Residents of South Miami are on the brink of a new era in transportation as the city announced it will launch a new free door-to-door ride-share service. The service, which starts on February 27, will be part of the Miami-Dade County’s MetroConnect app, offering accessible transportation options within South Miami and connections to Dadeland South and Dadeland North stations, as Local 10 reported.
The app-based service is set to operate Thursdays to Saturdays from noon to 11 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8:30 p.m within South Miami while expanding availability during weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m for the connection to the Dadeland areas, the shift comes after the city switched tech providers from Freebe to Via, which is expected to elevate the service by promising a highly efficient digital network, according to the city's announcement.
Booking a ride is reportedly simple: users create an account on the MetroConnect app, which is available for download on both the App Store and Google Play Store, whereupon they can enter their pickup and drop-off addresses to book a ride that suits their schedule; those without app-access can call 786-321-5842 to book a ride or speak with someone in Spanish.
The ride-share service aims not only for convenience but also inclusivity, offering wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAV) upon request. Users can activate the need for a wheelchair-friendly vehicle directly in the app by accessing the 'Special Settings' and turning on 'Wheelchair Accessibility' and, as part of its mission to cater to diverse transportation needs, rides are completely free, and while the service is on-demand, meaning it's most suitable for immediate ride bookings, there is scope to schedule a ride with enough lead time to accommodate time-sensitive appointments, passengers may share rides with others headed in the same direction, which is an effort to keep efficiency up and operating costs down, the city's website provides further clarifications.
For any additional questions or assistance, customers are encouraged to reach out via email at [email protected] or by calling the provided phone number, ensuring that help is just a message or phone call away.
