FL: Miami Springs accepts $116,500 FDOT grant for Freebee pilot
The Miami Springs City Council unanimously accepted on Jan. 12 a $116,500 Florida Department of Transportation grant that will jumpstart an on-demand micro-transit service, described by Virginia Gardens Mayor Spencer Deno IV as “Freebee,” serving Miami Springs and Virginia Gardens.
“The service will have two rideshare vehicles that can be requested via mobile application or phone that will operate for a total of 56 service hours per week,” said Miami Springs Assistant City Manager Omar Luna, the city’s former recreation director who was recently promoted.
The new service will link with Miami-Dade Transit, connecting riders to bus and rail.
According to Luna, the proposed micro-transit service will replace the Free- Bee Shuttle, the city’s fixed-route mini-bus service that runs an hourly loop through Virginia Gardens and into Hialeah.
The service concept remains under development, including whether it will operate door-to-door or stop-to-stop, the hours of operation and the service area or zone, Luna said. He added that key details, including accommodations for disabled riders and the performance metrics that officials will use to evaluate the pilot, are still being worked out. The metrics include wait times, pickup reliability, ridership, cost per trip and missed trips.
It is also unclear whether the new service will cross U.S. 27, allowing residents to avoid the pedestrian crossing into Hialeah, a spot that many describe as one of the area’s most dangerous. The concern was underscored last week after the Miami Herald reported that a driver crashed into palm trees along the roadway, and the car exploded and burned, coming to rest in a crosswalk before he fled on foot.
Miami Springs’ Free- Bee Shuttle is unrelated to Freebee, an app-based micro-transit platform used in other Miami-Dade County cities, including Hialeah, Doral and Medley, and which generally stays within municipal boundaries.
“The Freebee service will be available to both City of Miami Springs and Village of Virginia Gardens residents, providing a convenient, free, and environmentally friendly transportation option that improves mobility and access throughout our area,” Deno, the Virginia Gardens mayor, said. “Virginia Gardens is proud to partner with Miami Springs on this initiative, and we look forward to the positive impact this service will have on our residents and our shared community.”
The resolution authorizes Miami Springs’ city manager to execute the FDOT grant agreement, subject to city attorney review.
“Acceptance of the grant award requires matching city funds in the amount of $116,500.00, which have already been allocated in the current fiscal year budget,” wrote Miami Springs Public Works Director Juan Pena in a Dec. 8 memo recommending its approval.
As for the rollout, Luna, the Miami Springs assistant city manager, said, “We are hoping for August/September of 2026.”
An FDOT public-transportation grant agreement obtained by the Herald through a public-records request states: “This Agreement shall commence upon full execution by both parties and continue through June 30, 2027.”
Residents can weigh in on the service at the next Miami Springs City Council meeting, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 201 Westward Drive.
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