Keeping you informed. Questions/comments relating to our IBus Park & Ride Express pilot program

I am posting some ‘best of’ questions/comments relating to our IBus Park & Ride Express pilot program, or as I have dubbed it: The IBus reboot. The postings are to share comments and concerns.  Please help us here at your Village of Palmetto Bay by providing input that will lead to continued refinement of our service.  

I am not using this page to post daily ridership numbers.  I have asked our Village Manager to post those numbers for the public to view on the official Palmetto Bay media.

The questions have come through various discussions or media.  I cannot accept or respond to anonymous comments as I do respond directly to those involved in the communication. 

Thank you and happy commuting.

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Comment from Michael:

C: I rode it Tuesday and Thursday. It does take more time to arrive at work. However, I found it to be less stressful! I believe that it will require some planning on the part of the user to avoid the long gap between pickups at the metro.

Comment from CI:

C: Please continue this in the fall.

Comment from David:

C: It would be nice to go another level or two into the data to measure effectiveness. For example, if the riders are (or not) VOPB residents, general areas where riders live and work, and if they drive to the church or have another transportation method. Also, how many are coming to PB in the morning from Metrorail.

Response: Not a bad idea for a next round of data collection. Now that we know we have some riders to collect data from.

Comment / question from Tracie:

C/Q: I would have ridden today, but there was no way to get back from downtown during the mid-day. Maybe an on demand service during the break

A: You mean like "Freebee"??? 

Editor's note: Coming soon see: http://eugeneflinn.blogspot.com/2018/03/offering-up-solutions-to-transit-i-am.html

Comment by JW:

C: I like it however, to be honest it is quicker to cut through to the 826. It probably will be faster going home since it is hard to get out of the airport ever since they closed perimeter road. Another issue, it is almost $113/month for rail. My costs for driving is about 75/month in fuel, $25/month sunpass and 500/year for vehicle maintenance if that much. I’ll give it a shot next week but it was promising to see parents dropping their kids off so they can use the bus to get to Dadeland to downtown. Hopefully this will be compounded when school starts back.

From Maria:

Q:  Good morning Mayor Flinn.  I am writing to you regarding the ibus. The route from us1 to Old Cutler Road on 184st is no longer available and has left a lot of people stranded from their jobs. Meaning now they have to uber from St. RICHARD... which would create more traffic in the morning and afternoon. Is there any way that route can be kept? Thanking you in advance for your attention in this matter. Hope this can be resolved.

A: We have received similar requests regarding Route B (the southern side of Palmetto Bay), but surprisingly, no such request for Route A.  Route B was where most of our IBus ridership was prior to this pilot program.  We are looking into a solution that provides an equitable use of the IBus. Please note that I am investigating a Park & Ride to serve south of 168^th Street. 

From Ana:

Q: Once the school year starts up again, are more IBuses be added?

A: It all depends upon the demand.

From BF:

C: Mayor Flinn, this service is huge for the kids in the neighborhood that go to MAST, New World, and the other downtown magnets that make use of the metro rail. A good idea would be to speak to those schools and see if there is a way for them to reach out and inform their local students that it is available. We had my son at MAST for 7th grade but the commute was just too much to handle. This would have been a game changer.

Click 'Read more' below to view prior Questions, Answers and Comments that have been posted.

From Suzanne:

Q: Why does the IBus not use 152 St to go to the bus lane but travels first to 136 St for the crossover?

A: It travels to 144 to cross over. We timed the fasted route. 144 is the faster route. Traveling West on Coral Reef Drive is slower due to the school and longer both in actual distance as well as time it takes to cross US1 at 144 versus 152.

Response and second response: This morning, I believe he crossed at 136 St.

Time, with school being out, was 16 minutes.

I responded with: 16 minutes? That goes with my thought that our service will eventually need to go to 20 minute, not quarter hour service. The 16 minutes was from door closure to arrival?

From Erin:

Q: I’m curious as to why two buses with one park and ride stop took “years” to accomplish.

A:  It took a change is legislation for two important goals - first - we were restricted to a circulator service within (within 2 miles) of our village and second - we needed a change that allowed us to take the IBus onto the transit way - otherwise our IBus would move no fast that all other commuter traffic and there would be no incentive in that. Great question, have I answered it?

Response: Yes! Thank you! I guess that explains why the metro rail and other forms of public transportation are so inefficient—government. Lol.

Additional comment: We actually get audited on our use of the CITT funds. Its a "gotcha game" where the county tries to make us use the money as they see fit, not how we feel the funds could be best used (note - fully within the spirit and purpose of the rules). I worked hard with our commissioner who led the charge to change some of the rules.

(Additional note by Eugene Flinn): Please note that these legislative changes took years from inception to realization.  I thank our County Commissioner for bring this forward and getting it done. I took many trips downtown (via metrorail, of course) to monitor and advocate for these changes.

From (PTSA Mom):

Q. This is a great service for the students heading down to New World School of the Arts.  Can the first bus start at 6:00 AM when school resumes?

A:  I will bring this idea to the manager. It is a great idea.

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Please keep me up to date on your IBus Park N Ride Express experience. Your input helps us to provide a better service.

Note slight changes in the IBus Park & Ride Express Schedule, reflecting the fact that the time to/from the lot to Metrorail Station takes slightly ore than 15 minutes (25 minutes now being built in).

Morning Route & Schedule:  From Park & Ride Facility located at Holy Rosary/ St. Richard Catholic Church (parking lot), 7500 SW 152 St, to the Dadeland South Metrorail Station.  Bus runs along the Transitway (formerly the Busway lane.)

6:30 am - first pick-up @ Park N Ride
6:45 am
7:15 am
7:30 am
8:05 am
8:20 am
8:50 am
9:05 am - final pick-up @ Park N Ride

Afternoon Route & Schedule:  From the Dadeland South Metrorail Station to the Park & Ride Facility located at Holy Rosary/ St. Richard Catholic Church (parking lot), 7500 SW 152 Street.  Bus runs along the Transitway (formerly the Busway lane.)

4:00 pm - first pick-up @ Dadeland South Metrorail Station
4:20 pm
4:50 pm
5:10 pm
5:40 pm
6:00 pm
6:40 pm
7:00 pm - last pick-up @ Dadeland South Metrorail Station


*No service on weekends or Village Holidays