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Committee approves extension to December for on-demand microtransit; RFP planned if budget funds continue
Summary
The committee approved an 18-month contract extension amendment shortened to December and instructed the administration to put the service out to RFP if the adopted FY26 budget includes funding to continue on-demand microtransit.
Miami-Dade County's Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to extend the county's on-demand microtransit contract through December and directed the department to issue a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) if the final FY26 budget includes funding to continue the service.
Commissioner Daniella Regalado led a robust discussion that exposed disagreement among commissioners about the program's cost and purpose. Regalado said the county has been subsidizing the service since 2020 and called the per-trip county cost "somewhere between $13 and $20 a ride," adding "if you charge $3.50 ... we would still be subsidizing it. But it wouldn't be completely free because this is abusive." Several commissioners defended the program as a first-/last-mile strategy that connects riders to public transit: a commissioner noted roughly 60% of users used it to connect to transit and that the service supports ridership goals for bus-rapid-transit corridors.
Stacy Miller, director of DTPW, told the committee the department supports an extension to December and said that if the adopted budget contained funding the department would put the service out to an RFP. Miller committed that, if additional time were needed later in the year, she would bring a contract extension promptly to the commission to avoid a service interruption.
Commissioner Cohen Higgins called for an RFP and a shorter extension because the county has been providing the on-demand rides at no direct fare cost to riders since 2020 and usage patterns suggest frequent repeat riders. The committee agreed on a December extension, with the additional direction that an RFP would be sought if the FY26 budget funds continuation of the program.
Why it matters: On-demand microtransit is a county-funded supplement to fixed-route transit that can support ridership but carries substantial per-trip subsidies; the committee shortened an 18-month sole-source extension to December and required competitive procurement if budgeted funding remains.
What's next: DTPW will extend the contract to December and will develop an RFP if the FY26 budget includes funding for the service; the department committed to avoid service lapse if the commission decides to continue funding later in the year.
