Thoughts on Miami Public Transportation
 

Hi <BR> <BR>I thought that I might try visiting Miami without the hassle and responsibility of renting a car. I've read that Miami's public transportation could use a lot of work, but after having checked out the system maps it seems that I can get to many places I would like to go using the system. I picture myself staying in the South Beach area and taking the bus across to the mainland to hit a few sights there. I don't expect to or care if I see EVERYTHING. <BR> <BR>I am perfectly willing to wait a little while for buses; I'm used to that here in Baltimore. Firstly, for those of you who have used it, is safety an issue to your knowledge? I'm quite comfortable on the DC Metro, the Philadelphia, NYC and Boston subways...on the Baltimore Subway, I'm quite the racial minority and find kids can sometimes be rowdy; statistically though crime is low and I have not had any problems. Secondly, does the transit stick to schedules within reason? Any other thoughts? <BR> <BR>I'm sure it would be easier renting a car, but do you think this is do-able? <BR> <BR>DAN

As resident of Manhattan ( so I'mused to using public trans. EVERY DAY) and a frequent(yearly) traveler to Miami, I would HIGHLY recommend you renting a car. The public transportation sucks in Miami, and if you are on vacation, you need to maximize your time there. Getting to the mainland from South Beach is NOT easy; if you are a 1st time vistor, I would recommend sights such as Viscaya Mansion, Coral Gables, &Coconut Grove,all outside of South Beach, and none whch are easy to get via public transpotation. Car rentals are the least expensive in Florida, so you will not have to spend much to rent a car. and although parking ca be VERY expensive in the South Beach area, there are many municipal garages all around the South Beach area, which provide low cost parking at about $ 7 - $9/ day.

Dan- <BR>RENT A ACAR! The public tranportation is unreliable on a good day, and there are several parts of town that many / most would deem unsafe for a blithe tourist.

Daniel, I have been to Bawmer and have a pretty good idea of what you mean by "public transportation". Believe me, what you think of as buses and subways that go where you want them to go on some sort of reliable schedule just don't exist down here. Saying that public transportation "could use a lot of work" is the understatement of the year. RENT A CAR!! <BR>

OK I'm beginning to get the sense that everyone thinks I should rent a car. <BR> <BR>I'll tell you though, Baltimore's public transit is the weakest link of the 5 big cities in the northeast. Armed with bus/train schedules and with a bit of planning, however, I can usually bring my wait time here down to 15 minutes or less. If I didn't know the schedule and just showed up, however I could easily find myself waiting 40 minutes, even on major bus lines. Most people will tell you that Baltimore's transit is "pretty crummy" to quote a friend of mine...many people in the city don't use it. However, armed with a bit of patience, a love of life on a human scale, the system has proven very do-able for me. <BR> <BR>Now, being the diligent researcher that I am, I HAVE discovered that there IS a Metro-Dade Transit service for Greater Miami (even a web site), with a Metromover, Metrorail, TriRail and bus lines that do seem to go from the mainland to Miami Beach. I ask: have any of you ever USED the Metro-Dade transit or have any real knowledge of the system? Or are these just illusions of public transportation?

DITTO..Public transportation is not an option in Miami, unless you want to remember your stay there as the vacation from hell. BTW--make sure to avoid rush hour traffic, which I hear now is starting at about 3PM to 7PM if you are heading southwest(toward the airport) Heading to MB after spending the day down there is pretty feasible..Enjoy the sun and the fun---also a good tip--if money is an issue, Enterprise which is located outside the airport(shuttle goes into airport) has pretty good rates and decent cars. I go to Miami pretty often, actually was raised there but live in the NE now, but a rental car is definitely the way to go--and the streets are based on grids, so very easy to get around. <BR>

A lifetime or two ago, I tried to live in Miami as a starving artist. No car = misery. I DID try public transit. Here's the scoop. The Metro rail is limited and a bit pricey. Plus, outdoor stations are sheer hell in August. Wear lots of anti-perspirant. The People Mover downtown is REALLY limited. You may as well throw your quarter down sewer and walk. As for the buses, well, they run on Latin Standard Time. Don't count on schedules. Don't count on people getting out of your way when you try to exit, either (i've missed a stop or two by being too polite). <BR>I've been to Balmore hun, and y'all are faaaar ahead of Miami.

