Riders Are Not Flocking to Take the I-Bus Shuttle: The Village I-Bus Seems to Be Running on Empty During Its Inaugural Year

By Gladys Amador, The Miami Herald

May 6–The mini buses purchased last year to shuttle people around Palmetto Bay seem to be running on empty.

“Some people love it and some people just don’t ride,” said Schwanda Crump, an I-Bus driver. “No one gives the bus a chance.”

The I-Bus first began transporting riders in August as part of the People’s Transportation Plan, funded by the half-penny sales tax approved by Miami-Dade County voters.

Named after the ibis birds that are found throughout the village, the two blue-and-white buses are air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible and bike-rack equipped. They have drawings of the native bird on the outside and seat about 20 people.

They are scheduled to depart from Village Hall every hour on the hour from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, traveling to several destinations in the village on two separate routes.

Destinations in Route A include the Publix Shopping Plaza, Coral Reef Park and the Falls mall. Route B destinations include Deering Estate, Palmetto Bay Business Center, Perrine Elementary, and several South Dade Busway stops along U.S. 1 at Southwest 152nd, 168th and 184th streets.

Finding the buses can be tricky. On separate occasions recently, a reporter and a photographer couldn’t find the A bus at any of its scheduled stops on its 55-minute route. The stops don’t have posted signs. And after the bus was flagged down, no riders were on it.

“We’re trying to do something to get it going but, if it doesn’t work, then we’ll have to figure out what to do,” said Mayor Eugene Flinn, acknowledging ridership is low.

Drivers log ridership numbers daily, said Public Works Director Ron Williams.

Records show that during March, an average of 10 riders a day rode the A bus while double that amount rode the B bus. The highest daily ridership on the A bus was 18, the lowest zero. The B bus had a high ridership of 26 and a low of six.

Williams said each bus cost about $57,800 and operating costs are about $200,000 a year for both. Despite the low ridership, a third bus has been ordered, he said.

Cities throughout the county have turned to small buses or trolleys because they are required to use 20 percent of the transportation sales tax for a fixed route circulator system.

But not all initiatives are thriving. Sometimes routes and schedules aren’t practical or reliable. Other times more advertising is needed.

In Palmetto Bay, Crump said many riders want to travel outside the scheduled route. Occasionally she accommodates them even though it’s against the rules — and goes off schedule as a result.

“When there’s but one person on the bus it’s hard to tell them no; these are older folks,” she said.

Some people are slow getting on and off the bus and hectic South Dade traffic slows things down as well.

Williams said the village would like to be flexible with its routes and schedule but the county does not allow it. “What we would like to do is petition the county to modify strict rules of fixed routes and find ways to improve ridership,” he said.

Village officials want suggestions about how to get more people on the bus.

“My hope is to use them for summer camp events,” said Flinn, who also wants to use them for special events, such as the race walking trials for the 2007 Pan American Cup USA team in March.

The mayor recently e-mailed residents challenging them use the I-Bus during the third annual South Florida Commuter Challenge on May 17. Every year South Florida Commuter Services asks people to bus, bike, walk or car pool to work, giving alternative transportation a try.

View I-Bus routes and schedules at www.palmettobay-fl.gov.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Miami Herald

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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