Improved service for more people with more frequency is at the heart of Miami-Dade Transit’s Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear action plan led by riders in what is the biggest network overhaul in county history.
The reimagining of Metrobus service is creating better connections and an improved rider experience across Miami-Dade County. In fact, it is dramatically increasing transit access to jobs, education, healthcare, and quality of life, and uplifting our most vulnerable with significantly better services, including seniors.
The Mayor, the Board of County Commissioners, and many community partners have been hard at work to make this a reality. Below you will find the Metrobus network maps and other resources to help guide you in this new day for Miami-Dade County and the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW).
View Better Bus Network routes during off-peak hours.
Project Background
The following information includes information regarding some of the public engagement steps that have been taken for the implementation of the Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear plan.
A public hearing for the Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear action plan was held in Sept. 2021.
Check out the Facebook Live session of the Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear action plan that was presented during the Transportation and Mobility Planning Committee meeting in Sept. 2021.
At the onset and throughout the Better Bus Project, surveys were conducted to better understand what transit riders in Miami-Dade were looking for in their transit system. Transit riders were surveyed online and in-person on the bus and at stations to better understand their needs and opinions of the proposed plan.
The frequency tables graphicly present the hours of operation and how frequently each bus route operates throughout the day on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
A new redesigned bus network for Miami-Dade County based on community input and a data-driven process. The new proposed network is designed to be more useful for more people by increasing frequent service, creating easier connections, and improving evening and weekend bus service.
Connect residents to more opportunities, including jobs and services
Increase access to our main job centers, government and health services, and community and education centers
Create a more affordable community by delivering frequent and reliable bus lines that may allow a family to reduce their dependence on cars
Deliver more equitable service to communities of concern such as minorities, seniors, people experiencing poverty, and households with no vehicles
Increase our community’s resilience and reduce congestion by improving the usability of the bus system and increasing transit ridership
Create a more efficient system that is easier to use to make the best possible use of taxpayer dollars
The Better Bus Network was designed to improve service for the people that need it most, delivering equitable service that prioritizes seniors, people in poverty, minorities, and households with no vehicle. The existing network does not provide high frequency service equitably across Miami-Dade, with our most frequent lines running primarily through Downtown Miami and segments of Miami Beach.
This 5-year process has involved collecting and analyzing data; surveying more than 5,000 people countywide; conducting over 140 direct outreach efforts in communities across the county; and meetings with major stakeholders including elected officials, department leaders, community organizations, and bus operators.
Every bus network has to balance a different set of needs, which are different across the network. For example, while some routes in the city center might attract a lot of riders and need more service – other routes farther in the county might not have as many riders but still provide an essential service. Through our community surveys and workshops, we have arrived at a balance of priorities between these competing goals that tries to increase the usefulness of the new network for as many people as possible while minimizing impacts to areas of the county that have relatively fewer transit riders.
The Better Bus Network was designed to provide frequent service throughout the day, including late into the evening and on weekends. For many of the bus routes the service frequencies will remain consistent throughout the entire day, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Today there are only five bus routes in the County that arrive every 15 minutes or less throughout the day. Most bus routes arrive every 30, 45, or 60 minutes. When buses don’t arrive frequently, riders are burdened by longer wait time and difficulties making connections to other routes. The Better Bus Network creates a new network with 19 frequent routes that allow people to reach more places more quickly.
Yes, cities across the country have successfully redesigned their bus networks (e.g.: Houston, Seattle, Richmond) and more cities are currently redesigning their bus networks too, including Boston, Atlanta and New York.
Over 98% of all existing bus boardings will still be served by a bus stop within a 5-minute walk; however, a small number of routes with very low ridership will be consolidated or replaced with alternate service nearby.
Please note: As you review the maps, know that many routes have been renamed.
Two out of three transit riders in Miami use buses for their commute. Redesigning our bus network is an opportunity to immediately improve transit service for the largest number of people. In a survey of over 5,000 bus riders 85% of our survey respondents agreed that we should change the bus system so more people can get to more places more quickly. This is only one of the many transportation projects Miami-Dade County is pursuing to improve commute times and decrease congestion across the county.
Yes! The majority of our community outreach involved speaking with transit riders at terminals, through text message, and at community workshops.
Some routes that are suited to smaller vehicles will continue to be operated by contracted vehicles. However, some routes will also be returning to County service in the new network.
In a city like Miami, people have places to be all the time, even on weekends and late in the evening. One of the goals of the Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear action plan is to have frequent, reliable bus service throughout the entire day, not just during peak hours. The route frequencies in the plan are designed to be consistent throughout the entire day, with many routes arriving frequently between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The commute hours are where we see the highest passenger loads and so we provide additional peak-only service on the major streets. The current network is structured so that multiple routes overlap to provide this additional service on certain street segments with high demand.
However, as the routes are not coordinated it often means the service doesn’t come in useful intervals and may all come at once or comes too far apart. The proposed network provides consistent high frequent service at regular intervals on many of these street corridors, which helps accommodate the passenger demand and ensure passengers don’t wait too long for the next bus.
The Better Bus Network was designed to maintain the same level of service on the street, without requiring raising taxes or resulting in any job losses.
Trolley services are operated by local municipalities and not Miami-Dade County. These services will continue to be coordinated on an ongoing basis as each city improves their own route network.
The new proposed network aligns frequent bus service with future corridors of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan, improving service on these key corridors.
You are now leaving the official website of Miami-Dade County government. Please be
aware that when you exit this site, you are no longer protected by our privacy or
security policies. Miami-Dade County is not responsible for the content provided on
linked sites. The provision of links to these external sites does not constitute an
endorsement.
Please click 'OK' to be sent to the new site, or Click 'Cancel' to go back.