Cuban-American-- <BR> <BR>I just wanted to say that you're really #*@%ing hilarious. I've quite enjoyed all your insights and commentary. BTW Hialeah Cuban retirees sound like a hoot. <BR> <BR>So it seems unanimous that public transportation is a no-go...(not even by supplementing with a taxi in a pinch when the bus doesn't show up?) <BR> <BR>Thanks one and all for your thoughts. DAN

Daniel: <BR>You seem to be dead set about using public transportation, dispite what people are advising. Why? Remember, public transportation is not FREE, you have to pay money, so why not use that towards a rental car? You go as far to say that you would use a taxi, if you waited too long;that would defeat the whole purpose of using public transportation and really be the most expenisve way to see Miami. If cost is an issue, I would cut back on othe travel budget expenses to compensate for the car. Where are you planning to stay in south Beach, BTW?

Dan Dan Dan... <BR> <BR>You cannot get around Miami in a bus and certainly not by metro rail. Our rail system is a joke. You know how DC's netro actually takes you somewhere like airports and city sites? Well ours does neither. But if you want a nice tour of Overtown (a place I would not recommend visiting) then this is the mode for you! <BR> <BR>You could bus it from the airport to the beach. Walk and taxi short hops from there. When you want to get off the beach and see the real Miami then you could bus it back to the airport, take a tram to the rental agency (they are all located outside the airport) and rent a car for a day or two. <BR> <BR>Planning on going to the Keys. You HAVE to have a car. Make sure you head down during the day so you can see the water. <BR> <BR>Now is not the time to be a chicken or a cheapskate.

Hi <BR> <BR>I'm really not dead-set on using public transportation...But let me say that I'm not the greatest of drivers and have had bad luck in the past with car getting broken into, getting hit by another car and then having to deal with it...these experiences ruined my vacation far worse than waiting for a bus. Plus, the idea of driving around an unfamiliar city which is not known for light traffic does not exactly appeal to me. While I would rent a car if dead set on visiting a location, there are plenty of places worldwide that I can spend my vacation $ where I know that I don't need to. Not to say that I have chosen not to go to Miami at this point, I have simply been trying to determine if a combination of public transportation/walking/cab is TRULY not a viable option, or if there are a few dissenting voices. From all indicators, it appears that it is not...a fact that will factor into my vacation decision-making. <BR> <BR>I haven't booked anywhere in South Beach; this was just a tentative plan...trying to figure out if MIami would be an enjoyable vacation for me. I thought I'd enjoy practicing my Spanish and experiencing a different city. Now I have more data to influence my decision. <BR> <BR>Last but not least, I would like to give each and every one of you my heartfelt thanks for your candid opinions. Cheers to you all! DAN <BR> <BR> <BR>

My environmentalist heart applauds you for trying to give public transportation the benefit of the doubt. And I sense from your last post that you might endanger yourself driving! If you don't feel safe driving, how about you go somewhere else? Or just pick 1 place this trip? You could take airport shuttle to South Beach, & if you stay on the beach you don't need a car. <BR>That's the best I can do to help you out with your desire not to rent one. If that doesn't work for you, either rent a car or go somewhere else. I used to live there, & did use it a few times. It's fine if you're going from point to point on the rail line, but forget switching modes or using the bus. Aside from the hassle, independability, & time, it's not safe. I can also tell you that people who visited me, who came from other countries & are very used to PT, found it deplorable. <BR>Good luck & be safe.

I always rent a car when visiting Miami, but agree that driving around a strange city can be a hassle in itself. I also find the rental car return area to be very poorly marked in Miami, though that may just be me. My daughter is a student in Miami, and reports that the public transportation is almost useless, unlike here in Chicago where you can get most places pretty directly and safely. She and her friends, though, use the "personal cab driver" system, and she says everyone does--the driver gives you a cell phone number so you bypass the company dispatch system, and he gives you a lower rate.

