Buses carry well-heeled from Broward to downtown Miami

[thelakelander]

This bus route is like none other in Broward. Riders park their luxury cars before boarding. They carry iPads and laptops to enjoy free Wi-Fi. The line is lengthy, full of business and medical professionals, the buses standing-room-only.

Broward transit officials say it's their most successful new route, the "95 Express" ride from Miramar to downtown Miami. And it represents the future of mass transit here, they said: A bus ride that's actually faster and more convenient than driving.

Unlike the typical bus rider in Broward, the Broward-to-Miami riders are often high-income earners â€" doctors, nurses headed to hospitals downtown, courtroom employees, state and federal employees.

"If you get there early enough,'' Broward Transportation Director Chris Walton said of the bus stop, "you'll see the cars â€" the Mercedes, the Volvos, the BMWs.'

While ridership on Broward County buses declines overall, it's exploding on the Broward-to-Miami routes, Walton said. Officials say they are challenged to meet the demand, even with extra-long, 60-foot buses.

Wednesday morning on the 6:35 a.m. bus from Miramar, every one of the 58 seats filled up quickly, a dozen passengers had to stand for the 40-minute ride, and another dozen were left on the sidewalk to wait for the next bus.

Marc Cohen, an operations manager at a surveillance company, has been riding the Pembroke Pines express route to his downtown Miami office since the service began in January 2010. He estimates he's saved 16,000 miles off his speedometer, $2,000 in gas and $1,000 in tolls and parking fees over the last 20 months vs. $1,600 he's paid to ride the bus.

He's also watched episodes of the Sopranos on his laptop, read three novels and responded to hundreds upon hundreds of emails.

"I am signing on with my laptop and connecting to my desktop at the office. My clients are impressed. 'In the office already?' they ask," Cohen said. "It sure beats staring into a maze of thick traffic, fearing some lane changer is going to sideswipe you or the person behind who has been texting away is going to look up in time and stop before rear-ending you."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-broward-buses4-wealthy-20110921,0,1041791.story

[fieldafm]

Perhaps an opportunity locally for a route like the Beaches Express?  Or a route from the park n ride lot opposite the Orange Park Kennel Club that drops off at a location in the Southside/TownCenter/Tinseltown area?

[Ocklawaha]

THIS IS A BUS...





...AND THIS IS A MOTOR COACH....





...AND SHOCK OF SHOCKS, THIS IS A MOTOR COACH TOO...



...A MOTOR COACH TRICKED OUT LIKE A BUS!

This is something I have been talking up to JTA for over 3 years. The results?  CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP...  They have seen a proposal that included, reclining seats,  6 tables with facing seats, 110 volt outlets, WIFI, piped music, etc. A true premium service with a premium price for the longer distance commuter expresses.  Jax Beach, Ponte Vedra, Town Center, Bay Meadows/Southpointe, Downtown Jacksonville, is just one example of such a route.  We already have the express concept, but the equipment is old and the interiors unremarkable and not business friendly.

Worse still, the manufacturer of that first Motor Coach pictured above, has agreed to finish the build-out of all of their coaches in Jacksonville. The results from JTA?  CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP.  The results from the CofC? CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP.

How many more cities will grab onto this concept before we finally decide to 'pioneer' something?  Hell, we're still waiting to be "FIRST" with a new streetcar system...  Meanwhile we're watching Broward make a success of our ideas. CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP.

OCKLAWAHA