Commissioner Eileen Higgins spearheads the unanimous approval of the Better Bus Network
MIAMI-DADE – At the Oct. 5, 2021, Board of County Commissioners (Board) meeting, District 5 County Commissioner and Chair of the Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee (TMPC), Eileen Higgins, received the Board’s unanimous support for the implementation of the Better Bus Network (BBN), a comprehensive redesign of the County’s bus system to increase frequent bus routes and create better connections throughout Miami-Dade.
“The heart and soul of the County’s public transportation system is its bus network,” said Commissioner Higgins. “With most of our County’s transit users depending on our bus system, the Better Bus Network ensures equitable and reliable public transportation that will improve the lives of its current users, and encourage new users to also get moving on the bus.”
The Better Bus Network was a data- and community-driven effort that began in 2018 in collaboration with the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) and Transit Alliance. With over 150 community meetings held and thousands of public comments received, the BBN will improve service by connecting more residents to more opportunities, increasing access to our main job centers, government and health services, and community and education centers. The network will also provide significant benefits for vulnerable populations, including:
- Adding access to high-frequent (<15-minute) bus service for 353,000 more Miami-Dade County residents.
- Doubling the number of seniors with access to high-frequent service, from 11 percent today to 23 percent.
- Dramatically increasing access to high-frequency service for people living in poverty from 12 percent today to 28 percent.
- 48 percent of households without cars will now have access to high-frequent service, up from 29 percent today.
“This is a proud moment for Miami-Dade County and Transit Alliance – where we believe that better buses make for better cities,” said Grace Perdomo, Transit Alliance Executive Director. “It is a monumental achievement, unparalleled in transit advocacy in the US – and one set out to change Miami’s understanding of transit and mobility by delivering more equitable service and helping to drive our economic recovery and growth.”
The new routes will be implemented in early 2022. DTPW will launch a comprehensive outreach campaign to inform and help current and new Metrobus users navigate the system-wide changes prior to their implementation. Riders can view the approved changes to the network, including changes to route frequencies and bus stop locations, at miamidade.gov/betterbus.
For more information, please contact Francis Izquierdo, Communications Manager for Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, at [email protected] or 305-375-5924.