Voters in Broward County approved a penny sales tax in 2018 to improve public transportation. Years later, some riders say even a short trip can still feel like a journey.
NBC6 rode along with Miramar resident Esmine Brown as she attempted to travel from the Miramar Central Station at Miramar Town Center to a nearby Walmart. On a map, the distance is about two miles and roughly 10 minutes by car. By bus, it took just over an hour.
“This is the 28. OK, not going my way,” Brown as she checked the route.
Brown said the most frustrating part is often the wait.
“The hard part now is to wait until the bus comes,” she said.
During the ride, the transit rider app showed one arrival time, but the bus appeared earlier than expected.
“Because the app can mislead you,” Brown said.
After boarding the first bus, she pointed out busy shopping areas she believes need additional bus stops.
“I think they need to improve on putting in bus stops. That’s my opinion,” Brown said.
Other passengers on board shared similar frustrations about timing, route connections and long waits between buses.
One woman described avoiding drinking water before starting her commute because of limited restroom access along the route and fears that buses sometimes don’t come at all. She said if nearby offices are closed, there is nowhere to use the bathroom until reaching the mall, where she must walk through the building to find a restroom.
She also said she leaves her house at 10 a.m. for a shift that begins at 2 p.m. to make sure she arrives on time.
During NBC6’s ride-along, Brown and our crew waited 36 minutes for a transfer bus. After the second ride and a short walk, they arrived at Walmart at 12:45 p.m. They had left Miramar Town Center at 11:37 a.m.
The commute took just over an hour.
All of this comes years after voters approved the transportation surtax, promising improvements to Broward County Transit.
County Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis acknowledged that there are still challenges.
“No, we admit we are failing in that area. We have aging buses and an aging fleet, and we invested in some electric buses, which ended up not being a good product,” Davis said when asked whether the county has enough buses.
Davis said the county has collected more than $500 million since the surtax began in 2019 and has spent roughly $214 million so far. She said improvements are underway, including upgrades along Sheridan Street and Miramar Parkway.
For Brown, progress will be measured in something simple: more buses and more bus stops.
“The short time would be less stressing,” she said.
The commissioner is hosting a town hall focused on Broward County Transit’s Transit Forward 2040 Vision Plan. The event is scheduled for March 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Alexandra P. Davis Multi Service Complex in Miramar.
Residents are encouraged to attend and share feedback. Those planning to attend are asked to register at mybct.org/TransitForward2040.