One month after the launch of Metro Express, Miami-Dade’s first Bus Rapid Transit system, it has received approval from riders while the county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works continues to address issues like crowding and delays. During the South Dade TransitWay’s first month o f service from Oct. 27 through Nov. 25, more than 9,300 average weekday riders used Metro Express and TransitWay Local combined, according to a report from the Department of Transportation and Public Works. More than 5,300 riders used Metro Express each weekday alone, which the report states is 2,500 more than the previous express service. The new rapid transit service has 14 new stations along its 20-mile route from Dadeland South to Homestead and Florida City that was once the roadbed for Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway and in recent years had been a busway that has now been upgraded with the stations, parking, bicycle paths and a new roadbed capable of handling the new high-speed electric buses. The $368 million transitway – the first of six promised Smart Plan rapid transit corridors – carries two separate services, the express with limited stops along the way and an all-stop service that is not rapid transit and stops at 16 remaining stations from the old busway in addition to the 14 new stations. Metro Express, according to the county report, is still in its 60- to 90-day optimization phase, meaning the Transportation and Public Works Department as well as partner teams will continue tweaking the service. Some of the challenges so far are crowding on northbound Metro Express trips and delays associated with signal sequencing and unauthorized vehicles using the dedicated busway. Corrective measures include the installation of trilingual directional signage at Bus Rapid Transit stations, deployment of five standby buses during both morning and afternoon peak periods to assist with delays or overcrowding when additional trips are needed, and collaboration with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to actively patrol and enforce regulations relating to the unauthorized use of the South Dade Transitway. In addition, the team is refining signal timing at high-volume intersections and areas being disproportionately impacted to balance bus priority with cross-street traffic operations. The report says that Metro Express runtimes have stabilized, with most trips achieving scheduled runtimes of 60 minutes on the 20-mile trip in peak traffic periods and 70 minutes off-peak. On-time performance week-over-week has improved by 70% since the system’s launch. The department says it will provide its next update in early 2026. The post New Metro Express deploys standby buses to handle added riders appeared first on Miami Today. ...read more read less