Miami-Dade partners with Uber and Lyft to launch late night transport solution

The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) has partnered with Uber and Lyft to launch an alternative transportation solution for late night trips – Go Nightly.

The Go Nightly programme looks to ensure that those transit riders who are using the system for essential trips only during the coronavirus crisis, particularly to get to and from work during these late hours, are able to continue to rely on Miami-Dade Transit to get where they need to go safely. Since Miami-Dade Transit suspended fares as of 22 March, these late night trips will also be fare-free for the transit rider until further notice.

The Go Nightly programme details are as follows:

  • Rides will be available between the hours of midnight and 5am
  • Riders can request a ride via the Lyft or Uber app or by calling a dedicated number
  • Rides can only originate along select late night service routes
  • Rides are to/from destinations within a quarter mile buffer from the select route alignment
  • Riders are limited to two trips per night per user
  • Ride will closely follow the same path as the late-night route and cannot be used for trips longer than the specific route
  • If a rider does not have a smartphone, he/she can call to request a ride
  • Rides are available for those requiring wheelchair accessible vehicles.

The decision to introduce the Go Nightly programme comes after a drastic decline in ridership. Every transit system nationwide has experienced declines in ridership, and collaborating with ride share companies, such as Lyft or Uber, aims to allow DTPW to continue to provide an essential service.

DTPW has stated it will continue to follow the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Miami-Dade County to ensure the actions being taken are comprehensive and appropriate – including recommendations on the use of personal protective equipment.

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