Miami-Dade Transit takes additional critical steps to ensure safety of workforce and community

Over the past month since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) has taken many critical steps in ensuring the safety of its workers, riders, and the overall Miami-Dade community. The department immediately increased its cleaning on all vehicles in early March. When ridership started to decline, action was taken to adjust service in order to be able to continue to provide essential service. To further ensure the safety of operators and riders, fares were suspended and rear door boarding for Metrobus was instated.

DTPW is committed to keeping its most valuable resource -- its employees -- safe.

This week, the department is instituting additional safety measures, including:

• Distributing masks to operations, maintenance, and construction employees
• Installing social distancing signs in buses
• Limiting the number of passengers allowed on buses at one time
• Suspending low ridership Metrobus routes that have overlapping services
• Adding additional buses to routes experiencing high demand

DTPW is distributing masks to operations, maintenance, and construction employees as soon as  the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced their updated recommendation on the use of face coverings -- for the general public, not just those who are sick -- to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  Employees are being asked to follow CDC guidelines for extended use and limited reuse of masks.

Also beginning this week, Metrobus riders will begin to notice signs on select seats within buses. DTPW is printing and installing thousands of caution signs to urge riders to keep a safe distance between themselves and fellow passengers. Whenever possible, riders should avoid sitting in the specially marked seats.

For the safety of our operators and passengers, DTPW is limiting the number of riders on each bus. Drivers have been instructed to limit capacity to 16 passengers per regular 40-foot buses, and 36 passengers per larger 60-foot articulated buses. If a bus reaches capacity, operators will call a supervisor to dispatch another bus.

DTPW continues to urge riders to use transit for essential trips only, practice social distancing, and otherwise stay home, when possible, to help flatten the curve and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Metrobus routes that were experiencing higher demand had additional trips added throughout the day to maintain a low rider count per bus. Those routes include: 3, 11, and 77.  Additionally, several limited-stop service routes began providing local service.

• Route 277 was converted to provide local service to supplement route 77. Riders traveling between Golden Glades and Downtown Miami can take either route 277 or 77.
• Route 51 was converted to provide local service to supplement route 11. Riders traveling between 107 Avenue and Downtown Miami, along Flagler Street, can take either route 51 or 11.

Effective Friday, April 10, the following low ridership Metrobus routes will be suspended until further notice: 39, 79, 204, 288, and 95/Golden Glades Express. Riders can use alternate routes to get to their destination.

• Route 39 overlaps with route 31
• Route 79 riders can take route 112/L
• Route 204 users can take route 104
• Route 288 riders can use route 88
• Route 95/Golden Glades Express riders can take route 77 from Golden Glades to Downtown Miami or transfer to Metrorail at Culmer Station.

Download the Go Miami-Dade Transit mobile app to stay up-to-date and track your trip or call 3-1-1 for assistance. For more details on transit services and service adjustments, visit the service updates webpage.

DTPW will continue to follow the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Miami-Dade County to ensure the actions being taken are comprehensive and appropriate - including recommendations on the use of personal protective equipment.

Customers and employees are advised to follow the guidelines, recommendations and actions being taken by Miami-Dade County in response to COVID-19.