The City of Miami Resilience and Public Works Department and its Transportation Division will conduct a pilot evaluation of the Liberty City trolley route over nine Saturdays beginning this week.
The city announced its decision in an email after The Miami Times reported last week on residents’ frustration that the free ride service does not operate on weekends despite high demand. Liberty City, a historically Black neighborhood, is one of only two trolley service areas in the City of Miami, along with Overtown, that lack Saturday service.
The pilot program will run from Dec. 13, 2025, to Feb. 9, 2026, with service operating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Holmes Elementary and Joseph Caleb Center stops will not be included in the trial run.
“Throughout the evaluation, the Department will collect data to assess whether ridership levels warrant an additional day and extended hours, along with the associated operational costs,” a city spokesperson said in a written statement to The Miami Times.
Data shared earlier with Mary Washington, a resident and community advocate, demonstrated that Liberty City’s total ridership over five days is higher than that of some areas operating over six days. In FY 2023-2024, Liberty City recorded 90,291 riders, while the Health District and Coconut Grove recorded 40,822 and 83,796, respectively. In FY 2024-2025, the Liberty City trolley recorded 64,771 riders, again outperforming both the Health District and Coconut Grove, with 29,072 and 61,050 riders, respectively.
Liberty City’s route uses two trolleys, looping from the Allapattah Metrorail Station along Northwest 62nd Street and Northwest 7th Avenue before connecting to other trolleys and buses. It is a free service that residents — especially low-income seniors and workers — rely on for transportation to grocery stores, work, school, and health appointments.
Washington, as chair of the resident-led Liberty City Trolley Committee, also recommends that the Liberty City trolley route be revised to provide service to the residents and businesses of Liberty Square on Northwest 15th Avenue between Northwest 62nd and 71st Streets.
The Resilience and Public Works Department said it is in the process of collecting surveys from residents on its trolley services and systems for its upcoming Trolley Master Plan. The city said it plans to hold public meetings to gather additional community input before completing the plan, which is expected by March 2026.