Commission approves 5‑year trolley services deal despite public calls for competitive bid

The North Miami Beach City Commission voted 5‑2 on Tuesday to approve a five‑year contract with Pro Transportation (doing business as Bridal Mobility/ProCal Mobility) to operate the city’s free trolley and “on‑demand” transit services, authorizing a bid waiver under the city code.

The motion (Resolution R2025‑62) authorizes the city manager to execute a five‑year services agreement with two one‑year renewal options and specifies annual payments not to exceed $1,863,960. The city attorney clarified the resolution to explicitly reference the statutory bid‑waiver authority in the city code before the final vote.

Public comments filled much of the meeting’s public comment period. Dozens of residents urged the commission to require a competitive request for proposals rather than extend a sole‑source arrangement. Several residents and former commissioners said the trolley’s ridership survey and contract history lacked transparency and urged the city to put a new contract out to bid so other local transportation firms could propose alternatives.

Commission discussion focused on procurement law, continuity of service and the project timeline. Pro Transportation representatives, and several commissioners, argued that a bidder‑waiver was legally permitted under the city code and that the company’s experience provided continuity while staff evaluates longer‑term options.

The roll call vote on the final resolution was: Commissioners Florimon, Smuggler, Jean, Vice Mayor Jay Chernoff and Mayor Michael Joseph — yes; Commissioners Smith and Hsu — no. The measure passed 5‑2.

What the resolution means: The contract approval lets the city manager finalize and sign the negotiated agreement and continue the vendor’s operation of the free trolley and the on‑demand service while the city develops longer‑term procurement and service planning. The resolution also authorizes the manager to waive competitive bidding under the code.

Why it matters: Residents and neighborhood groups argued at the meeting that city transportation funds should be awarded through open competition; supporters of the waiver said the city needed uninterrupted service and that the operator’s local presence supported continuity. The decision is likely to shape how transit services are procured and run in North Miami Beach for the coming years.

Next steps: Staff said it would continue to evaluate ridership data and routes and could consider alternative procurement or route changes in future commission meetings. Several commissioners asked staff to publish the full ridership data and to return with options for a future competitive procurement process.

Speakers quoted in this article are taken from the meeting transcript; public commenters included residents who requested competition for the contract.