SMART Plan Bus Express Rapid Transit (BERT)

Beach Express BERT Routes

Implementation Plan and Status

Department of Transportation and Public Works

July 15, 2019
Bus Express Rapid Transit 0
SMART Plan
• Add smart plan map

Bus Express Rapid Transit 1

BERT Beach Express Routes

Golden Glades

Civic Center

Miami Central

Bus Express Rapid Transit 2

BERT Planning Analysis

• Market analysis ✓
• Travel times ✓
• Ridership estimates 
• Service plan refinement 
• Community coordination 
• Terminal operations 
• Engineering and Traffic analysis 
• Environmental analysis 
• Vehicle needs
• Cost estimates

Bus Express Rapid Transit 3

BERT Beach Express North

• Golden Glades
– via Earlington Heights, Mt Sinai, Mid Beach
• Miami Beach City Center

• 10-min peak, 20 min off-peak

• 19 hours/day
• Saturday & Sunday service
• FDOT I-195 inside shoulder design in 2020
• Service anticipated in 2023

Bus Express Rapid Transit 4

BERT Beach Express North

Travel markets
• High propensity to use transit:
– Population & jobs density – 2x County average
– Large work flow north County to Miami Beach
– Other factors supporting high transit use
• Age - young population
• Existing transit use – high High
employment
• Income – lower than average density –
particularly on
• Car ownership - low Miami Beach

Bus Express Rapid Transit 5

Bus on Inside Shoulder Lane on I-195

Purpose:
• Improve travel time – bypass congestion
• Reliability – stay on schedule
• Minimize operating costs

Who would use:

• BERT: Beach North; Beach Central
• Existing: 110/J; 150/Airport Flyer

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FDOT Criteria

Meets criterion?

• Limited access facility ✓

• Congested speeds  35 mph,  15 min ✓

• 6 buses per day ✓

• Increase ridership > 10% ✓

• Improved travel times > 20% ✓

• Minimum 10-foot shoulder (no barrier) ✓

Bus Express Rapid Transit 7

BERT Beach Express
South and Central
• Beach Express South
– Miami Central Station via I-395 to Miami Beach City Center
– 10-min headway, 19 hrs/day
– Service anticipated in 2023

• Beach Express Central

– Civic Center via I-195 to Miami Beach City Center
– 10-min peak, 20-min off-peak, 19 hrs/day
– Service anticipated in 2023

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