We all already know that the County is underserved by public transit, so I won’t beat a dead horse, but the very least MDT could do is treat its underserved customer base with a bit of dignity. The Brickell Station is a MAJOR transfer hub between our metrorail and bus systems; therefore MDT should treat it as such.
Three small bus shelters for hundreds of people every morning is dismal. How does MDT expect to increase ridership if they don’t make their service desirable to use? The very least they could do is protect their customers from the harsh South Florida elements. Passengers should not be relegated to standing in the hot sun and tropical rainstorms while waiting for a bus to arrive.
Here’s an idea: Place a large bus shelter to protect customers from the elements (see below). This isn’t rocket science; it’s basic customer service.
Source: City of McAllen, Texas
While MDT is at it, perhaps they could work with the City of Miami to install proper crosswalks, and introduce traffic calming, across SW 1st Avenue so their customers can get across the street safely. Perhaps I’m asking for too much. (sigh)
10 Responses to Miami-Dade Transit Must Treat Its Customers with Dignity
Leave a Reply
Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network- A New Federalism Needed to Support America's Modern Metropolitan-Oriented Economy June 18, 2013In an essay adapted from their new book, Jennifer Bradley and Bruce Katz examine America's traditional 'dual sovereignty' federalism. They argue that metropolitan areas should play a greater role in governance through a collaborative federalism. […]
- 'Rest Stop for the Urban Age' to Hit NYC Streets June 18, 2013How many times have you hunted in vain for a place to charge your phone for a few minutes while running between errands? Hunt no more. An experimental, and elegant, solar-powered cell phone charging station is set to hit the streets of New York. […]
- German Development Debacles Give Architecture a Bad Name June 18, 2013Architects Christoph Ingenhoven, Meinhard von Gerkan and Pierre de Meuron, designers of three of Germany's most disastrous developments speak about their troubled projects and the damage inflicted on the status of architecture in the country. […]
- Momentous Climate Plan Being Development by Obama June 18, 2013An historic plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions is being covertly developed by the Obama administration, reports Neela Banerjee. The plan could for the first time set limits on the country's biggest emitters: power plants. […]
- London’s Lived-In Look June 18, 2013London calling! PlaceMaker Hazel Borys fuses her passions for great cities, efficient transit, civic art and form-based coding into one lavishly documented examination of the English capital. Cheers, mates! […]
- Commuter Rail Lines Multiply, But Where Are the Riders? June 18, 2013Despite a flurry of new commuter rail lines in operation, ridership increased a mere .5% during a record year for transit. Worse yet, some of the newer lines saw the greatest decreases. The answer: increase service to attract riders. […]
- 'Best Square' in Paris Returned to the People June 18, 2013Over the weekend, the $30 million revamp of Paris's iconic Place de la République opened to the public. By transforming the square from a place for cars into a place for people, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has earned a distinguished "anti-car" label. […]
- Who Deserves Blame for New York's Parks Disparity? June 18, 2013Many assume that the affluence of the surrounding neighborhood determines the health of New York City's parks. According to Lisa W. Foderaro, elected leadership, rather than location, determines which parks in the city are better maintained. […]
- America's Most Urban President Should Embrace Its Cities June 18, 2013While he cannot do much to rewrite the Constitution, which favors rural America, or reverse a century of history, which gave rise to the suburbs, Obama, the most urban president, can do more to embrace the city as an innovation incubator. […]
- Designing a Divorce? What It's Like to Work With a Spouse June 18, 2013Spurred by the simmering debate over whether Denise Scott Brown deserves recognition from the Pritzker Prize for her work with her husband Robert Venturi, Justin Davidson explores the nature of designing with your life partner. […]
- A New Federalism Needed to Support America's Modern Metropolitan-Oriented Economy June 18, 2013
I’ve waited for buses there before in the mornings, and those pictures reflect what the station looks like when the buses are on-time. When they’re late, it’s even worse. And this isn’t even Government Center! Speaking of Government Center, it also needs one of those large shelters, OMNI/Golden Glades style.
Government Center is 100x worse. Try waiting for a bus there during rush hour, and it’s a packed with people and no shelters whatsoever. Both Government Center and Brickell need shelters and ideally, electronic boards with estimated arrival times for buses, this would help us a lot.
What ever happened with the advertising-supported shelter installations? The nice Cemusa shelters are pretty spiffy, though only a handfull appear on any given route. They’re solid, lit well at night, and topped with a nice Evergreen Solar string ribbon panel to power the lighting.
(Once in a blue moon I also see one using Suntech monocrystalline cells.)
It’d be great if these shelters also had a solar powered fan overhead.
You don’t even need to go as far as McAllen, TX to see an example of adequate shelter. The South Dade Busway, right here in Miami, has that very same type of shelter, so it’s been done before.
What’s lacking from MDT is the will to serve and innovate…
What’s lacking from MDT is the will to spend money where the riders are…. they are happy to run routes with very low ridership instead of providing adequate service on routes with buses that are overcrowded and major transfer points with no signage or shelters.
Unfortunately none of our county commissioners ride transit…however, they’re very adept at buying votes with routes that few people ride, and with other transit projects carefully divided by each commission district, rather than where the ridership is…another reason why there must be charter reform, and term limits……….
Good luck trying to get on a rush hour 8, 11, or 24 bus, they’re all packed, yet the stops along these routes are in most places just a simple sign in the ground. No protection whatsoever.
Yes, a shelter would be nice. But knowing Miami, it could end up costing millions. Yes, and fund it with advertising. We are not asking MDT to split atoms, are we?
Sure our county commissioners must ride transit! anyone else remember the Riverside Shuttle route? It was a minibus route that started next to Government Center station, and ended… two blocks away, at the Riverside building. It blinks in and out of existence periodically depending on whether or not someone felt the need to run it that month.
See also: Route 82. LOL.
The lack of bus shelters is endemic throughout the county. But, I really blame the individual cities for not making it nicer for their residents (local politicians always want a bigger government entity to pay so they can claim they gave you a service without raising taxes). But even with a shelter, you need it surrounded by trees because the shelters are HOT in the summer.
The best thing commissioners could do for overcrowding is lessen the regulations so more private entrepreneurs would start little jitney services. I know of 3 in the county and while their buses are generally not as nice as MDT’s, usually you care more about moving, then waiting for a nicer MDT bus.