Written by Miami Today on February 25, 2026
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TRANSIT USE SLIPS: Miami-Dade transit ridership inched downward in December from December 2024, the most recent figures from the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works show. Total ridership dipped 0.2% from one December to the next, meaning 12,336 fewer boardings as the county listed 6,723,025 total rides for the month. The decline was anything but uniform: the bus system lost 3.3% of its riders but Metrorail gained 0.9% and fare-free Metromover use rose 19.7%. Metrobus had 4,479,116 riders during the month, Metrorail 1,212,909 and Metromover 759,396. The new Bus Rapid Transit system in South Dade totaled 134,870 rides.
GARBAGE BOARD: Miami-Dade commissioners approved on first reading last week creation of an advisory team to deal with a broad range of garbage concerns. The solid waste advisory board would exist for five years to deal with rapidly filling landfills and the specter of meeting state demands to show solid waste capacity as a prerequisite for issuing development permits. René García’s measure passed 12-1, with three commissioners saying their positive votes are “for now.” The advisory board would have 15 voting members, with each commissioner, the mayor and the Miami-Dade County League of Cities naming one. All 15 would have to be chosen from a menu of 10 preferred backgrounds.
GAS PRICE DIPS: Average Miami gas prices fell 0.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.88, exactly the national average as well, according to GasBuddy. That’s 1.6 cents lower than a month ago and 16.3 cents below a year ago in Miami. The national average is up 2.8 cents from a month ago but 19.5 cents lower than a year ago.
ANIMAL ABUSE REGISTRY: People who abuse animals would be put on a public registry under a bill passed unanimously by the Florida Senate that would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to include information about people who violate animal cruelty laws on its website. That includes aliases, date of birth, race, counties of conviction, charges, case numbers, dispositions, descriptions of any identifying marks and tattoos and a photograph of a person. The list would include not only people who have been found guilty of animal abuse, but also anyone who has pleaded guilty or no contest to the charge. “I mean, if we can’t get together on puppies, what can we get together on?” asked Sen. Don Gaetz, the sponsor, who lives with one dog and three cats.
These are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.