Our Streets
Time for Miami-Dade County to Get the ‘Better Bus Network’ on the Road
Every morning, thousands of transit riders in Miami make difficult and long commutes to their jobs and daily activities. A better transit system can alleviate those pains and help everyday Miami-Dade County residents get to where they want to go. By Grace Perdomo.
Five years ago, Transit Alliance Miami set out to change the lives of commuters throughout the County. The Better Bus Network (BBN) is the most extensive reworking of the County’s bus routes since the 1980s. The BBN will drastically improve service for those who previously lacked frequent, safe, and reliable transit. We cannot miss this watershed moment to reshape how we get around Miami.
The County’s recent decision to delay the BBN to 2023 is a drastic step backwards. With the County’s track record of over-promising and under-delivering, it is alarming that the earliest the BBN will kick off is at least a year from now because of bus operator shortages. After county commissioners unanimously passed it in October 2021, the BBN needs to be a top priority for the county to get done.
It takes transit to give people access to good-paying jobs, to healthcare, to educational opportunities, to fight climate change, and to help address the county’s affordable housing crisis.
The BBN is too critical to delay. We and thousands of transit riders are counting on the administration and Mayor Cava to take an ‘all of government, all hands on deck’ approach to solve the current hiring shortages. A stronger future for our City hinges on our county leadership staying the course and delivering on its BBN promise.
Transit Alliance Miami stands ready to continue our partnership with the county to make it happen.
Grace Perdomo, Executive Director of Transit Alliance Miami @TransitMIA. Transit Alliance is a non-profit organization advocating for walkable streets, bikeable neighborhoods, and better public transit.
