Sick of being stuck in Miami traffic? You can get rewarded for leaving your car at home
Barbara Walters lives in Boca Raton, works in sales and often travels to Miami-Dade for events or to meet friends.
Walters 75, said she’s proof that you don’t need a car to navigate South Florida.
Nearly two decades ago, Walters, who has also lived in Kendall and Homestead, ditched her car and began relying on a combination of public and private transportation.
She learned quickly that not being behind the wheel was good for her health, her pocketbook and the environment.
“I wouldn’t call myself a tree-hugger, but I wanted to do my part,” she said. “It’s a lot easier than you think.”
Miami-Dade County leaders are hoping others jump on the same bandwagon to help reduce the perpetual gridlock that plagues.
This week, Mayor Carlos Gimenez stood in Virgin MiamiCentral in downtown Miami to announce a new app, Velocia, which is meant to reward those who partake in carpools, use trains and buses or scooters and bicycles to get around. Even walking can translate into rewards. The app is the result of a partnership between Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works and Velocia.
David Winterstein, Velocia CEO, said the app creates an ecosystem of mobility by bringing together all the various modes of transportation in the county. So far, some of the partners include CitiBike, Getaround and Bolt. The idea is to continue to had partners and ultimately use the model in other citites.
“Incentives and rewards can change how people move around,” Winterstein said. “The ultimate goal is to reduce traffic and reduce carbon emissions.”
The concept is simple. If you leave your car at home and use the mobility app to track your means of transportation, you earn points, or Velos, which can be redeemed for more transportation. So take a bus and you can earn Velos to get an Uber or Lyft to your final destination.
Walters was one of the first to try out the new app as part of its August soft launch. Velocia, which can be downloaded on iPhone and Android, started with 2,000 beta users, and has increased to more than 5,500 by friend referrals and word of mouth. Walters said it’s become habit to track her transportation and it’s saved her “a lot of money,” and forces her to walk more.
Since she started using the app, she has taken at least 50 short Uber or Lyft rides to go from a train terminal or bus stop to her final destination and has not paid more than a dollar, thanks to the Velos.
“It’s a win-win all around,” she said.
The idea for a mobility reward system grew out of Fastrack Institute’s 16-week program to address Miami’s traffic concerns in 2017. Fastrack Institute, a Miami-based nonprofit foundation created by entrepreneurs, was created to tackle urban issues by seeking ideas and putting them on a “fastrack” to be tested and developed further. The program was funded the Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and local real estate developer and investor Armando Codina.
Gimenez said the county is constantly looking at ways to improve traffic. Greater Miami ranks 12th in the country for traffic and congestion, according to transportation data firm INRIX Research’s 2018 ranking.
“Velocia is a revolutionary mobility app that offers rewards for smart decisions that help people break the habit of traveling alone in cars,” Gimenez said. “This app offers great incentives to use many of the transit innovations that we have achieved in the past eight years.”
