The City of Miami is currently developing a new Trolley Master Plan to improve upon its existing 13-route, 112-mile system. The planning process includes public meetings with the aim of gathering community feedback on routes, service changes and trolley expansion.<\/p>\n
The most recent meeting in District 5, held on earlier this month at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, brought community members, government officials and transportation advocates together to discuss trolley improvements in areas such as Little Haiti and Liberty City.<\/p>\n
Recently, a pilot program<\/a> adding trolley service in Liberty City on Saturdays \u2014 previously absent despite trends of high ridership in the neighborhood \u2014 was made permanent. Liberty City resident Mary Washington had advocated<\/a> for the change, alongside the Liberty City Trolley Riding Club, made up of community advocates who stand for free public transportation.<\/p>\n Present at the April 16 meeting, Commissioner Christine King pushed for additional routes in her district.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of my constituents don\u2019t have the luxury of choosing which [transportation service] comes first because the trolley is free, and the bus is not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n A proponent of public transit since her first term, King voiced her frustration over the time it takes to implement changes within the system.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Spanish speakers learn strategies to pass English-only driving test in Florida<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEverything takes so long,\u201d said King. \u201cWe only have four years in office.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington echoed the sentiment. Among other improvements to the Liberty City trolley service, she and several of the Trolley Club members voiced a need for transport along Northwest 15th Avenue between Northwest 62nd Street and Northwest 71st Street.<\/p>\n \u201cOur concern is that sometimes the city takes too long from when the information is given to when something is done,\u201d said Washington.<\/p>\n At the meeting, Cathy Dos Santos, executive director of Transit Alliance Miami, voiced her own concerns about the limited amount of funding given to city transportation. Transit Alliance\u2019s mission is to \u201cbuild a more equitable and prosperous community through better mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, it’s kind of a closed loop system,\u201d said Dos Santos. \u201cWhen you give something to someone, you have to take something from someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n For District 5 resident Tasheba Franklyn, free transportation means giving people access to food. A volunteer at the local Village (Free)dge food pantry in Liberty City, she attended the meeting on behalf of those who benefit from taking the trolley to the food pantry and back again.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the people that come to the Village (Free)dge rely on the trolleys,\u201d said Franklyn. \u201cSometimes the trolleys break down, and they don\u2019t have backup. Since there\u2019s only two, you have to wait for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioner King listened to the residents\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the most important thing for people to come out and advocate for what they want to see in their community, not just leave it up to the elected officials,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m out here with my neighbors, and I\u2019m advocating for additional trolley services to Biscayne Boulevard because this is how true public service works.\u201d<\/p>\n King praised the efforts of Washington and the Liberty City Trolley Club in advocating for improvements on the Liberty City route, which led to service on Saturdays and working handicapped lifts for those with additional mobility needs.<\/p>\n \u201cLiberty City is a heavily senior community,\u201d said King. \u201cThat community came out and said, \u2018Commissioner, we need this.\u2019 And we responded in kind.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioner King said her current priority is getting weekday trolley service on popular transportation routes that need them. She calls for community involvement on a wider scale throughout District 5.<\/p>\n \u201cBorn out of these meetings are great ideas,\u201d said King.<\/p>\n Find the City of Miami Trolley Survey here<\/a> or contact your district directly to provide feedback on the Trolley Master Plan.<\/p>\n