I can't comment on the public transportation, but I stayed in Miami for a conference in a hotel near the airport. We went out to check things out one night; the cab from the hotel to downtown then to South Beach then back to the hotel was (not exagerrating) $80 round trip. I've taken countless cabs in NY and Boston and never paid more than half that to go the same distance. I'd look into Marilyn's suggestion if you don't want to rent a car and public transport is a bust, unless you want to spend your whole vacation budget on cab$$$$$$$.

Let's start with a given... in the world of public transportation, there is New York and there is everywhere else. In New York, a subway or a bus will get you everywhere you need to go in the city, be you tourist or resident. I know: I lived in New York City for several years. <BR> <BR>Behind New York is Chicago. Almost New York-quality but not quite. Boston has good subway and trolley public transportation; the buses leave a lot to be desired. Washington's Metro is good for commuters, less good for tourists, and the bus system is erratic. <BR> <BR>But as far as tourist-friendly public transportation systems go, that's it. I can think of no other cities in the US where I would care to be car-less if I were exploring outside of the immediate downtown area. The problem is that few cities have the kind of downtowns that combine residences, offices, shopping, and entertainment; the four things that build the traffic needed to make a public transportation system workable outside of rush hour. New York, Chicago, and Boston meet those four criteria. (Cities such as Atlanta, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, etc. are deficient in one or more; Miami misses the mark on virtually every count.) It takes that central magnet to create the critial mass for a public transportation system.

Hey, My-umah, you forgot SF! You'd never want a car there in the heart of the city.

I find My-Amuh has a pretty low tolerance...I'm perfectly happy and feel like I'm seeing a lot on DC's or Boston's system. And My-amuh forgot Philadelphia as well. Perfectly fine place to visit only using public transit in my experience. And since I live happily in Baltimore without a car, I can tell you it's do-able here too.

Hi, Dan, <BR> <BR>I lived in Miami as a teen (without a car) and I can vouch for everyone in this thread. Miami by public transportation would be extremely rough. They forgot to tell you that when catching a bus you *must* flag it down. Yes, even when you are standing at the stop! So, you can't sit down at a bench and read your guidebook as you wait for the bus. It would drive right past you! (I guess they do this because multiple routes will overlap on some stretches and the drivers don't have time to stop and find out if it's their bus you need.) <BR> <BR>Hope this helps!

Hello. <BR>I also applaud you for trying public transit. Maybe if more tourists asked for it, the city/county/state might actually improve the situation (like making the train go to the beach from the airport - that should have been route #1). <BR> <BR>When I visit South Beach I usually take a cab from the airport to the hotel. I've never rented a car in Miami (Fort Lauderdale - yes). Parking in South Beach can be annoyingly hard to find. Although, I hardly ever leave Miami Beach and head downtown. However, on one trip my travel mate insisted on taking the bus/train to Downtown Miami and Coconut Grove (he's an eco-enviro sort of guy). I reluctantly agreed, thinking 'how bad could it be?'. Well, it was bad. Not a dirty/scary bad, but a long, hot, boring, confusing bad. We waited quite some time for the bus to show up in South Beach, and connected to a train which took us to Coconut Grove, which was actually a 20 minute walk away - no sidewalks. We discovered later that there was a shuttle bus from the train to Coconut Grove, but the wait plus the traffic made it an even longer trip. In all, it probably took us 90 minutes to get from our hotel to the shops at Coconut Grove. I don't know if our experience was typical, but from the sounds of the previous posters, we probably had a normal trip. Maybe you can figure out the system to your advantage, but I was not impressed. <BR> <BR>You may want to take cabs instead of renting a car. I'm not sure which method is cheaper (remember you may have to pay for parking everyday in South Beach). <BR> <BR>My favorite city transit systems are NY, Boston, DC, SF, and Chicago. Miami was built for the automobile, and doesn't come anywhere near these cities in accomodating the non-driver. <BR> <BR>I hope you have a great trip however you decide to get around, and please post back when you return! <BR>

Thank you MIchele and Spider for taking the time out to share your personal experiences with Miami public transit. Yours and others' anecdotes are the kind of thing that isn't in a travel guidebook and has helped me greatly. I have really enjoyed the unexpected outpouring of responses this thread has received and I thank you one and all again.