Uber's got your back, Miami-Dade bus riders. A new partnership has been stitched together between the county and the ridesharing giant, promising free lifts for those chucked by the recent bus service shuffle. As told by CBS News Miami, this week marks the beginning of a plan to tide over commuters hit by the transit changes.
In the wake of the Better Bus Network roll-out, those having their routes axed will now snag a gratis Uber ride to where they need to go. Alicia Lightbourad, who's been hitting the same bus route for over two decades, praised the move, "I think it's an outstanding deal they're giving them," she remarked to CBS News Miami. Lightbourad, though riding the unaffected Route 95, sees the broader good, "I think it's a great deal for everybody, collectively."
Miami-Dade's government isn't just about slapping a band-aid on the issue. They've laid out a suite of "short-term solutions," including bolstering the current MetroConnect service and stirring up fresh ties with neighboring pockets of civilization. The county head honcho, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, has been tuned into the public's voice, according to an interview with CBS News Miami. "Since the launch of the Better Bus Network, we have been listening closely to our riders and bus operators alike, collecting feedback," she disclosed.
But wait, there's more than just Uber in the mix. MetroConnect's radius of convenience now draws a circle that includes landmarks like Biscayne Blvd and the Golden Glades. Hook onto their shared ride service by downloading an app or punching in digits to call. On the flip side, the Uber handout isn't some freewheeling road trip bonanza—you've got to be within 500 feet of the old route. "The system is very simple, it'll be just like calling Uber, you have to be along that route, it can't be I'm here (in Downtown Miami) and I want to go to Rock Stadium, or I want to go to the Airport," Juan Mendieta, a Miami-Dade Department of Transportation spokesman, made the process clear to CBS News Miami.
Any locals hankering for more intel on the Uber vouchers or where MetroConnect is going next can hop online to "Better Bus SHIFTS into Gear." And for those who prefer dialing in, there's a phone number available and, riders will have their fees waived, as Giovanni Castro from Uber put the cherry on top, "Those rides will be subsidized because you're utilizing a phone number or the QR Code that is designated specifically for this Miami-Dade program," he explained to Spot On Florida. With this new Uber flavor in the transport mix, getting around in the Magic City's jigsaw of routes might just become a pinch easier.
