, not only to Route 77, but also to other highly used routes that run along Biscayne and on the beach," said Downs.
At the end of 2006, MDT adjusted 36 heavily used bus routes to reduce overcrowding and provide suitable travel times. One of those routes was Route 77. Service frequency was increased from every 10 minutes to every eight minutes during weekday rush hours.
However, as demand for this route's service continues to increase, MDT once again will review its performance to better accommodate customers, especially during times they need additional service.
"Route 77 is one of the most popular routes in my district. Riding with MDT's Interim Director and his staff gives me an opportunity to be able to get in touch with the community and see what needs to be improved or changed in the transportation system to improve their commute," said Commissioner Rolle.
Transit officials and the commissioner also spoke with Golden Passport holder Alberta Conway, 75, who said she would like to see larger buses added to the route to accommodate a large number of riders.
Conway explained she would not only like to see more buses added to Route 77, but also she suggested adding bigger size buses which could help alleviate the problem with the overcrowding.
"I love my Golden Passport which I use all the time. What I would love to see on this route is bigger buses, so that we, the passengers, can feel more comfortable," expressed Ms. Conway.
In addition, Ms. Conway explained that with her Golden Passport she is able to travel around the county and visit her grandchildren as much as she wants without depending on anyone to pick her up from home.
During this ride, Commissioner Rolle and Transit officials heard about all types of concerns and comments, from complaints about overcrowding to gratifying compliments on the cleanliness of transit vehicles.
"Although it is great to be able to learn directly from customers what MDT needs to do to improve service, it is also rewarding to hear nice comments from customers like Sue Hall, who told me she is satisfied with the cleanliness in our buses," explained Mr. Kapoor.
Not only does MDT ensure that buses receive regular cleaning daily, the agency also has contracted a cleaning service to diligently clean bus interiors. The contractor is closely supervised to ensure buses are in top condition when they are placed in service.
"I have no complaints. Transit gets me wherever I need to go," said transit rider Walter Thomas, as he sat next to Commissioner Rolle.
Commissioner Rolle and Mr. Kapoor are planning to ride a Route S bus and the Metromover later this month to obtain additional feedback from customers. If you would like to ride with the commissioner and interim director, please send an e-mail to hkapoor@miamidade.gov, or call 305-375-2597. You can also share your comments by visiting www.miamidade.gov/transit. |
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| Get On The Bus, Get Out Of Traffic |
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| GET ON BOARD: Miami-Dade Transit buses recently began using the shoulder lanes of the Don Shula and Snapper Creek expressways to bypass gridlock. |
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Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) has begun running buses on the shoulders of two expressways to bypass traffic jams and get commuters to work faster.
Miami-Dade Transit buses serving the popular Kendall Area Transit (KAT) routes are utilizing the shoulder lanes of the Snapper Creek and Don Shula expressways to increase on-time performance and reliability.
Approximately 30 minibuses serving the Killian, Kendall and Sunset KAT routes - which link West Kendall to the Metrorail system - enter the shoulder whenever speeds on the regular lanes drop below 25 mph. This is a typical occurrence during morning and evening rush hours on several roads in South Florida. Buses can travel up to 35 mph on the shoulder and must re-enter the main travel lanes whenever there is a breakdown or emergency vehicle in the shoulder.
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Total daily boardings on the three KAT routes average almost 4,000. If the current trend continues, that could grow to 4,300 or more by 2010.
The new program is the result of a partnership between the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
"This project is a short-term solution to help alleviate traffic headaches during rush hours," said MDX Public Communications Manager Maggie Cortez Kirkpatrick.
Florida Highway Patrol will closely monitor the shoulder and ticket any drivers caught traveling behind a bus on a shoulder.
Miami-Dade Transit hopes to eventually expand the program to the county's other chronically congested expressways.
The use of shoulder lanes was modeled after a similar program was successfully implemented by Metro Transit in Minneapolis in 1993. This program utilizes more than 400 buses on 200 miles of shoulders in the Minneapolis metro area. |
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Harpal Kapoor Appointed Interim Director at Miami-Dade Transit
Mr. Harpal S. Kapoor was appointed Interim Director at Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) in March 2007.
Mr. Kapoor first joined MDT in 1985 as a Rail Vehicle Electronic Technician and rose through the ranks to Assistant General Superintendent of Bus Maintenance. He left the department in 1999 to serve as Assistant Manager of Bus Engineering at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for six years before rejoining MDT in February 2006.
As MDT's Interim Director, he heads the largest transit system in Florida and the 11th largest in the nation.
Mr. Kapoor has been charged with the creation of a proactive environment in all elements of his administration, with the goal of achieving departmental budget savings by improving administrative and operations efficiencies while continuing to enhance customer service. |
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| HARPAL S. KAPOOR: Miami-Dade Transit's Interim Director |
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His immediate objectives include optimizing resources through adjustments in bus routes, completing an overhaul of Metromover vehicles, improving on-time bus and rail reliability and aggressively implementing the People's Transportation Plan - the multibillion-dollar transportation improvement plan funded by the voter-approved half-penny sales surtax.
Mr. Kapoor is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), where he sits on committees dealing with developing brake, undercarriage and climate control standards and diesel hybrid-electric bus specifications. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Kurukshetra University in India, as well as a degree in business administration. |
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