Tri-Rail Usage Is Up, But Funding Is Down

Tri-Rail usage is up, but funding is down. [Photo: Ari Justin Rothenberg]

Ridership on Tri-Rail hit new highs from April through June. But increased commuter and employer support of public transportation comes just as routes and funding for area buses and trains face cutbacks.

Local officials profess support for public transportation. “Using public transportation is one of the best alternatives to beat high gas prices,” says Bruno Barreiro, chairman of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA). But recent reductions in service and funding undercut that message. Miami-Dade Transit, for example, has cut nine “underperforming bus routes” and “adjusted” service on 58 others, according to a county statement. Meanwhile, Tri-Rail narrowly avoided losing $18 million in county and state funding that would have dramatically reduced the number of daily trains from the current 50 to 20. The weekend Tri-Rail schedule would have been completely eliminated if the cuts had gone through.

The drive to cut regional funding for Tri-Rail began when a Palm Beach County administrator urged county commissioners to reduce funding by $3 million. Based on a regional agreement, commissioners in Miami-Dade and Broward would have followed suit. A combined loss of $9 million would have been matched with a $9-million cut in state funds.

Ultimately, county commissioners in Palm Beach and Broward agreed to cut funding by only $450,000 per county. Miami-Dade County is expected to do the same. The total $2.7-million loss in state and county funding is likely to cause a delay in maintenance and the purchase of new train cars.

Meanwhile, commuter travel has spiked on all forms of public transportation in the region. For instance, on June 2, 16,319 passengers traveled on Tri-Rail, representing the second-highest ridership day in the train’s history. The record — 18,452 passengers — was set on June 23, 2006, when the Miami Heat held a parade to celebrate its NBA championship.

Tags: Miami-Dade